harpsichords = grate

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1: super-percussive yet melodic-harmonic if beed be
2: interesting rhythm-delay effect (gap between finger-attack and note sounding is appreciable esp. in a post-junge rhythm-sensitive age)
3: possibly longest-surviving extant popular sound-texture (eg from the scarlattis to now)
4: etc

― mark s, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ok the dreem team (BBC Radio One, sunday morning) played this rap and/or r&b cut six weeks ago or so which i missed the beginning of, which was kind of ALL sampled harpsichord, with an mc ovah the top? any ideas? i thought it was FANTASTIC (tho of course possibly a second, wide-awake listen would dispel this feeling): v.subtle interplay of rhythms, plus Chunky like Wanda Landowska huzzah.

― mark s, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hapsichords are cool, espec fond of the beginning of the Beach Boys 'God only knows'.

― stevo, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

R1 on Sunday = pssshh!!

Get with it and tune in to Desmond, son. The only way to go.

― the pinefox, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

A genuine question, Reynard: what did / do you think of Alan Freeman and Dave Lee Travis?

I didn't hear the record Mark describes but I am duty bound to say I'm fascinated by it and I'm sure I'd love it. The harpsichord touches on New Kids On The Block's "Hangin' Tough" even came close to redeeming their wretched career.

― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

A short, scantily-informed answer: I prefer Freeman to Travis. Possibly more self-awareness; or possibly just more comedy value. I'm not sure that DLT really had (has?) much of either.

I think some of their fave music might be a bit Heavy for me. But this could be an inaccurate guess.

― the pinefox, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think that's pretty much where I stand as well, Pinefox. FWIW, Freeman used to play a lot of Horrid Heavy Rock from the 70s / 80s, but not so DLT.

― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Clavinets are classic. Harpsichords are awful. Why they stuck one on the otherwise perfect 'Rubber Soul' I'll never know.

― dave q, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i love them to peices. i hope my adoration of the piano is on record add to that tenfold.

― anthony, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

("harpsichord" on rubber soul = electric piano on double-speed playback)

― mark s, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Harpsichords are nice but not in Eminem singles.

― Honda, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, they are good. But I was mightily disappointed with the Harpsichord 2000 compilation.

― james, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Harpsichords are k-rad. "Gracious!" on vertigo rekords (mow available on CD from repertoire hooray I sold my orig vertigo vinyl for 30 quid & bought thee CD for a tenner) is super harpsi-led prog wot is 1 ov my favourite rekords ever. Also good is that it goes click/spriong when U lift your finger off the keyboards. Norman's dream groop lineup=

Harpsichord, crumhorn, Mellotron, pipe organ, twin neck electrick guitar, modular synthesiser. Think ov the textures maaan.

― Norman Phay, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, and I forgot TR808 drum machine as well.

― Normah Phay, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Gracious!" by who? (or wot by Gracious!)

norman you must list yr fave 14, 16, 17 or 21 prog releases and post them post-haste — it is CD-purchasing time for mark s and is after-xmas list requires urgent balance tipping away from chart and/or wire-type material

― mark s, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Lazy anseriforme journo hacks stealing my ideas. I was ridiculed in April 1999 for declaring harpsichords (and things that sound a bit like harpsichords) would be the next big thing in pop, and now look.

― Graham, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(anas = duck; anser =

― goose s), Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Gracious!" by Gracious! They did one other LP, IIRC "This IS Gracious" which was lame. I will post my top 14 (or something like that anyway) progg0r releases as a new thread. U will Ph33l th4 ph34r when U read it I'm sure.

― Norman Phay, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(btw if the r&b/rap-learned cd put their kollektif minds togethah — ethan p and tim f hit yr marXoR — i rilly do want expert guesses as to the hrpschoid cut that smacked me up)

― mark s, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

As this is one of the few points on which I can honestly be said to take the middle road: it's all a matter of context. No instrument is good or bad by itself. It's all in the use. Yes, even cowbells. Please stop throwing bananas at me now. I have no need of any more bananas. Thanks you.

― John Darnielle, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mark, can you remember if it was garage or not? The MCs probably would have sounded British if it was, and either way that'll cut half the investigating time down.

Or you could always rifle through their past playlists on their website.

― Tim, Sunday, 30 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Call Cobbs plays harpsichord all over 'Love Cry' by Albert Ayler, but it's pretty horrible/inappropriate, imho.

― Andrew L, Sunday, 30 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

the website doesn;t go bac far enough tim: i think it was mid-november at the latest

i assumned i'd be hearing it loads so didn;t take notes: but i nevah heard it again

my guess is it's american , not UK garage (not spurty-skittery enuff); and the hpschd was ALL OVER IT, not just little bits popped in here and there (so against the play of DC- style vocals — was it a girl singing? possibly... — with precise robo-rhythm, this unending stream of clattered keyb (i assume looped here and there, but i didn't actually check that)

― mark s, Sunday, 30 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I have yet to hear Love Cry, but I think Cobbs' harpsichord playing on Angels off of Spirits Rejoice is fantastic.

― James Annett, Sunday, 30 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Front page of my english version of 'Het Financieele Dagblad' this morning includes the headline "Harpsichords thriving in Holland".

'Holland has always been important for harpsichords thanks to the legacy of the famouse 17th century Antwerp-based Ruckers family. They were to harpsichords what Stradivarius was to the violin.... there are about 20 companies making them in Holland today, although most comprise just one person working alone.'

― stevo, Monday, 31 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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