Background Noise for Dinner Parties

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Based on the "Tubular Bells" thread. Forgive me if this has been asked before, but I was curious as to what everyone else might cite. I don't agree that "Tubular Bells" is a great choice, given it's ominous, evil guitar section a third of the way in. I suppose it really depends on your guests, but I'd wager a better complement to the clink of silverware and chatter might be, say, MOON SAFARI by Air or some such. What say you? Bon appetit.

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like serving grilled tomatoes and putting on Operation Rescue videos

― dave q, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

last xmas i played morrissey's "viva hate". a couple of years ago, rick wakeman's "greatest hits" album got a nice reaction. van der graaf's "vital" is a no-no... apparently, it scares people off.

― cecilia, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

black foliage.

― ethan, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Grandparents HATE ambient music. That's all I've figured out.

― Keiko, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i had some people over for dinner last night, and they liked what i threw on: beachwood sparks' new one, once we were trees. pretty, tuneful, not too obtrusive. i bet the langley schools music project thing would be good, too.

― catherine, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Recently it's been the Art of Fighting album. No unpleasant loud bits to make anyone tense.

― electric sound of jim, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

cheering while our slaves are buggered

― mark s, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

well, it's still gotta be Nyman's music for "The Piano", hasn't it? I can't remember how many lovely dinner parties I've been to that have been ruined by that cd...

― philT, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

depending on how hip the guests are, id say circulatory system. that or telefon tel aviv.

if they're effed in the head, confield would be a good choice.

― Brock K., Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

None if any one witha hearing aid is in the house. Depending on who it is, BJM's Their Satanic Majesties' 2nd Request or King Black Acid's Royal Subjects tend to do better then expected.

― Mr Noodles, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Jandek

― electric sound of jim, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think Stereolab would be pretty good, it's not too dark or depressing, and not too slow moving. Another good one I think would be Bill Frisell, with his light unobtrusive jazz.

― A Nairn, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Jandek

All depends on the album. One of those recent a capella suckers might cause gastric distress.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Joni M's Hejira. I love the texture.

― helenfordsdale, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I usually just let the randomizer do its job. Although last weekend my dinner guests were treated to some maniacal screaming from the Mothers of Invention's 'Freak Out!'. I had to get up and change it.

― Dave225, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

portishead and broadcast are archetypal "nice at dinnerparties" albums.

― Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, I never got that one (portishead, I mean). "Mysterons" not exactly ideal accompaniment to consommé.

― Jeff W, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Chopin or Ravel for Formal Dinner Parties. Anything downtempo or cubanismo for trendies--apparently the pseudo- hipsters just can't get enough of cuban music mixed with dub and techno, warum?

― Mickey Black Eyes, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Depends on what kind of wine is being served with the fish.

― Lord Custos, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

I was playing some Indian Classical music in the background when my grandparents were over for dinner and they said "what is this music, it sounds bad."

― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 02:45 (twenty-two years ago)

tthis thread is related to this thread:

"Do You Lot Never Have Dinner Parties?"

― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 02:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I was wondering last night whether Glenne Branca would work.

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 07:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I was wondering last night whether Glenn Branca would work.

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 07:23 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't see why not! he's pretty soothing i think

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 08:02 (twenty-two years ago)

My mother was over for a few days and I too played some Indian classical music. "I could shoot this record" my mom said. Shoot it!

― Sean (Sean), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never been to a dinner party where they played music in the background, except a wedding where they had a dude dooting around on his keyboard; but that's something else alltogether.

Why on earth would you put on music for a dinner party? Muh?

Oh well, my stock answer for thsee "what song/music" threads has finally failed me, as in this case it just won't fit at all... or fit ALL too well (the S-A being Napalm Death's "You Suffer"...hmm, maybe for a cannibal dinner party)

That being said, every now and then I see people refer to jazz as dinner-party music or whateve,r so I guess that's the way. Nuttin sez good eatins like niiice homemade whole-grain Trane "The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings" or Charles Gayle's Repent.

― Øystein Holm-Olsen (Øystein H-O), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 08:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Not so sure Geeta, it manages to be soothing and harrowing at the same time. Actually, I wonder in which setting Branca works best. On its own I get bored, but I can't really read with that in the background either..

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 09:03 (twenty-two years ago)

If you want a bit of edge try a knackered Erik Satie CD that skips, or if you have it on vinyl you can be creative with some electrical tape.

― nick.K (nick.K), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 09:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Miles Davis' "Sketches Of Spain" is, like, the ultimate choice here isn't it?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 12:30 (twenty-two years ago)

sketches of spain is great,but i would have thouht it gets a bit manic in parts to be good background music

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

(not that i ever have dinner parties)

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Ibrahim Ferrer's Buena Vista Social Club CD is one of my fave ones to put on at dinner. Hearing it actually makes me want to break out a wok.

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

a friend of mine has a record called "music for dining" that's got some nice string pieces on it.

― Felcher (Felcher), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

T. Rex is pretty good.

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't imagine a dinner party set to Zinc Alloy... or rather, I can too well.

― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 09:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Try the first side of Butthole Surfers 'Hairway to Steven', no seriously, try it.

― nick.K (nick.K), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

It depends on the menu and the company.

Cal Tjader makes for a nice sushi accoutrement.
The Mills Brothers go well with 90-year-old Aunt Marge's Mother's Day Dinner of fried chicken.
Esquivel has worked during a New Years Eve outdoor weenie roast.
Tijuana Brass fits somewhere, maybe lasagna -- and probably more for preparation than the meal itself.

As a backup, however, you can't go wrong with well-placed flatulence.

― christoff (christoff), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Serge Gainsbourg works well, volume set on low. Better if the guests can't understand French to begin with: all the sexual undertones will fly right over their head

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 19:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Medeski Martin and Wood's It's a Jungle In Here which freaks out the least of their albums and is smoov like the olive oil y'all be dippin' your ciaobatta in, totally appropriate for dinner parties.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

six years pass...

Some restaurant entrepreneur with a NY Times blog lists his top 10 ultimate background music albums:

1. Bop Tweed Two
2. Buena Vista Social Club
3. Classical Jazz Quartet Play Rachmoninov
4. David Russell plays Agustín Barrios Mangoré
5. Dexter Gordon: Ballads
6 .Getz/Gilberto (featuring A. C. Jobim)
7. Jacques Loussier Trio — Satie: Gymnopedies & Gnossiennes
8. Miles Davis — Kind of Blue
9. Sphere — Flightpath
10. Undercurrent by Bill Evans and Jim Hall

More details here:
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/the-best-restaurant-music-ever-made/

― o. nate, Friday, 18 December 2009 18:06 (sixteen years ago)

"smooth jazz" channel on Music Choice On Demand TV

― andrew m., Friday, 18 December 2009 19:53 (sixteen years ago)

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