Songs of Joy

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Following on from the psych and consciousness threads, I got aksed to contribute to a radio show 5 songs that I think are joyous. I'm all about joy but thinking about it - and I've spent 2 days on it this week - alot of what I think of as joyous songs are often super sad, or bring about feelings of ecstasy, or bliss, or partay, but maybe not joy. It's proving to be much harder than I thought.

My basic line on joy is this one, (whichever version you prefer, I prefer the 4hero one), y'know, which is I think obviously joy. What do YOU think joy is on music?

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luka

Well-known member
it's quite a hard thing to capture becasue it is so pure. the most concentrated and distilled version of happiness.
has anyone ever even felt this emotion or is it like trying to draw a perfect circle free hand? approximation is as close as it gets,
every happiness is tainted, like how each of the two spooning sperms of the yin-yang contains an eye of its opposite.

when i think uncomplicated pleasure i think of the american r&b tradition, particularly early 60s and most of the 80s.
but even there expressions of joy are rare. i would say things like rose royce 'im in love' is as joyful as it gets, aretha franklins 'im in love' marvin gayes lets get it on is too sexual i would say but it shares many of the same elements.

that's the sort of zone id be poking about in.
 

luka

Well-known member
i dont consider le fleur joyous becasue i think its precious and fussy and i think joy is much more open hearted and celebratory than that but horses for courses and all that
 

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Yeah I wouldn't do Lets Get It On, maybe My Love Is Waiting, can joy be carnal? I guess so. I'll look at the other ones, link please though, don't be lazy.
 

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
i dont consider le fleur joyous becasue i think its precious and fussy and i think joy is much more open hearted and celebratory than that but horses for courses and all that

yeah I think that about the original but the 4hero one kinda smooves over Minnie's...stuff.

I get what you're saying with the Aretha - I've tried a few of hers but they don't make me cry, never have. The Rose Royce one is lovely but doesn't have transcendence for me, which is I think a key component.
 

luka

Well-known member
and i wasnt being lazy i was just picking things i thought it would be as superfluous as putting up a youtube of elanor rigby.
so what i mean is there is a difference, to my mind, between
which doesnt strike me as carnal but as religious music in disguise
and
which is gloriously carnal. and it yearns. which is not joy. even when it feels good.
 

luka

Well-known member
yeah I think that about the original but the 4hero one kinda smooves over Minnie's...stuff.

I get what you're saying with the Aretha - I've tried a few of hers but they don't make me cry, never have. The Rose Royce one is lovely but doesn't have transcendence for me, which is I think a key component.

i suppose this is probably where we differ then becasue i think joy is the step b4 ecstacy and transcendence is ecstatic! joy to me
is the fiercest emotion of this world, before the breakpoint of transcendence, which is why i associate it with a kind of earthly but sublimated love.... a cult of love....
 

luka

Well-known member

the intense association of english summers with ukg. ice cream vans playing their merry jingles. raffish young men casting wolfish eyes at the young ladies in their sun dresses. jolly games of cricket on the village green. twirling parasols. the return of Marks & Spencers 'Spirit of Summer' picnic food range. oafish toffs with giant thick legs spread wide in the beer garden. pink shirt tucked into navy twill shorts. brown leather belt with shiny buckle. no socks. boat shoes. guffawing.
 
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mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
i suppose this is probably where we differ then becasue i think joy is the step b4 ecstacy and transcendence is ecstatic! joy to me
is the fiercest emotion of this world, before the breakpoint of transcendence, which is why i associate it with a kind of earthly but sublimated love.... a cult of love....

yeah interesting. I don't think I've had - in personal life - transcendence without joy. I've been thinking alot about your Miles n Coltrane stuff, but obviously translating it into Gary Numan and Depeche Mode.
 
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