Music And Ideas – Details, episodes & analysis

Karl, Scott, and Trent explore two seminal albums in the catalog of arguably the greatest jazz guitarist of all time, Wes Montgomery. In Incredible Jazz Guitar and Boss Guitar, Montgomery lays down an adventurous blend of hard-swinging bop, romantic ballads, and Afro-Carribean inspired grooves with an effortless mastery of guitar technique.

Although he employs a wide variety of complex techniques such as fast triplet strumming, sweep picking, and octave melodies -- almost exclusively performed with his thumb -- Montgomery never comes across as pretentious or heady. He's a generous soloist for the audience, creating plenty of space and pauses to give listeners a chance to absorb and digest his playing. He frequently quotes and reworks melodies from popular tunes of the American songbook, and in the latter part of his career he performed jazz covers of contemporary hits as well.

Wes' life was cut short early (he died of a heart attack at 45), but he left a huge mark on jazz history. His work was influential to jazz guitarists such as Joe Pass, George Benson, and many, many others. It remains fresh, too, and an easy entry point into the world of jazz for new listeners.

Scott, Karl, and Trent discuss the meaning and purpose of music during troubled times, and share their playlists for the end of the world.

The trio discusses The Planets, Op. 32, a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1917. 

When you first listen to this, you might just be recollecting it— The Planets comes with a long list of imitations churned out by film composers. Karl says, "It's the form of 20th-century film score." 

You'll immediately recognize Holst's ability to create tension with certain musical cues. As an avid astrologer, he brings each of the planets and their corresponding astrological character alive with different styles of orchestration. 

The whole score has become a modern classic. But how does it compare to Beethoven? Scott says, "Modern writing shies away from nobility... Beethoven is fine feeding you a steady diet of pure beauty and nobility. This doesn't have that hope in it that I hear in Beethoven." 

Still, The Planets remains one of the most accessible entrances to classical music. Tune in for more music and ideas, brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. 

This week, the trio discusses an album on Trent's shortlist: Neko Case's album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.

Released in 2006, it's a mix of folk, country, and early rock elements. Case classifies her style as “country-noir."

"She defies genres... she doesn't fit comfortably into any of those worlds," Trent says.  

Along with her booming voice, Neko Case is also known for her independent, non-traditional songwriting. This particular album was inspired by Eastern European fairy tales— not overly dark or moral and a bit funny. 

Tune in as Scott, Karl, and Trent discuss Case's cryptic lyrics, her vocal stylings, and the album's production quality. Brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. 

This week, Scott, Karl, and Trent discuss Joe Cocker's live album, Mad Dogs & Englishmen.

Released in 1970, the album was spontaneously formed on a few days' notice to meet Cocker's contractual obligations. 

These concert tapes ended up being just as much a showcase for Leon Russell, who helped organize and perform the tour, as it was for Joe Cocker. Accompanying the duo is a choir, a three-piece horn section, and several drummers.

Scott says, “It’s not polished. It’s just people who are pretty good at what they do having a freak-out on a Saturday night in San Fransico. All of that is what’s wrong with the album, but that’s also what’s good about the album.” Karl later adds, "You get to hear the personality of everyone in the band.”

Tune in to learn more about this pickup orchestra's rock and soul sound. Brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. 

Scott, Karl, and Trent discuss an album you may have heard of: The Dark Side of the Moon by English rock band Pink Floyd. 

As Scott points out, Pink Floyd is one of those bands that you either love or hate. Released in 1973, this particular album became one of the most critically acclaimed records in history, tallying 741 weeks on the US Billboard Charts.  

The trio agrees that unlike other chart toppers from the era, this album’s music and lyrics still hold up beautifully today. Tune in and learn more about one of Karl's all-time favorite albums, brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. 

Scott, Karl, and Trent discuss Depeche Mode's 1990 album Violator, a synth-pop smash.

Featuring nine tracks of synthesizer dominant grooves, this English electronic music band created what Trent calls "a perfect album." 

The trio discusses how this highly stylized exploration of the dark side of human emotion became a mainstream, chart-climbing album.  Scott says, "I think this shows a sinister, dark worldview and a yearning for some sort of intense experience that those Gen X kids had." 

Still, there seems to be growing interest in this music outside the core goth audience. Trent says, "It's really this artificial world that Depeche Mode is creating and asking you to step into. It has a mechanical heartbeat that's a little alienating, a little dark. I think that is a key part of this album's aesthetic." 

Tune in for more music and ideas, brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. 

Buckle up! In this much-anticipated episode, Scott, Karl, and Trent discuss outlaw country music.

Starting as a movement about freedom, authenticity, and rebellion, outlaw country is all about breaking the rules.  

During the 1970s, Nashville's country music stars had to fight for creative control of their songs. When Willie Nelson bucked the Nashville sound and made the pilgrimage to Austin, Texas, a new era of country outlaw was born.

Operated entirely outside the law of the country music establishment, this is the music of rowdys, degenerates, and hell-raisers. Scott says, "This show is more about the rednecks and outlaws that I grew up with— how they interpret this music and what it means to them."

Tune in for more music and ideas, brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. 

Da-Da-Da-DUM — hardly any succession of notes is as famous as Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. 

This week, Scott, Karl, and Trent discuss the life and legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music. 

Trent says, "I hear him having all of the virtuosity and command of the musical vocabulary that Bach, Mozart, and Haydn have. But I think he is ultimately inspired by fits of passion— these violent, emotional impulses. That's the muse for his music. It's a different mindset."  

Beethoven's Fifth is a powerful expression of his force of character. Scott adds, "It is maybe the purest expression of what a person can have." 

First performed in Vienna's Theater an der Wien in 1808, Symphony No. 5 has gone down in music history as the Symphony of Fate. When asked about the opening motif of the Fifth Symphony, the composer is said to have replied: "This is the sound of fate knocking at the door."

Karl believes there's nobody better than Beethoven. Do you agree? Tune in for more music and ideas, brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. 

In today's episode, Trent orients Scott and Karl to Indian classical music. 

To a novice listener, the complexity of Indian music might seem overwhelming, but knowing just a few basics can give you the tools to appreciate the melodic richness. Scott admits, "We have never done a show which we know so little about."

Indian classical music is very closely connected to nature, taking inspiration from the cycles of the natural world to create ‘ragas’ or the melodic framework. Trent says, "This traditional music is a very strong affirmation of Indian culture."

The trio dives into basic components of ragas, the differences between Hindustani music of North India and Karnatak music of South India, and musical instruments used to produce each distinct sound. 

Tune in for more music and ideas, brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Sarod Example
• Vocal Jugalbandi