Depressing Music - Page 2

Bereta_Eder · May 1, 2003, 09:31

I dontknow why you need it. that's why I dont particularly listen to greek music. it grasps your heart and squizes it untill you weep. its not all dance music you know.

reds4ever · May 1, 2003, 09:34

Quote:

Originally posted by paiktis22
I dontknow why you need it. that's why I dont particularly listen to greek music. it grasps your heart and squizes it untill you weep. its not all dance music you know.

I agree but I like whatever type of music, guitar, classical whatever to be uplifting. If I want depressing iv'e got over a dozen news channels to choose from.

Bereta_Eder · May 1, 2003, 09:35

same here

Rufus T. Firefly · May 1, 2003, 09:50

Quote:

Originally posted by reds4ever

I agree but I like whatever type of music, guitar, classical whatever to be uplifting. If I want depressing iv'e got over a dozen news channels to choose from.

Hear, hear!

Back when I was a zit-faced teen wallowing in the typical teenage angst over nothing, I listened to depressing music all the time (no one's mentioned Pink Floyd yet, but that was my favorite source); it was an external confirmation of my stupid adolescent belief that the world was a sh!thole and most people were too stupid to even notice.

Now I'm 40, the promise of my youth is spent, and life seems to have far, far too few years left in it; I'll be damned if I'll spend even one minute deliberately listening to music that makes me feel bad.

Rufus puts on Frank Sinatra's Songs for Swingin' Lovers and begins to feel very good indeed...

Jac de Molay · May 1, 2003, 10:21

Quote:

anything by Radiohead, Coldplay or Travis, why do you need depressing music?

I

radiohead and coldplay. Coldplay's the only good band Ive heard in the past 2 years, as far as I'm concerned.

Anything by the Cowboy Junkies is definitely depressing. I would recommend The trinity sessions . It was recorded in an old church, and has an echoey dreamy sound to go along with the melancholy music.

Jack the Bodiless · May 1, 2003, 10:50

Holst, Planets Suite: Saturn, bringer of Old Age.

uggabugga · May 1, 2003, 10:55

side 2 of black flag's 'my war'

Boris Godunov · May 1, 2003, 11:17

Dido's Lament from Dido and Aeneaus by Purcell
The soundtrack to Schindler's List by John Williams
The Lacrymosa from Mozart's Requiem

devilmunchkin · May 1, 2003, 11:19

radiohead
nin
marilyn manson (well..he's an all the time band)
"brick" by ben folds five
Raindrop Prelude by Chopin
and the Edward SCissorhands soundtrack composed by Danny Elfman

Agathon · May 1, 2003, 11:20

Mahler's 6th Symphony "The Tragic". Starts gloomy and ends in death.

Boris Godunov · May 1, 2003, 11:41

The opening of Mahler's 6th is more martial than gloomy, I think.

Quote:

Holst, Planets Suite: Saturn, bringer of Old Age.

You think that's depressing? Hmm, I never thought of it as such. Ponderous and mysterious, yes, but not depressing.

Ooh! Ooh! Another good one: the Adagio from Bruckner's 8th Symphony. More ethereal than depressing, but it's quite beautiful. Come to think of it, the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th is also extremely beautiful, though not dour.

The Scherzo from Bruckner's Symphony No. 0 is somewhat jaunty, but dark nonetheless.

Bosh · May 1, 2003, 11:52

nothing's more depressing than Emocore, try:
Thrice
Thursday
From Autumn to Ashes

asleepathewheel · May 1, 2003, 12:05

Quote:

Originally posted by monkspider
Eels- Electroshock Blues, not hard rock, and there are some instruemental moments on it, to boot.

That's what I was going to recommend. E wrote the album after his mom died of cancer and his sister committed suicide, so it can get a bit heavy at times.

self biased · May 1, 2003, 12:05

Quote:

Originally posted by gunkulator
Johnny Cash singing "Hurt" always brings me down.

i was going to say the same thing... Down's "where i'm going" is also good for the trick...

SpencerH · May 1, 2003, 12:05

Tanita Tikaram "Twist In My Sobriety"

DISCLAIMER

Dont have anything lethal nearby while listening to this.

Bugs ****ing Bunny · May 1, 2003, 12:27

Post reprint. Still apt.

Quote:

Having heard most of the songs listed above I’m going to dismiss nearly all of them as lightweights in terms of crashing depression.

At this point I'll reveal that my record collection (which is seriously vast- over 1000 albums in fact) largely comprises of some of the most emotionally ravaged songs ever committed to vinyl. I can't get enough of them- in fact I have often bought records by people I've never heard purely on the strength of a single review describing the object as traumatic listening. Most of which I've loved.

I'm not talking about angst or adolescent moping here. What I looked for was music made in the very grip of emotional breakdown- the sound of somebody literally pouring their soul into music and ripping their guts out in the process. I suppose it could be likened to drug addiction in that I was always looking for the stronger hit, and rejecting lesser depression in the process.

When pressed on the subject I came up with the analogy that listening to such music was like picking at a scab- painful, self-destructive, self-indulgent and morbidly fascinating. Which sums it up really, although there's a fair bit of emotional voyeurism involved as well. It's a glimpse into the chasm, the edges of which I have danced along from time to time. I can't get enough of it- I love the bleakest and most grief-stricken of music and seek it out whenever I can. Sad songs are fab. So what do you lot think?

In the meantime here's a quick guide to a few songs guaranteed to kill any party stone dead.

"Hardly getting over it"- Husker Du. Just ordinary everyday heartbreak. The scariest part is that this song describes things that are almost certainly going to happen to all of us.

"Kathleen"- American Music Club. Mark Eitzel is godhead of grief and he really tears into himself on this one. It's almost emotionally crippled. It's almost scary.

"United Kingdom"- American Music Club. Eitzel goes to the other extreme. Psychotically numb.

"24"- Red House Painters. Feeling young and fresh? Play this and hear the reaper sharpening his scythe especially for you. Growing old inevitably.

"The letter"- Kristin Hersh. A first-hand account of what happens during a schizophrenic crisis, when an already imaginative person is no longer able to distinguish reality from fantasy. Think about that. If that doesn't terrify you nothing will.

"It's all over"- The God Machine. So much has drained out of this song it's left barely moving and colder than the arctic.

"Man to child"- House of love. Pure resignation, and beautiful with it.

“She can see the angels coming”- Grant Hart. If this doesn’t put a lump in your throat you’re not human.

“I want you”- Elvis Costello. The ultimate in frustrated obsession

The strangest thing about these songs is that they tend to be astonishingly beautiful.

If, on the other hand, you’d like to go to the true extremes and hit the point where they become harrowing, and a genuine ordeal to experience- try these.

“The kids”- Lou Reed. Off “Berlin”. The sounds of children screaming on this were obtained by the producer Bob Ezrin coming home, telling his two children that their mother was dead (falsely), and locking them in a cupboard with a microphone. For a whole album of real depression, buy “Berlin”. It’s a real heavyweight.

“Don’t play cards with Satan”- Daniel Johnston. Johnston is a genius songwriter but crippled by manic-depression. He wrote this at the absolute pit of depression and it’s very frightening.

“The bloodbells chime”- Current 93. Current 93 are a disturbing prospect at the best of times , and this is a monster. As is “Broken birds fly”, also by C93.

For whole albums of depression I recommend these….

“Berlin”- Lou Reed
“Down Colorful Hill”- The Red House Painters (though it has one happy song….)
“Engine”, “California”, “United Kingdom” or “Everclear”- all by American Music Club. Sadness is their life.
“1990”- Daniel Johnston.

Agathon · May 1, 2003, 14:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
The opening of Mahler's 6th is more martial than gloomy, I think.

But very grim, especially in Barbirolli's recording.

Bugs ****ing Bunny · May 1, 2003, 15:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Almost anything by Nick Drake.

I wouldn't say most of Drake's work was depressing. Wistful, yes. A touch melancholic at times, but not depressing.

"Parasite", "Black-eyed dog" and "Been smoking too long" are the only ones I'd call depressing.

Bereta_Eder · May 1, 2003, 15:28

A question: since I do not know some of the names mentioned, do you also mean depressing music or just depressing lyrics?

For example you can say "I wanna jump off the Acropolis" (or any other suitable high place) but if you scream it and with a distorted G chord, it doesn't sound so depressing

Bugs ****ing Bunny · May 1, 2003, 15:43

In every case, it's the overall effect.

Al'Kimiya · May 1, 2003, 15:43

anything by Clint Mansell (soundtracks of Pi and Requiem for a Dream)

Bugs ****ing Bunny · May 1, 2003, 15:45

Well, certainly not "everything" by Clint Mansell, seeing as he used to front Pop Will Eat Itself.....

"Beaver Patrol"!

asleepathewheel · May 1, 2003, 15:50

Some phrases from the eels' record Monkspider mentioned:

" Going To Your Funeral Part I "

Going to your funeral now and feeling
I could scream
Everything goes away
Driving down the highway throught the
perfect sunny dream
A prefect day for perfect pain

Look at all the people with
the flowers in their hands
They put the flowers on the box
that's holding all the sand that was...
That was once...
That was once you

" Elizabeth On The Bathroom Floor "

Laying on the bathroom floor
Kitty licks my cheek once more
And I could try
But waking up is harder
when you want to die

Walter's on the telephone
Tell him I am not at home
'Cause I think that I am going
To a place where I am always high

My name's Elizabeth
My life is **** and piss

" Elecro-shock Blues "

Feeling scared today
Write down "I am ok"
A hundred times the doctors say
I am ok
I am ok
I'm not ok

Skin is crawling off
Mopping the sweaty drops
Sticking around for this ****
Another day
Another day
Not another day

Pink pill feels good
Finally understood
Take me in your warm embrace
I am trying
I am trying

And more good stuff like that

(I'm suprised no one has mentioned Soundgarden's Fell on black days" and other Superunknown songs, great for black bleak days)

Boris Godunov · May 1, 2003, 15:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp

I wouldn't say most of Drake's work was depressing. Wistful, yes. A touch melancholic at times, but not depressing.

"Parasite", "Black-eyed dog" and "Been smoking too long" are the only ones I'd call depressing.

I couldn't name any single song of his, but my roommates played him a lot, and I thought a lot of his songs were very depressing. He seems to delve into a place where many people just don't want to go. Of course, knowing the circumstances of his life adds to that.

***********

Also, several of Schubert's songs are rather glum, especially Die Krahe (The Crow), Der Wanderer and Der Leiermann (The Hurdy-Gurdy Man).

redbaron · May 1, 2003, 17:22

The End of the Rainbow - Richard Thompson
How Will I Ever Be Simple Again? - Richard Thompson
Never Again - Richard Thompson
Walking On A Wire - Richard Thompson

Anyone detect a pattern here?

Also
The Letter - Melanie Harrold,
Sometimes I Forget - Loudon Wainwright III
Fire & Rain - James Taylor