Viva La Musica!

Post by **yovargas** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:12 pm

Disco, or at least its influence, is still alive and well. And it was, and still is, awesome.
Best dance music Americans came up with.

Post by **JewelSong** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:34 pm

yovargas wrote:Disco, or at least its influence, is still alive and well. And it was, and still is, awesome.
Best dance music Americans came up with.

It's terrible music. One beat, all the time, no variation. Just thumping. And the emphasis is on the 2 and the 4, which makes it sound "off" and gives it that jerky feeling.

Honestly. Make a list of all the dance music generated in America - for the past 300 years. You really would put "disco" at the top?

Obviously you like it and everyone has their own tastes. But to place disco, as a style, at the top of a list like that is just....wrong. IMHO.

Post by **yovargas** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:40 pm

JewelSong wrote:For me, "dance" means merengue, salsa, tango...

All good dance music has repetitive beats! It's what happens around the beat that makes or breaks it. And, of course, that "jerky" feeling is what makes you wanna move.

What would you choose as Best American dance music?

Post by **JewelSong** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:50 pm

yovargas wrote:What would you choose as Best American dance music?

Ragtime or Swing.

Post by **yovargas** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:55 pm

Oooh, good choice.

for Swing! But it's soooo damn hard to dance to! One of the things I love about disco is that you don't need skillz to dance to it - anybody can jump on the dancefloor and have fun!

Post by **JewelSong** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:11 pm

Yes, anyone can bop around to disco (or to rock-n-roll, )that's true. (Even me!)

But that doesn't make it quality music (at least, in my opinion!) For ME, quality music means that you enjoy listening to it even if you are not bopping around. And disco just doesn't make it in that regard (at least, for me.)

Swing, on the other hand, does. It has a wonderful beat, complex rhythmic patterns, great chords and lyrics to sing to. And there are many variations possible. And when you dance to it, you can really use all sorts of interesting steps and moves and relate to your partner - like a real dance should.

That doesn't mean that disco can't be fun to dance to (or bop around to!) because of course it CAN. But compared with other genres of music, it doesn't rate that highly...and we were talking about the music itself (I thought!)

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:15 pm

yov, you have probably never heard tales of the great Disco–Rock Wars of the late 1970s. For example, at my university in 1976–77, DJs at dances were forced to alternate disco and rock, and at each style change there would be near 100% turnover on the dance floor. The upperclassmen and grad students would go find something else to do, and the freshmen and sophomores would pile onto the dance floor and do the Hustle, only to retreat again before the unpredictable horror of rock 'n' roll while their elders returned with relief.

It is an uncrossable cultural divide, for those of us who bear the scars of those wars.

Post by **yovargas** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:17 pm

JewelSong wrote:But that doesn't make it quality music (at least, in my opinion!) For ME, quality music means that you enjoy listening to it even if you are not bopping around. And disco just doesn't make it in that regard (at least, for me.)

Agreed! BUT - dance music should be judged on how much it makes people wanna get up and dance! One should judge dance music on a dance floor - NOT in their car!

Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:19 pm

Make my funk the P.Funk
I want my funk uncut
Make my funk the P.Funk
I wants to get funked up.
I want the bomb,
I want the P.Funk
I want my funk uncut.
Make my funk the P.Funk
I wants to get funked up

Post by **yovargas** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:32 pm

Primula Baggins wrote:yov, you have probably never heard tales of the great Disco–Rock Wars of the late 1970s.

Of course I have! I chalk it up to the modern-era phenomenon where having fun is deemed uncool. The truly cool are supposed to always look bored at the world (unless it has to do with sex, booze/drugs, and possibly sports). I always pity the folks too cool to jump on the dancefloor and shake some booty.

*gets funked up with V-man*

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:52 pm

But we (I was with the upperclassmen musically, and Mr. Prim was one) didn't want to "look cool," we wanted to dance—and we only got to dance half the time because the rest of the time that boring robot music was playing with all the little freshmen moving in unison in their gleaming polyester.

Post by **Crucifer** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:56 pm

It don't mean a thing if it 'aint got that swing. Swing is great. Just do what feels right. You don't need lessons or anything.

Post by **yovargas** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:57 pm

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:58 pm

Thank you, Crucifer. The fashions alone are an eloquent reinforcement of my point.

Post by **yovargas** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:04 pm

I'm not sure I understand anybody who doesn't have to dance when the opening bars of Staying Alive come on.

Post by **Crucifer** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:15 pm

Ah. That sort of disco dance is fine. I was reffering more to club, as in
UNCE UNCE UNCE. Horrid stuff.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 5:15 pm

My favorite dance performance to "Staying Alive" appears in the timeless cinematic classic Airplane.

Post by **JewelSong** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 8:23 pm

Disco reached its apogee with the BeeGees and Saturday Night Fever. After that...well...yeah.

The Hall of Fire

Viva La Musica!

Which one?