Words and/or music ?

[MrGongGong]

Sorry, the "great american songbook" (in intentional lowercase !) does little for me
whereas Leadbelly, Sainkho Namtchylak, Schubert, Johnny Cash (yes really), The Undertones, Tom Waits, Meredith Monk, Gorgoroth, Huun Huur Tu, Palestrina etc
seem to have an authenticity (and I don't mean in an historical sense) and SONIC interest.......

many people love music BUT they don't like "what it sounds like"

In the same way that Lord Of The rings is (IMV) a far better film than book Eleanor Rigby is a far more interesting poem than piece of music

though my interest is NOT really to do with what I do or don't like , because that really doesn't matter much at all. What I do find odd is that there seems to be an increasing (????) tendency to have music (with the exception of some electroacoustic music, sound art and artists like Ryoji Ikeda) to insist on music having some extra-musical dimension ........ What's the matter with MUSIC actually it doesn't need a story or a rhyming dictionary

[John Wright]

Gonggong, the lyricist/writer partnerships I listed are not just Americans. There's six British names there and three of the Americans had their most fruitful time writing in Britain.

And the point I was making, in response to the question are words important for music, was that in the swing and pre-swing eras although much of the music was for dancing, as regards record sales and popularity of songs, those with words outsold instrumental-only tunes/records, so they were appreciated as music for listening.

So for millions of people then, 'words and music' were important.

[MrGongGong]

Gonggong, the lyricist/writer partnerships I listed are not just Americans. There's six British names there and three of the Americans had their most fruitful time writing in Britain.

And the point I was making, in response to the question are words important for music, was that in the swing and pre-swing eras although much of the music was for dancing, as regards record sales and popularity of songs, those with words outsold instrumental-only tunes/records, so they were appreciated as music for listening.

So for millions of people then, 'words and music' were important.

I wasn't suggesting that for millions of people they weren't

for me
if I want to dance

techno, tango, Sunny Ade do me fine

[burning dog]

It appears most people like vocals... lyrics not so important. I make a personal distinction between Jazz and nearly all Pop instrumentals, a Pop instrumental to me lacks vocalisation ie. a "voice" or "voices".

Pure Dance music (of the last 20/25 years) is a different category, The times I've heard rock folk/rock fans say "How can you listen to a record where it says No No No, I got the Power etc. over and over again? Well it isn't supposed ot be listened to in that way stupid!"

[John Wright]

burning dog, yes I agree there. I'm a big fan of Led Zeppelin and listen to their albiums with no idea what the lyrics are or what they are about. Equally I can listen to a whole CD of Vivaldi choral works, in latin, quite happily not knowing what's being said. I know what a Stabat Mater is about, but line for line no matter.