My Morning Jacket

Off-Topic => Other Music => Topic started by: exist10z on Dec 02, 2012, 11:12 AM

Title: Writers = Musicians
Post by: exist10z on Dec 02, 2012, 11:12 AM
I wasn't sure whether to put this in 'Other Music' or 'Off Topic Ramblings', so here it is.

I thought of this when considering the discussion in the 'What is your Sgt. Peppers?' thread.  The argument concerning the seriousness or lack-there-of, of certain bands, as relating to their importance.  There is definitely, it seems to me, a way of approaching that question that suggests something has to be serious/involved/long/deep, to be important or good or the best.  I think I made the case, clumsily maybe, that it's really a matter of perspective and preference.  I don't think something has to be a suite, or concept, or even particularly deep, to be moving or significant musically (which is odd, as that is generally what I favor philosophically).  So, I started thinking about how this relates to literature.

So, this is just off the top of my head, and I haven't read (or heard) everything obviously, and maybe you have better comparisons.  I didn't have any real criteria when making the comparisons, these just seemed natural. 

F. Scott Fitzgerald = The Beatles
Hemingway = Led Zeppelin
Mark Twain = The Rolling Stones
George Orwell = The Who
Leo Tolstoy = Pink Floyd
Dostoyevsky = Rush
Kurt Vonnegut = Bob Dylan
Aldous Huxley = Jethro Tull
Franz Kafka = Yes
John Steinbeck = The Allman Brothers

Of course Ken Kesey = The Grateful Dead (or maybe it's Hunter S. Thompson?)

Anyway, haven't even gotten to more modern comparisons yet...



Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: EverythingChanges on Dec 02, 2012, 12:15 PM
Rush, to me, is more like H.G. Wells

Edgar Allan Poe as Floyd perhaps? Both continually refer to sanity and the lack thereof and focus on beautifully melancholic themes.

Black Sabbath = H.P. Lovecraft
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: exist10z on Dec 02, 2012, 12:49 PM
Obviously there's no right or wrong, and I like the Rush = Wells.  It's funny, I was thinking of your argument from the other thread when I equated Floyd to Tolstoy, long, epic, deep, substantial, as a measure of importance.

Poe is a bit too short and snappy to be Floyd, at least for me.

I might equate Poe to The Clash, or maybe even more The Smiths.  Concise, witty but serious, kinda heavy topically.

Like the Sabbath too.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: MamaKel on Dec 02, 2012, 03:10 PM
I'd go with:

JRR Tolkien=Zeppelin
George Orwell=Floyd
Bill Shakespeare=Dylan
Aldous Huxley=The Doors
Ken Kesey=The Dead
Zora Neale Hurston=Badu
Maya Angelou=Lauryn Hill
Hunter S. Thompson=Rolling Stones
The Bible=Bob Marley
F. Scott Fitzgerald=Woody Guthrie
Hemingway=Neil Young
Gabriel Garcia Marquez=Santana
Paulo Coehlo=Paul Simon
James Baldwin=Miles Davis

That's all I got so far.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Tracy 2112 on Dec 02, 2012, 03:15 PM
Charles Bukowski= Tom Waits
Mark Twain= The Band
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: exist10z on Dec 02, 2012, 03:34 PM
Quote from: MamaKel on Dec 02, 2012, 03:10 PM
I'd go with:

JRR Tolkien=Zeppelin
George Orwell=Floyd
Bill Shakespeare=Dylan
Aldous Huxley=The Doors
Ken Kesey=The Dead
Zora Neale Hurston=Badu
Maya Angelou=Lauryn Hill
Hunter S. Thompson=Rolling Stones
The Bible=Bob Marley
F. Scott Fitzgerald=Woody Guthrie
Hemingway=Neil Young
Gabriel Garcia Marquez=Santana
Paulo Coehlo=Paul Simon
James Baldwin=Miles Davis

That's all I got so far.

Some good ones there, some obvious connections, and a few I like better than mine after consideration.  Shakespeare/Dylan of course, and I like the ZNH/Badu, that seems like a natural.  I need to think of some more modern/current musical connections.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: exist10z on Dec 02, 2012, 03:35 PM
Quote from: Tracy 2112 on Dec 02, 2012, 03:15 PM
Charles Bukowski= Tom Waits
Mark Twain= The Band

Yep...
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: MamaKel on Dec 02, 2012, 03:56 PM
Big fan of the Tom Waits and Band choices...

I'm going to go ahead and say it.

Dave Eggers=MMJ

For me, at least.  From his heartbreaking humor amidst tragedy to his personal philosophies about the practice of philanthropy...It just seems to fit to me.

If I could be a fly on the wall while Dave and Jim had a conversation, I might pee in my tiny fly pants.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Tracy 2112 on Dec 02, 2012, 04:29 PM
Wendell Berry= MMJ

2 reasons, the Kentucky connection and something I like to think of as practical metaphysicality
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: EverythingChanges on Dec 02, 2012, 09:02 PM
Quote from: exist10z on Dec 02, 2012, 12:49 PM
Obviously there's no right or wrong, and I like the Rush = Wells.  It's funny, I was thinking of your argument from the other thread when I equated Floyd to Tolstoy, long, epic, deep, substantial, as a measure of importance.

Poe is a bit too short and snappy to be Floyd, at least for me.

I might equate Poe to The Clash, or maybe even more The Smiths.  Concise, witty but serious, kinda heavy topically.

Like the Sabbath too.

I'm not familiar with Tolstoy's work.  I didn't look at it based on length, although that is interesting.  I was looking more closely at that melancholic beauty that Poe captures so well throughout his work.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Tracy 2112 on Dec 02, 2012, 09:29 PM
Edgar Allen Poe= Andrew Bird
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: sweatboard on Dec 02, 2012, 11:08 PM
Dr. Seuss = Daniel Johnston/Nirvana/The Beatles
Tolken = The Rush
Wallace Stevens = Sonic Youth/Nirvana/The Flaming Lips
Robert Frost = Bon Iver/Iron and Wine
James Joyce =Pink Floyd
J.D. Sallinger = Metallica/The Beatles/The Pixies
Stephen Hawking/Robert Frost = Andrew Bird
Chaucer = The Mars Volta?  :grin:
Bob Dylan = Shakespear with a guitar
The Bible = Nickleback/The Grateful Dead
Eddie Vedder = Jesus with a ukulele
Jim James = GOD with a Full Band!!!
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: pawpaw on Dec 03, 2012, 01:01 PM
Cool thread.  :cool:

William Faulkner = Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Haruki Murakami = The Cure
Kurt Vonnegut = Frank Zappa
Philip K. Dick = Talking Heads
George Orwell = Elvis Costello
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Jaimoe on Dec 03, 2012, 01:09 PM
At least the folk side of Neil Young is more Canadiana, so homegrown heroes Stephen Leacock, Robertson Davies or W.O. Mitchell would fit. Farley Mowat sometimes fits too.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Tracy 2112 on Dec 03, 2012, 01:27 PM
Quote from: bbill on Dec 03, 2012, 01:01 PM
Cool thread.  :cool:

William Faulkner = Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Haruki Murakami = The Cure
Kurt Vonnegut = Frank Zappa
Philip K. Dick = Talking Heads
George Orwell = Elvis Costello

:cool:
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: sweatboard on Dec 03, 2012, 11:37 PM
So, reading over this thread I have come to the conclusion that I really need to read Kurt Vonnegut.  What should I start with?
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Tracy 2112 on Dec 03, 2012, 11:38 PM
Quote from: sweatboard on Dec 03, 2012, 11:37 PM
So, reading over this thread I have come to the conclusion that I really need to read Kurt Vonnegut.  What should I start with?

Cat's Cradle
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: EverythingChanges on Dec 03, 2012, 11:48 PM
Slaughterhouse V is a good one from Vonnegut, but I can personally say I didn't necessarily enjoy it while I was reading it.  However, after I finished the book and thought about it a bit more, I realized there was a whole lot of symbolism that I found extremely fascinating.  Slaughterhouse V has become one of my favorite pieces of literature to analyze and really dig into with meh mind.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: sweatboard on Dec 03, 2012, 11:58 PM
Thanks!!  I think I'll start with "The Cats Cradle" because I really like cats....and I'm afraid of slaughter houses.   :tongue:
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: exist10z on Dec 04, 2012, 12:16 AM
Quote from: sweatboard on Dec 03, 2012, 11:58 PM
Thanks!!  I think I'll start with "The Cats Cradle" because I really like cats....and I'm afraid of slaughter houses.   :tongue:

If you can't find Cat's Cradle easily, you might also try The Sirens of Titan, Player Piano, or Breakfast of Champions.  Those are great also, but Cat's Cradle is probably my favorite.  Slaughterhouse 5 is a classic, but not actually one of my favorites (and just for comparison, that's like a Jacket fan saying that ISM isn't a favorite).  He's probably my favorite author, not necessarily the 'best', but my favorite.

Vonnegut Quotes:

Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly, man got to sit and wonder why, why, why.
Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land, man got to tell himself he understand.
- Cat's Cradle

There's only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you've got to be kind.
- God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater


Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.
- Timequake



Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: sweatboard on Dec 04, 2012, 12:24 AM
Thank you....it has become obvious what I need to investigate....

Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly, man got to sit and wonder why, why, why.
Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land, man got to tell himself he understand.
- Cat's Cradle

It pours off the page like it was written in my soul. 
Title: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Fully on Dec 04, 2012, 07:10 AM
Sweat board, you are a Bokononist at heart. Choose wisely who you put your feet on.
BoC has my favorite page in it. It has a drawing of a dot with some squiggly lines on it. Then it says (sic) This is a drawing of an asshole. Or something very similar. It came at the perfect moment in the book when a non sequitur was needed. God Bless You Mr Rosewater was also a good book, bit Cat's Cradle is his best even though Slaughter 5 gets the most praise and accolades.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Penny Lane on Dec 04, 2012, 10:07 AM
Who is Ayn Rand? Just curious...don't say Rush...

Tom Robbins: Fruit Bats
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Tracy 2112 on Dec 04, 2012, 10:15 AM
Quote from: Penny Lane on Dec 04, 2012, 10:07 AM
Who is Ayn Rand? Just curious...don't say Rush...

RUSH Tribute Band AYN RAND

http://www.youtube.com/user/madmarkz (http://www.youtube.com/user/madmarkz)
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: exist10z on Dec 04, 2012, 12:39 PM
Who is Ayn Rand?  A dispicably hypocritical human being and simplistically obtuse psuedo 'philosopher', who makes me ashamed to be an atheist.

Not that I have strong feelings about her... :evil:
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: MamaKel on Dec 04, 2012, 03:45 PM
I'm pretty jealous I didn't think of Tom Robbins and Fruit Bats. Good call, fine friend. I humbly bow.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: Jaimoe on Dec 04, 2012, 05:23 PM
Ann Coulter = Nickelback
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: MamaKel on Dec 04, 2012, 06:14 PM
Ann Coulter=Nickelback was the funniest thing I've read in a while.

Who's Ted Nugent?

Strangely enough, I was actually talking to an 88 year old woman about Ted Nugent today. After describing him, she agreed that he's a total jerkoff, and said she believes men like that should be born with one less testicle.  So I explained to her that I refer to someone who is acting like an out-of-control asshole as 'a huge Nuge'.

So...Rush Limbaugh=Ted Nugent?
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: MamaKel on Dec 04, 2012, 06:16 PM
Jim and the MOF boys refer to The Nuge...
Monsters of Folk - MTV Supergroup Interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpUgFjBc96k#)
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: sweatboard on Dec 04, 2012, 10:58 PM
thank you.....that was a comprehensvie overview. 
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: ManNamedTruth on Dec 04, 2012, 11:09 PM
Quote from: sweatboard on Dec 03, 2012, 11:37 PM
So, reading over this thread I have come to the conclusion that I really need to read Kurt Vonnegut.  What should I start with?

Breakfast of Champions is my favorite. Vonnegut is probably my favorite author.
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: sweatboard on Dec 04, 2012, 11:16 PM
http://youtu.be/uXK4STfxybU (http://youtu.be/uXK4STfxybU)
Title: Re: Writers = Musicians
Post by: sweatboard on Dec 04, 2012, 11:48 PM
I dont mind stealing bread from the mouths of decadence....but I can't feed on the powerless when my cups already overfilled.....

http://youtu.be/TLaPAPZoz94 (http://youtu.be/TLaPAPZoz94)