Monicker

One time i was going down on my then-girlfriend while she was eating a piece of chocolate cake. It wasn't, like, "food play" or anything like that, she was just sitting there eating it casually and was actually a little more focused on the cake than anything else, but something about that was really erotic to me. I'm going to change the subject now. Here's a picture of two lions fighting:

guis cum 0n 69 iz lyke a metafor n0t a misteak! lana kn0wz wutz up, iz lyke ab0ut sexxx & stuff And that right there is perhaps a big part of the reason why part of me sympathizes with any artist who has a problem with their unreleased music getting out.

Haa. But it was taken away from them, right? I think when they were EXPOSED as lip-synchers the committee was a little embarrassed and revoked that shit.

No. Unless she dies. Seriously. Eh, i think that's more idealistic revisionism/misconception than reality. The pop music industry has always been about sales. Of course, a lot of people think that pop music used to be better and that that explains things. I'm not really convinced of that either. I think there's always been great and terrible and everything in between and that the percentages/ratios shift around from time to time.

Ha, you are a mad man! What a terrible thought. Although Auto-Tuned Loon instead of theremin on GV is a hilarious thought. You know, Pet Sounds does end with the sound of barking dogs... Oh my god, that is the BEST, seriously. What a great memory/thought. Especially checking off each song as you went along. Yeah!! And as you probably know, Pet Sounds and Odessey & Oracle actually have differences in the music between the mono and stereo versions--missing overdubs and double tracked vocals on some of the stereo versions, things that were overdubbed live during mono mixdown! Because the multitracks obviously don't have those overdubs, when stereo mixes were later created, they had to be done without those parts, so it becomes even more of a unique experience when you compare the mono and stereo versions. Take, for example, You Still Believe In Me on Pet Sounds: Brian's lead vocal is double tracked on the mono because he overdubbed the second vocal during mixdown to mono, so the stereo version is a single tracked lead, and this really gives the song a very different feel, in addition to the general mono/stereo difference! Awesome! Blue Velvet sounds better in mono to me! I definitely also recommend doing Blue Jeans and Lolita, those both seriously rock in mono, especially the bridge of BJ, oh my god. Lolita is just ridiculous, it sounds like you're being pummeled over the head in the best way possible. And like i said before, it takes a bit of the shine off of Emile's production.

HDB, check these out. I wanted to give you something more tangible rather than a rambling post. Here’s Wouldn’t It Be Nice by The Beach Boys in mono (how it was originally mixed in 1966) and a modern stereo mix of the song. First Stereo: Make sure you do NOT turn the volume all the way up, leave a little room to play the mono back louder. Listen to the clarity and separation. You can pick certain instruments apart. In this mix you can actually hear that, yes, indeed, the driving force of the backing track is two accordions! Listen to how the background vocals pop out and shimmer. Listen to the bed of horns and all the percussion. You can hear different parts weaving in and out and you feel the sound sort of enveloping you from all around, like you're in a pool that's filled with the music rather than water. The song has a certain elegance in stereo. Now Mono: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E4FRtrD9aQ Turn the volume up slightly louder than you did the stereo mix. All of the aforementioned is gone. Everything blends. It’s like the whole song is one big well-oiled machine, all the parts indistinguishable from each other, coming together to create a whole. It’s not about the details at all (many of which are lost!) but rather the big picture. If everything before was a collection of separate sounds, this is just one big mass of a single sound, but listen to the power that it carries. It’s like a train that’s coming straight at you and it’s going to rip your head off. Is one "better" than the other? Of course not, it comes down to personal preference. But it also doesn't have to be about one or the other. To me, they're BOTH essential, they both have their own value for totally different reasons. When i listen to the stereo mix, i marvel at the intricacies of the composition, arrangement, and production and i think, Wow, Brian Wilson was not of this earth. How the fuck did he compose, arrange, produce, and sing this? When i listen to the mono mix i just FEEL the song and it makes me want to cry.

Hmmm, i'm not sure how to respond to this. I know all these lines are blurry, i don't deny that. I don't really make any distinction between lyrical analysis (in regards to making connections to her own life) and all the internet sleuthing. But you'll notice then that i've never really participated in any discussions about her lyrics and their connections to her personal life. Let's be realistic, i don't even analyze the music. I can't think of even one single instance on this forum where i've actually analyzed music, really. Given my opinions, yes. And gotten into technical things about music production, sure. But i don't think there's been any real musical analysis. My surprise came from hearing a familiar riff in another person's song, and as you suggested, yes, that it comes from someone with a personal connection to her certainly adds to my surprise, you're right (can't say whether it's a significant amount though). But, to me personally, it wouldn't make a difference whether that person is an ex-boyfriend, a friend, a family member, a former classmate, or the pool cleaner at the Chateau Marmont. It's just unexpected and a bit of a mindfuck. I was simply shocked to hear the exactness without having any prior knowledge of this. I think it's a lot simpler than you're making it out to be, honestly. Like, imagine you're listening to the radio one day and suddenly a song comes on and you realize that it shares the exact same riff as one of your favorite songs from an artist you really like, and then you discover that the song in question is by someone somehow connected to the artist of whom you're a fan. It's just a little "whoa" moment. And i'm curious who wrote it, which came first. I want to make something very clear though. As i said to you the other day, i'm not at all passing judgement on anyone who takes an active interest in this sort of stuff. It's not my or anyone else's place to determine what is and isn't an appropriate interest for others to take up. I was simply explaining to you that i have little-to-no interest in this stuff myself.

Well, you asked for it... Naw, it just comes down to personal preferences like most everything else in life. I think mono and stereo each have their place and i like them both for different reasons. I'm happy that they both exist, i wouldn't want to do without either one. I am definitely not one of those people who fetishize mono. I know exactly what you mean when you say that it sounds "confined," that's true in a sense. People talk about stereo "opening up" the music and allowing it to "breathe," how it has more space. All true things. Mono is tighter, punchier, more compact. There are two main things about mono: it tends to sound really powerful, there's this great energy to it that stereo often lacks. The other thing is that it's good for creating more of a blend with the overall sound, if that's what's desired. Sure, you lose clarity and openness with mono but you make up for it with the way the music just hits you stronger. A good mono mix smacks you right in the middle of your chest and it just feels great. You usually have to turn it up louder than you would a stereo recording to get the full effect though. Some music is more suited for mono while other music is more suited for stereo. For me personally, i like mono for music with a sparse arrangement because if there are such few instruments, why do you really need to have all that separation? A lot of stuff that’s intended to "rock" tends to sound better in mono. What's really great is when you have the luxury of having both a stereo mix and a (true) mono mix of the same song. That's REALLY fun because you can experience the same song very differently. For me, mono is more for enjoying without thinking too much about it, and stereo is more for really paying attention, studying the music and production, scrutinizing it. Also though, i said that i would like it if those songs on Paradise were in mono because it would be unheard of for a mainstream pop artist today to release music in mono. That would totally shit on industry standards and i think that would be refreshing, funny, and cute, sincerely. I can see Lana being a badass and doing something like that. I remember when the Blue Jeans video leaked a few days early, the audio in the video was in mono (granted, not true mono, but a "fold down") but i thought it sounded fantastic. It had so much energy to it that really suited that song, and the blending that happens naturally with mono really, really helped with the BTD production, it smoothed it out and kind of obscured a lot of the overproduced, glossy aspects. I was BLASTING that leaked video all day for those few days. I have since folded down Blue Jeans, Lolita, and a few other BTD songs and will listen to them like that from time to time when i just want to blast some of those songs and feel them in a more visceral way.

That's still true, evil. The = my surprise and amusement at the exactness of the Little Girls riff in this Saint song.

I should have said unfavorable opinions. I did not mean to suggest that i think anyone is being too negative or even negative at all. I don't. Obviously, hello, look who's talking. But, yeah, SitarHeroine is right--there's a good amount in this thread of people defending what they like.

:o :o :o :o :o :o :o So who's the better melodist, Lizzy or Jimmy? Gonna have to give it to Lizzy in this case, hands down. By the way, the metadata on the "No Kung Fu" version of Little Girls has always been tagged as 2007. Hmm...

Anyone notice that Blue Velvet, Bel Air, and Yayo are in mono?! I think there's a better chance though of one of us getting killed by an elephant dropping from a skyscraper than these songs appearing in mono on the Paradise release (the Blue Velvet single is in stereo) but, damn, that would be great. Too bad it'll never happen.

As i suspected would happen when this thread was first started, this has turned more into any negative opinions on anything Lana related, rather than unpopular opinions.

Haa. Yeah, this is my thought too. I'm really glad she didn't pinch her voice and do that whine on record. PHEW.

Of course you do. Who would you be if you didn't?

This place is probably high up there on her list of worst nightmares. She would probably have a panic attack if she lurked around here even for a few minutes. Hai Lana! :love: Welcum 2 hell

U guis cum on, u r bein so M34N 2 Lana, S†0P, just S†0P! let her fuckin do wut shes fuckin doin, just singin stuFF!

Yeah, i suspect that, no matter what the reasons, there is a considerable amount of practical considerations and logistics involved, the kind of stuff that doesn't even cross most fans' minds. Anyway, someone should ask her about this. Let's bring back the what-would-you-ask-Lana-if-given-the-opportunity-to-interview-her thread!

Yeah, that too. Maybe it's a bunch of different reasons. Maybe these were the only songs that she felt translated well to piano, guitar, and string quartet. Maybe some label influence too?

Damn, this is really good.

I just now got around to watching this. Her stage setup with the plants and palm trees really is brilliant, i will never tire of it. I really hope that when this gets released they do a better mix, especially turning the guitar up, as it's way too low in the mix. But i’m not complaining, it’s probably the best live recording we have of hers. Body Electric still kicks my ass to the floor. I still maintain that that song sounds like you’re gloriously passing on to the other side. She needs to NOT sing over the sublime string outro though, Jesus. Did anyone else cringe during “like a freakin’ dream i’m livin’ in”? Family Friendly Lana! Postmodern Lizzy in jeans, cut Budweiser sweartshirt, and hideous black kicks, ha! She is generally so endearingly awkward. I kind of hate that she is always saying “I love you” though. Talk about that phrase being abused and losing meaning, sheesh. But i don’t know, obviously it’s not my place to dictate when it’s okay and not okay for someone else to use it. I love that Blake plays a white hollow body Gretsch and that he sits down <3 I kind of like how anticlimactic the very end of her shows are, it’s amusing. Like everyone else, i wish her setlists were more varied, but i have a theory as to why it’s always the same, bear with me for a minute...Perhaps they are trying to keep costs down. Think about it: someone has to be getting paid to arrange the songs for strings (i suspect Blake and especially Byron do their own parts) and then transcribe them for the players. I would think that the more songs that get added, the more this arranger needs to get paid because, well, it’s more work. Also, even though professional musicians can play this stuff in their sleep (at one point during BE the camera cuts away to the cellist’s sheet music and you can see how it’s just all whole notes, haa! These ladies are probably nodding off during these shows) she travels a lot, never staying in one place for too long, and the quartet changes as she travels, and i imagine that any new set of players need to be comfortable with getting the sheet music the day of a show and only be able to rehearse once that same day, so i’m sure that having a small number of songs makes things go smoother for everyone. I don’t know, just some speculation that might explain why she plays the same set of songs every time. Though now that i think about it more, i guess she could always spontaneously bust out a song that Byron might already know and just do it without the quartet, as she does with MDM and Carmen.

^^ Oh my God, that looks so good. I REALLY want to see that. I think i'm going to order the DVD from Ruthless Films.

The intro of this song sounds a lot like Prince's Sign "O" The Times [interesting and unrelated side note: Prince somehow is able to not allow ANY of his recordings on YouTube. Go ahead and try to find one Prince studio recording on YT.] filtered through early 80s Phil Collins. Also, both the pre-chorus and chorus melodies sound just like something else, but i haven't been able to place either of these two yet.

What i want to know is what/where is Go Go Dancer 1.0. Also, this is really funny and great: Scott said... Is her name Lana Del Ray or Lana Del Rey? The CD I downloaded says Del RAY. But the Myspace says Del REY. I'm confused, to say the least. I know in Spanish, her name literally tanslates to Wool of the King... if you spell it Lana Del Rey. But the CD cover reads Lana Del Ray AKA Lizzy Grant. Confused. MAY 26, 2010 1:24 PM

It's a tricky situation. A lot of people lean toward cohesiveness (or their idea of what that means) and believe that an album has greater value when it sounds cohesive--that it’s a greater, stronger work as a result of that. But a lot of other people enjoy and prefer a more varied sound. Just how varied exactly? Well, your mileage will vary. You know what’s cool though? Having an album that is homogenous in sound and another that’s not. She’s young. Her career, as far as the public’s eye, is nascent. I think time will be very kind to her, both with critics and hardened fans. Think about, 10, 15, 20 (!) years from now when Born to Die is one brick in a wall, one patch in a quilt. Hindsight and a different context can alter one’s perception a lot, and reappraising things periodically is part of the game. Imagine if when she has, say, 8 albums out, one of those is even more homogenous in sound than BTD--say an entire album accompanied only by piano; and another one of those albums is so varied in style that it sounds as if you’re listening to a compilation of various artists. And there will probably come a time when she has some archival stuff officially released--another way in which our perception of both the parts and its sum can change. Who knows. She may scale back on making so many alternate versions of songs, but i highly doubt that she is going to abandon the practice entirely. By the way, some of those alternate versions of songs are demos, eg. Video Games. I’m sure she will at least keep recording demos, in the true sense of the word. Not sure that any of us can really say how any song was "originally intended to be heard." What do we know? P.S. Madrigal, i think the NA album vocals might be flown in from the second version, but i’m not positive; i have to listen to/compare them again sometime.