Ask Geir Hongro

hongrobrane

What advice would you give a young music enthusiast who is coming to understand more clearly that the rhythmic aspects of music are incapable of affecting him in the nearly the same way as melody or harmony does?

Oh, there's so much great music to discover out there that has been more or less "underground" for the past 20 years ;)

Don't ask Geir (fuck me!)

Geir, the year is 1958, rock and roll is in it's first flush of youth. Strange and interesting things are happening in jazz and classical music. Phil Spector and Marvin Gaye have just begun their careers. What would 1958 era Geir listen to?

Dear Geir,

Why does Kayne West say "We want hen fap" in "Golddigger"?

Geir, the year is 1958, rock and roll is in it's first flush of youth. Strange and interesting things are happening in jazz and classical music. Phil Spector and Marvin Gaye have just begun their careers. What would 1958 era Geir listen to

Probably Frank Sinatra. I cannot see myself possibly getting into "rock" music until around "Yesterday", or maybe "And I Love Her".

Geir, what was your last karaoke song?

*My question wasn't supposed to be entirely sardonic by the way, as I was more or less referring to myself.

Geir, I'm curious to know how you define "melody". Do you just mean tonal or conjunct melodies or melodies that are traditionally consonant with their accompaniment? Or just easy-to-follow melodies? Because it would seem to me that a piece like Schoenberg's "Erwartung" does have a very clear and prominent melodic line. It's just a more complex and non-tonal melody. I wonder when you say this:

when it comes to prog I like all things melodic while I dislike all things non-melodic.

because a band like, say, Thinking Plague does place a high emphasis on melody, as I see it.

These threads sometimes feel like a dogpile but I was wondering since you'd made a number of comments that seemed to beg the question to me.

I enjoy Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet. What other good albums do they have?

Have you heard any of Liam Finn's music? If so did you enjoy it and how do you rate it against the work of other musical progeny such as.. erm... Sean Lennon or Rufus Wainwright?

I don't think the "wedding" question upthread was ever answered so I'll reask it:

1. Geir, have you ever danced at a wedding or similar social function to music you didn't like? If so, what was the song(s)?

2. If you were at a wedding or similar social function and a relative or close friend tried to drag you to the dancefloor to boogie to, oh let's say, The Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb On Me" (or any song you find particularly melody-deficient), what exactly would you do?

3. I'm mildly surprised to learn that you're not a big Fleetwood Mac fan. Isn't at least the Nicks-Buckingham era choked with indelible melodies?

In case you've never heard "You Dropped a Bomb On Me":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmbmPalsRi4

In case you've never heard "You Dropped a Bomb On Me":

If he hasn't, Norway is further away than I thought.

Geir, I'm curious to know how you define "melody". Do you just mean tonal or conjunct melodies or melodies that are traditionally consonant with their accompaniment? Or just easy-to-follow melodies?

A melody is a tonal melody. It need not be tonal in a full-tempered way, modal tonality is OK. (and not Locrian), but it must be tonal.

I enjoy Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet. What other good albums do they have?

Have you heard any of Liam Finn's music?

I actually don't think I have yet, but his dad is a genius :)
Out of the others, Sean Lennon obviously isn't up there with his dad, althogh I like "Saltwater", "Too Late For Goodbyes" and "Valotte". The Wainrights I haven't really gotten into, but Rufus is the only one of these who is better than his dad.

Just getting into them myself, but "In Absentia" is my fave.

1. Geir, have you ever danced at a wedding or similar social function to music you didn't like? If so, what was the song(s)?

Yes, but it was ages ago, and I have no idea what it was.

2. If you were at a wedding or similar social function and a relative or close friend tried to drag you to the dancefloor to boogie to, oh let's say, The Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb On Me" (or any song you find particularly melody-deficient), what exactly would you do?

Depends how drunk that person was. :)
It isn't completely out of the question that I would do it though.

3. I'm mildly surprised to learn that you're not a big Fleetwood Mac fan. Isn't at least the Nicks-Buckingham era choked with indelible melodies?

Ace Of Base are too, but I still don't like Ace Of Base. Fleetwood Mac's melodies in the 70s were a bit too simply, in a three chord/country music way. I love "Little Lies" and several of the "Tango In The Night" tracks though, as they have a little more minor chords and are moving a bit more away from country. My other problem with Fleetwood Mac is I cannot stand Stevie Nicks' voice.

Geir, what was your last karaoke song?

It's been some time since the last time I did karaoke. It may have been "Everytime You Go Away". Or maybe "What's Goin' On". I kind of like to do those melodic soul songs at karaoke. :)

i could totally see geir digging the future games/bare trees fleetwood mac - after the blooz period, before the the stevie years. danny kirwan = highly melodic

Geir: do you ever hear something that doesn't adhere to your rigid rules of what makes 'good' music and find yourself thinking, unbidden, that it sounds quite good before you have a chance to analyse it?

In other words, do you react to music on a visceral level at all, or is it entirely cerebral?

Geir: do you ever hear something that doesn't adhere to your rigid rules of what makes 'good' music and find yourself thinking, unbidden, that it sounds quite good before you have a chance to analyse it?

This is not about analysing. The first thing I hear is always the melody and its belonging harmonies. With no exception. And that is also the first thing I judge: Is this a good melody or not (And if there is no melody, it is sorted as a bad melody, along with those boring three chord ones)

Sorry if this has been asked before but:

In your advocation of melody/harmony, if I'm remembering it right, you said that rhythm is just mental, while melody is emotional, and those who are tone deaf can't get anything out of it.

so. . .
1)Couldn't it just be the other way around, that you might just be arrhythmic?

2)if a song is written with a time signature that is totally awkward, or non existent, is that alone possible to mangle a decent melody?

A non existent time signature makes no sense, but a weird time signature such as 11/8 or similar may often be interesting.

Well, I mean if the music just wasn't in time, not following any sort of time signature.

Then it would just be floating away and completely meaningless as a song.

Geir, is Per Pettersen very famous in Norway? Have you ever read his books?

Where have all the cowboys gone?

Not sure if I have even heard of Per Pettersen. And all the cowboys are at various country festivals here in Norway :)

"Theme From Harry's Game" to thread.

Ok, well another question - is Norway's resistance to the Nazis still a strong part of national mythology and self-image? Also, do people still call each other Quislings?

Dear Geir,
Who is the bestestest N'wegian footballer of all time?

Was Tore Andre Flo worth the £12m that Rangers paid for him? Or was it sheer stupidity by a desperate manager/chairman?

Sir,

I need the following guess papers:

Norwegian III
Business II
Physics II

What is the most melodic "Crank Dat" parody?

1. Do you predict a promising future for star child Liam Finn?
2. How come you no longer update Geirology?
3. Are you a fan of the English prog group Family? How highly would you rate their debut album Music in a Doll's House?
4. Please explain this:
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/9586/ilfue8.png

1. I haven't really been able to check out his music yet, but I understand he isn't totally different from his dad, so I guess I should.
2. Laziness
3. "Music In a Doll's House" is a great album from a generally great music year. What I've heard of their later material I haven't enjoyed quite as much though.
4. Oh, just a fun way to try to create boards, I guess ;)

What do you think of All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes?

Do you mean a European or an African swallow?

I thought you'd love it....

Geir, will you go vote and comment on my Best Shoegaze Band poll?

Done

Geir, is it true that you eat dolphins, or were your alt.animals.dolphins posts just a bit of lighthearted flaming? What are your three favorite dolphin recipes?

Who is the best female bass player of the 80s???

Geir, is it true that you eat dolphins, or were your alt.animals.dolphins posts just a bit of lighthearted flaming? What are your three favorite dolphin recipes?

― aruba (unregistered), Wednesday, December 31, 2008 10:29 PM (Yesterday)

Geir do you have a last.fm account?

Geir, is it true that you eat dolphins, or were your alt.animals.dolphins posts just a bit of lighthearted flaming? What are your three favorite dolphin recipes?

I am really sorry, but I never tasted it. I have eaten whale though :)

And, hmm. I believe I have one, but not even sure what it's called. Hardly ever using it.

That thread is hilarious btw. You get some really surrealistic dialogue when the inhabitants of various alt.flame-groups started mixing with deeply serious animals rights activists ;)

Yeah, that thread is chock full of brilliant prose, like...

I was looking at a Dolphin down at the shore today just before I went to
school and he was just laying there lazy on the beach LAUGHTING AT ME!!!
It could be read all over his face, "hahah, sucker!" See? They're just
making fun of us and our government, the lazy fishes are just commin' up
here, layin' lazy on their back and stealing from our welfare! So, if we
don't stop them now, we'll have Dolphins all over our costlines..

wegies whas hapning. why u so wrapped up about eating whales. U
hungry.cafe. Huh? N my country we hunt humans in subways. Leave em for
the cock roaches . Plenty to eat.

Hey Paaaaaaaaaaaaal, Sounds like you're into big harpoons with
explosive tips! You a HOMO or what?

Yeah! Or else Amerika will come and puke bad Hamburger breath down your
neck!

Discussion subject changed to "Amerikans are murderers (Was: I love dolphins - for dinner)" by cholo

My greatest regret in life is that I was never able to witness Usenet at the peak of its flamebait glory.

Oh, if you have any whale recipes, feel free to pass them along for our edification.

Geir, which do you hate more... hip-hop/rap, or metal?

Geir do you have a last.fm account?

Also, this.

Geir, which do you hate more... hip-hop/rap, or metal?

This is kind of puzzling, because it depends on whether I am subjective or objective. I take it you mean extreme metal (death, speed, doom, black etc.) or the answer would easily be Hip-hop/rap.

But as for extreme metal Vs. hip-hop/rap:
I would say if I have to listen to either, I'd much rather go for hip-hop/rap. It isn't like I suffer that much listening to that stuff, and although there is some stuff I absolutely miss (melodies, often also harmonies), there is still some interesting stuff going on. Extreme metal, on the other hand, I just cannot listen to at all. 2 minutes of screaming and growling singers, restlessly banging drummers and extremely heavy Marshall riffs will just cause me to give up and turn off the entire thing - I just cannot listen to anymore or it.

On the other hand, I respect metal musicians a lot. There are obviously some extremely talented people out there, some fantastic instrumentalists, and also some rather talented and complex composers. And there may often be some really interesting and sophisticated musical stuff buried behind the wall of noise that I just cannot manage to break through.
My main beef with rap is in this area. I feel like they lack the talent - the skills that I prefer in music. It's a bit like punk, in that I despise punk's musical values, even though some of it may be nice to listen to. Hip-hop, in a lot of ways, is the punk of today's mainstream music scene, only the three chords and simple guitar riffs have been replaced by production, programming, sampling and looping. Nevertheless, I want music to be a bit elitist, something that you have to stick out a bit - be more of a musical genius than the man on the street - to ever be able to do - at least on a level where lots people actually get to hear your work. And that is my main problem about hip-hop - I feel hip-hop doesn't have those elements. I requires too little of its musicians (and "composers" not least), in terms of actual musical skills and musical schooling.

Because this last thing is important to me, I guess I prefer extreme metal in terms of those very important classical values that mean a lot to me. But I'd much rather listen to rap than extreme metal any way.

And I believe I made a last.fm account once, but I don't even think I remember it. They played way too much stuff that I felt didn't fit into the very narrow profile I tried to create, so I kind of gave up, having AOR played when I wanted sophisticated and musically complex melodic pop.

Geir, what do you think of OK Computer by Radiohead?