Chickens prefer Pink Floyd's The Final Cut

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I was listening to the radio this morning, and Brent Bambury was interviewing Steven Johnson, the author of the book Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life and at one point Johnson started talking about the effect music has on us. Apparently he was involved in a study where they played a number of records to chickens who were inside equipment designed to measure their pleasure (I guess I'll have to get the book to see what that involved), and apparently the chickens much preferred the Pink Floyd album The Final Cut to other albums played, including Pink Floyd albums that were much more commercially successful with, uh, humans.

I don't know what this thread is for yet, but here are some suggestions:

- aligning yourself with small flightless birds with tiny brains by also declaring your undying love for The Final Cut

- mocking the chickens mercilessly

- recoiling in horror that people could abuse animals in this way

- laughing endlessly about the whole concept of making chickens listen to rock music

- making assertions that the chickens would probably prefer your favourite album if only they'd been given the chance to hear it

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 10 April 2004 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

For those who think I'm making this up, check it out:
http://www.rogerwatersonline.com/chickens_respond.htm

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 10 April 2004 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

they played a number of records to chickens who were inside equipment designed to measure their pleasure (I guess I'll have to get the book to see what that involved)

http://members.aol.com/pennyslot/photos/chicken.jpg

(Seriously, what the flying fuck.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 10 April 2004 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

FLIGHTLESS, Ned, flightless birds.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 10 April 2004 14:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I NEED NOT YOUR TOQUE-WEARING PEDANTRY.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 10 April 2004 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

well of course, it was on the Fowlboard 200 for like 14 years

― j. pantsman (jpantsman), Saturday, 10 April 2004 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Number 1, with a pellet!

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 10 April 2004 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

obv. they would prefer that Final Cut to Farmer Hoggett's final cut

― j. pantsman (jpantsman), Saturday, 10 April 2004 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1408434.stm

― donin93, Saturday, 10 April 2004 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Most chickens prefer "The House of Jealous Lovers" to any Pink Floyd, though.

Don't question me on this.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Saturday, 10 April 2004 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

chris ott to thread.

― ergotnaut, Saturday, 10 April 2004 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Most birds prefer "Learning To Fly".

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 10 April 2004 16:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Perhaps that's why chickens prefer The Final Cut: The Wall just reminds them that they're trapped, and Momentary Lapse of Reason just taunts them when it gets to "Learning to Fly". And of course, looking at the cover of Animals just confuses them, what with the flying pigs and all.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 10 April 2004 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Chickens aren't completley flightless, Sean. They can fly to a small degree.. well, at much as seals can travel on land.

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 10 April 2004 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't you bum me out with cold hard facts, man, I'm trying to think I'm onto something.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 10 April 2004 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

chickens have notoriously poor taste.
it's the penguin market i want to hear about.

― dyson (dyson), Saturday, 10 April 2004 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe they like Water's speak-sing?
And how much does Jarvis Cocker love that LP???

― sexyDancer, Monday, 12 April 2004 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

i m gonna play 'the final cut 'tonight and hold the speaker up to my stomach full of chickens.

― kephm, Monday, 12 April 2004 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I love The Final Cut, especially Waters' scream on 'The Gunner's Dream.'

― shookout (shookout), Monday, 12 April 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

five years pass...

I think it has less to do with the music and more with the recording technique. Just realized that while I don't really care for the music, the recording sounds really lush on headphones. Blame the format wars:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holophonics

Here are some examples in case you've never heard of holophonics before (not to be confused with binaural audio):

http://weblog.404creative.com/2007/06/03/auditory-illusions-holophonic-recordings/

― Moka, Tuesday, 6 April 2010 07:36 (sixteen years ago)

psychic tv recorded an album holophonically! it's their best album.

― Twink Will Ferrell (J0hn D.), Tuesday, 6 April 2010 09:39 (sixteen years ago)

and super scary if memory serves.

― You Weaked It! (MaresNest), Tuesday, 6 April 2010 11:48 (sixteen years ago)

Yep. Two bits in particular: a dog attacking you, and earth being thrown over you.

― anagram, Tuesday, 6 April 2010 12:19 (sixteen years ago)

The album by Psychic Tv is Dreams Less Sweet and it is also imho the best one they ever recorded. The songs you mention are 'Eden 1, 2 and 3' where the holophonics are used to make you believe your own phone is ringing in the first section and later on a dog is running around you and 'Proof On Survival' which sounds like being buried alive.

I normally hate this kind of music, both Pink Floyd and Psychic Tv (not a fan of Roger Waters meandering rants or the whole post-goth movement) but I reckon these two albums make for a powerful, immersive listen. Not only for the random special effects and samples which are very impressive, but also the way the instruments where recorded and how you can easily identify where the musicians are standing in the recording room.

― Moka, Tuesday, 6 April 2010 17:50 (sixteen years ago)

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