David Way ([email protected])
Sun, 22 Nov 1998 17:25:30 PST
To prove I can write a positive post, I humbly submit the following.
It is the URL for Brian Eno's "Oblique Strategies":
http://www.dream.com/Oblique.html
If you don't know what this is, it is his "Tarot Deck" which he uses
while producing the recording of a particular band. There are 127 cards
with sayings on each (#1: "Remove specifics and convert to
ambiguities."; #127: "The tape is now the music."). He uses these cards
to help guide the band and himself to make the best recording they can
collectively. I think my favorite aspect of the deck is that it includes
a blank card so that one doesn't take the deck too seriously (that's
card #79, by the way).
Anyway, he explains it further on the web-page. Check it out! I feel
like I understand the sounds better on the U2 albums which he produced
(even "Passengers" seems to make more sense now). For example, here's
card #77: "Convert a melodic element into a rhythmic element." After
reading that, go listen to "Achtung Baby" and "Zooropa" (or any other of
the 3 albums they worked on together - 4, if you include the studio
track of "Wide Awake In America") and see if you can hear this in
action. It's not too dificult, trust me!
Maybe that can be a thread. Pick your favorite card, find an
instance on a U2 CD that seems to apply it, and tell the rest of us.
This should definitely spice up the conversations on Wire! (I
desperately hope so.)
Karmically yours,
David Way (who's really a nice guy once you get to know him - ask
Rashas, Vanessa, etc., etc.)
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Sun Nov 22 1998 - 17:30:51 PST