Which is more important, the music or the lyrics ?

You know that spine tingling Pink Floyd feeling ? What causes that ? Is it a particular piece of music or is it a lyric that just makes you think "wow" ?

For me, the lyrics are as important as the music. That's why I don't have a lot of time for Floyd without Roger Waters.

I can't think what my favourite line is from a Floyd song, there are just too many.

Both do it for me.

Most times the music, and sometimes the lyrics.

But what always gives me that shiver is when Roger goes. "just a little 'Pin - Prik'" and then little Piano trill.

I love that part, and Comfortably Numb is a great song for it.

As i think of them i'll post them.

BUt yes, i think Lyrics are just as important as the music - especially in conveying messages (generally implicit).

It's all good. well, used to be.

It's all bad now.

I enjoy lyrically driven music, even if it ain't Floyd. As a matter of fact the only band I can think of that I like and the lyrics aren't important is Rage Against the Machine, I know you can argue about this but really Tom Morello (sp?) makes the band.

Havivng said that I believe that Floyd, more than any other other band, is dependent on the combination of music and lyrics. The music is like a soundtrack to a soliquoy (sp?). It really drives in the mood of what is being said, yet without the lyrics it is lonely almost. (any of this making sense?) That is why the wall doesn't do it for me, with few exceptions, the lyrics are there but the music is not. (Please don't post telling me about Comfortably Numb or Mother or Another Brick In The Wall part whatever, I said with few exceptions) And yet The Final Cut isn't very good either, though musically superior to anything else they did except WYWH, because the lyrrics are not there (with the exception of the last two tracks). But in albums like WYWH and Dark Side, Meddle. There is a beautiful combination of lyrics and music.

Yea i pretty much agree.

Flixxlevy, no offense bud, but at least if your gonna post - try and go along with the conversation :smile:

Thank you and have a nice day.

The lyrics are important. I don't know if they are as important as most of you say they are....

It's been well documented that Most Pink Floyd songs from the days of Piper up to Animals and after The Final Cut, are a result of a jamming session (music written before the lyrics). Imagine Dark Side Of The Moon with different lyrics or even Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Imagine the lyrics of "Echoes" to the tune of "Hit Me Baby One More Time" by Brittany Spears. GET THE IDEA!!! The music is subconscious it sets the mood for us.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond is sad because of the consistant pace of the 6/4 tempo and the Gm key. It sets off a aggressive tone when it speeds up to 12/8 (in Pt. 5,6) and gets jazzy then funky even sexual in (Pt. 8 ) Wright destroys the funkyness when he slowly fades in the VCS3 synthesizer (through filter sweeps). This prepares us for the slow funeral 4/4 tempo, with Wright's Mini Moog Solo. MY POINT IS THAT SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND IS NEXT TO NOTHING WITHOUT THE RIGHT MOOD (MUSIC).

Another example is that statisically
speaking "The Final Cut" is the worst Pink Floyd album out of them all. AND IT'S BASCIALLY A ROGER WATERS ALBUM. (Great Lyrics though).

Raving and Drooling & You Gotta Be Crazy. Does anyone know what these songs became????
SHEEP AND DOGS!! Both of these songs did very well in 1974 with DIFFERENT LYRICS.

One of ROGER WATERS main reasons for writting "THE WALL" was that he hated the fact the audience wasn't listening to the music and that they were there to have a good time.

Hope you get the Idea!!!

I'm not taking credit away from the music, just saying that for me personally lyrics play a bigger part in all music. I'd rather listen to Dylan then Mozart, if that helps ya understand. You might just be a little biased being a musician, as I am being an english major.

So what you're saying that you'd love a rap version of Shakespear's "Romeo & Juliet", do you?

I think that the music is more important, however, by adding lyrics you might enrich
the composition. But if the words are offending in an extreme way, Than the whole composition
loses Its value.

But surely it's the quality of the lyrics that place them in a league of their own...?

By the way, I think the raison d'etre for The Wall was frustration that the band and audience were not connecting - ie listening to the whole thing, words and music.

I can see that this is one of those never ending topics. I say they are both good! Especially in the case of the Floyd. What's done is done!!!

Actually _archer, I would be interested in a rap version of R&J. Sounds like a good idea to me. And what do you mean by offensive? Do you mean as in the use of profanity?

I think he was refering to his "Final Cut" experience, but we won't get into that.

Musicly of coarse it's important - and lyrics are just as important, Shine On, is an example of how well Pink Floyd can display their music attitudes so proficiently, and The Final Cut, though not as great musically (IMHO, and with some exceptions), has, i believe extremely well thought out lyrics (to an extent).

Charade, it is odd that you feel that The Final Cut is not as good musically, cause I feel the opposite, just thought I'd throw that in there. By the way for those of you who would disagree with me, Rolling Stone felt the same way, calling it the best PF album ever, than again who cares what a corporate mag has to say about a decidedly uncorporate band.

Tricky topic, what?

I'll come down on the side of Frank Zappa, who said during an interview that he couldn't guarantee what his music would sound like to consumers as he didn't know upon what sort of equipment they would be reproducing it. He said he knew what it SHOULD sound like, but had no idea what it would be like for buyers of his records.

He later confessed that he used outlandish, often comical, absurd or rudely semi-pornographic lyrics because he wanted listeners to hear the MUSIC and not concentrate so much on the words.(BTW, this was just before Tipper Gore climbed onto her moral soapbox about parental advisories on albums for their bad/contentious language. Frank was dead set against such moves. Freedom of speech and all that.)

Well, he failed miserably in my opinion as he did indeed write some outrageous lyrics: "It's wet t-shirt time again. We want someone to show us some tit...BIG ONES! WET ONES! BIG WET ONES!" or "Make it go fast...IN and OUT...magickal PIG!" or "Broken hearts are for assholes" or "Why does it hurt when I pee?" (all from "Joe's Garage" - I think you get the picture). All very entertaining but not so outlandish that one failed to hear the jaw-droppingly fabulous sounds behind them.

With the Floyd it's a bit more difficult to divorce music from lyrics...except for the instrumental tracks, of course.

At the end of the day, when all's said and done, and in the final analysis - yadda yadda yadda - I'm compelled to say, for Pink Floyd, the Music is THE thing.

Go figure. :smile:

Floyd on!
Byron

"There's a tear up the front. It's red and black. I've had it for months."

_________________
Don't mess with the eagles until you learn how to fly!

Hurray!

Truth is, the words are improtant as well, but in a band like Pink Floyd, The music's what's matter...

Yoav.