A thought occurred to me: it seems that having a recurring melodic motif or motifs running through one of your works is a device you rarely see outside of classical music. In the various forms of popular and underground music over the past 60 years or so it seems much more common for people to want to make each track on an album either noticeably different sounding or else maybe each track is quite similar but there is not a specific melody that gets intentionally brought back on various tracks. I am sure there are many exceptions, but off the top of my head I think Smile by the Beach Boys is the only one I can think of, also Melancholia by William Basinski.I am sure there could be many more I am not thinking of. Can anyone think of any other examples?
― mirostones, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:18 (twelve years ago)
Duke Ellington - Black, Brown, and BeigeThe Who - Tommy and Quadrophenia
― punt cased (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:19 (twelve years ago)
are we talking just within a single album
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:20 (twelve years ago)
it happens a lot
― marcos, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:22 (twelve years ago)
beatles - sgt peppers lonely hearts club band
it seems that having a recurring melodic motif or motifs running through one of your works is a device you rarely see outside of classical music
also is it more common in classical music because "one of your works" might more often be a 10-20 minute piece as opposed to a collection of 3-5 minute songs?
― marcos, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:24 (twelve years ago)
pink floyd - dark side of the moon
― marcos, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:25 (twelve years ago)
pink floyd - animals
pink floyd - the wall
coltrane - a love supreme
this happens a lot in jazz
― marcos, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:26 (twelve years ago)
Yes does this on Close to the Edge, probably other records too
― #fomo that's the motto (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:28 (twelve years ago)
I can think of tons of examples of acts quoting/recycling melodies in songs, but not necessarily on the same album
but yeah this happens all the time, it's practically built into the standard jazz compositional structure (head>solos>head)
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:33 (twelve years ago)
the downward spiral
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:42 (twelve years ago)
yeah was just gonna mention that, I think maybe The Fragile has some of that too?
― frogbs, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:44 (twelve years ago)
olivia tremor control's black foliage does this nicely, i think.
― Waluigi Nono (Merdeyeux), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:48 (twelve years ago)
oh yea neutral milk hotel aeroplane album
― marcos, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:52 (twelve years ago)
does daydream nation do this?
The first bunch of tracks on Laura Marling's Once I Was An Eagle feature a recurring guitar riff.
― Moodles, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:55 (twelve years ago)
There are a couple of these that I have quibbles with.
Sgt. Pepper - Is this mainly the reprise of the title track? Does repeating a track count?
Close to the Edge - Do they ever repeat melodies from one track to another or just within different segments of the same track?
― Moodles, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:58 (twelve years ago)
On Avery Island *really* does it
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:58 (twelve years ago)
a specific melody that gets intentionally brought back on various tracks
recurring melodic motif or motifs running through one of your works
xp not sure why sgt pepper wouldn't fit these two criteria the OP picked
― marcos, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:02 (twelve years ago)
also in the abbey road suite there are some recurring melodies
doesn't Lola vs Powerman... have a bit of this? or am i totally offtm?
― |citation needed| (will), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:03 (twelve years ago)
I think the "Gotta Be Free" melody gets repeated on that
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:04 (twelve years ago)
On Stereolab's Transient Random Noise Bursts with Announcements there is a sequence in "Pause" that comes back later on in "Lock-Groove Lullaby"
Also, rather than melodic motifs, they use recurring rhythms, arrangements, and chords throughout Mars Audiac Quintet making it feel like most of the songs are a variation on a theme.
― Moodles, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:05 (twelve years ago)
Kraftwerk, "Autobahn" (title track + "Morgenspaziergang")... also possibly "Trans Europe Express" (is "Franz Schubert" a variation on "Europe Endless" or am I hearing that wrong?)
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:05 (twelve years ago)
Broken Social Scene -S\T
― 29 facepalms, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:06 (twelve years ago)
the KLF - Chill Out
― Spectrist, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:07 (twelve years ago)
manu chao does this on all his albums
― marcos, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:07 (twelve years ago)
Dylan's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
― |citation needed| (will), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:08 (twelve years ago)
Brian Wilson/Beach Boys - Smile
― Moodles, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:08 (twelve years ago)
... hmmmmmmmmm, film soundtracks do it all the time (xp)
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:08 (twelve years ago)
Residents, "Fingerprince" ("Six Things to a Cycle" has melodies from both "You Yesyesyes" and "Home Age Conversation"). But that's just one album, they do it on a lot of other albums too.
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:11 (twelve years ago)
Neil young - sleeps with angels
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:12 (twelve years ago)
also his mirrorball album iirc
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:13 (twelve years ago)
That Chris Owens album (guy from Girls) from earlier this year does it, with basically every song. It's kind of annoying.
― dlp9001, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:14 (twelve years ago)
speaking of Neil Young - Dead Man sdtk obviously
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:16 (twelve years ago)
The Long Goodbye soundtrack.
― Coke Opus (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:19 (twelve years ago)
hmmmmmmmmm, film soundtracks do it all the time (xp)
true that. i guess it makes sense here to ignore sndtrks or it'll be a thread full of them
― |citation needed| (will), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:20 (twelve years ago)
Any album that contains a track ending with text string: "...(reprise)"
About 4,910,000 results (0.17 seconds)
― lil queequeg (peter grasswich), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:25 (twelve years ago)
Marvin Gaye - What's Goin' On
― the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:28 (twelve years ago)
slave to the rhythm
― fit and working again, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:28 (twelve years ago)
Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear
― punt cased (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:29 (twelve years ago)
Harry Nilsson, "A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night"
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:32 (twelve years ago)
5th Dimension, "Magic Garden"
xpost
Pretty sure The Point does this as well.
― Moodles, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 17:47 (twelve years ago)
his name is alive - stars on esp
― fact checking cuz, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 18:02 (twelve years ago)
Boston's Third Stage, though i'm not sure if it was intentional. (no Amanda jokes ITT please!)
― Lee626, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 18:07 (twelve years ago)
THIS MELODY'S RECURRINGI SMELL SOMETHING BURNING
AMANDA
― punt cased (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 18:16 (twelve years ago)
(sorry)
that's not the way they used to sing it to me between classes in middle school
also -- every Popol Vuh soundtrack (and album, really) i like recurring melodies
― no fomo (La Lechera), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 19:09 (twelve years ago)
Doesn't it recur again towards the end of the album as well? I may be imagining things.
― o. nate, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 19:24 (twelve years ago)
(is "Franz Schubert" a variation on "Europe Endless" or am I hearing that wrong?)
I dont think you're hearing it wrong
― frogbs, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 19:25 (twelve years ago)
probably does
― Moodles, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 19:29 (twelve years ago)
Milton Nascimento - <i>Minas</i>Serge Gainsbourg - <i>L'homme à tête de chou</i>
― J. Sam, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 23:08 (twelve years ago)
oops formattingAlso Histoire de Melody Nelson
― J. Sam, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 23:09 (twelve years ago)
Destroyer - Kaputt
― LeRooLeRoo, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 23:23 (twelve years ago)
Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star has a little chord sequence that keeps turning up through side 1.
― Addison Doug (Matt #2), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 23:25 (twelve years ago)
albums
― Very gud laser controled organ. (Matt P), Thursday, 19 September 2013 00:47 (twelve years ago)
music
melodies
― Very gud laser controled organ. (Matt P), Thursday, 19 September 2013 00:48 (twelve years ago)
refrains
motifs
compositions
― Very gud laser controled organ. (Matt P), Thursday, 19 September 2013 00:49 (twelve years ago)
difference
repetition
Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element
― Neanderthal, Thursday, 19 September 2013 00:52 (twelve years ago)
W.A.S.P. - Crimson Idol
Chico Buarque - Construção
― cock chirea, Thursday, 19 September 2013 00:57 (twelve years ago)
The Durutti Column- Without Mercy
― cock chirea, Thursday, 19 September 2013 01:03 (twelve years ago)
Psychedelic Furs - Midnight to Midnight
― not some dude poking a Line 6 pedal with his dick (sarahell), Thursday, 19 September 2013 01:06 (twelve years ago)