The Spotless Summer Zone doesn't seem to have a dungeon, so it would only be right to invite a couple patrons join us to enjoy the environment and play a couple of their own track choices. Josh and Emily reignite the disco backlash, enjoy the spelling of krazy with a K, and discuss the joys of using their imaginations. But all is not fair in the land, the end of the episode has Josh and Emily trying to solve a real-world internet issue that ends the episode early. Don't worry, we'll pick up our conversation next week, but until then, come on in; the water is hot!
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| This episode was made possible by:
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| Game |
Track Title |
Composer(s) |
| ResQ |
Guardian 2 |
Matt Furniss |
| Vs. Stroke & Match |
Gameplay? |
Koji Kondo |
| Donkey Kong Country 2 |
Disco Train |
David Wise |
| Undertale
| Waterfall |
Toby Fox |
...and listeners like YOU.
Hey guys, when discussing the disdain for disco, the mockery of the form is more about the thematic elements of disco than the musical form. Disco was self-indulgent, hedonistic, vapid, and unironically upbeat and optimistic. Also, once the four-on-the-floor beat came to characterize the genre, it could be typified as generic and uninspired.
ReplyDeleteTo put a finer point on it, it's usually said that punk was a response to disco. So the personifying theme of Disco is, "It's all good, let's dance and screw to celebrate happiness"......and Punk's response is, "Everything is wrong and I'm pissed about it".
Josh's comments about the conflict between uplifting music and dour music kind of hits the nail on the head. It's mostly all still self-indulgent and hedonistic, the only question is whether the music is narcissistic via pessimism or hope.
Maybe what makes Donna Summers enduring is that there is pain behind the facade. When she sings, "I will survive", we're thinking, "I hope so!"
DeleteCarrot man says that it’s Donna [singular] Summer, and also that “I Will Survive” was a Gloria Gaynor hit. I believe Donna Summer covered it at some point but it’s not the version we all know.
DeleteOh dang. I have to go back to Disco school.
Delete.....and also this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPnGPIMUnus
ReplyDeleteI've always found that video strangely endearing. But then there's stuff like this, where the music is pretty darn good, but the lyrics and video are unexcusable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UaJAnnipkY
DeleteOne more thing: what will become of The List after VGMJB—the list of requests for songs we’ve all made? It would be a shame for that history to become lost.
ReplyDeleteUtopia, do you mean the backlog of requests? Emily and I both cherish these, but we have agreed not to make a project out of sharing them (as it would inevitably be). After some time, we may discuss ways to honor them, but since we would want them to receive a worthy presentation, to talk about it now would be the same as never stopping.
DeleteYes, the backlog. That sounds like a fine thing to do. As a Patron, my desire would be to see the whole thing released as one, chronological Word document.....but your decision gives more respect to both of you, and also the Patrons, whose original intents may or may not be ascertainable at this point.
DeleteYeah Naka-Kun -- the fear is that not all patrons would want their recommendations and testimonials put on blast like that, especially without the context of the show.
DeleteIn the past we've had patrons tell us that they wouldn't feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings elsewhere because they feel safe with us and trust me and Josh to celebrate them with respect. We also get testimonials for our eyes only which are never read aloud, but nonetheless exist in print. Since everyone originally submitted their thoughts with the understanding that only Josh and I would see them and would maybe one day discuss them together on air, it doesn't seem right to change the unwritten contract and launch those testimonials into the wild without express permission and without us to look after them. I hope that makes sense.
But as Josh was getting at, we're keeping the recommendations list, and you can bet I'm going to listen through every single one.
Yeah, an "agreed-upon" presentation is more accurate than "worthy."
DeleteI dunno, I've gotta disagree with a lot of the disdain for disco. I'm normally not one to enjoy such upbeat music, but there were a LOT of inspired bands and songs that made some really well-produced classics. Plus, Dangun Feveron would never have existed without disco, and that game OST is my JAMMMM.
ReplyDeleteAnd c'mon, tell me this doesn't sound like level 1 from an 80's shmup with an FM soundchip in it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H69xXQRSgM
Yeah, I like some of it myself. It’s also the precursor to techno, which has also had inestimable influence on VGM one way or another. I think there’s a much stronger argument for disco’s musical and production quality than the argument for its cultural quality, but then again, it’s also a matter of taste. I mentioned earlier that punk was a response to disco, but disco in turn was a response to the counter-culture of the 60’s. Taken in that respect, narcissistic hedonism loses a bit of traction.
DeleteIf you're speaking from a North American perspective, then sure. You can't deny though, that European countries like Germany and Italy were deeply affected by disco and their current popular music cultures still contain elements of it to this day.
DeleteWhoa! I think Bruce Irons recommending an Undertale track instead of something with more crushing guitars broke the podcast. It was probably different timelines across the multiverse colliding; wherein a parallel reality Bruce Irons accidentally had a testimonial read in our timeline's reality, creating a vacuum time hole, which swallowed part of the internet and ripped Josh in and out of existence at the end of this episode.
ReplyDelete