Ask HN: What's the most beautiful song or album you've ever listened to

metah · 2020-06-11T03:37:04.000Z

What is the most beautiful album/song you've ever listened to?

CSSer 6 years ago |

This might seem like a cliché answer, at least because this is not what I typically listen to on a normal basis, but for an album I'd Pink Floyd's The Wall.

I think it has a certain degree of universal appeal. It has really aged extraordinarily well. If you are ever given the opportunity to listen to it on an any type of hifi system, do so. You'll find layers of eery texture and masterful use of stero dynamics. As a cherry on top, the album forms a perfect loop.

As for a song, Aphex Twin's Avril 14th. I love that you can hear the action of the piano in the track. It was recorded with a kind of player piano that makes it sound very mechanical, but it still has a somewhat organic feel to it. It's very quaint yet oddly contemporary.

thorin 6 years ago | |

Although I've listened to it a lot I wouldn't really describe the wall as beautiful, it's quite jarring in places. Comfortably numb is kind of beautiful. I'd choose dark side of the moon or wish you were here as beautiful though.

CSSer 6 years ago | | |

That’s fair. I really like the contrast. Dark side of the moon is nice, but it’s always left me wanting more.

thorin 6 years ago | | |

Not to sound condescending, I found I grew out of The Wall, I think because it deals a lot with issues from childhood and rebelliousness. The themes of Animals (politics and how we relate to each other), Dark Side of the Moon ( sanity, the meaning of life and life after death) and Wish You Were Here (sanity, conformity) seem more relevant at the moment. Roger water obviously has this rebellious energy and anger where as Dave Gilmour is more reflective and creates beautiful art but without the same kind of passion. At the right time and with Richard and Nick, they made such a perfect combination.

davidajackson 6 years ago |

All of Art Tatum's music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke2_qob16ls

Check out this reharmonization/improv on Chopin. The guy was basically blind, hence the insane awareness of where the keys were.

DrScump 6 years ago |

Album: The Pat Metheny Group (called the "white album" because of its plain white cover with just the four names of the players). Side one of the LP was just "San Lorenzo" and "Phase Dance". The former still gives me chills, 40 years later.

Song: Wildflower, by Skylark (fun fact: David Foster was a member). Here[0] is a live version. Here[1] is the background story.

Honorable mention: Hoptsoi, by the Finnish group Värttinä. OMG, the strings. [2]

[0] https://youtu.be/2zPWlOXwnGo

[1] https://www.songfacts.com/facts/skylark/wildflower

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeXn_J8-q2g

infradig 6 years ago |

Here's a few of my faves:

Bob Dylan (Love Minus Zero/No Limit) https://youtu.be/ufbHfGU7WxA?list=LLlpi7Iw6jy-mv42RGAAiFVA

Sekret Sekret (New King Jack) https://youtu.be/DyoHMZo7uGA

Steve Winwood (Can't Find My Way Home) https://youtu.be/eoSn2Y-b6wI

Traffic (Dear Mr Fantasy) https://youtu.be/pSQ1akE2CcM

Joe Strummer (Johnny Appleseed) https://youtu.be/4IbMiqIdeME

yesenadam 6 years ago |

Mahler - Symphony No. 5 Adagietto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75YmlDR92UQ

Miles Davis - Flamenco Sketches https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3W_alUuFkA

Those were the two that immediately came to mind, then:

Barber - Adagio for Strings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKrxPTePXEQ

Miles - Concierto De Aranjuez https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cscpJisU6k

- In a Silent Way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bdBONxS-Es

Keith Jarrett - Visions (48 seconds long) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDujecndByY

- Interlude No. 3 (1 minute 17) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us0EU-yXAlg

- Sympathy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQLTuyIHAMc

KJ's American Quartet - Still Life, Still Life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiVg5cSug3k

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf sings R. Strauss' Four Last Songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs0vSC9DUhU

Most beautiful album is I guess Keith's solo piano Facing You. Doesn't seem to be on youtube at the moment. This is one track from it, Ritooria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVpDWxoFGP4

nikivi 6 years ago |

Listening to this now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRIfsFefatg

Medieval style is rather beautiful.

moonfleet 6 years ago | |

This video popped in my recommendations just a couple of days ago. A welcome surprise. It made me think about how music changed since the medieval ages, not in terms of technology, but in terms of composition, rules and etc. And I haven't yet come to any definitive understanding. Maybe because I don't know the first thing about music theory.

DrScump 6 years ago |

Okay, one more: "Calypso", Suzanne Vega:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhJIZZcNQPA

Steely Dan's "Home at Last" is another interesting turn on Odysseus.

rtcoms 6 years ago |

Time without consequences - Alexi Murdoch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3QJ4brLYZQ&list=PL04432CD8C...

logicslave 6 years ago |

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy2zDJPIgwc

My favorite piece of all time. It encapsulates what I want to feel about life

knopkop_ 6 years ago |