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besson3c · Mar 28, 2009, 03:11 PM

Any fans here? R2F is a band that recorded and performed in the 1970s, although they reformed last year for a world tour. I was at one of those concerts and was surprised to see how many loyal young fans were there, they filled the house and sounded great!

R2F is sort of a fusion between rock, jazz, and numerous other influences. The band members consider Led Zepplin to be an influence. The band is comprised of Chick Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass, Lenny White on drums, and Al Di Meola on guitar. These guys can really play their instruments!

Their compositions are pretty complicated, sort of symphonic in nature in terms of being so specifically orchestrated and thematic. Most compositions are Chick Corea's, but this hit of theirs was written by Stanley Clarke...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxg1AoEz9p4

Let me know what you think! Let's try to keep this thread positive and appreciative, please! It's cool if you don't like them very much, it just generally ruins a conversation like this when people fixate on finding ways to tear down and ridicule. We have Youtube for that!

Doofy · Mar 28, 2009, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

We have Youtube for that!

Not for very much longer. I hear rumours that all music vids will be pulled within a couple of months (most have already been made inaccessible to UK users - US to follow real soon). Download 'em while you can!

No comment on the band, other than Stanley is awesome.

besson3c · Mar 28, 2009, 03:53 PM

Doofy: do you mean the bootleg live performances, the homemade tribute video slide shows set against commercial recordings, the professional video, or all of the above? Whose request?

Interesting rumour, I hadn't heard that!

Doofy · Mar 28, 2009, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

Doofy: do you mean the bootleg live performances, the homemade tribute video slide shows set against commercial recordings, the professional video, or all of the above? Whose request?

Interesting rumour, I hadn't heard that!

All we seem to be getting at the moment is the bootleg live stuff and the slide shows - almost everything else has gone.

Story here: PRS (national publishing body) wanted more money off Google for music vid plays. Google said no, gave the finger and pulled everything.
I've got a feeling that it's going to get nasty so all the bootlegs and slide shows are probably next.

RIAA (etc.) is shaping up for the same thing over there, next month. Industry grapevine and all that.

besson3c · Mar 28, 2009, 04:09 PM

I can understand the commercial video, because in some cases those performances are sold on DVDs. Bootlegs are no big deal (the audio quality is usually ass anyway), and homemade slideshows are technically okay as a remix as long as the author is given proper attribution, although many slideshows are just a single picture/frame of video which sort of abuses this privilege in a way, IMHO...

paul w · Mar 28, 2009, 05:28 PM

My wife and I saw them (she's the huge fan) in New York last year, their first concert here in about 25 years. It was amazing. I was never a huge Al Di Meola fan but I think he wowed me the most.

Spheric Harlot · Mar 28, 2009, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

I can understand the commercial video, because in some cases those performances are sold on DVDs. Bootlegs are no big deal (the audio quality is usually ass anyway), and homemade slideshows are technically okay as a remix as long as the author is given proper attribution, although many slideshows are just a single picture/frame of video which sort of abuses this privilege in a way, IMHO...

Your opinion is just that.

"No big deal" is meaningless in a legal context. Either there's copyright, or there isn't. And either there's explicit permission of redistribution, or there isn't.

Authors are technically owed reimbursement for bootlegs and slideshows just like for any other redistributed content.

SpaceMonkey · Mar 28, 2009, 06:38 PM

Yeah, there was just a story in the New York Times last week about many amateur videos on YouTube being pulled -- both the "music video" variety as well as people actually playing covers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/bu.../23warner.html

besson3c · Mar 29, 2009, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by paul w

My wife and I saw them (she's the huge fan) in New York last year, their first concert here in about 25 years. It was amazing. I was never a huge Al Di Meola fan but I think he wowed me the most.

Good turnout?

Apple Pro Underwear · Mar 31, 2009, 09:24 PM

Honestly it's pretty good, reminds me loosely of what people may think of as "global music" because of how abstract and amorphous it is with flavor that is them mixed in.

Just wondering, what new stuff do you like if you like this? How have you moved on in the years since they were not together? (I ask because a pet peeve of mine is how people who used to listen to music just stop after a certain point.)

besson3c · Mar 31, 2009, 10:15 PM

Honestly, my musical tastes do not have the depth that they probably should. I'm generally pretty happy with exploring what has already been done - it does not have to be new to me. There is tons of classical music out there that I haven't discovered yet. I was just telling my wife that as a jazz musician I have been plenty exposed to Afro Cuban music, but little pure Latin music. I like a lot of music from the 70s, bands like Tower of Power, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, and so much else that I really feel like I haven't started to tap into.

So, in light of so many choices, I really haven't been compelled to most new pop music. Honestly, I have a hard time equating your average pop star of the moment to dudes like Stevie Wonder and 1980s Michael Jackson et all.. I know it's rather close minded of me, but I just have a hard time seeing the depth in just about anybody that is a fresh face today that I do in many of these aforementioned older musicians.

Apple Pro Underwear · Mar 31, 2009, 10:31 PM

my pet peeve only applies to average Joes i guess. if you play, that means you understand on a fundamental level and still choose to stay within your sweet spot.

the reason it's a pet peeve of mine is that new versions of any type of music is always being made. music to me is about building from the past as well looking at the past. if you're only interested in the past, it's like you're not interested in "learning"* a new perspective or seeing a "different"* point of view from a current artist.

* i use these terms very loosely and abstractly

besson3c · Mar 31, 2009, 10:40 PM

But what is new to me might be old to you and vice versa. I don't really see how it is important to discover music in a way that coincides with the history of music. Besides, throughout history there are periods of stagnation in innovation. Some might argue that we are going through a period of that right now (I often think this). If there isn't much going on and the "reimagining" of a certain kind of music pales in comparison to the original, what is left?

Granted, there is new and exciting stuff going on, I'm not denying that. I've just found that for me personally, I find it more fruitful to sift through what has already been done and is new to me than sift through most top 40 type being put out today.

Laminar · Apr 1, 2009, 12:18 AM

Pointless inane comment! Heh heh!

Laminar · Apr 1, 2009, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

Not for very much longer. I hear rumours that all music vids will be pulled within a couple of months (most have already been made inaccessible to UK users - US to follow real soon). Download 'em while you can!

I've noticed that YouTube now offers links to buy any song that's playing during a YouTube video, and in some cases, I've seen a message saying that the video contains an unauthorized song so the whole audio track was disabled.

Hugi · Apr 1, 2009, 12:28 AM

I travelled to London last year to see them perform at the O2. Oh man, they did not disappoint...

Spheric Harlot · Apr 1, 2009, 02:23 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

All we seem to be getting at the moment is the bootleg live stuff and the slide shows - almost everything else has gone.

Story here: PRS (national publishing body) wanted more money off Google for music vid plays. Google said no, gave the finger and pulled everything.
I've got a feeling that it's going to get nasty so all the bootlegs and slide shows are probably next.

RIAA (etc.) is shaping up for the same thing over there, next month. Industry grapevine and all that.

As of today, all music videos are pulled off YouTube.de due to royalty licensing disputes with GEMA (the German equivalent of ASCAP/PRS).