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I hate people who try and "remake" old songs. They're good for a frickin' reason, people, and it's not because people like you can change everything that made them good in your remixes.

I was trying to find a good version of "Lord of the Dance" the other day, preferably with the vocals but I could've settled for an instrumental-only piece if I had to. I then came to the sad conclusion that NO ONE would let me download one that wasn't horribly mangled by their crappy revisions of the song. I'm not trying to pay for someone to screw around with the music--I just want the ORIGINAL FRICKIN' PIECE, performed as it was written to have been. Of course, I can get a terribly low-quality midi of the instrumental piece for free, but I was perfectly willing to pay someone to provide me with the song in a version that doesn't make me want to throw my MP3 player into the nearest major waterway. I wouldn't even particularly mind the revised versions of the song if SOMEONE SOMEWHERE provided the original in a well-performed way, but apparently no "artists" decided to take the time to do that.

I noticed this a little while ago when I was trying to find a good version of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," too. Apparently every single fucking musician out there has to take the song and then mangle it beyond recognition before releasing it to the general public. I hate those losers. A big fuck you goes to Mary O'Hara and all the rest of those so-called "artists."

I do have a decent version of "Battle Hymn" on a US Army Band CD I bought after Christmas, but I know what you mean. I had similar problems with several older orchestral pieces (though I cannot remember what they were, my memory being what it is).

I understand your frustration, but I honestly prefer covers to the original pieces most of the time, I've already heard the original version, so why not listen to what other people think the song means?

Qwerty 42 wrote:I understand your frustration, but I honestly prefer covers to the original pieces most of the time, I've already heard the original version, so why not listen to what other people think the song means?

Because sometimes what they think is wrong.

*most* of the time what they think is wrong.

Besides, they didn't live in the same time period as the song was written so they probably cannot "understand" it.

Qwerty 42 wrote:I understand your frustration, but I honestly prefer covers to the original pieces most of the time, I've already heard the original version, so why not listen to what other people think the song means?

Again, covers are okay given that the original is accessible. The problem is, in many cases (including the ones listed), that isn't a given. And I challenge you to go to iTunes or Napster and listen to some of the mangled renditions of "Lord of the Dance" and claim to me that they're better than the original.

Heh heh; sorry MoO, but I think I have Lord of the Dance.

Hey MoO, may I suggest visiting the Library of Congress? I downloaded a top-notch MP3 of "Fanfare for the Common Man" there.

Master of Ossus wrote:

Qwerty 42 wrote:I understand your frustration, but I honestly prefer covers to the original pieces most of the time, I've already heard the original version, so why not listen to what other people think the song means?

Again, covers are okay given that the original is accessible. The problem is, in many cases (including the ones listed), that isn't a given. And I challenge you to go to iTunes or Napster and listen to some of the mangled renditions of "Lord of the Dance" and claim to me that they're better than the original.

I understand that, but if the original is available, I don't mind the existance of covers. If I don't like the cover, so be it. I still have the original. If I do like the cover, great, I have this one and the original.

Master of Ossus wrote:I hate people who try and "remake" old songs. They're good for a frickin' reason, people, and it's not because people like you can change everything that made them good in your remixes.

I was trying to find a good version of "Lord of the Dance" the other day, preferably with the vocals but I could've settled for an instrumental-only piece if I had to. I then came to the sad conclusion that NO ONE would let me download one that wasn't horribly mangled by their crappy revisions of the song. I'm not trying to pay for someone to screw around with the music--I just want the ORIGINAL FRICKIN' PIECE, performed as it was written to have been. Of course, I can get a terribly low-quality midi of the instrumental piece for free, but I was perfectly willing to pay someone to provide me with the song in a version that doesn't make me want to throw my MP3 player into the nearest major waterway. I wouldn't even particularly mind the revised versions of the song if SOMEONE SOMEWHERE provided the original in a well-performed way, but apparently no "artists" decided to take the time to do that.

I noticed this a little while ago when I was trying to find a good version of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," too. Apparently every single fucking musician out there has to take the song and then mangle it beyond recognition before releasing it to the general public. I hate those losers. A big fuck you goes to Mary O'Hara and all the rest of those so-called "artists."

It could be worse, just remember, every Barney song is sung to the tune of a classic children's song. I have met children who if you hum 'Bingo', or 'Knickknackpaddywhack' will respond with the Barney song. My eardrums bleed in sympathy.

Dalton, where exactly did you go on the LoC website to download music, as opposed to simply viewing catalogue information about it?