When visuals matter

[amirm]

I sometimes wonder if we would enjoy music more if it were accompanied by good visuals. I found the best example of this in the new "Internet" artist, Lindsey Sterling. I saw this video which has been watched a whopping 69 million times (!!!) and immediately purchased the album. Even though I love modern instrumental music, I found the CD quite boring and could not listen to it more than once. The synthesized background loop got to me immediately. But when I watch her videos, I don't notice that and find the experience quite enjoyable. She has great screen presence with youthful beauty and dancing abilities:

So what do you think? Are there other examples of video being part and parcel of the experience without which, it would not be the same? I am thinking Michael Jackson's original Thriller music video although in that case, the music stood alone just fine.

 

[NorthStar]

Excellent (and extremely valid) point Amir! ...Why do you think I love Blu-ray movies & music concerts on Blu-ray (hi-def picture with hi-res audio) so much! :b

- 'Pina' - 3D
- 'Baraka'
- 'Samsara'
- 'This Is It' - Michael Jackson
- 'The Art of Flight' - 3D

Etc., etc., etc.

 

[Groucho]

Back in the glory days of pop videos in the 80s and 90s I remember the whole often being greater than the sum of the parts - and nothing wrong with that.

There's a few songs to which I create mental images of my own videos (yet to be made!) and they really would be beautiful...

 

[mep]

Even though she is cute, I was bored within the first 5 seconds of the clip.

 

[DonH50]

Took me more than 5 seconds but it did get old for me... Too repetitive scenery, too much focus on the soloist, although I guess there wasn't a live band anywhere?

Celtic Women vids, Eagles Last, MacLaurin, etc. videos I have found enjoyable. There seems to be a fine line between so much visual that it obscures my listening to the music, and so little it adds nothing to the (my, anyway) experience.

 

[HedgeHog]

Isn't this song used in all those "People are awesome!" Youtube vids? It's not bad but really is a soundtrack to something (like extreme sports), imho.

 

[jkeny]

Jeez, no video could redeem that music!

 

[NorthStar]

I like ice, and snow. :b

 

[GaryProtein]

Jeez, no video could redeem that music!

I fully concur!

Visuals can be an important part and that is why I enjoy ballet at times. I frequently listen to music with my eyes either closed or in a darkened room. With ballet, even at Lincoln Center, I listen with my eyes closed and when I decide to open them there is something to look at which does add interest to the music at times, but clearly I am more interested in what I am listening to than what I am looking at.

 

[NorthStar]

Excellent (and extremely valid) point Amir! ...Why do you think I love Blu-ray movies & music concerts on Blu-ray (hi-def picture with hi-res audio) so much! :b

- 'Pina' - 3D
- 'Baraka'
- 'Samsara'
- 'This Is It' - Michael Jackson
- 'The Art of Flight' - 3D

Etc., etc., etc.

I fully concur!

Visuals can be an important part and that is why I enjoy ballet at times. I frequently listen to music with my eyes either closed or in a darkened room. With ballet, even at Lincoln Center, I listen with my eyes closed and when I decide to open them there is something to look at which does add interest to the music at times, but clearly I am more interested in what I am listening to than what I am looking at.

Gary, did you see and hear any of those five Blu-ray titles that are mentioned in my above quote?
...And there are so many more, more fabulous music art projects to look at and hear from.
...Classical Orchestral (Chamber too) and Chorales and Ballet and Opera music concerts on Blu-ray discs too; and all with hi-res audio (Lossless, Uncompressed, and up to 24-bit and 96kHz, or even more like 32/192 on some special Blu-ray Audio only), and with today's highest video resolution (HD 2K or 1080p, and 3D) but soon to be much more expanded (UltraHD, or 4K, and eventually SuperHD, or 8K).
But for now Blu-ray audio (multichannel hi-res) and video (hi-def 2K & 3D) from some performances adds up so much more (another layer, more dimensional, sensory) than just plain vanilla stereo music only analog LPs, or even from digital/analog multichannel music only SACDs.

That's what Amir was closely referring to; visuals and sounds married together for a bigger more complete emotional and sensory impact.

And he asked us if we have some of our own examples, and what we think of this overall quintessence of visuals/sounds' marriage.
It don't matter if we like or not what he himself like. ...That's too easy to say that we like or not what someone else decide to show us.
The real challenge is to advance, and to be encouraged by someone's own vision, and from there we develop further the true benefits good for all of us.
...If you know what I mean. ...And not just you (I'm not addressing just you; more by interim, via), but me too, and him too, and her too, and them, and all of us.

 

[GaryProtein]

Bob, I have no DVD and no Blu-Ray. I watch very little tv.

 

[still-one]

I also believe visuals matter. I can only listen to bits and pieces of opera at home then I lose interest. Now I enjoy going to the opera and seeing the staging and seeing what is going on with the music/vocals.

Something similar occurs when I attend a rock concert. For the most part extended solos on recordings do not hold my interest when listening at home but can be every enjoyable at a live event.

 

[NorthStar]

Bob, I have no DVD and no Blu-Ray. I watch very little tv.

Gary, I think it's a real shame. ...Not that you don't watch TV (I never watch TV myself, for almost fifteen years now; I want no part with any cable TV company whatsoever, and my sky is free of satellites), but that you don't have the opportunity to experience in your own home the 'beauty and the beast' (way of speech) that Blu-ray discs have to offer; visually, and auditory. ...It's a damn shame.
And also in a fully enveloping surround sound experience, plus that additional 3D dimension (some of those 3D Blus are fantastic IMO).

And it don't matter if it is what you decided yourself, because the fact of the matter is that you're still missing some; I truly believe.

* You've been at Ivan's place, in his Home Theater room (in Florida); you surely had a taste of things that you could have done yourself in your own home to satisfy your own dreams, or that kind of Operatic Ballet Jazz .... Any inspiration from it?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

...Classical Orchestral (Chamber too) and Chorales and Ballet and Opera music concerts on Blu-ray discs too; and all with hi-res audio (Lossless, Uncompressed, and up to 24-bit and 96kHz, or even more like 32/192 on some special Blu-ray Audio only), and with today's highest video resolution (HD 2K or 1080p, and 3D) but soon to be much more expanded (UltraHD, or 4K, and eventually SuperHD, or 8K).
But for now Blu-ray audio (multichannel hi-res) and video (hi-def 2K & 3D) from some performances adds up so much more (another layer, more dimensional, sensory) than just plain vanilla stereo music only analog LPs, or even from digital/analog multichannel music only SACDs.

That's what Amir was closely referring to; visuals and sounds married together for a bigger more complete emotional and sensory impact.

I am a classical guy and I am a big fan of Bluray music but.................................. when I play a disc multiple times, the video gets dull and repetitive after just 2-3 plays. The music remains interesting indefinitely.

 

[NorthStar]

I am a classical guy and I am a big fan of Bluray music but.................................. when I play a disc multiple times, the video gets dull and repetitive after just 2-3 plays. The music remains interesting indefinitely.

Then you just need more Blu-ray material to watch Kal. ...It never gets dull if you know when to re-watch what and which; and the more musical/visual content you have the more content you become and the less boring life is around (surrounding) you.
...Or make a better coordinated balance between Blu-rays and Classical multichannel SACDs.

The trick is to simply never get bored, or find some of the things in life dull, or/and never get stressed out.
Be creative, buy more Blu-ray discs, life is short, don't feel restricted in watching the same thing twice; there is enough stuff out there to last you more than one lifetime, or what's remaining of it.

And why am I saying all of this to you, you already know all of that stuff! :b

 

[GaryProtein]

I also believe visuals matter. I can only listen to bits and pieces of opera at home then I lose interest. Now I enjoy going to the opera and seeing the staging and seeing what is going on with the music/vocals.

Something similar occurs when I attend a rock concert. For the most part extended solos on recordings do not hold my interest when listening at home but can be every enjoyable at a live event.

I admit it. I can only listen to one CD of an opera at a time without having to get up and walk around the house or have a snack. But then, if I were at the Met, the same thing would happen between acts. I would get up and walk around or sit and talk with the people I went to the concert with. Many operas are beautiful to watch for the staging, costumes and sets. I gave up on Rock concerts in my mid twenties because I never liked having my ears blown out and going to a concert wearing ear plugs seems to defeat the purpose of being there and the sound quality at rock concerts always left me wanting better.

 

[JackD201]

I watch Operas but very, very seldom listen to them. Maybe if I understood the language I would.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Then you just need more Blu-ray material to watch Kal. ...It never gets dull if you know when to re-watch what and which; and the more musical/visual content you have the more content you become and the less boring life is around (surrounding) you.
...Or make a better coordinated balance between Blu-rays and Classical multichannel SACDs.

The trick is to simply never get bored,....

I am pretty good at that trick. One way is to buy all the discs that might be of interest so that there are always potential new discoveries. I have dozens yet unopened. Another is turning OFF the video when the music continues to entertain.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I watch Operas but very, very seldom listen to them.

You remind me of high school when guys said they bought/read Playboy for the editorials.

Maybe if I understood the language I would.

All Blurays have subtitles in a selection of languages.

 

[NorthStar]

I am pretty good at that trick. One way is to buy all the discs that might be of interest so that there are always potential new discoveries. I have dozens yet unopened. Another is turning OFF the video when the music continues to entertain.

- 'Oblivion' on Blu-ray (you know, with Tom Cruise & Olga Kurylenko) has a audio track only (Isolated Music Score "M83" - 24-bit/96kHz Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround) for the Music (soundtrack) and all, as one of the included special features. ...I wish all Blu-ray movies would include this feature.

- 'Amadeus' too, but only on DVD. But! The Blu-ray Director's Cut (DigiBook) of 'Amadeus' includes an hour-long CD.
...With great music of Mozart of course, and more.

- Same for 'The Pianist' - Limited Soundtrack Edition, the three-disc set on DVD. ...It has a music only CD, with great music of Chopin.

- 'Dark City' also, on DVD. It has an isolated music score in 2.0 Stereo sound.

...And few more flicks like that, both on Blu and DVD. ...New Line studios (Warner Bros' little sister) used to do that before with quite a few of their DVD titles.
But true, you can simply turn off your display with any visual material (BD or/& DVD), and only listen to the musical score (audio soundtrack with all the effects, and noises from the jungle; wind, birds, rain, insects, ...).