transcendant imperfection

[blue2blue]

I'm listening to some Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, specifically to "Sleepless Nights" and now to "Hickory Wind" and thinking... man... these two were perfect together. Not a new idea I realize...

 

 

But I'm thinking, but they certainly aren't singing perfectly. Their harmonies waver a bit, Gram's root notes are occasionally a bit suspect...

 

And yet it is sublime to my ear.

 

 

I know we've all talked about this before but... well... it just hit me so hard right now and I had to, you know... blurt it out compulsively.

 

 

Thoughts?

 

Digressions?

 

Sports analogies?

 

...

 

 

 

PS... if you like roots, country, Americana or just heartfelt music, and you're not that familiar with Gram Parsons' work with the Byrds, Flying Burritos, and solo and with Emmylou, you've got a real treat waiting.

 

PPS... afficianadi of Southern Gothic lit should check out Gram's bio at All Music guide (above)... his early life reads like a Walker Percy novel... sadly. And it had escaped my attention -- or at least my increasingly crowded memory -- that Gram had gone off to Harvard to study divinity. He only made it through one semester, during which he reportedly did more guitar playing than anything else, forming the International Submarine Band, where he first began getting media/industry attention and cut a few demos.

[UstadKhanAli]

Some very good stuff. And yes, impeccable singing/harmonies.

[Kendrix]

Who sang that song about "perfect imperfection"?

 

I think it has to do with our memory of the song (including the imperfetions) interacting with each new listen. One aspect of this is anticipating the sound and then being satisfied that it shows up. I see it as being somewhat related to the phenomena whereby folks get attached to a given mix and feel a sense of loss when its chaned - even if the change improves it.

 

Interesting that sometimes i leave such an imperfection in purposly cause I find it somehow appropriate or charming. Sometimes other listeners react to it as an undesireable item.

[coyote-1]

It's about energy.

 

Those who focus too heavily on perfect trees lose sight of the forest. Waay back when, bands like ELP rejected takes that were more flawlessly performed in favor of takes that had that thing goin' on. An overall performance truly is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Originally posted by Kendrix Who sang that song about "perfect imperfection"? I think it has to do with our memory of the song (including the imperfetions) interacting with each new listen. Interesting that sometimes i leave such an imperfection in purposly cause I find it somehow appropriate or charming. Sometimes other listeners react to it as an undesireable item.

 

[MorePaul]

I guess or me, I keep looking at the word "perfect" and thinking it's really a functional definition -- so that which, in its context, is the best choice would be "perfect" or, perhaps, all choices are "imperfect" maybe BECAUSE they are tied to conext and aren't turly universal (hell, in western harmonic music...we have the coma. You can try to cheat the wolf, but that doesn't mean he's not our there)

 

I remember back in school when we had to take other instruments (I was/am primarilly a guitarist) -- as a guitarist, whith frets and such, I tened to think in terms of static intonation (even though I may have been varying the intonation without realizing it)...so a G was a G was a G and you were in tune or not in tune.

Then, when I had to take cello, I could really see "WOW, I can really play with that...I can put an edge on that 7th or sweeten it" -- how, harmonically for instance, a "pitch" (or pitch class) is a harmonic area not merely a single particular value

 

It reminds me of something I once heard about neuropharm "there is no primary effect" -- ie the idea of "primary" and "side" effects - that's a functional definition..what do you want it to do?

Sinus relief? -- hey we'll bottle that antihistamine and label it so

Having trouble sleeping? -- OK, we'll just change the label and that bottle!

 

 

In the end I guess - the thing still has its identity (it is what it is) -- how we qualify and classify it...that's our baggage