Jewish Music (New CDs, hock, and opinions)

[AsherO]

It pains me that some who have no appreciation for Abie's music will sully him by listening to Journeys 5. Rabbboooooisei! If you were metamtem your lev, don't let that carry over onto his heiligeh niggunim! Listen to Lupa Schmelczer instead. Yes, it's better to listen to the goyish songs, like gelt, then to be metamei Abie with your farshtupteh ears.

It’s much better when YitzyS’ kid has his phone than when YitzyS’ Rebbi has his phone…

[aygart]

There are a few songs that don't belong on Journeys. For example, Yismach Moshe. But hamechubar la'tahor tahor.

Aren't you the guy who valuates by each song?

Yismach Moshe would fit better on Dveykus but at least makes sense as an Abie Rotenberg song. The new ninth man has no content value other than it being halfway cute as a concept the first time you hear it. I am not at all talking about musical quality.

As an aside, Lev Tahor was a bad match.

[aygart]

It pains me that some who have no appreciation for Abie's music will sully him by listening to Journeys 5. Rabbboooooisei! If you were metamtem your lev, don't let that carry over onto his heiligeh niggunim! Listen to Lupa Schmelczer instead. Yes, it's better to listen to the goyish songs, like gelt, then to be metamei Abie with your farshtupteh ears.

I wish he would have kept it at such standards without pointless songs

[Euclid]

As an aside, Lev Tahor was a bad match.

Yep. I like Eli Schwebel and Lev Tahor, but it was the wrong sound for that album. They'll be on Journeys 5 as well, as per Doni Gross' status.

[aygart]

Yep. I like Eli Schwebel and Lev Tahor, but it was the wrong sound for that album. They'll be on Journeys 5 as well, as per Doni Gross' status.

There we have our answer

[Yehuda57]

It pains me that some who have no appreciation for Abie's music will sully him by listening to Journeys 5. Rabbboooooisei! If you were metamtem your lev, don't let that carry over onto his heiligeh niggunim! Listen to Lupa Schmelczer instead. Yes, it's better to listen to the goyish songs, like gelt, then to be metamei Abie with your farshtupteh ears.

There are 3 good songs on that album. Chill bro

[YitzyS]

There are 3 good songs on that album. Chill bro

Let me take a serious look at the album and offer my honest opinion.




Thinking about it, there are four songs on the album that are pure Abie genius, on his highest level, as would be found on the first three volumes of Journeys. Songs that I cry with if I am listening without any distractions:

Man from Vilna
Mama Rochel
One Word
Dreams Come True

There are four more songs that contain glimpses of Abie brilliance, but are perhaps not the 'davar shaleim' - the complete package - as one normally expects from Abie. The either have musical strong points or lyrical strong points, but they don't wow you every time you hear them:

The Band
Cat Ate the Canary
Sfashkenaz
Little Tree

Country Boy is a cute song, and would be an A-List song if it was on Destiny, but it perhaps is not on par with Abie's reputation. And Ninth Man is meh, but remember...

All in all, yes, it was the weakest of all his albums, but it is far from something to sneeze at.

[Yehuda57]

Let me take a serious look at the album and offer my honest opinion.




Thinking about it, there are four songs on the album that are pure Abie genius, on his highest level, as would be found on the first three volumes of Journeys. Songs that I cry with if I am listening without any distractions:

Man from Vilna
Mama Rochel
One Word
Dreams Come True

There are four more songs that contain glimpses of Abie brilliance, but are perhaps not the 'davar shaleim' - the complete package - as one normally expects from Abie. The either have musical strong points or lyrical strong points, but they don't wow you every time you hear them:

The Band
Cat Ate the Canary
Sfashkenaz
Little Tree

Country Boy is a cute song, and would be an A-List song if it was on Destiny, but it perhaps is not on par with Abie's reputation. And Ninth Man is meh, but remember...

All in all, yes, it was the weakest of all his albums, but it is far from something to sneeze at.

3/4 I agree. One Word is a forgetable song that only makea your list because it *feels* like an Abie song.

The band and sfashkenaz are pure corn and cheese, with the only redeeming factor being the arrangement on the former, likely not even Abie's work.

The 9th man is comedy, which, even if it was good, would be good for one listen. It's not good.

Cat ate the canary is just, I dunno, bleh. It's like the guy who should stick to Just Schmooze who starts making claims about Southwest flying Airbus.

[Yehuda57]

3/4 I agree. One Word is a forgetable song that only makea your list because it *feels* like an Abie song.

The band and sfashkenaz are pure corn and cheese, with the only redeeming factor being the arrangement on the former, likely not even Abie's work.

The 9th man is comedy, which, even if it was good, would be good for one listen. It's not good.

Cat ate the canary is just, I dunno, bleh. It's like the guy who should stick to Just Schmooze who starts making claims about Southwest flying Airbus.

Oh what's that? I forgot two songs? Exactly.

[drosenberg88429]

@Yehuda57 @YitzyS What do you have against Cat Ate the Canary (clear concept, clear allegory, great lyrics) and The Band (ok, the band is pretty repetitive, but concept is pretty clear)? And if you don't like The Band, do you also dislike Yankel (which I think is vintage Abie Rottenberg and a gorgeous song)? Does a good Able Rottenberg song need an emotional tune to get high marks in your book?

[yungermanchik]

@Yehuda57 @YitzyS What do you have against Cat Ate the Canary (clear concept, clear allegory, great lyrics) and The Band (ok, the band is pretty repetitive, but concept is pretty clear)? And if you don't like The Band, do you also dislike Yankel (which I think is vintage Abie Rottenberg and a gorgeous song)? Does a good Able Rottenberg song need an emotional tune to get high marks in your book?

I know this wasn't addressed to me, but...
 I don't like the band because I don't agree with the message. Publicly playing music is not necessarily the correct mode of Avodas Hashem for everyone, so if you're not good at it don't waste your life trying to serve Hashem that way (serve Him the best you can withthe talents that you were given) and if you do, you probably won't be rewarded.
Whereas, when it comes to Yankel, Limud Hatorah is essential for everyone's Avodas Hashem and the Koach of T'filla and sincerity and Yegiah in Torah are all worthwhile messages.

[drosenberg88429]

I know this wasn't addressed to me, but...
 I don't like the band because I don't agree with the message. Publicly playing music is not necessarily the correct mode of Avodas Hashem for everyone, so if you're not good at it don't waste your life trying to serve Hashem that way (serve Him the best you can withthe talents that you were given) and if you do, you probably won't be rewarded.
Whereas, when it comes to Yankel, Limud Hatorah is essential for everyone's Avodas Hashem and the Koach of T'filla and sincerity and Yegiah in Torah are all worthwhile messages.

It's saying that to HKBH, the most beautiful thing is the intent and the effort, not the talent. Simple as that. Being mesameach people was their laudable goal, even though they weren't too adept in their methodology and nobody was recommending hiring them to play, HKBH values it., Same message as Yankel (limud hatorah is also as valuable as the ameilus, not the results - and there are other ways to see HKBH besides for sitting and learning, which make you an equal partner in the limud hatorah) which I think is gold. Nobody would say they should hire Yankel to be a magid shiur, but his sheifos are the most beautiful thing to HKBH.

[YitzyS]

@Yehuda57 @YitzyS What do you have against Cat Ate the Canary (clear concept, clear allegory, great lyrics) and The Band (ok, the band is pretty repetitive, but concept is pretty clear)? And if you don't like The Band, do you also dislike Yankel (which I think is vintage Abie Rottenberg and a gorgeous song)? Does a good Able Rottenberg song need an emotional tune to get high marks in your book?

IMO, Yankel has an intro and an interlude that are so ingenious, they automatically put the song on a different level. And the tune itself is pretty special.

The Band is a great song, and so is Cat Ate the Canary. But there are great songs on Destiny, and great songs on many albums. There is something about Abie that those songs lack, though they both have glimpses of brilliance, IMO.

[yungermanchik]

It's saying that to HKBH, the most beautiful thing is the intent and the effort, not the talent. Simple as that. Same message as Yankel, which I think is gold.

I disagree when it comes to unique forms of Avodas Hashem (like music, badchan etc) you're supposed to use you specific TALENTS for that. When it comes to universal forms of Avodas Hashem; Limud Hatorah, T'fillah etc., I agree 100%. That, to me, is the difference between The Band and Yankel.

[drosenberg88429]

IMO, Yankel has an intro and an interlude that are so ingenious, they automatically put the song on a different level. And the tune itself is pretty special.

The Band is a great song, and so is Cat Ate the Canary. But there are great songs on Destiny, and great songs on many albums. There is something about Abie that those songs lack, though they both have glimpses of brilliance, IMO.

I mean, he set the bar pretty high for himself with songs like Conversation in the Womb and Mama Rochel. It'd be pretty hard to outdo himself each time. I think they have great messages too. I also have a hard time properly appreciating songs with a more upbeat tune, but I recognize that this is a weakness of mine and different people relate to different types of tunes, which is why he utilizes all of them. A brilliant artist can properly target different genres instead of being limited to just one.

[YitzyS]

I mean, he set the bar pretty high for himself with songs like Conversation in the Womb and Mama Rochel. It'd be pretty hard to outdo himself each time. I think they have great messages too. I also have a hard time properly appreciating songs with a more upbeat tune, but I recognize that this is a weakness of mine and different people relate to different types of tunes, which is why he utilizes all of them. A brilliant artist can properly target different genres instead of being limited to just one.

He has fast songs on earlier albums that are at a higher level, IMO.

[drosenberg88429]

I disagree when it comes to unique forms of Avodas Hashem (like music, badchan etc) you're supposed to use you specific TALENTS for that. When it comes to universal forms of Avodas Hashem; Limud Hatorah, T'fillah etc., I agree 100%. That, to me, is the difference between The Band and Yankel.

He used music as a mashol. The point was that they were trying to bring happiness to people. How successful they were should be as relevant as how successful someone is in their limudim. It's the effort which counts, capabilities aside.

[Archie]

I wonder what Abie would think if he saw all this? What his opinion would be on all the back and forth? Obviously he knows that his songs are discussed and analyzed but it's just interesting to think how he would respond.

[drosenberg88429]

He has fast songs on earlier albums that are at a higher level, IMO.

The Cat Ate the Canary doesn't have a real take home moral for us (aside from putting the Swiss in the same category of all anti semites, civility posturing aside). The Band I think is maybe too simplistic in its repetitiveness, but the moral of very clear. I still think it's worthy of the Rottenberg signature.

The Rebbe of Lublin or something are such paradigms of lyrical genius? Cute story, cute tune, clear moral.

BTW, I think some of the best Rotenberg classics are on the Marvelous Middos Machine

[yungermanchik]

BTW, I think some of the best Rotenberg classics are on the Marvelous Middos Machine

This. and The Golden Crown. (actually, the ones on the golden crown never became classics, but should be)