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Thread: Please help me out with this

  1. #1
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Please help me out with this

    I was listening to the immaculate speech that Page gave at Oxford University, something that always makes me very happy ( you guys don't know how much I like this guy).

    But there's this small detail that keeps pissing me off. Just after 7:00 he refers to something he calls "Musac" or "Musack", I can't really tell. As you know, I can read, write, understand and speak English quite well for a non-native, but sometimes certain made up or idealistic terms will eventually get out of my reach.

    Do you guys know what he means? He's talking about sheet music, maybe some sort of pejorative word people used back in the 60s for merely executing written scores, I don't know.


  2. #2
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Musak was (is?) a term to denote bland, sterile music that was piped into elevators and into doctor and dentist offices. Some of it very light instrumental, some of it with singers who sounded like they'd left their balls in a blind trust.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  3. #3
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    Musak was (is?) a term to denote bland, sterile music that was piped into elevators and into doctor and dentist offices. Some of it very light instrumental, some of it with singers who sounded like they'd left their balls in a blind trust.
    Thank you VERY much, Willie!

  4. #4
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    Thank you VERY much, Willie!
    When I was a teen, I went to a dentist who must have been a sadist. He hurt the hell out of me while I listened to that milktoast music. I sat there in pain, waiting for the moment when he'd let me go so I could ease it with a joint and some decent rock and roll. Before he let me go, however, he would lecture me on the evils of marijuana.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  5. #5
    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Had a dentist once ages ago really gouge the hell outta me. I could taste the blood in my mouth. Grabbed him by the throat and demanded all things removed from my mouth, and all utensils placed on the tray. Told him to back away from me and to make no sudden moves. He complied. And that same disgusting muzak crap was playing all through the hallways and waiting room!
    He called the P.D. and spoke to my Capt, the division commander. My Capt told him he was lucky I didn't shoot him. Cap'n said the last guy that hurt me got three slugs in the chest. And that was a lie. I never shot one guy three times! Maybe twice, but never three!

    Yeah, muzak stuff is vile nasty stuff.
    I forgot what I was going to say...

  6. #6
    Forum Member Volumeknob's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    MUZAK should burn in HELLZAK
    The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits.
    T. Roosevelt

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    Re: Please help me out with this

    But...but...

  8. #8
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Ah but that's different. I get it that TGFI is a soft, easy listening piece of music, but Musak's brand of goo suffers in comparison.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  9. #9
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    MUZAK was THE corporate soundtrack back in the 60s and 70s. Even into the 80s. Before there was an Internet, SiriusXM, Pandora and Spotify. It was specifically designed to be background music, unintrusive, calming, and bland.

    I remember when the Washington Redskins won one of their Super Bowls (the first, in 1983) MUZAK announced they would play the team's song, "Hail to the Redskins" twice the Sunday after. My wife and I happened to be in a Popeye's restaurant that day and heard it piped through the sound system. It was so unusual we actually stopped in our tracks marveling that a song with words and a beat was being heard over a MUZAK system.

  10. #10
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Quote Originally Posted by renderit View Post
    But...but...

    Indeed, Bossa Nova is definitely not Muzak!

    You see, Bossa is a very balanced blend of Samba and Jazz, which resulted in a very poetic subgenre of... Jazz music. Brazilian jazz, which is also Samba! I love it and own several historic Bossa Nova vinyl records! No wonder guys like Tom Jobim and João Gilberto recorded with Stan Getz, Sinatra and so many others.

    People often confuse Bossa Nova with Lounge Music, a modern approach to a handful of rhythms including Bossa.

  11. #11
    Forum Member Volumeknob's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    poor girl -- do her arms work?
    her voice is lovely.....one of my favorite songs of all time and introduced me to Stan Getz......
    The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits.
    T. Roosevelt

  12. #12
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Quote Originally Posted by Volumeknob View Post
    MUZAK should burn in HELLZAK
    Hail, Satanzak! Oh wait, I mean "Shoo, go away Satanzak."
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  13. #13
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Quote Originally Posted by Volumeknob View Post
    poor girl -- do her arms work?
    her voice is lovely.....one of my favorite songs of all time and introduced me to Stan Getz......

    I don't know about her arms, but word has it... uh... nevermind.

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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    Indeed, Bossa Nova is definitely not Muzak!

    You see, Bossa is a very balanced blend of Samba and Jazz, which resulted in a very poetic subgenre of... Jazz music. Brazilian jazz, which is also Samba! I love it and own several historic Bossa Nova vinyl records! No wonder guys like Tom Jobim and João Gilberto recorded with Stan Getz, Sinatra and so many others.

    People often confuse Bossa Nova with Lounge Music, a modern approach to a handful of rhythms including Bossa.
    No, but if you ask most people to tell you what elevator music is (and hence...MUZAK) they will hum the girls song...

    Conundrum...

  15. #15
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Please help me out with this

    Quote Originally Posted by renderit View Post
    No, but if you ask most people to tell you what elevator music is (and hence...MUZAK) they will hum the girls song...

    Conundrum...

    Because of the last part of my reply up there. People made a load of lounge music (Muzak) over it

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