First Timer: Godspeed You Black Emperor! "dead flag blues" (reaction episode 199)

[@el_mal_de_ojo]

The Dead Flag Blues into East Hastings is one of the greatest one-two punches from any album, ever. Absolutely incredible.

[@Hollowsmith]

This band changed my understanding of music in 1998. It was my freshman year of college, and a friend who was always on the cutting edge of what was coming out played an early John Peel Sessions from Godspeed. I can't begin to tell you how exotic, otherwordly, ancient, and deeply artistic they sounded compared to anything else at the time. Even now 22 years later, they sound like some sort of an artifact of real, true, artistic expression, that makes most "music" sound pathetically manufactured. I love them. They are fucking brilliant.

[@Lebowski55]

Godspeed's music is meant to be experienced as a full album. Since you do full album reactions (not all at once, rather, song to song), Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven would be essential to your channel.

[@Swiatlocien]

I disagree, they play mashup songs during live performances. Albums are coherent, but each song is an autonomic chapter of the story.

[@owlytimbre9103]

That's why they are live and others recorded. Two distinctly different things. Set lists and track lists have different processes and purposes. This is my personal thinking.

[@neongooroo]

@@Swiatlocien when they play live it is incinuated that people already have listened to the whole album and now they can listen to the best parts. You need to listen to a full album at least once to have the best experience, and after that you can play parts by themselves. Just as in a videogame, you play the whole game at first and then you replay some of the favourite missions. That's how I see it. IMHO all songs are better to be listened as an album at first, helps the brain to get used to the mood and tone if the album.

[@vanilla_milkshake]

"Storm" by GY!BE is one of the greatest songs ever written

[@bezdekdelatte]

100% agree

[@jackal59]

Yes, but "Static" from that album has the most frightening build-up of any of them.

[@Hollowsmith]

Yea. Storm is effing gorgeous.

[@Guswal03]

True, though there are not many lyrics in the song so ”written” might be a bad word lol

[@vanilla_milkshake]

@@Guswal03 music gets "written" too

[@alpheothecleric8718]

I love the "The Cowboy"-section. Also seems like the perfect Stage-Intro for a Post-Rock-Band as an homage to the parents of modern Post-Rock.

[@deanwolfechannel]

yes, I really want to react to more of GYBE

[@Ziad3195]

A bit unfamiliar with what the "parents of modern post rock" implies?

[@cianmcaulay942]

@@Ziad3195 post rock would not be what it is today without gy!be

[@Ziad3195]

@@cianmcaulay942 I see. Thanks.

[@Hexenkind1]

One of my all time faves. Very fitting for the state the world is in right now.

[@deanwolfechannel]

that's for sure

[@Hexenkind1]

@@deanwolfechannel Would also HIGHLY recommend listening to "East Hastings" from the same album. Named after East Hastings Street in Vancouver's blighted Downtown Eastside. Maybe the best one out of the 3 songs of their first album.

[@belphegor55]

I saw GYBE in México City back in 2017, they need to reschedule the concert due to the 2017 earthquake. I don't know how to explain it but it was an ambiguous experience, because close to the venue in wich they performe, buildings collapse. I went as a voluntere and the experience was hard to process, I am a psychologist and my job was to follow up on relatives of people trapped in the rubble. Going to the concert, just months after the earthquake was wierd but at the same time therapeutic, was like healing a wund. Godspeed is one the most amazing bands that I had ever experience.

[@belphegor55]

Forgive the bad grammar, I'm not an english speaker

[@deanwolfechannel]

All good, thanks my friend

[@enriqueespinoza8165]

No me enteré :( no manches

[@defnotj4974]

almost speechless. i grew up with godspeed!'s follow up band, silver mt zion, when i was a teen in the mid 2000's. i don't think i'd still be around if i didn't find efrim menuck's music [he has left us alone, but shafts of light sometimes grace the corner of our rooms].this is profoundly important to me. really. no words. i hope you keep digging and get out of it exactly what i did and come to cherish it in years to come. it's all worth the listen.

[@chrisalan3307]

silver mt zion is awesome! hell yeah

[@abstractedaway]

This was the very first song I heard of Godspeed You Black Emperor's too, and I was compelled to dive in and savor every album and bootleg I could find. It changed how I hear music, and opened me up to a spacious, deep sort of listening that could go into traditions of music I'd not have understood before. GYBE is amazing - and I'd have said that before I ever saw them in concert. See their songs together with the visuals they put on screen, and it'll touch and change you yet again. This band is deep, powerful in an understated yet powerful way that most musical acts aren't even trying for.

[@LucidDream]

A song I listened to many years ago with a couple of close friends when we were all in a band together. We were just blown away with it at the time. The poetry has some very intense imagery, accompanied with some very haunting and atmospheric music. Such a great piece.

[@saulgoodman.exe_]

The title track from Lift Yr. Skinny Fists might be one of the most impactful pieces of music I've ever heard. It's leaves me in this weird sort of trance where the sounds are uplifting and beautiful but also soul crushing and depressive at the same time. It's potent enough to the point where I can barely listen to it.

[@catharinemclaren6629]

when those violins first come in it just kills me. F#A#∞ is amazing as a whole, especially the vinyl version, check that out if you haven't already. Also their new album is out on april 2nd.

[@el_mal_de_ojo]

I love both the vinyl and CD versions, but the CD version gets most if not all my play from the two. The CD version of Sad Mafioso is just outrageously good, among the finest movements in music of the past 30 years.

[@catharinemclaren6629]

@@el_mal_de_ojo i remember hearing the Sad Mafioso in 28 Days Later and absolutely loving it long before I discovered Godspeed. It's one of my favourite pieces of music of all time. Especially some of the bootleg versions.

[@matthewchambers-sinclair8772]

Don't know what it is exactly, but the violin at 6:16 breaks my heart every time I hear it.

[@lordmarega]

I love the outro. It's like remembering the good old times when you are in a war or in the end of the world. Beautiful!!!

[@reneskarmyr]

For me this is what art is all about. The freedom to express (almost) whatever you want. And i must ad; it takes courage to produce «slow» music like this. Will definetly check out more of this band🙏🏻

[@MrUhrich]

I had to do a double take when I saw the band you were reacting to. I hope you check out more of their music, they are incredible.

[@ollyhudson9931]

Moya is my first love of this band.

[@amnesiac5429]

Me too I listened to it in whpr's video (music for the end of the world) and it blew my mind

[@Hassebas88]

same.. i didnt know shit about this band at the time. stumbled oppon slow riot on youtube since then I have no clue of where I am

[@meadows-of-sonder]

Being a fan of them for more than 10 years, their music was the catalyst for the rest of the bands, labels, & artists that I listen to to this day. Their latest album is especially profound.

[@allcaps9638]

Do you have some recommendations?

[@necromantic2955]

You should definitely listen to storm, maybe it is the most powerful, epic and beautiful song of the Godspeed that intro is very melancholic and even when the instruments are raised, for some reason they maintain a golden sadness, it is one of the most beautiful instrumental pieces of The history of rock

[@franco5506]

Love this band. The song " static" will melt your face

[@phew9418]

Sleep. Their greatest moment!

[@hilocus]

This was their debut album and you get the feeling they are still learning how to navigate their instruments, good and all as the album is at generating a darkly atmospheric landscape. Their next album release, though, is outstanding. 'Lift your skinny fists to heaven" Definitely their best.

[@el_mal_de_ojo]

I disagree, their vision is pristine in this album and fully realised from the get-go. They sound like consummate musicians that have had very tough upbringings and synthesised that hurt into auditory poetry. I agree that the next album is the only album that is arguably better, but if Lift Yr Skinny Fists is their best, this one is a very very close second.

[@ad-xf8bb]

This track always gives me chills.

[@coapa_760]

Still remember the feeling I had when listening to them for the first time. I literally stayed in my seat and said WTF. Little did i know I got a chance to see them about a year ago.

[@joshuapocalypse]

In 28 Days Later they have a song at the beginning. From what I recall, they were fine with it being used but didnt want any credits given.

[@JUJUJUNO]

Learned about this band, like, 3 days ago in the coment section on some The Ocean song, and it may have changed my life in some way, at this point it is the only thing I've been digging in the past days and it pretty much just jumped all the way to my top 3 bands of all time in the first two albums. I think Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven and F#A#∞ would be some nice albums to do a full album reaction, and songs from Allelujah! Don't Bend, Ascend for more sporadic things

[@derfgerps4016]

This was the first one and still arguably my favorite it was great seeing a full reaction

[@Lebowski55]

Music to accompany the apocalypse . Way to go Chris! Finally Godspeed on Dean's channel!

[@chrisalan3307]

THANK U FOR RECOGNIZING MY PATRICIAN TASTE MY FRIEND

[@doranbacigalupi1059]

Fantastic, I've been hoping you'd listen to them sometime! Saw them live last year and it was absolutely amazing.

[@Revelatus]

My favorite band

[@jack_rabbit]

i remember when this album first came out, i was just a teenager. i remember listening to it in the dark with headphones on, and it was just... crushingly beautiful and sad and lonely and powerful. it felt like a natural occurrence, rather than something written or prepared. it felt true and living.

[@KhordLizardMage]

I think Avant Garde was the label you were looking for. I remember hearing this WAY back when it was released.

[@owlytimbre9103]

I don't see how any one track can be appreciated out of context. I am relieved a little to see serious music being taken seriously. Maybe even the ideas that are less than obvious. Thank you.

[@thecentralscrutinizer5730]

This is very post rock. Very apocalyptic. Ify anyone is curious check out the band Pothamus

[@wojciech5177]

F#A# is not "depressing" for me at all, also when i frist listened to it it felt like i knew this album before

[@aphelionvoid4491]

Should have listened to East Hastings. That’s REALLY depressive, imo.

[@metalhos]

it's one thing to keep up your attention span to enjoy this kind of music, it's another if the band doesn't try much to keep it interesting. i've tried it several times with GYBE but they never really grabbed me. i hear the quality of their music, i feel it, too, but to me they need far too much time to get into something like a climax, if anything. it's mostly like (psychedelic) lullabies all the time. but you can definitly find much worser post rock than Gybe to run away from ;)

[@Lebowski55]

If slow builds aren't your musical thing, then you probably won't enjoy Godspeed. It's cool that as a music fan, you hear the quality of their music, it's hard to deny. They are the pinnacle of this particular style of instrumental music. Nobody else really comes close. Good on you for dabbling though.

[@chrisalan3307]

i think its a matter of what your expectations for music are, ive always seen it as smth both capable of immediate entertainment n physical impact to the other end of the spectrum as an abstract/surreal/visual experience

[@ArvoR]

sry didnt read the title correctly but you may check out band called Emperor, its pretty similar :D Emperor - Into The Infinity Of Thoughts `1993

[@deanwolfechannel]

I like that title

[@cheebees]

Can you react to some Explosions in the Sky - The Birth And Death Of The Day and Mogwai - Mogwai fear Satan please?

[@cyberpotato63]

I have a reaction suggestion for you. Canadian guitarist Nick Johnston's "Remarkably Human" album. The song by the same name runs just under 7 minutes. The artist has the album posted on his KZbin channel. Just type in his name and the title of the album. The genre is guitar oriented prog fusion instrumental jazz-rock. Very melodic and soulful. If you're looking for something sophisticated yet accessible. The album made the guitar world top 20 guitar oriented albums of the decade list. Haven't seen a reaction to anything on it. A fair number of covers but no reactions.

[@deanwolfechannel]

Thanks for the heads up, will certainly be checking it out

[@chrisalan3307]

woo

[@jennifer9047]

You listen to some dark stuff, there, O Helen of Troy! 👏👏👏

[@chrisalan3307]

@@jennifer9047 how did you know my real name

[@jennifer9047]

@@chrisalan3307 How could I forget?! It's not every day someone's face launches 1,000 of my ships, dude. 😆

[@chrisalan3307]

@@jennifer9047 i managed to convince youtube that my death threats were satire i was so close to being gone from this platform forever

[@jennifer9047]

@@chrisalan3307 We're so glad you're still here! 🤗

[@joshuapocalypse]

Also, great band for weed. Lol

[@jackal59]

I have to say that F#A#∞ is the one Godspeed recording I never go back to. I can't really identify a favorite, but this, while good, is definitely the least appealing.

[@Userrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.r]

What the fuck

[@sopwithsnoopy8779]

Eh...not something I'd listen to again on purpose, tbh. Only Quebecian band I listen to is Aeternam (from Quebec City). Melodic middle eastern-sounding death metal (singer/lead guitarist grew up in Morocco), so not a band that would be featured on this channel.

[@deanwolfechannel]

maybe- new thing is Wildcard Wednesdays- any genre of music

[@JG-ib7xk]

But.... you didn't react.... that was a massive waste of time. "First react"....

[@deanwolfechannel]

sorry you're disappointed. Did you not go to the part 2 of this video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHmQY4qGpZd7d5I

[@floridabelle]

Depressing? No. Uninteresting, yes.

[@concertino58]

Uninteresting? Maybe to you, but this band is highly regarded and had influenced many bands within different genres from hardcore to metal to punk to and alternative/shoegaze.

[@floridabelle]

@@concertino58 Yes, to me. Hearing they're highly regarded or influential doesn't help if I just plain don't like the track. That doesn't mean I won't like the next one. Would you like all music that I personally like? Not likely. That's just the way it is.

[@chrisalan3307]

@@floridabelle I wouldn't expect gybe to capture the attention of most folks but I think this is unnecessarily dismissive of what is certainly the work of a very refined and unique artistic vision - musically their control of dynamic and so sonicvisual synthesis is second to none and that deserves acclaim and respect regardless of personal reception

[@floridabelle]

@@chrisalan3307 So, I should like it just because you think I should? 🤦🏼‍♀️ I'm in my 70th decade of hearing/listening to music. I'm fairly certain I know what I like by now. And, I didn't disrespect it, it's just not for me.

[@chrisalan3307]

@@floridabelle no, i dont think you should like it whatsoever