Comments on: Knockin’ On Zimmerman’s Door

By: Moshe Grussgott

Moshe Grussgott — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:49:41 +0000

Ha thanks David yeh I probably should have specified that that’s actually the official term for certain old African American Christian worship songs, although it’s obviously no longer PC today, the term is maintained b/c that’s what it was always called in the past. (Hope no offense was taken)

By: David Gertler

David Gertler — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:00:28 +0000

Point of reference for Negro Spiritual as the name of the style of music:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_(music)
Aside, of course, from the website: http://www.negrospirituals.com/

By: leah

leah — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:49:29 +0000

Negro Spirituals? Moshe please do enlighten me. What is a NEGRO spiritual?

By: Moshe Grussgott

Moshe Grussgott — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:07:02 +0000

Yes! Thank you, I’ve been saying this for years: that so much of our “Jewish music” from the yeshivish and modern orthodox worlds, is in fact nothing but techno and boy band nonsense with no spiritual value, other than the fact that they’re using hebrew words (the song “yehei, yehei” by the chevra comes to mind) whereas so many non-Jewish or non-Orthodox artists have made seriously profound and spiritual songs bases on the Bible which should qualify as Jewish in that they’re more religiously meaningful..I actually have a playlist like the one you have in my “Jewish music” section in my Ipod..a couple good ones not on your list:

I am that I am, Peter Tosh
Halleluya, Leonard Cohen
Shema Yisrael, Sarit Hadad

Also, so many negro spirituals and Marley/rastafarian songs

By: David Gertler

David Gertler — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:51:54 +0000

Dave-
Your inspiration drives us every day! Where would Jewneric be without it?

Benji-
Neighborhood Bully is an amazing song and I had considered having it on my playlist. It was suggested to me not to play it as it might be taken as too seriously political for a post-Purim show. I’ll try and sneak it in for Israel’s 60th.
The truth is there are so many “By the Rivers of Babylon/Waters of Babylon” that I decided to just go with Don Mclean’s which I consider to be a classic.
Peter Himmelman, for those of you curious enough to wonder but not curious enough to click the link to his webpage is Bob Dylan’s Shomer Shabbat son-in-law; and the most traditionally Jewish of the artists on the playlist, the song I played, Achdut, is currently available only off his website.

Leah-
The disadvantage and relevance of him using a phone to send me messages is that we each had to limit our thoughts to 160 characters at a time- greatly dissuading detailed discussion.

By: leah

leah — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:28:05 +0000

For the “email to text guy” , please ask him for a Jewdar spectrum, I would like to know what makes music Jewish.

Here is my thought, Music is universal, it transcends all races, most religions ( I say most because some religions aren’t allowed to listen to music), perhaps that sounds of ou ma ma ma, and oy oy oy oy can make a song appear to be from a Jew but it certainly doesn’t make music Jewish.

Example A– Oy Oy Oy Say Can you see? By the dawn’s early light… What so proudly we whined…

~Anyhow, I often go off to a tangent so bare with me~

“I have a dream that my ideals of music will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the race/ethnicity/religion/stereotypes of the singer but by the content of their rhythms and melodies.”

Here is to everyone listening to Lipa Schmeltzer! -The End-

I refuse to call you Weed. Kudos.

By: Benji Rosenzweig

Benji Rosenzweig — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:24:45 +0000

A few other great jewish songs are
Neighborhood Bully by Bob Dylan ( Shamai)
By the River of Babylon by Sublime
the entire albim of skin by Peter Himmelman

Enjoy the listen
Benji

By: Dave Weinberg

Dave Weinberg — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:19:01 +0000

I’m touched that I (and Phish’s “Avinu Malkenu”) am the inspiration for this great compilation.

Rock on Weed!