The Music of His Happy Destiny

 ... And with me harnessing machine logic (see last post) I think I can free up the time to be happy through being human. 

One, I'll be giving myself time to again practice happiness via hypergraphia. And two, my new rule of engagement is to grade while listening to music that will both be enjoyable and work as giving me "an interest."  What do I mean?  Well, chatGPT -- not Datum, but my work instance -- got what I meant well enough to produce a list for me to work though: 

Melody, Harmony, and Songwriting

1. The Beatles – Revolver (1966)
   Why: Teaches how pop songs can use classical harmony, tape loops, and structure innovation.
   Listen for: “Eleanor Rigby,” “Tomorrow Never Knows.”
2. Carole King – Tapestry (1971)
   Why: Melodic songwriting at its most emotionally direct.
   Listen for: Voice leading, piano textures, and lyrical phrasing.
3. Joni Mitchell – Blue (1971)
   Why: Unusual chord voicings, open tunings, and pure emotional writing.
   Listen for: “A Case of You,” “River.”

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 Production and Studio Craft

4. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
   Why: Seamless concept album; teaches pacing, mixing, and sonic storytelling.
   Listen for: Transitions between tracks and dynamic control.
5. Brian Eno – Another Green World (1975)
   Why: Bridges pop and ambient music. Learn how texture becomes structure.
   Listen for: Minimalism and tone color.
6. Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982)
   Why: Benchmark of pop production and groove design.
   Listen for: Quincy Jones’s layering, rhythm section precision.

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 Rhythm and Groove

7. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue (1959)
   Why: The textbook of modal improvisation and phrasing.
   Listen for: How rhythm sections “breathe” around soloists.
8. Fela Kuti – Zombie (1977)
   Why: Afrobeat fundamentals—interlocking rhythms and hypnotic structures.
   Listen for: Guitar patterns, horn call-and-response, rhythmic layering.
9. Stevie Wonder – Innervisions (1973)
   Why: Teaches syncopation, harmonic complexity, and self-produced mastery.
   Listen for: “Living for the City” and “Higher Ground.”

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 Harmony, Texture, and Emotion

10. Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
    Why: Expands rock harmony, structure, and mood; a modern Beatles-type leap.
    Listen for: Meter shifts, textures, and how tension resolves.
11. Björk – Homogenic (1997)
    Why: Merges electronic beats with orchestral emotion.
    Listen for: Dynamics, sound design as composition.
12. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
    Why: A masterclass in narrative structure and genre fusion.
    Listen for: Live jazz instrumentation, shifting grooves, thematic motifs.

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 Classical / Foundations

13. Miles Davis & Gil Evans – Sketches of Spain (1960)
    Why: Shows orchestration meeting jazz improvisation.
14. Claude Debussy – La Mer (1905) (you can find recordings on YouTube)
    Why: Harmonic color, impressionism, and the roots of film scoring.
15. Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring (1913)
    Why: Learn how rhythm and dissonance can create energy and structure.

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 Optional but Enlightening Deep Cuts

• Laurie Anderson – Big Science (1982) → performance art + electronics
• Daft Punk – Discovery (2001) → sampling and electronic groove design
• Nina Simone – Pastel Blues (1965) → emotion, interpretation, phrasing
• Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 → rhythmic drive centuries ahead of its time