LOTRish Music!
 

Although many don't realise it, there's a lot of it out there!

Enya wrote many songs about LOTR even BEFORE she got the job for the movies! "The Hobbit" and "Lothlorien" being two famous ones, although they have no lyrics.

Also, through my searchings on the internet, I've found a heavy metal/rock group called Blind Guardian that did (does?) a lot of music about middle-earth, mostly from the Silmarillion, but they did have a song titled "The Lord of the Rings" and one called "The Hobbit". Really cool actually!

Then Loreena McKennit has an instrumental song titled "Gandalf" (I think).

And who can forget Led Zepplin?? With Misty Mountain Hop and Ramble On, oldies rock doesn't sound so old!!!

Also found some miscelanious songs by a few artists:

* "Lords of the Ring" by Styx

* "Hobbit on the Rocks" by Toad the Wet Sprocket (???)

* ...and the "Ballad of Bilbo Baggins!!"

So, any other LOTR music you guys know of?? I would dearly love to hear some more!!! Are there any other artists we know of that write songs about Middle Earth and such?? Even if you want to discuss or ask questions about some of the music I've already listed, I'd greatly appreciate it! Music!

First question I have is... What album of Enya's is "The Hobbit" on? I have not seen that one.

I think you've nailed about all of them. There is also David Arkenstone who composed the music for the CD "Music Inspired by Middle Earth."
I have heard of all you have mentioned but I cannot think of anymore.
Do you think that there are more out there that could be inspired by LOTR even though it's not spelled out in the title?

I personally think of Galadriel and her dilemma with returning to The Undying Lands in Enya's song "Exile". Any opinions? (I can type the lyrics for those who don't know this song... let me know [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] )

There are also lines in other songs that make me think of Lord of the Rings. Someone mentioned "Stairway to Heaven" ("there's a feeling I get, when I look to the West...") And, even though it has nothing to do with LOTR there is a line in "99 Red Balloons" that goes "opens up one eager eye". Even if they aren't referring to LOTR directly I wonder if those lines were inspired by it?

All of Enya's songs remind me of LOTR! I mean, with her album "Paint the Sky with Stars" every song on that reminds me of it! Especially the songs, "Memories of Trees", which is definently Yavanna's song, and "Paint the Sky with Stars", that reminds me of Varda. I know, I'm weird [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

What about Glass Hammer? They did Journey of the Dunedain some years ago. Now they've got a new one out called Middle-earth album which I just ordered. See:
http://www.glasshammer.com/order.html

Some other kind poster actually gave me this link the other day.

Also, there's Bo Hannson Lord of the Rings which was recorded some years ago.

My two favorites, though, are the Tolkien Ensemble and David Arknstone.

For a listing of hundreds (thousands?) of songs inspired by Tolkien, see
http://www.vikings.lv/~witchcraft/jrrt/notice.html

This site isn't set up well, but it is incredibly thorough.

sharon, the 7th age hobbit

[ June 06, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

Here in Norway we have lots of Metal bands naming themselve after places and persons in The LOTR, like Myrkskog (mirkwood). Some of these bands are well known in Europe among Metal lovers.

A psuedo-modern bluegrass band called Nickel Creek has a really great instrumental called The House of Tom Bombadil. It's a beautiful song, and not too hill billyish at all. (Even though Tom could've made a fair hill billy [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img].)

Woof! What with that mighty playlist i would be remiss in my duties if i didn't plug some local (to me on the Western Shore) offerings:

The Starlit Jewel -- six Tolkein poems set to music by Marion Zimmer Bradley, five more by her daughter and daughter's husband and all performed by whatever band they were in at the time (tape -- Avalon Rising, CD re-release, Broceliande) Available at amazon.com, not that you needed me to tell you that... B)

Tremendously good stuff. (Look for their rendition of "Elvish Lullabye" in a documentary coming soon...)

s.t.

(then again, there's all the "filk" that yours truly has written, but parodies don't count, ...or do they? especially since mine are as yet unreleased...)

WOW! You guys, thanks a lot! The Barrow-Downs is the best LOTR place, as I always say! (okay, so i just started saying that)

Tigerlily, I'm not sure which album Enya's "the hobbit" was on. My mom is a Enya fanatic and she had never heard that song before until I got it off the internet. It didn't say the album, I don't think...it's all instrumental, anyway, I think.

And Led Zepplin was a big LOTR fan, I know. Random lines may have been inspired by Tolkien, a lot of Led Zepplin's music was like that: not necissarily ALL about LOTR, but they did have LOTR references here and there that only a Tolkien fan would catch.

Anarya, you're not weird. Even if you are, it just means I'm weird too, cuz I agree!!

And Sharon! Thank you SO much for the bands/artists! I will try to download them and tell you what I think!

Baran! You're Norweigan? Cool! I'm actually Swedish, but I have cousins who are from Norway! Way cool! Are Myrkskog's songs in Norwiegan? I could always get my cousin to translate if they are. (I just love European metal bands!) can you think of any more? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Silver-shod Muse, I like bluegrass! I will DEFINATLEY look this song up!

And Saxony! Although i haven't heard of Starlit Jewel, it sounds cool and I'll look 'em up! (PS: long live Gimli! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img])

Bye, guys, and thank you SO much for all the songs! I'm enriching my Tolkien music library here! Woo!

--Lanniae

AHHHHH!!!!!!!! Lanniae, I owe you big time for starting this thread THANK YOU!!!! I LOVE metal, and to hear that they have songs about LotR!!! I'm in heaven!! FINALLY!! And I like Enya too! I like listening to that music when I read. Very nice. Plus on STP's first album Core, #4, which is called No Memory is really pretty. It isn't a LotR song, but it so nice. OH!!! I was looking in the store, and there's a heavy metal group called Cirith Ungol!!! WHY dind't I get that already!!! I must get it now!

Thanks so much all of you for posting your comments, now I just gotta download them!!! I'm so excited!! All I gotta learn now is how to download them..
[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

You're also Sveedish, Lanniae? Uh-oh -- now i've gotta start sending you virtual horns of mead... B) And that Norwegian Wight as well (so long as he promises not to reveal that i've infiltrated the local Sons of Norway for their Lutefisk...)

:: looking in my collection for anything else fantasmal... Hawkwind's Chronicle of the Black Sword, alas, being Elric-inspired, doesn't qualify, but hey, same genre... ::

s.t.

Skoal!

I agree w/ anarya... all of enya's songs sound like their for/from lotr. I love enya!! but otherwise, I had no idea that all this lotr-related music things existed! that's so cool!

AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!! Lothiriel, you're welcome! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] There is a metal band called Cirith Ungol??? Dude, I'll have to check that out!! You should check out Blind Guardian. I REALLY like their music. They also have a song called "battallions of fear" and it's about WWII I think and I'm a world wars nut, so...
Off subject!
(and to download music, I use a site called kazaa, it's really good i think)

Saxony! Yes, my dad is mostly Swedish. But I can't speak any of the language (neither can he though!), sadly, but I AM trying to learn both that and Norwegian. Like the saying goes:

"If you can speak 3 languages, you are trilingual.
If you can speak 2 languages, you are bilingual.
If you can only speak 1 language, you are American!" (yes!) [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Anarya, MallornLeaf, you guys are right, Enya's music does remind me of LOTR a lot. She just has such a magical voice, it's so totally like an Elf singing! (sure, I like Dwarves better, but Gimli couldn't carry a tune in a bucket!)

Hope to hear more music coming from you guys! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

--Lanniae

Woof!

Well then, Lanniae, once i start inflicting "Trust Me" on you, i will also send you the soundtrack, or at least the playlist so you can compile the soundtrack!

(yeah, everything i write tends to have music in it, that's why it's nearly impossible for me to publish anything. Too many copyright issues, Napster notwithstanding... B( )

s.t.

Yeah, Blind Guardian is really good, and they have a whole album devoted to songs about Lord of the Rings, and their other albums have songs about Tolkien scattered around.

Lanniae-- Loreena McKennitt has a song called "Gandalf"??? Where did you find this? I thought I knew all her music......

(Oh, and incidentally...

...humph. Not true at all.)

--Belin Ibaimendi

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: Belin ]

Lannaie, I just downloaded Kazaa just now! And I had to download it because I wanted to hear Blind Guardian. I love Hard Rock/Heavy metal (with he exception of a few types, like Enya and Scottish music. And cellos!) I'm so happy I heard of them though, thank you so much!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I have to get the cd now, I didn't hear them yet cuz the songs are still downloading but if they sing about LotR, they must be awesome! Especially since their hard rock!!!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

well this is just ducky, so i'm not the only eclectic nutcase on the Downs who can put a lovely set of cello-inclusive Celtic tunes in the same story soundtrack as Judas Priest's wrenching rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Green Manalishi". Excellent.

(note to Lanniae -- once you've started reading it, you'll 'get it'... B) )

Time to start pouring the drinks!

|_|) <-- it comes in pints, whatever it is you like - or are allowed to - drink...

s.t.

What a great thread! I love metal music also, though I didn't know any LotR metal music existed before someone showed me this thread. Keep it coming! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Saxony~There's Elric inspired music? I am one clueless metal fanatic. Please PM or post again and tell me about this, even it it's not metal!!!

Laei, you're cool, and i'm just going to have to go home and dig out the CD copy that i discovered last year in some used-record store and write you a lengthy e-mail about it.

Or if you're cruising around your record stores, you will probably find Hawkwind under Imports (they're a British band) and the CD is entitled Chronicle of the Black Sword. Michael Moorcock & the band go way back, in fact, he even wrote a book about THEM (sort of to repay them for the album) entitled "Time of the HawkLords". (the same ex-boyfriend who turned me on to Hawkwind found this book in some used-bookstore; we both read it & found it a delightful little trip of whimsy)

i honestly don't know if Hawkwind ever did any Tolkein stuff, but since i don't pretend to be conversant with their full back catalog, who knows -- they just might.

speaking of other bands who go way back, there's always that lovely tune off Rush's second album, called "Rivendell"...

s.t.

Thank you, Saxony! *Does a happy dance* If you're going to e-mail me, do it at silverpunk@adelphia.net . WOO! You're the best! (And thanks for the cool comment, you rock!)

Oh, now I gotta go dig out my Rush collection and listen to that song. I loved their 'Roll the Bones' album. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Those listed above are somehow, all "good guyes". But there is a bunch of bands "from the other side". Cirith Ungol for one, as well as Cradle of Filth, and several others. They all do kinda "how-good-was-Morgoth(Sauron)-rebellious-and-splendid" music

Saxony, um, hey, help? What exactly are you going to send me after you lull me into "trust me"?? I'm so confused.

...And your second post scared me. Um, "get it"?? You have this way of confusing me, congratulations!

Belin: Yes, I am positive McKennit has a song titled "Lord of the Rings: Gandalf" or soemthing close to that effect. It's pretty good, but it's just instrumental, nothing special. (But I looove Loreena McKennit! I'm listening to "The Highwayman" right now! *snif* So sad!
And I realize my quote is not TOTALLY true. But 'tis funny, no? Sorta?

Lothiriel! If you need any help with Kazaa just PM me I'd be glad to help!! Hope you like Blind Guardian! Make SURE to download "Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)" - a song about Fingolfin, and "The Eldar" - which is kinda a ballad, really good. Also try "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Bard's Song - The Hobbit". Hope you love them!!!

That is what I started this thread for, I wanted to hear/know about some more LOTR-ish-songs I could be missing out on when they're right at my fingertips!

What/Who is Elric??

Latando, I agree. Yeah, so it's kinda goody-sided, but I mean, if it's not you get into the more...how shall I say "satanic" part of it and I'm not a big fan of that. But Blind Guardian does a lot of that "worship-sauron" thing in "A Dark Passage", "The Curse of Feanor", "NIghtfall" and especially "Into the Storm". I'm telling you, I love BG! Well, and all this music you guys are telling me... Latando, are there any bands/artists of this nature you think I shoudl check out??

Anyways, keep it coming guys! Um, lessee, although I tried downloading all of the ones you have suggested, I have only gotten David Arkenstone Nickel Creek, some more Enya and Led Zepplin (i love zepplin!) because my computer is being dumb...

Ah, nothing a good bash with the flat side of my axe won't fix! Later!

Many progressive rock groups do songs or have titles inspired by Tolkien.

Rush - Rivendell
Camel - White Rider
Led Zeppelin - Battle of Evermore, No Quarter, Over the Hills and Far Away, Kashmir

Bo Hansson has an album out by the name of "Lord of the Rings."

Andrea Pellegrini has a jazz album out entitled "Middle Earth."

Bob Catley has a rock album called "Middle Earth"...all the tracks deal with Middle Earth, can't find the album to list the tracks.

Glass Hammer's "Middle Earth" album: Elrenn and Endereth, The Old Troll, The Old Troll and the Maiden, Dwarf and Orc, The King's Bear, The Ballad of Balin Longbeard, The Man in the Wood, Mirkwood, As I Walk, Sweet Goldberry, Mithrandir (This Fading Age), and No Crown for Balin. They have a number of other Tolkien-related songs.

Band names from Tolkien's work: Mithrandir, Iluvatar, Isildur's Bane, Moria Falls, Gandalf, etc.

Tisaris, another prog-rock band, is (coincidentally?) one letter from Istari.

P.S.

Please spell "Led Zeppelin" right.

[img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Sweet Mogg i don't believe it, Legalos, you've got Mark (Ken) for a post pic -- kudos from a staunch Jason (Joh) fan! B)

Lanniae -- i was refering to the list of music that i've used to write the thing so far, most of which that has lyrics is actually featured in the story (Hey, i'm trying for Tolkein style, so it's got poetry breaks) Of those lyrics, they're either Tolkein or "filk", meaning a fannish parody (written by Yours Truly) with the exception of one that i had to ask the author's permission for, and she graciously granted it. The "source code" however, being the song that was parodied, is what would be on the playlist (and the listener supplies the altered lyrics herself)

|_|) <-- Cheers!

s.t.

Heh...about the whole Led ZeppElin thing...yeah, bad me. I never noticed I was spelling it wrong. Thanks for pointing that out, Legalos, I owe you one. And THANKS SO MUCH for all the extra music!!! WOW! I'm gonna go to TOWN!!!

Me and Lothiriel, man, milking poor Kazaa of all it's dowloading-ness...

...And my poor computer! No memory will it have left!

Saxony - I know, I get it. So, I'm a little slow.... [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

--Lanniae
who's listening to Blind Guardian's "Lord of the Rings" and is really belting it out...older brother ready to whack her over the head...

So... there used to be a death punk band named Orcrist (Thorin's sword) and that's wicked bad awesome.

I thought of it because I'm listening to Misfits right now. Yay for me.

Lannaie, I know, Kazaa would have to be forced to go out of business! Oh guess who got the Blind Guardian cd with all those songs!!??? YEAH, it's actually really good!!! And I got Toad the Wet Sprocket, cuz I had to get Hobbit on the Rocks! It wasn't much money at all so I got it. I have to get some more MUAAAHAHAHAAAAA *cough sputter cough* Sorry, I was reading Gollum elf's pup's post, so you know...

Oh, is there any instrumental music, well music like Enya that has LotR music? I know someone said up there something about some singer, but is there more than one song??? Thanks everyone!!!!!!!

Blind Guardian are very good! I got theri music from a site which also had loads of other LotR related music - I'll see if I can find it and post it here.