Well, a return to my slightly more coherent opinions on music. Slightly.
Song #1: Empire by Kasabian (Empire, 2006, Track 1)
The first track off of the first Kasabian album I ever obtained. This should be interesting.
Music first, as always. When I first heard this album a few years ago, I really did not like this track. Perhaps it was due to the strange message at the beginning of the song, perhaps because it was a departure from the few Kasabian songs I knew at that point, but overall I think it was because it wasn't what I was expecting. I'm not sure if this paints me as narrow-minded, but I'm pretty sure it's fair enough to say that disappointment is the natural reaction to not hearing another "Fire" or "Underdog". Anyway, I got the hell over it and started to really like this song. A fantastic use of sound, creating a larger than life sound that I really had to adjust to. This song is roughly the opposite of "Knights Of Cydonia". Where "Knights Of Cydonia" went out of their way to be conspicuously epic, falling slightly short, "Empire" sounds as if it began as a conventional song and gained size and sound as it was developed, having a much more enjoyable feel to it. Also, I must say it contains a fantastic use of backing vocals.
Vocally, this song is fine. Meighan's vocals are decent, and I think this may be one of the best demonstrations of it, angry but not screaming, able to carry some element of proud sarcasm and disobedience.
Lyrically, this song is very interesting. Firstly, though, the music video. I don't believe I've mentioned a music video yet in a 3 Songs post, not even Muse, but it is relevant here. The music video shows that this song is anti-war, set in Crimea with the band being soldiers. After repeatedly disobeying orders, eventually they are killed, either by the enemy or by their own side. This is one of my favourite music videos, as it contains story, emotion and class. Sadly, I honestly don't think I ever would have picked the song as anti-war without it. With the knowledge it is an anti-war song, the lyrics make a lot more sense and have a lot more meaning, but I doubt I would have been able to make any sort of story out of them before seeing the video. I think the actual meaning of the song is that war is ultimately pointless, with a large amount of surreal and slightly disturbing imagery thrown in. With some I can sort of see a parallel (such as with the line "We're all wasting away"), but others (such as "A belly full of splinters") really make no sense to me, in relation to war or otherwise. A good song, nevertheless.
Song #2: Brick by Ben Folds Five (Whatever And Ever Amen, 1997, Track 3)
Music first, as always. The slow piano is the main draw of the musical aspect of this song, and accompanies the vocals and lyrics well. All aspects are slow and dreary throughout the song, occasionally building to demonstrate a build up of emotion in regards to the lyrics.
In regards to the vocals, Folds is clearly very emotional about the topic, and it shows. He once stated that he tried not to listen to the song because of the memories it brought up, and his sad, slow singing certainly shows that there is every reason to believe him.
Now, I'm very aware that the previous two sections are short. Honestly, there is almost nothing to talk about other than the lyrics of and the story behind this song. Simply, this story is about Folds taking his high-school girlfriend for an abortion on Boxing Day. I have discussed a lot of songs with powerful stories or messages behind them, and a lot of Folds songs, but this is a little bit too emotional to be discussed in my usual articles. What I am going to discuss is the brilliance of this track, especially in one key area: It is apolitical. There is no fucking way any political faction can find an argument to back their own opinion on abortion in this song. Although the event was clearly tragic, the actions of the characters show that they were emotionally immature, unable to deal with having a child. This song appearing in a list of the greatest conservative songs really pissed me off. I hear listening to music is a pretty good way of finding out what it's about, but each to their own. Now, this song is, almost without saying, a move away from the usual music of BFF or Folds solo work. Fans of Folds other work may not enjoy and visa versa, due to the emotional impact and the different style of music. I could talk about this song for an entire post, but I'm not going to. I want this blog to exist to vent my anger, joy, tension, outrage and a range of other feelings and urges. This song can only make you sad. There is little more that is worth being said that I would take any pleasure in saying. Just listen to it, regardless of your opinion of anything.
Song #3: Rex Kramer by Gomez (In Our Gun, 2002, Track 2)
Musically, this is a very interesting song. I've bought another two Gomez albums, and I'm still not quite comfortable with putting the group in any musical category, which can only ever be taken as a compliment. The music seems sort of electronic and blaring. Everything making loud, overt noises. Bleeping, beeping, whining. It makes me think of, like their previous song, a song occurring despite the music, rather than because of the music. The song seems to be fighting it less this time, however, more just working around it. It again gives the image of chaos, less so that previously too. Overall, different, but not bad.
The vocals are harsh and gruff, which fits the lyrics well enough, and gives the impression of someone who is sick of their situation and surroundings, almost sounding as if they're in pain. This is a very strange vibe to be coming from only the second track in the album (I knew including that in the title would eventually have a purpose!). Overall, again different but not bad.
Lyrically, this song does not seem to so much have a plot, but more is just trying to express an emotion. I enjoy songs like that, most of the time. Before I go on, I have absolutely no idea who Rex Kramer is, besides someone to do with country music and a character in two movies I will almost certainly never see, so I can't explain anything there, I'm afraid. The actual song seems to be expressing a weary frustration. The lyrics on their own seem to suggest a measure of success in daily doings, followed by a wish for sleep, but this is both taking matters a little too literally and treating the lyrics as if they were completely separated from the rest of the song. The vocals and music add the element of "frustration" I referred to, especially in the vocals, which sound exactly to me as if they were being spoken by a man desperate to get out of the situation he has found himself in, willing to say anything. The meaning of the song seems to me to be someone wishing to get rest, but I feel this should be more taken in the sense of a relationship, as I think the narrator wishes to be done with a significant other, and has spent a good deal of the day arguing the matter and now wishes for a rest from them. Just my read, feel free to suggest alternate meanings.
Winners:
First Category: Music:
Although all of these songs come from completely different mindsets and genres, I feel all of them can be called of a similar calibre, all worthy of a good listen. My overall winner for music has to be Kasabian, as although Folds is clearly attempting to convey his emotional sense, he becomes slightly dreary after too many listens. The runner up is harder to pick, but Folds does deserve it, just for the way in which he concisely presents his feelings.
Second Category: Vocals:
I think Folds is a definite winner in this one, for expressiveness and strength, with Gomez as runners-up, as they also seem to be conveying a good deal of the emotion in their song through their vocals.
Third Category: Lyrics:
Again, Folds is the clear winner here, and I'm not even going to bother saying why. The runner-up position is tricky. Kasabian have very interesting imagery in their lyrics, but little actual message, whereas the video seems to show that there is a message. Gomez, on the other hand, have ambiguous lyrics which are open to interpretation. I think Kasabian will just edge in a win here.
Overall:
1. "Brick" by Ben Folds Five
2. "Empire" by Kasabian
3. "Rex Kramer" by Gomez
All very interesting songs. Feedback welcome. With a good 20 minutes left, I manage to keep up my post-a-day run!
H. Rourke
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Friday, 29 June 2012
CD's
Today's post is going to be brief. Normally, with posts like 3 Songs, I leave and come back to the article several times over the day, so as to have a reasonable perspective and so as to prevent frustration. Today, however, I have been busier than usual, so this post will be completely off the cuff, compiled at 11:30 P.M. This can only go well.
I recently read a fantastic post by a gentleman named Zach Weiner in his blog (Weiner is the man behind the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. Read it. It is far more entertaining than anything you will ever find on this blog). In this post, Weiner offered a fair and measured comparison of the old and new worlds in which libraries find themselves, the value of a physical book compared to moving forward technologically. Sadly, I can't link to it as I am very lazy, and as I felt at the time it would merely be an interesting piece of information I would absorb and never refer to again, I took no notice of the when, which is very important when scouring the archives of any blog.
I bring this post up as I wish to discuss something which finds itself in a very similar position: The CD. Now, I have no intention of being as even-handed as Weiner was in his discussion, but I truly hope I won't at any point resort to the phrase "CD's are better just because". But no promises.
Now, the thing that made me truly realise that CD's were beginning to lose the vital importance society had instilled upon them was with the release of the "Fifty-Five Vault" by Ben Folds around the same time he released his spectacular retrospective. This Vault had many tracks I wished to obtain, with one very big issue: It was not being released in a physical form. It was download only. Of course I was aware artists released download only work, but for someone as reliable and well-known as Ben Folds? It just seemed strange, and still sort of does. Until earlier this year, I had (besides a really dodgy MP3 player which worked for about a month back in 2005) only ever really used a Discman to listen to music on the move, so I have an obvious bias.
The main reason I really feel CD's still have a role is because of their artistic "purity". We're really getting into music snob territory here, but I am one of the few extremely naive people who think that the way a CD is made, set out and how the individual tracks are listed all convey the message the artist was trying to convey. I am, of course, aware that the original idea of an artist is changed often throughout the recording process (through constraints of money, talent, time, contract or even the stark shortcomings of reality), but I still feel the way a CD is made conveys a lot of the message meant by the artist. The artist sets out the CD to be heard from beginning to end by a listener, disregarding any other music played before or after their album. This is where Discmen excel, as the second a CD goes on a digital device, a large amount of context is lost. If you don't have your music device set on shuffle, the album is played directly after the end of the previous and the next begins with no fanfare. I think this is not fair to the artist, as their albums are meant to at least have a little contemplation, something near impossible when a song is already playing moments after the album has ended. Regardless of genre, era, age or fame, I think this is a basic respect which the CD allows.
That's it, really. I'm tired and probably don't have anything else of real value to say (like how I imply I ever did?).
H. Rourke
I recently read a fantastic post by a gentleman named Zach Weiner in his blog (Weiner is the man behind the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. Read it. It is far more entertaining than anything you will ever find on this blog). In this post, Weiner offered a fair and measured comparison of the old and new worlds in which libraries find themselves, the value of a physical book compared to moving forward technologically. Sadly, I can't link to it as I am very lazy, and as I felt at the time it would merely be an interesting piece of information I would absorb and never refer to again, I took no notice of the when, which is very important when scouring the archives of any blog.
I bring this post up as I wish to discuss something which finds itself in a very similar position: The CD. Now, I have no intention of being as even-handed as Weiner was in his discussion, but I truly hope I won't at any point resort to the phrase "CD's are better just because". But no promises.
Now, the thing that made me truly realise that CD's were beginning to lose the vital importance society had instilled upon them was with the release of the "Fifty-Five Vault" by Ben Folds around the same time he released his spectacular retrospective. This Vault had many tracks I wished to obtain, with one very big issue: It was not being released in a physical form. It was download only. Of course I was aware artists released download only work, but for someone as reliable and well-known as Ben Folds? It just seemed strange, and still sort of does. Until earlier this year, I had (besides a really dodgy MP3 player which worked for about a month back in 2005) only ever really used a Discman to listen to music on the move, so I have an obvious bias.
The main reason I really feel CD's still have a role is because of their artistic "purity". We're really getting into music snob territory here, but I am one of the few extremely naive people who think that the way a CD is made, set out and how the individual tracks are listed all convey the message the artist was trying to convey. I am, of course, aware that the original idea of an artist is changed often throughout the recording process (through constraints of money, talent, time, contract or even the stark shortcomings of reality), but I still feel the way a CD is made conveys a lot of the message meant by the artist. The artist sets out the CD to be heard from beginning to end by a listener, disregarding any other music played before or after their album. This is where Discmen excel, as the second a CD goes on a digital device, a large amount of context is lost. If you don't have your music device set on shuffle, the album is played directly after the end of the previous and the next begins with no fanfare. I think this is not fair to the artist, as their albums are meant to at least have a little contemplation, something near impossible when a song is already playing moments after the album has ended. Regardless of genre, era, age or fame, I think this is a basic respect which the CD allows.
That's it, really. I'm tired and probably don't have anything else of real value to say (like how I imply I ever did?).
H. Rourke
Thursday, 28 June 2012
Importance Of Dimension
Well, I've been discussing a hell of a lot of music lately and this is drifting a little from the original purpose of this blog, which is to discuss books.
The main problem is that not only have I not read a book that has enraged me as much as the book that started this blog; I don't think another such book exists. That is not to say that I haven't read any books that irritate me (such as some real bullshit from Lenin's "What Is To Be Done?" And I'm a Socialist!). I just haven't read anything that bad in comparison. So what I will talk about is some things from literature that I find interesting. Just like with my music reviews, I have no qualifications. I am not a published author in any definition of the term, and most of the things I discuss are probably better covered on TV Tropes or even Wikipedia. Anyway, what has a little irrelevance ever done to dissuade me?
The concept I want to look at today is that of 2D or "flat" characters. These are characters which resort to stereotypes for definition, having few defining characteristics, normally being a bit character, with no large part in the story. Now, the common response to this is to think "lazy writer" or something of the sort, and until I actually gave the matter some thought, I would have agreed. What has to be remembered, however, is that the author is clearly treating reader investment as a finite resource. Why on earth would they bother trying to make us care about a character only in the story for plot purposes? Would that make reading the story a better experience? Having the reader form some kind of attachment to a character only for them to leave the book completely? Honestly, it makes no sense. Some authors attempt to make us form emotional connections with a character they are planning on killing off at the very start of the book so as to make us invested in the entire plot. This is an absolute waste. Do it Christie style. They find a corpse. Done.
The mention of Agatha Christie brings up another aspect of 2D characters: the use of stereotype. To avoid the somewhat tedious task of creating and fleshing out complete characters for every story she wrote, Christie often would rely on stereotype to create the characters or her. Just think about it. Old rich guy. Ageing actress. Daughter or either. Family man. Mother. Doctor. All of these characters have a million connotations for us and Christie relies on these to make her characters seem much more fleshed-out than they really are. It's a brilliant strategy, especially when you see just how successful Christie has been.
Moving on, another major issue is that many minor 2D characters have a very interesting trait. Characters with unique and interesting qualities quickly become the stand-out parts of books that feature them. What many authors seem to do is to give these qualities to characters with no large role in the story. This is a bad idea. The logic seems to be that they just have to come up with the concept. They don't have to explain how it happened or the ins and outs of it. The best example to give (as I feel this might be a little vague) is that of Ruth Connors. Ruth Connors is a character taken from the rather dull and dreary "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. The plot of the story is a teen girl is killed and refuses to go to heaven to view her family doing...nothing, really. The main characters are under developed and often unlikeable, and the religious subtext is both irritatingly blatant and undeveloped. Ruth Connors is a minor character (I'd say she was plot relevant, but as I still cannot quite grasp the plot, I doubt this is true), who is the last to see the protagonist before she is murdered. After this incident, Ruth can see dead people (I think. Again, vague and poorly explained seem to be Sebold's calling cards). Yeah. You have a character who can see ghosts. Besides channelling the protagonist for a brief period so she can shag someone, she plays no real role. Just...why? Having a fascinating character and putting her on the sidelines is a complete waste of both our time and investment. This is a pretty widespread act and it really just pisses me off.
Giving an otherwise normal individual a unique trait is hardly a new concept for fiction, but normally this character becomes the focus and the cause and effects of the trait is explored in some depth. An example (and I am aware I'm getting slightly off topic) is the fantastic John Marsden series' "Tomorrow When The War Began" and "The Ellie Chronicles". Of course, both of these series are young adult fiction, but a disturbingly large of my references are. I can't even blame a well-spent youth. I've read a disturbingly large amount of these books recently. Now, the plot of the series, in brief, is that Ellie and a group of her friends (16ish years old) go camping off the beaten track, cutting themselves off from the world. Upon returning, they find Australia invaded by (country name removed to avoid racist undertones). They initially attempt to just survive, but begin to strike back in little ways. In the Ellie Chronicles, the war is over and Ellie is attempting to deal with living a normal life again. Both fantastic series, but the point I'm attempting to make is that the unique trait of Ellie is that she is a normal, middle-class teen in a first-world country (that's right, Australia just happens to be in the First World) who ends up fighting as a child soldier. I could (and probably will) talk about this book at length, but the point is that the unique trait becomes the focus of the story, and the otherwise ordinary protagonist explores how this effects them and changes other aspects of their life.
Overall, the concept of 2D characters is one of near necessity, as they save time, space, investment, thought and description. They can, however, be easily misused, given unnecessary traits to imitate depth of character, or used as tantalizing proof that the author can come up with interesting story ideas. They just don't feel like doing it right now.
Feedback always welcome, especially from those who feel they have something to add to the discussion.
H. Rourke
The main problem is that not only have I not read a book that has enraged me as much as the book that started this blog; I don't think another such book exists. That is not to say that I haven't read any books that irritate me (such as some real bullshit from Lenin's "What Is To Be Done?" And I'm a Socialist!). I just haven't read anything that bad in comparison. So what I will talk about is some things from literature that I find interesting. Just like with my music reviews, I have no qualifications. I am not a published author in any definition of the term, and most of the things I discuss are probably better covered on TV Tropes or even Wikipedia. Anyway, what has a little irrelevance ever done to dissuade me?
The concept I want to look at today is that of 2D or "flat" characters. These are characters which resort to stereotypes for definition, having few defining characteristics, normally being a bit character, with no large part in the story. Now, the common response to this is to think "lazy writer" or something of the sort, and until I actually gave the matter some thought, I would have agreed. What has to be remembered, however, is that the author is clearly treating reader investment as a finite resource. Why on earth would they bother trying to make us care about a character only in the story for plot purposes? Would that make reading the story a better experience? Having the reader form some kind of attachment to a character only for them to leave the book completely? Honestly, it makes no sense. Some authors attempt to make us form emotional connections with a character they are planning on killing off at the very start of the book so as to make us invested in the entire plot. This is an absolute waste. Do it Christie style. They find a corpse. Done.
The mention of Agatha Christie brings up another aspect of 2D characters: the use of stereotype. To avoid the somewhat tedious task of creating and fleshing out complete characters for every story she wrote, Christie often would rely on stereotype to create the characters or her. Just think about it. Old rich guy. Ageing actress. Daughter or either. Family man. Mother. Doctor. All of these characters have a million connotations for us and Christie relies on these to make her characters seem much more fleshed-out than they really are. It's a brilliant strategy, especially when you see just how successful Christie has been.
Moving on, another major issue is that many minor 2D characters have a very interesting trait. Characters with unique and interesting qualities quickly become the stand-out parts of books that feature them. What many authors seem to do is to give these qualities to characters with no large role in the story. This is a bad idea. The logic seems to be that they just have to come up with the concept. They don't have to explain how it happened or the ins and outs of it. The best example to give (as I feel this might be a little vague) is that of Ruth Connors. Ruth Connors is a character taken from the rather dull and dreary "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. The plot of the story is a teen girl is killed and refuses to go to heaven to view her family doing...nothing, really. The main characters are under developed and often unlikeable, and the religious subtext is both irritatingly blatant and undeveloped. Ruth Connors is a minor character (I'd say she was plot relevant, but as I still cannot quite grasp the plot, I doubt this is true), who is the last to see the protagonist before she is murdered. After this incident, Ruth can see dead people (I think. Again, vague and poorly explained seem to be Sebold's calling cards). Yeah. You have a character who can see ghosts. Besides channelling the protagonist for a brief period so she can shag someone, she plays no real role. Just...why? Having a fascinating character and putting her on the sidelines is a complete waste of both our time and investment. This is a pretty widespread act and it really just pisses me off.
Giving an otherwise normal individual a unique trait is hardly a new concept for fiction, but normally this character becomes the focus and the cause and effects of the trait is explored in some depth. An example (and I am aware I'm getting slightly off topic) is the fantastic John Marsden series' "Tomorrow When The War Began" and "The Ellie Chronicles". Of course, both of these series are young adult fiction, but a disturbingly large of my references are. I can't even blame a well-spent youth. I've read a disturbingly large amount of these books recently. Now, the plot of the series, in brief, is that Ellie and a group of her friends (16ish years old) go camping off the beaten track, cutting themselves off from the world. Upon returning, they find Australia invaded by (country name removed to avoid racist undertones). They initially attempt to just survive, but begin to strike back in little ways. In the Ellie Chronicles, the war is over and Ellie is attempting to deal with living a normal life again. Both fantastic series, but the point I'm attempting to make is that the unique trait of Ellie is that she is a normal, middle-class teen in a first-world country (that's right, Australia just happens to be in the First World) who ends up fighting as a child soldier. I could (and probably will) talk about this book at length, but the point is that the unique trait becomes the focus of the story, and the otherwise ordinary protagonist explores how this effects them and changes other aspects of their life.
Overall, the concept of 2D characters is one of near necessity, as they save time, space, investment, thought and description. They can, however, be easily misused, given unnecessary traits to imitate depth of character, or used as tantalizing proof that the author can come up with interesting story ideas. They just don't feel like doing it right now.
Feedback always welcome, especially from those who feel they have something to add to the discussion.
H. Rourke
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
3 Songs: Fatboy Slim vs. Muse vs. U2
...and we're back.
Song #1: "First Down" by Fatboy Slim (Better Living Through Chemistry, 1996, Track 8)
Fuck. Well, when I first started the 3 Songs posts, I decided I'd skip instrumental pieces, mainly due to the system I use for marking (music, vocals and lyrics), as only the first would apply to them. The thing is, my most successful review to date has been of a Fatboy Slim album, and I somehow managed to get that to work. If you haven't quite noticed yet, the written word is not the best way to describe the instrumental aspect of music, especially for me. Whoa boy.
Well, "First Down" is an incredibly simple track, but also goes for over six minutes. This is not a good combination. Ever. There is no reason for any kind of instrumental track to go for that friggin' long, and any track of any genre, lyrics or no, better have more than enough to fill that kind of time. Now, this song has drums. A lot of different drums throughout, but not in an overblow way. The drums are a quiet accompaniment at the beginning, as if the song wants to sneak up on you, but just can't quite stop itself from doing something loud. The drums slowly build for about a minute, before being silenced by the implementation of another instrument. I'm afraid I can't name it, but it sounds big and stringed. This is supposed to be a big stop and start moment, but the fact that the drums were hardly loud or even slightly intrusive really loses a lot of this affect. The trumpet is introduced next, which does a good job of classing the song up and really adding some body to the song, as without it the entire track would just be even duller. Around the 3:30 mark, the drums die down and the tune completely changes, becoming a hell of a lot more techno, but keeping that same incredibly slow build pace which bores me to no end. It gets faster and faster, with at least some kind of climax to the build, as some kind of instrument explosion takes place, but I really wish that something a lot more Fatboy happened. I would put nothing past him, but this track makes me feel he had no idea what he was doing. Finally, at the end of the song, the instruments all begin to blend together, creating this disgustingly out of beat meld which melts away to nothing. Now, I understand this was Slim's first album and "First Down" was not a single but really?
Song #2: "Knights Of Cydonia" by Muse (Black Holes And Revelations, 2006, Track 11)
Quick foreword: I've never actually heard a Muse album in my life. This track is taken of the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time (which I have already done an entire review of), so please remember I'm not overly versed in the music of Muse.
Musically, this song excels. A fantastic, over-the-top sound which sounds like almost nothing else I've ever heard. The music is also clearly the main reason for the songs existence as the lyrics, which I'll get to soon, are nothing really worth noting. I must say that this song has the constant feeling of motion. This may be due to the lyrics, but I feel it is mostly the doing of the music. Despite fluctuating use of instruments, there is a constant, driving drum beat which just seems to be showing the band moving on horseback or by train, heading across a vast emptiness. Very interesting, and certainly worth listening to.
Vocally, the song is fine. Matthew Bellamy does a fine job, inserting the only "human" aspect of the song. Unlike a lot of music I listen to, this song musically sounds very manufactured. Luckily, this fits in rather well with how Muse seems to make their music, so no harm is done. If the vocals had been auto-tuned or put through some other process, I somewhat feel a lot would have been lost in the entire experience, and I personally would have found the song unlistenable in that situation. It would have ended up something akin to the most recent offerings by the Black Eyed Peas. The vocals also seem to be somewhat mournful. I'll discuss how this works with the lyrics in a moment, but it really seems to clash with the musical style presented throughout this song. Muse seems to treat the vocals as just another instrument, when I really feel more could have been done with them.
The lyrics are rather short, and as previously discussed that doesn't automatically make the song lyrically bad (see my Gomez rant), but it doesn't really give any good tidings (see my "You're Lookin' Fine" rant). The lyrics, in short, are epic. I don't mean this in an "it's awesome" way, more in an "overwhelmingly large" way. The music of course adds to this, but the lyrics certainly complete the image, claiming of meetings with Gods and Kings. Overall, I feel the song is about revolution, changing everything. The problem is that Muse doesn't make it clear what they're referring to. With ambiguous songs, especially those which even remotely touch on politics, I look at two things. Can they be perceived to promote the political far left? and Can they be perceived to promote the political far right? The answer to both these questions is yes, so I feel this is just too vague a song to be treated with respect, at least lyrically.
Song #3: "Mysterious Ways" by U2 (Achtung Baby, 1991, Track 8)
Had a good little "All-Brit" thing going again and, of course, I need the only Irish band on my playlist to show up. Honestly, U2 has never grabbed me as much as some people, but I hardly feel they deserve anywhere the criticism they receive from the other end of the spectrum. They're pretty meh rock, but they have decent lyrics, and if you haven't noticed from everything I've written, that's a pretty damn big draw for me. I only have three U2 albums (All That You Can't Leave Behind, Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree), and Achtung Baby is the only one on the MP3 player presently, but I plan on tracking some more down. Now for "Mysterious Ways":
Musically, this song is OK. I mean that in a good way. The previous two songs have had problems from two different ends of the spectrum: One aimed too low and one aimed a little too high, leaving two songs which lacked in different areas. This tune tries to keep it simple, throwing in something new where they feel it is appropriate and will fit in with the rest of the song. I do, truly, respect being aware of your own limitations, as so very many musicians set goals which leave them with a piece of work they aren't happy with. There's some pretty good guitar, decent drum work, but nothing outstanding. Not bad, but not a real standout.
In regards to vocals, Bono does a very good job. Really, to have song released in '91 by a band formed in '76, you'd really be hoping for some mature, well-managed, well-timed vocals, and Bono does not disappoint. He manages to convey enough passion to show a personal involvement in the song, but not enough to make the song feel too sentimental or pained.
Now, lyrics are where this song is the strongest. to date, this may be the most main-stream song I've looked at on a 3 Songs, as even fucking Wikipedia had a lyrical breakdown. As with U2 in general, I don't see any particular "genius" in the lyrics. They are certainly good, I don't claim otherwise, but lack the intense symbolic and emotional depth many people seem to be giving it. Perhaps I'm just narrow-minded, or jaded, or just used to a different kind of song. Perhaps people just have really low standards (and who could blame them?) in regards to meaning in song lyrics. I've only had a quick glimpse of what people think the song means, and that has given me more than any other song on a 3 Songs so far, so here goes. Basically the song is told from the view of an omnipresent narrator, involved in the story by urging the main character, Johnny, to action, mostly relating to his "sister". Now, clearly there is a lot of symbolism here, but still a lot less than I feel the song is granted as having. firstly, the concept of the "sister". The sister, to me, symbolises all women, with possibly a religious undertone. There is also a large amount of symbolism with other aspects of the world related to the sister (such as rain, the moon and the sky in general). These clearly attribute more power and influence to the sister than can possibly be accurate, without her being a deity. This is most likely a discussion of how men idolise women. I like this, as it isn't a message you see in music that much, as much of modern music objectifies or demeans women (whether idolising women leads to their objectification is a debate for another day, and most likely another site altogether. In fact, probably best argued offline).An interesting message, and interesting delivery.
Winners:
First Category: Music:
Muse wins this one. I'm aware I complimented U2's music quite heavily, but I respect a group that aims for the stars and all but gets there just as much as keeping to what you do best. And Muse was kind of incredible in that song. Fatboy Slim's song just sucked. Hard. It won't be getting anything here. U2 are the runners up.
Second Category: Vocals:
Trickier, but far from hard. Although Bellamy does get across a great degree of emotion, it really doesn't fit with the mood of the song. U2 wins, Muse are the runners-up.
Third Category: Lyrics:
U2. They actually seem to have thought of the lyrics as something other than a last-minute part of the song, and although it is somewhat difficult to interpret the exact meaning, I am of no doubt there actually is one, rather than a vague semi-political call to arms that Muse offers. Muse still the runners up.
Overall:
1. "Mysterious Ways" by U2
2. "Knights Of Cydonia" by Muse
3. "First Down" by Fatboy Slim
That was disturbingly easy. I have no idea if that will be fun to read, but that was the fucking easiest comparison I've ever made. The hardest part was attempting to come up with a reason a song might have even had a shot at one of the categories. Just...pathetic, really.
H. Rourke
Song #1: "First Down" by Fatboy Slim (Better Living Through Chemistry, 1996, Track 8)
Fuck. Well, when I first started the 3 Songs posts, I decided I'd skip instrumental pieces, mainly due to the system I use for marking (music, vocals and lyrics), as only the first would apply to them. The thing is, my most successful review to date has been of a Fatboy Slim album, and I somehow managed to get that to work. If you haven't quite noticed yet, the written word is not the best way to describe the instrumental aspect of music, especially for me. Whoa boy.
Well, "First Down" is an incredibly simple track, but also goes for over six minutes. This is not a good combination. Ever. There is no reason for any kind of instrumental track to go for that friggin' long, and any track of any genre, lyrics or no, better have more than enough to fill that kind of time. Now, this song has drums. A lot of different drums throughout, but not in an overblow way. The drums are a quiet accompaniment at the beginning, as if the song wants to sneak up on you, but just can't quite stop itself from doing something loud. The drums slowly build for about a minute, before being silenced by the implementation of another instrument. I'm afraid I can't name it, but it sounds big and stringed. This is supposed to be a big stop and start moment, but the fact that the drums were hardly loud or even slightly intrusive really loses a lot of this affect. The trumpet is introduced next, which does a good job of classing the song up and really adding some body to the song, as without it the entire track would just be even duller. Around the 3:30 mark, the drums die down and the tune completely changes, becoming a hell of a lot more techno, but keeping that same incredibly slow build pace which bores me to no end. It gets faster and faster, with at least some kind of climax to the build, as some kind of instrument explosion takes place, but I really wish that something a lot more Fatboy happened. I would put nothing past him, but this track makes me feel he had no idea what he was doing. Finally, at the end of the song, the instruments all begin to blend together, creating this disgustingly out of beat meld which melts away to nothing. Now, I understand this was Slim's first album and "First Down" was not a single but really?
Song #2: "Knights Of Cydonia" by Muse (Black Holes And Revelations, 2006, Track 11)
Quick foreword: I've never actually heard a Muse album in my life. This track is taken of the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time (which I have already done an entire review of), so please remember I'm not overly versed in the music of Muse.
Musically, this song excels. A fantastic, over-the-top sound which sounds like almost nothing else I've ever heard. The music is also clearly the main reason for the songs existence as the lyrics, which I'll get to soon, are nothing really worth noting. I must say that this song has the constant feeling of motion. This may be due to the lyrics, but I feel it is mostly the doing of the music. Despite fluctuating use of instruments, there is a constant, driving drum beat which just seems to be showing the band moving on horseback or by train, heading across a vast emptiness. Very interesting, and certainly worth listening to.
Vocally, the song is fine. Matthew Bellamy does a fine job, inserting the only "human" aspect of the song. Unlike a lot of music I listen to, this song musically sounds very manufactured. Luckily, this fits in rather well with how Muse seems to make their music, so no harm is done. If the vocals had been auto-tuned or put through some other process, I somewhat feel a lot would have been lost in the entire experience, and I personally would have found the song unlistenable in that situation. It would have ended up something akin to the most recent offerings by the Black Eyed Peas. The vocals also seem to be somewhat mournful. I'll discuss how this works with the lyrics in a moment, but it really seems to clash with the musical style presented throughout this song. Muse seems to treat the vocals as just another instrument, when I really feel more could have been done with them.
The lyrics are rather short, and as previously discussed that doesn't automatically make the song lyrically bad (see my Gomez rant), but it doesn't really give any good tidings (see my "You're Lookin' Fine" rant). The lyrics, in short, are epic. I don't mean this in an "it's awesome" way, more in an "overwhelmingly large" way. The music of course adds to this, but the lyrics certainly complete the image, claiming of meetings with Gods and Kings. Overall, I feel the song is about revolution, changing everything. The problem is that Muse doesn't make it clear what they're referring to. With ambiguous songs, especially those which even remotely touch on politics, I look at two things. Can they be perceived to promote the political far left? and Can they be perceived to promote the political far right? The answer to both these questions is yes, so I feel this is just too vague a song to be treated with respect, at least lyrically.
Song #3: "Mysterious Ways" by U2 (Achtung Baby, 1991, Track 8)
Had a good little "All-Brit" thing going again and, of course, I need the only Irish band on my playlist to show up. Honestly, U2 has never grabbed me as much as some people, but I hardly feel they deserve anywhere the criticism they receive from the other end of the spectrum. They're pretty meh rock, but they have decent lyrics, and if you haven't noticed from everything I've written, that's a pretty damn big draw for me. I only have three U2 albums (All That You Can't Leave Behind, Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree), and Achtung Baby is the only one on the MP3 player presently, but I plan on tracking some more down. Now for "Mysterious Ways":
Musically, this song is OK. I mean that in a good way. The previous two songs have had problems from two different ends of the spectrum: One aimed too low and one aimed a little too high, leaving two songs which lacked in different areas. This tune tries to keep it simple, throwing in something new where they feel it is appropriate and will fit in with the rest of the song. I do, truly, respect being aware of your own limitations, as so very many musicians set goals which leave them with a piece of work they aren't happy with. There's some pretty good guitar, decent drum work, but nothing outstanding. Not bad, but not a real standout.
In regards to vocals, Bono does a very good job. Really, to have song released in '91 by a band formed in '76, you'd really be hoping for some mature, well-managed, well-timed vocals, and Bono does not disappoint. He manages to convey enough passion to show a personal involvement in the song, but not enough to make the song feel too sentimental or pained.
Now, lyrics are where this song is the strongest. to date, this may be the most main-stream song I've looked at on a 3 Songs, as even fucking Wikipedia had a lyrical breakdown. As with U2 in general, I don't see any particular "genius" in the lyrics. They are certainly good, I don't claim otherwise, but lack the intense symbolic and emotional depth many people seem to be giving it. Perhaps I'm just narrow-minded, or jaded, or just used to a different kind of song. Perhaps people just have really low standards (and who could blame them?) in regards to meaning in song lyrics. I've only had a quick glimpse of what people think the song means, and that has given me more than any other song on a 3 Songs so far, so here goes. Basically the song is told from the view of an omnipresent narrator, involved in the story by urging the main character, Johnny, to action, mostly relating to his "sister". Now, clearly there is a lot of symbolism here, but still a lot less than I feel the song is granted as having. firstly, the concept of the "sister". The sister, to me, symbolises all women, with possibly a religious undertone. There is also a large amount of symbolism with other aspects of the world related to the sister (such as rain, the moon and the sky in general). These clearly attribute more power and influence to the sister than can possibly be accurate, without her being a deity. This is most likely a discussion of how men idolise women. I like this, as it isn't a message you see in music that much, as much of modern music objectifies or demeans women (whether idolising women leads to their objectification is a debate for another day, and most likely another site altogether. In fact, probably best argued offline).An interesting message, and interesting delivery.
Winners:
First Category: Music:
Muse wins this one. I'm aware I complimented U2's music quite heavily, but I respect a group that aims for the stars and all but gets there just as much as keeping to what you do best. And Muse was kind of incredible in that song. Fatboy Slim's song just sucked. Hard. It won't be getting anything here. U2 are the runners up.
Second Category: Vocals:
Trickier, but far from hard. Although Bellamy does get across a great degree of emotion, it really doesn't fit with the mood of the song. U2 wins, Muse are the runners-up.
Third Category: Lyrics:
U2. They actually seem to have thought of the lyrics as something other than a last-minute part of the song, and although it is somewhat difficult to interpret the exact meaning, I am of no doubt there actually is one, rather than a vague semi-political call to arms that Muse offers. Muse still the runners up.
Overall:
1. "Mysterious Ways" by U2
2. "Knights Of Cydonia" by Muse
3. "First Down" by Fatboy Slim
That was disturbingly easy. I have no idea if that will be fun to read, but that was the fucking easiest comparison I've ever made. The hardest part was attempting to come up with a reason a song might have even had a shot at one of the categories. Just...pathetic, really.
H. Rourke
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Characters
OK, so I'm taking just a single break from 3 Songs posts to give a quick talk about characters. By characters, I'm referring to the people created by artists through their songs. The three which always stand out for me are Fred Jones, partially created by Ben Folds Five, Jimmy Recard, invented by Aussie rapper Drapht and finally Strickland Banks, created by the British artist Plan B.
This post is going to be rather train of thought, as I have no particular goal other than to inform and discuss the three artists and their characters. First of all, why these three characters? Ben Folds has basically created a different character for each of his songs, and Jimmy Recard is basically a Mary Sue character. Both of these facts are true, but three things set these characters apart. Firstly, the presence of both first and last names. It may sound simple, but the presence of a surname can add so much to a character. It gives a slightly better description, as in many cases it can imply the heritage of the character, where they are from as well as simply showing that the artist has fleshed out the concept enough to give them a full name, rather than just "Zak" or "Dr. Yang" or "Stan" (all Ben folds references. Pick them if you can). Secondly, all of the characters are recurring, having been featured in at least two songs. Fred Jones is from "Cigarettes" and "Fred Jones Part 2". Jimmy Recard is from "Jimmy Recard" and "R.I.P J.R". Strickland Banks is from every song of the lyrically and musically fantastic album "The Defamation Of Strickland Banks".
Now, I'd like to just briefly talk about the story ark of each character. Fred Jones is a character who was created when Ben Folds read a sentence from a newspaper he found in the trash, which discusses the somewhat fragile situation between Jones and his wife, who allowed him no peace through the illness and drug addiction. The second song entails Jones losing his job, being the last of all the people he knew at the newspaper.
Recard is a unique kind of character, by literary standards as well as lyrical. Jimmy Recard was created by Drapht taking two very popular boys names (James and Richard) and developing a persona from them. At the beginning of the first Recard song, Drapht (real name Paul Ridge) starts by discussing his own name, deciding that if he had been given a better name (such as Jimmy) he would have become a more interesting, successful individual. The rest of the song is pretty much describing how awesome Jimmy Recard is. It's a catchy, interesting song. The second reference is on the song "R.I.P J.R" (Rest In Peace, Jimmy Recard, if you didn't quite get it); although it is possible other songs on the album are about this character. Sadly, I don't have the album and can't find any of the bloody lyrics online. Anyway, "R.I.P J.R" is about the death of Jimmy Recard, (as of June 2012) the only character of the three to have been killed off by his artist. I would love to be able to track down the lyrics to discuss them, but they can be left lost, as the theme of the song is the fact that Drapht was being eclipsed by the success of "Jimmy Recard". This reflects the nature of the song, to be perfectly honest. Ask someone about "Jimmy Recard", they'd be able to recite a few lyrics. Ask the artist, you'd get a shrug. To be fair, Drapht is far from a one hit wonder, as his song "Rapunzel" is actually my favourite of his works, and at least matched the success of Recard. However, Drapht was apparently repeatedly asked if there was another "Jimmy Recard" on the new album, having Recard turn from a creation into a personal hindrance, especially judging by the nature of several songs on the new album (named "The Life Of Riley" by the way). To have a character turn from good to evil by no act of their own doing is a fascinating concept, which I'll hopefully go into soon.
Now, Strickland Banks is the protagonist from one of my top three albums of all time, so I must acknowledge any bias. I do love the work of Folds and Drapht, but I can't profess any particular affection to the songs of discussion. Plan B is very different. Plan B is not so much a one hit wonder, as much as a one hit album wonder, as he is principally a rapper (and, to be honest, a terrible rapper, wasting talent which could easily make him the most recognisable face in soul and R&B for an entire generation, instead of mixing the rage of The Clash with the song-writing prowess of a twelve year old. And not an overly talented one at that. For fuck's sake, his latest single (as far as I'm aware) contains the lines "Oi! I said oi! What you looking at little rich boy?" and "My manors ill. For real. Yeah, you know my manors ill. My manors ill." For context, both those lines are in the chorus. So they're repeated several times throughout the song. I'm pretty sure I've already posted about this, so I'll shut up now. Anyway, Banks begins as a successful R&B singer, who has two successful songs. Upon successfully reaching...some financial or sales goal... he goes on a wild night out, ignoring his girlfriend. He meets a girl in a bar and goes up to a hotel room with her, wherein she claims she's in love with him, as she loved one of his songs. Banks, rather understandably, thinks she's crazy and doesn't sleep with her. The next day he is arrested by the police, accused of rape. The hit from the album, "She Said", entails the court case, in which he is found guilty and is sent to Belmarsh (a notorious British prison). In Belmarsh, Banks initially hides in his cell, perhaps a part of a mental breakdown, but eventually emerges. The other prisoners begin beating him and, fearing for his life, he obtains a shiv. During a fight, Banks accidentally kills one of his attackers, going into a panic. Luckily for Banks, a prisoner with a life sentence takes the blame for the crime, allowing Banks to go free. Following this, Banks' girlfriend breaks up with him, a devastating blow as she is suggested as being the muse behind the two successful songs of Banks. Finally, new evidence is discovered, calling for a re-examination of the case and another court case, the album ending on the jury emerging with their verdict. You have no idea how many times I have examined and cross examined the lyrics and tone of that song attempting to work out what happened.
Now, a comparison. Jones is unique of the three characters for one key reason: he is a tragic figure. Everything attributed to him is a failure or problem. Nothing good ever happens to him. Although Banks did have a rough time in the last 10 songs of the album, he has a good life before that. Jones is shown as nothing short of miserable.
Secondly, Jones stands out because of his creator. Folds is both the only American and the only non-rapper of the selection, making the development of Jones much different. Folds is used to working with a certain amount of time and lyrics, finding the communication of emotion more important than the communication of plot or character. What I'm attempting to say is that the three characters I'm examining are the embodiments of the three most important parts of a character: Emotion (Fred Jones), Characterisation (Jimmy Recard) and Plot (Strickland Banks).
Recard does not do anything. This is a very simple point. He just walks around a casino (I think) in the song he is named for, and then dies. This does not make his existence useless, mind you, just shows that he serves a much different purpose to Banks and Jones, especially. Recard allows Drapht to explore aspects of his music that he hasn't been able to before. Hip-hop doesn't allow much room for fantasy, at least in comparison to soul and piano-pop, meaning the necessity of creating an alter-ego is certainly there. Drapht does not wish to typecast himself as a happy-go-lucky party guy, and certainly shouldn't, considering the deep and very personal content of many tracks off of his most recent album, so he created Recard to fill that role. Honestly, I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to say that Paul Ridge is two people: Drapht and Jimmy Recard. Three if you count Ridge as another character altogether, but I wouldn't make that leap. Drapht for thought, Recard for fun. Drapht, however, consumed the character of Recard as Recard proved to be someone Ridge didn't want to be, resulting in the death of Recard. Please note a complete lack of proof.
Banks is a little of emotion and characterisation, but mostly plot. To be fair, if you gave Recard or Jones an entire album, I could probably say much more about them too. The thing to remember with Banks is that he comes from a different place as Jones and Recard, as Banks was the only character actually intended to take on a life of his own. I think the simplest proof for this is that Ben Drew (a.k.a Plan B) played the role of Banks in the music videos (speaking of which, one was made for each of the songs off of the album. Watch them. Now. Really, I'm just going to talk shit for a while longer. You're missing nothing.).This shows, that unlike Drapht, Plan B had no qualms about being known only as or for Strickland Banks. The other thing to look at is how Plan B has a lot to say in regards to society. Banks can be seen as a critique of a few things, but is not portrayed as a caricature. In comparison to Jones, who at points almost becomes comedically pathetic, Banks is a fully fleshed out character, moreso even than Recard. Again, this may due to the sheer amount of time he receives, but it still cannot be argued that he is more realistic. This makes me think that Banks is not a way of protesting anything, more an actual idea of Plan B, and I cannot say enough that I truly hope Plan B returns to soul.
Anyway, I've said much more than enough, so I hope anyone with the capacity to read the entire post have at least a little food for thought.
This post is going to be rather train of thought, as I have no particular goal other than to inform and discuss the three artists and their characters. First of all, why these three characters? Ben Folds has basically created a different character for each of his songs, and Jimmy Recard is basically a Mary Sue character. Both of these facts are true, but three things set these characters apart. Firstly, the presence of both first and last names. It may sound simple, but the presence of a surname can add so much to a character. It gives a slightly better description, as in many cases it can imply the heritage of the character, where they are from as well as simply showing that the artist has fleshed out the concept enough to give them a full name, rather than just "Zak" or "Dr. Yang" or "Stan" (all Ben folds references. Pick them if you can). Secondly, all of the characters are recurring, having been featured in at least two songs. Fred Jones is from "Cigarettes" and "Fred Jones Part 2". Jimmy Recard is from "Jimmy Recard" and "R.I.P J.R". Strickland Banks is from every song of the lyrically and musically fantastic album "The Defamation Of Strickland Banks".
Now, I'd like to just briefly talk about the story ark of each character. Fred Jones is a character who was created when Ben Folds read a sentence from a newspaper he found in the trash, which discusses the somewhat fragile situation between Jones and his wife, who allowed him no peace through the illness and drug addiction. The second song entails Jones losing his job, being the last of all the people he knew at the newspaper.
Recard is a unique kind of character, by literary standards as well as lyrical. Jimmy Recard was created by Drapht taking two very popular boys names (James and Richard) and developing a persona from them. At the beginning of the first Recard song, Drapht (real name Paul Ridge) starts by discussing his own name, deciding that if he had been given a better name (such as Jimmy) he would have become a more interesting, successful individual. The rest of the song is pretty much describing how awesome Jimmy Recard is. It's a catchy, interesting song. The second reference is on the song "R.I.P J.R" (Rest In Peace, Jimmy Recard, if you didn't quite get it); although it is possible other songs on the album are about this character. Sadly, I don't have the album and can't find any of the bloody lyrics online. Anyway, "R.I.P J.R" is about the death of Jimmy Recard, (as of June 2012) the only character of the three to have been killed off by his artist. I would love to be able to track down the lyrics to discuss them, but they can be left lost, as the theme of the song is the fact that Drapht was being eclipsed by the success of "Jimmy Recard". This reflects the nature of the song, to be perfectly honest. Ask someone about "Jimmy Recard", they'd be able to recite a few lyrics. Ask the artist, you'd get a shrug. To be fair, Drapht is far from a one hit wonder, as his song "Rapunzel" is actually my favourite of his works, and at least matched the success of Recard. However, Drapht was apparently repeatedly asked if there was another "Jimmy Recard" on the new album, having Recard turn from a creation into a personal hindrance, especially judging by the nature of several songs on the new album (named "The Life Of Riley" by the way). To have a character turn from good to evil by no act of their own doing is a fascinating concept, which I'll hopefully go into soon.
Now, Strickland Banks is the protagonist from one of my top three albums of all time, so I must acknowledge any bias. I do love the work of Folds and Drapht, but I can't profess any particular affection to the songs of discussion. Plan B is very different. Plan B is not so much a one hit wonder, as much as a one hit album wonder, as he is principally a rapper (and, to be honest, a terrible rapper, wasting talent which could easily make him the most recognisable face in soul and R&B for an entire generation, instead of mixing the rage of The Clash with the song-writing prowess of a twelve year old. And not an overly talented one at that. For fuck's sake, his latest single (as far as I'm aware) contains the lines "Oi! I said oi! What you looking at little rich boy?" and "My manors ill. For real. Yeah, you know my manors ill. My manors ill." For context, both those lines are in the chorus. So they're repeated several times throughout the song. I'm pretty sure I've already posted about this, so I'll shut up now. Anyway, Banks begins as a successful R&B singer, who has two successful songs. Upon successfully reaching...some financial or sales goal... he goes on a wild night out, ignoring his girlfriend. He meets a girl in a bar and goes up to a hotel room with her, wherein she claims she's in love with him, as she loved one of his songs. Banks, rather understandably, thinks she's crazy and doesn't sleep with her. The next day he is arrested by the police, accused of rape. The hit from the album, "She Said", entails the court case, in which he is found guilty and is sent to Belmarsh (a notorious British prison). In Belmarsh, Banks initially hides in his cell, perhaps a part of a mental breakdown, but eventually emerges. The other prisoners begin beating him and, fearing for his life, he obtains a shiv. During a fight, Banks accidentally kills one of his attackers, going into a panic. Luckily for Banks, a prisoner with a life sentence takes the blame for the crime, allowing Banks to go free. Following this, Banks' girlfriend breaks up with him, a devastating blow as she is suggested as being the muse behind the two successful songs of Banks. Finally, new evidence is discovered, calling for a re-examination of the case and another court case, the album ending on the jury emerging with their verdict. You have no idea how many times I have examined and cross examined the lyrics and tone of that song attempting to work out what happened.
Now, a comparison. Jones is unique of the three characters for one key reason: he is a tragic figure. Everything attributed to him is a failure or problem. Nothing good ever happens to him. Although Banks did have a rough time in the last 10 songs of the album, he has a good life before that. Jones is shown as nothing short of miserable.
Secondly, Jones stands out because of his creator. Folds is both the only American and the only non-rapper of the selection, making the development of Jones much different. Folds is used to working with a certain amount of time and lyrics, finding the communication of emotion more important than the communication of plot or character. What I'm attempting to say is that the three characters I'm examining are the embodiments of the three most important parts of a character: Emotion (Fred Jones), Characterisation (Jimmy Recard) and Plot (Strickland Banks).
Recard does not do anything. This is a very simple point. He just walks around a casino (I think) in the song he is named for, and then dies. This does not make his existence useless, mind you, just shows that he serves a much different purpose to Banks and Jones, especially. Recard allows Drapht to explore aspects of his music that he hasn't been able to before. Hip-hop doesn't allow much room for fantasy, at least in comparison to soul and piano-pop, meaning the necessity of creating an alter-ego is certainly there. Drapht does not wish to typecast himself as a happy-go-lucky party guy, and certainly shouldn't, considering the deep and very personal content of many tracks off of his most recent album, so he created Recard to fill that role. Honestly, I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to say that Paul Ridge is two people: Drapht and Jimmy Recard. Three if you count Ridge as another character altogether, but I wouldn't make that leap. Drapht for thought, Recard for fun. Drapht, however, consumed the character of Recard as Recard proved to be someone Ridge didn't want to be, resulting in the death of Recard. Please note a complete lack of proof.
Banks is a little of emotion and characterisation, but mostly plot. To be fair, if you gave Recard or Jones an entire album, I could probably say much more about them too. The thing to remember with Banks is that he comes from a different place as Jones and Recard, as Banks was the only character actually intended to take on a life of his own. I think the simplest proof for this is that Ben Drew (a.k.a Plan B) played the role of Banks in the music videos (speaking of which, one was made for each of the songs off of the album. Watch them. Now. Really, I'm just going to talk shit for a while longer. You're missing nothing.).This shows, that unlike Drapht, Plan B had no qualms about being known only as or for Strickland Banks. The other thing to look at is how Plan B has a lot to say in regards to society. Banks can be seen as a critique of a few things, but is not portrayed as a caricature. In comparison to Jones, who at points almost becomes comedically pathetic, Banks is a fully fleshed out character, moreso even than Recard. Again, this may due to the sheer amount of time he receives, but it still cannot be argued that he is more realistic. This makes me think that Banks is not a way of protesting anything, more an actual idea of Plan B, and I cannot say enough that I truly hope Plan B returns to soul.
Anyway, I've said much more than enough, so I hope anyone with the capacity to read the entire post have at least a little food for thought.
Monday, 25 June 2012
3 Songs: Vampire Weekend vs. Jonathan Coulton vs. Paul Kelly
Yep. Another one. Screw you all. Both of you. Maybe. This is what happens when I get no feedback.
Song #1: Cousins by Vampire Weekend (Contra, 2010, Track 7)
Well, somehow Vampire Weekend has managed to be picked twice in a row, which is quite strange given the fact they only have the two albums on my MP3 player, as compared to about a half-dozen Ben Folds albums or collections.
Well, the music is as lively as to be expected from a Vampire Weekend song, once again containing
( bar drums and guitar) no instruments I can identify. To be perfectly honest, I don't enjoy this song as much as "Mansard Roof". Both are fantastic songs, don't get me wrong, but this song just doesn't do it for me as much musically. Still, lively, jumpy and generally fantastic.
I've already been over the vocals of Koenig. A plesant contrast to over the top, fantastical music, as the vocals are firm and rather to the point. Plesant enough. The opening of the song certainly shows he puts a lot of effort into his singing.
Now, lyrics. If you thought the meaning of "Mansard Roof" was about as clear as mud, you've seen nothing. "Cousins", just like the previous Vampire weekend song can have three interpretations:
1. Defending the somewhat wealthier backgrounds the group are often criticized about having, showing how they have to act different and turn their backs on their heritage. I don't quite follow the logic of the arguement.
2. A discussion of heritage in general, how people react to their families and heritages, whether they're rich or poor. I get it, but it's still a pretty damn broad interpretation of an entire song.
3. My personal choice, this song seems to basically be a song-length middle finger to music critics. The line that absolutely cinches this for me is "You greatest hits 2006, little list-maker". For the record, I reviewed the Hottest 100 of 2007, so clearly I'm not the target of this song. Whatever the take on the song, it is as usual filled with strange but fascinating imagery, and basically a life of its own.
Song #2: Pull The String by Jonathan Coulton (Thing A Week Four, 2006, Track 11)
A brief warning. This may be the most obscure track to have appeared in a 3 Songs so far. To put that in perspective, I have looked at one of the worst (I hope) Kinks tracks from an album in the sixties, and this song seems to be more obscure. What is my basis for this? I have a website which I use for both lyrics and song meanings, inventively named Song Meanings. This is the first track to not appear there so far. That's pretty damn obscure, especially considering that they have 79 other Jonathan Coulton songs.
Now, the music in this track is absolutely phenonminal, with soft rock or even pop style backing music.This is, unlike the majority of Coulton's work, not a parody or comedic song, and I really think he is more than capable of pulling it off. If the vocals were more mundane, I'd easily write this off as the latest single from an indie rock act attempting to appeal to a mainstream crowd. That's just what it sounds like to me.
The vocals, even for Coulton, are outstanding. He manages to put an incredible amount of emotion in a song which could easily have failed without it. As previously stated, Coulton is a fantastic singer most of the time, but he really went the extra mile with this track.
Lyrically, this song is rather basic, but still interesting. The song seems to be about a celebrity who has become famous through something no-one can figure out, which seems to have a dark side, the revelation of which could end their fame. The last verse seems to indicate that they either commited suicide or "pulled the string" in a grand move, rendering them fameless. I might be taking this too literally, however. The song could have many different interpretations about fame, life, love, reality or secrets, but I won't go into these too much as I figure that different interpretations work for different people. My personal interpretation is that the character is a work of fiction, brought into existence by media and imagination, which takes on a life of its own, sustained only be speculation and gossip, as any hard facts would destroy the character. All in all, a very interesting and broad set of lyrics.
Song #3: Deeper Water by Paul Kelly (Deeper Water, 1995, Track 5)
Now, I probably haven't had much of a discussion of the fantastic work of Paul Kelly yet on this blog, mainly because the genre is normally far from what I normally discuss. Basically, Kelly manages to discuss the themes present in Australian country and folk, but makes the music much more accessable. He is one of the greatest songwriters in Australian history. Not debateable. "Deeper Water" just happens to be my favourite Paul Kelly track, so I'll try to keep myself unbiased.
Musically, this song is soft rock, with a basic guitar and drum set up. A decent, well rounded sound aided by the occasional use of a piano. The way in which the music reflects the incidents being described in the song is fantastic. The music managing to slow and grow at appropriate times is quite brilliant. A basic sound used to great effect.
Vocally, Kelly is just fantastic. His voice is simple and undramatic. For example, Jonathan Coulton is very emotional about what he's singing about, and shows it through his voice. Kelly doesn't focus on the emotion of the song through his voice, relying more on his lyrics. This probably ends up as a simple choice of preferences, but I think both work due to the style of music. Coulton has either understated or overstated lyrics, which gain their strength from his voice. Just try reading the lyrics. The humor or passion is gained from Coulton, not his lyrics. Kelly is the complete opposite, injecting only a little emotion into his songs, relying on his descriptive and emotional lyrics to grab the audience.
The lyrics are certainly the peak of the song. The basics of the song is explaining the circle of life via a single man. The first scene is him and his father at the beach, followed by his first sexual experience (which can also be seen as the boy becoming a man). Next, his complicated relationship with a woman he marries and then finding out he will be a father. The last two scenes are of his wife dying and then, finally, of him taking his daughter to the beach. This is where poetry and narrative meet in a fantastic collaboration. Although there is a clear narrative, it is told through clear and lovingly depicted scenes. This story could be easily told through a series of home movies or even paintings, but Kelly used the medium of song, which is the art at which he excells. The line I find is the most accurate for describing the mood of the song is "And the man gets a shiver right up and down his spine". This summises the song for me, and is exactly what happened when I heard this song for the first time. And the second time. And right now, listening to it on repeat whilst writing about it. The frankness with which Kelly discusses matters creates this feeling the most. The second verse is a sex scene, and I'd say this is what startled me the most. The use of sex to create a sense of bluntness? I've to date only seen this done once before, in the book "World War Z", used in a similar manner, so as to show how upfront and honest the character was being. All other times, sex is used to arouse rather than set this kind of style. The sex described, in Kelly's kind yet removed voice adds power to the scene, rather than reducing it's standing. The use of death, to be perfectly honest, startled me much less upon first hearing. than the use of sex. This creates a kind of balance between the positive (such as that of pop) and the negative (of rock and country) showing just how much Kelly is a genre hybrid. Finally, I do like the theme of water, the recurring use of the beach and the phrase "deeper water". The phrase indicated that the man's life is taking on more and more responsability, becoming more an adult each time. I like that taking his daughter to the beach is where he realises just how mature and responsible he has to be, possibly due to the memory of how he felt when he was in a similar position to his daughter. I'll stop ranting...for now.
Winners:
First Category: Music:
All of these songs have fantastic music, especially the last two. I feel that Vampire Weekend went too far in trying to be a spectacle, especially in comparison to the simplicity of Coulton and Kelly. Both are catchy, yet simple tracks with a drum and guitar based tune. I feel that Kelly just nabs this one, becuse his music is slightly catchier. Coulton is a close second.
Second Category: Vocals:
Well, this is easy. Coulton. Kelly is a bit too unemotional, which I feel works with the music, but I'm attempting to look at the vocals independently for the most part. Koenig is OK, but doesn't do anything extraordinary. Kelly is the clear runner-up.
Third Category: Lyrics:
Well, this is reeeal hard. The one about string or the song which spent the entire time possibly telling critics to fuck off? Weeeeell... Kelly. I'm going to have to say that this is the toughest runner-up pick so far, just because both tracks are so very open. I'll throw Vampire Weekend a bone, as I don't want to see a fantastic group go without so much as a runner-up.
Overall:
1. "Deeper Water" by Paul Kelly
2. "Pull The String" by Jonathan Coulton
3. "Cousins" by Vampire Weekend
Well, Kelly certainly fucked up the grading curve I had going for the other two, didn't he?
As always, comments are more then welcome.
H. Rourke
Song #1: Cousins by Vampire Weekend (Contra, 2010, Track 7)
Well, somehow Vampire Weekend has managed to be picked twice in a row, which is quite strange given the fact they only have the two albums on my MP3 player, as compared to about a half-dozen Ben Folds albums or collections.
Well, the music is as lively as to be expected from a Vampire Weekend song, once again containing
( bar drums and guitar) no instruments I can identify. To be perfectly honest, I don't enjoy this song as much as "Mansard Roof". Both are fantastic songs, don't get me wrong, but this song just doesn't do it for me as much musically. Still, lively, jumpy and generally fantastic.
I've already been over the vocals of Koenig. A plesant contrast to over the top, fantastical music, as the vocals are firm and rather to the point. Plesant enough. The opening of the song certainly shows he puts a lot of effort into his singing.
Now, lyrics. If you thought the meaning of "Mansard Roof" was about as clear as mud, you've seen nothing. "Cousins", just like the previous Vampire weekend song can have three interpretations:
1. Defending the somewhat wealthier backgrounds the group are often criticized about having, showing how they have to act different and turn their backs on their heritage. I don't quite follow the logic of the arguement.
2. A discussion of heritage in general, how people react to their families and heritages, whether they're rich or poor. I get it, but it's still a pretty damn broad interpretation of an entire song.
3. My personal choice, this song seems to basically be a song-length middle finger to music critics. The line that absolutely cinches this for me is "You greatest hits 2006, little list-maker". For the record, I reviewed the Hottest 100 of 2007, so clearly I'm not the target of this song. Whatever the take on the song, it is as usual filled with strange but fascinating imagery, and basically a life of its own.
Song #2: Pull The String by Jonathan Coulton (Thing A Week Four, 2006, Track 11)
A brief warning. This may be the most obscure track to have appeared in a 3 Songs so far. To put that in perspective, I have looked at one of the worst (I hope) Kinks tracks from an album in the sixties, and this song seems to be more obscure. What is my basis for this? I have a website which I use for both lyrics and song meanings, inventively named Song Meanings. This is the first track to not appear there so far. That's pretty damn obscure, especially considering that they have 79 other Jonathan Coulton songs.
Now, the music in this track is absolutely phenonminal, with soft rock or even pop style backing music.This is, unlike the majority of Coulton's work, not a parody or comedic song, and I really think he is more than capable of pulling it off. If the vocals were more mundane, I'd easily write this off as the latest single from an indie rock act attempting to appeal to a mainstream crowd. That's just what it sounds like to me.
The vocals, even for Coulton, are outstanding. He manages to put an incredible amount of emotion in a song which could easily have failed without it. As previously stated, Coulton is a fantastic singer most of the time, but he really went the extra mile with this track.
Lyrically, this song is rather basic, but still interesting. The song seems to be about a celebrity who has become famous through something no-one can figure out, which seems to have a dark side, the revelation of which could end their fame. The last verse seems to indicate that they either commited suicide or "pulled the string" in a grand move, rendering them fameless. I might be taking this too literally, however. The song could have many different interpretations about fame, life, love, reality or secrets, but I won't go into these too much as I figure that different interpretations work for different people. My personal interpretation is that the character is a work of fiction, brought into existence by media and imagination, which takes on a life of its own, sustained only be speculation and gossip, as any hard facts would destroy the character. All in all, a very interesting and broad set of lyrics.
Song #3: Deeper Water by Paul Kelly (Deeper Water, 1995, Track 5)
Now, I probably haven't had much of a discussion of the fantastic work of Paul Kelly yet on this blog, mainly because the genre is normally far from what I normally discuss. Basically, Kelly manages to discuss the themes present in Australian country and folk, but makes the music much more accessable. He is one of the greatest songwriters in Australian history. Not debateable. "Deeper Water" just happens to be my favourite Paul Kelly track, so I'll try to keep myself unbiased.
Musically, this song is soft rock, with a basic guitar and drum set up. A decent, well rounded sound aided by the occasional use of a piano. The way in which the music reflects the incidents being described in the song is fantastic. The music managing to slow and grow at appropriate times is quite brilliant. A basic sound used to great effect.
Vocally, Kelly is just fantastic. His voice is simple and undramatic. For example, Jonathan Coulton is very emotional about what he's singing about, and shows it through his voice. Kelly doesn't focus on the emotion of the song through his voice, relying more on his lyrics. This probably ends up as a simple choice of preferences, but I think both work due to the style of music. Coulton has either understated or overstated lyrics, which gain their strength from his voice. Just try reading the lyrics. The humor or passion is gained from Coulton, not his lyrics. Kelly is the complete opposite, injecting only a little emotion into his songs, relying on his descriptive and emotional lyrics to grab the audience.
The lyrics are certainly the peak of the song. The basics of the song is explaining the circle of life via a single man. The first scene is him and his father at the beach, followed by his first sexual experience (which can also be seen as the boy becoming a man). Next, his complicated relationship with a woman he marries and then finding out he will be a father. The last two scenes are of his wife dying and then, finally, of him taking his daughter to the beach. This is where poetry and narrative meet in a fantastic collaboration. Although there is a clear narrative, it is told through clear and lovingly depicted scenes. This story could be easily told through a series of home movies or even paintings, but Kelly used the medium of song, which is the art at which he excells. The line I find is the most accurate for describing the mood of the song is "And the man gets a shiver right up and down his spine". This summises the song for me, and is exactly what happened when I heard this song for the first time. And the second time. And right now, listening to it on repeat whilst writing about it. The frankness with which Kelly discusses matters creates this feeling the most. The second verse is a sex scene, and I'd say this is what startled me the most. The use of sex to create a sense of bluntness? I've to date only seen this done once before, in the book "World War Z", used in a similar manner, so as to show how upfront and honest the character was being. All other times, sex is used to arouse rather than set this kind of style. The sex described, in Kelly's kind yet removed voice adds power to the scene, rather than reducing it's standing. The use of death, to be perfectly honest, startled me much less upon first hearing. than the use of sex. This creates a kind of balance between the positive (such as that of pop) and the negative (of rock and country) showing just how much Kelly is a genre hybrid. Finally, I do like the theme of water, the recurring use of the beach and the phrase "deeper water". The phrase indicated that the man's life is taking on more and more responsability, becoming more an adult each time. I like that taking his daughter to the beach is where he realises just how mature and responsible he has to be, possibly due to the memory of how he felt when he was in a similar position to his daughter. I'll stop ranting...for now.
Winners:
First Category: Music:
All of these songs have fantastic music, especially the last two. I feel that Vampire Weekend went too far in trying to be a spectacle, especially in comparison to the simplicity of Coulton and Kelly. Both are catchy, yet simple tracks with a drum and guitar based tune. I feel that Kelly just nabs this one, becuse his music is slightly catchier. Coulton is a close second.
Second Category: Vocals:
Well, this is easy. Coulton. Kelly is a bit too unemotional, which I feel works with the music, but I'm attempting to look at the vocals independently for the most part. Koenig is OK, but doesn't do anything extraordinary. Kelly is the clear runner-up.
Third Category: Lyrics:
Well, this is reeeal hard. The one about string or the song which spent the entire time possibly telling critics to fuck off? Weeeeell... Kelly. I'm going to have to say that this is the toughest runner-up pick so far, just because both tracks are so very open. I'll throw Vampire Weekend a bone, as I don't want to see a fantastic group go without so much as a runner-up.
Overall:
1. "Deeper Water" by Paul Kelly
2. "Pull The String" by Jonathan Coulton
3. "Cousins" by Vampire Weekend
Well, Kelly certainly fucked up the grading curve I had going for the other two, didn't he?
As always, comments are more then welcome.
H. Rourke
Sunday, 24 June 2012
3 Songs: Cornershop vs. The Clash vs.Vampire Weekend
That's right! We're going in for a fourth!
Song #1: Brimful Of Asha by Cornershop (When I Was Born For The 7th Time, 1997, Track 2)
Sadly, this is the only song by cornershop I'm familiar with, but from what I've read, they're a fascinating group. They even did a collaboration with one of my favourite poets, Allen Ginsberg. I must track some oftheir stuff down. To no surprise to anyone who has so much as looked at the list of blog posts to your right, I have reviewed a lot of Triple J compelations, but I don't believe that I've gone pre-2000 yet (with the obvious exception of the All Time album). This song just happens to be on one of them.
The music is absolutely fantastic, showing the upbeat, lively and enjoyable melodies coming out of both Britain and the 1990's. The guitar is the stand-out on this as well as an instrument I cannot identify for the life of me floating in the backgroud, which makes this song seem much more complex than first appearances. Upon first hearing this song, I was absolutely in love with the tune, which is incredibly catchy. I cannot for the life of me work out why I've never looked into Cornershop before. Also, the inclusion of violins near the end is a very interesting choice.
Vocals here are fantastic, fitting the mood set by the music. Both are designed, to my ear, to sound imperfect. This is a good move, as it makes the music much more "relateable", by which I mean something easily enjoyable without analysis...which I'm doing anyway. Defeating the point? Why yes!
In regards to the meaning of the lyrics, I'm not even going to try to explain in depth. An individual calling themselves "splitpeasoup" has done a fantastic explanation of the topic, which can be found here. In short, it's about a singer in Bollywood. Yeah, I'm cutting a lot of corners here. I'm willing to get into something I have no expertise about, but I'm not going to get into something I don't even understand the basics of. However, the repetition of "45" and "Everyone needs a bosom as a pillow" is enjoyable and upbeat. Yeah, I haven't got much. It's good. Done.
Song #2: English Civil War by The Clash (Give 'Em Enough Rope, 1978, Track 2)
The same day I found the Gomez album, I also found "Give 'Em Enough Rope". Now, I adore The Clash, as do seemingly many of my favourite artists. Both Ben Folds and Urthboy have covered Clash songs ("Lost In The Supermarket" & "London Calling" respectively). Although I feel a large amount of albums deemed "the best ever" are extremely overrated, I have no doubt that "London Calling" is exactly where it should be in the public opinion.
First of all, music. I think it is impossible to look at any Clash song and not detect anger (or at the very least passion) in every element of their songs, the music in this particular track included. The track is actually based musically on the song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" from the American Civil War. This is a very interesting idea, which I'll look at further in lyrics. The music is of course heavily adapted by The Clash to fit their purposes. I'm not sure how much guitar there was in the American Civil War tune, but The Clash added more anyway. Angry, loud and historically based. What's not to like?
In regards to vocals, Strummer fits the mood of the song perfectly, anger, passion and very English. The one issue I have with it is that at certain points it's... how to put this politely... a little difficult to get what the hell he's saying. I understand the message of the song and all, but there is so much accent in every word I don't know how it would be possible to have a regular conversation with Strummer. Anyway, the mood of the song fits the vocals, so there's no real problem.
The lyrics are probably the most discussable aspect of music by The Clash, especially in regards to a song called "English Civil War". By the way, if you think this song might be about the literal Civil War fought in England, you either don't know anything about The Clash or you're an idiot, or possibly both. The song is actually about tensions building around the rise of the political right in Britain in the late 1970's, with a character (creatively named Johnny) becoming involved in the conflict. The entire thing seems to be a scathing attack on political right in general, and considering Thatcher took power the next year, he was fucking right to be attacking them. And, yes , The Clash broke Godwin's Law by comparing the British political right to Hitler. I think.
Song #3: Mansard Roof by Vampire Weekend (Vampire Weekend, 2008, Track 1)
I don't believe I've discussed Vampire Weekend at length before, but I must say I adore this group, even though they screwed up the "All-English" thing I had going in this 3 Songs. They are among the cheeriest, liveliest, most enjoyable groups I have ever had the pleasure of hearing and "Mansard Roof" just happens to be one of my favourites. I must stress that this group following The Clash is completely coincidental, despite the fact that The Clash released an album named "Sandinista!" and Vampire Weekend released an album named "Contra". Google it if you don't get the meaning of the terms, or don't find it entertaining. Or stop reading, if you think I'm the reason you're not entertained. Which could well be the case.
Let's start with the music. Lively, catchy and memorable. I have not the slightest complaint, although, besides drums, I could not name a single instrument being played. Oh, I think that's a violin. Maybe. Absolutely fantastic.
Vocally, this song matches the music very well, as Koenig has a strange voice, something I imagine in conversation would not sound musical, and manages to bring the song back to earth a little, as I imagine a singer with a "pop" voice would have just made the song too fantastical, not allowing for anyone to take the song seriously.
OK, this is going to be "fun". In short, I have no idea what the lyrics mean, or at least no firm ground on which to base any theories. Reading around online, there are three main theories:
1. An environmental message, I honestly think someone just came up with this idea because they use the word "garbage" at one point.
2. The Falklands War. This makes a bit more sense, as the song has the line "The Argentines collapse in defeat" and also "The Admiralty surveys the remnants of the fleet." I get the logic, but I don't really know how to feel about a song which makes abstract reference to a small scale conflict which occurred several decades ago and had no real historical significance in the long run, really. Just why
3. My personal favourite,but with far less evidence, is that the song is a series of observations. I don't get how the last verse figures in, but the first two sort of fit.
My personal opinion is that the song is just a piece of poetic observations of a series of objects and events. Perhaps akin to a train of thought piece. They started with a Mansard roof, and ended up in Argentina. I don't get it, but I've made some pretty weird mental connections in my time, so I'm not one to judge. As a final note, there are not many lyrics. The first and second verses are identical, and there are only three verses. I understand that the music was the focus, but I really wish there had been more lyrics to help listeners get it.
Winners:
Overall, this is almost certainly the best three songs I've analysed together so far. Again, I was really hoping for the all Brit thing, but never mind.
First Category: Music:
Honestly, I don't listen to The Clash for their music as much as their lyrics, so they are out of the running for this with that track.Between the other two, however, it's a tough pick. Both are incredibly lively and catchy, and there isn't much to separate the two if vocals and lyrics are taken out. However, I think Vampire Weekend deserve this one, with Cornershop as the runners-up
Second Category: Vocals:
This is the easiest by far. The Clash are out because of the incomprehensibility of several lines, which I find slightly infuriating. Really, it's down to my preference of Tjinder Singh of Cornershop or Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. Although I love a lot of the work of Vampire Weekend, I have to say in a track to track comparison, Singh wins. Koenig is a reasonably close runner-up.
Third Category: Lyrics
Vampire Weekend is out instantly. Despite some fantastic imagery, the lyrics are just too ambiguous for my tastes. The Clash and Cornershop are both reasonably upfront about what they're saying, really leaving it up to a preference of Indian cinema or British politics in the 70's. I have a hell of a lot of difficulty picking this one, but I've got to go with The Clash on this one, just because of the use of a traditional theme to draw upon the ideals of the general public. I like that idea very much. Cornershop is of course the runner-up.
Overall:
1. "Brimful Of Asha" by Cornershop
2. "Mansard Roof" by Vampire Weekend
3. "English Civil War" by The Clash
.... The Clash came last?
H. Rourke
Song #1: Brimful Of Asha by Cornershop (When I Was Born For The 7th Time, 1997, Track 2)
Sadly, this is the only song by cornershop I'm familiar with, but from what I've read, they're a fascinating group. They even did a collaboration with one of my favourite poets, Allen Ginsberg. I must track some oftheir stuff down. To no surprise to anyone who has so much as looked at the list of blog posts to your right, I have reviewed a lot of Triple J compelations, but I don't believe that I've gone pre-2000 yet (with the obvious exception of the All Time album). This song just happens to be on one of them.
The music is absolutely fantastic, showing the upbeat, lively and enjoyable melodies coming out of both Britain and the 1990's. The guitar is the stand-out on this as well as an instrument I cannot identify for the life of me floating in the backgroud, which makes this song seem much more complex than first appearances. Upon first hearing this song, I was absolutely in love with the tune, which is incredibly catchy. I cannot for the life of me work out why I've never looked into Cornershop before. Also, the inclusion of violins near the end is a very interesting choice.
Vocals here are fantastic, fitting the mood set by the music. Both are designed, to my ear, to sound imperfect. This is a good move, as it makes the music much more "relateable", by which I mean something easily enjoyable without analysis...which I'm doing anyway. Defeating the point? Why yes!
In regards to the meaning of the lyrics, I'm not even going to try to explain in depth. An individual calling themselves "splitpeasoup" has done a fantastic explanation of the topic, which can be found here. In short, it's about a singer in Bollywood. Yeah, I'm cutting a lot of corners here. I'm willing to get into something I have no expertise about, but I'm not going to get into something I don't even understand the basics of. However, the repetition of "45" and "Everyone needs a bosom as a pillow" is enjoyable and upbeat. Yeah, I haven't got much. It's good. Done.
Song #2: English Civil War by The Clash (Give 'Em Enough Rope, 1978, Track 2)
The same day I found the Gomez album, I also found "Give 'Em Enough Rope". Now, I adore The Clash, as do seemingly many of my favourite artists. Both Ben Folds and Urthboy have covered Clash songs ("Lost In The Supermarket" & "London Calling" respectively). Although I feel a large amount of albums deemed "the best ever" are extremely overrated, I have no doubt that "London Calling" is exactly where it should be in the public opinion.
First of all, music. I think it is impossible to look at any Clash song and not detect anger (or at the very least passion) in every element of their songs, the music in this particular track included. The track is actually based musically on the song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" from the American Civil War. This is a very interesting idea, which I'll look at further in lyrics. The music is of course heavily adapted by The Clash to fit their purposes. I'm not sure how much guitar there was in the American Civil War tune, but The Clash added more anyway. Angry, loud and historically based. What's not to like?
In regards to vocals, Strummer fits the mood of the song perfectly, anger, passion and very English. The one issue I have with it is that at certain points it's... how to put this politely... a little difficult to get what the hell he's saying. I understand the message of the song and all, but there is so much accent in every word I don't know how it would be possible to have a regular conversation with Strummer. Anyway, the mood of the song fits the vocals, so there's no real problem.
The lyrics are probably the most discussable aspect of music by The Clash, especially in regards to a song called "English Civil War". By the way, if you think this song might be about the literal Civil War fought in England, you either don't know anything about The Clash or you're an idiot, or possibly both. The song is actually about tensions building around the rise of the political right in Britain in the late 1970's, with a character (creatively named Johnny) becoming involved in the conflict. The entire thing seems to be a scathing attack on political right in general, and considering Thatcher took power the next year, he was fucking right to be attacking them. And, yes , The Clash broke Godwin's Law by comparing the British political right to Hitler. I think.
Song #3: Mansard Roof by Vampire Weekend (Vampire Weekend, 2008, Track 1)
I don't believe I've discussed Vampire Weekend at length before, but I must say I adore this group, even though they screwed up the "All-English" thing I had going in this 3 Songs. They are among the cheeriest, liveliest, most enjoyable groups I have ever had the pleasure of hearing and "Mansard Roof" just happens to be one of my favourites. I must stress that this group following The Clash is completely coincidental, despite the fact that The Clash released an album named "Sandinista!" and Vampire Weekend released an album named "Contra". Google it if you don't get the meaning of the terms, or don't find it entertaining. Or stop reading, if you think I'm the reason you're not entertained. Which could well be the case.
Let's start with the music. Lively, catchy and memorable. I have not the slightest complaint, although, besides drums, I could not name a single instrument being played. Oh, I think that's a violin. Maybe. Absolutely fantastic.
Vocally, this song matches the music very well, as Koenig has a strange voice, something I imagine in conversation would not sound musical, and manages to bring the song back to earth a little, as I imagine a singer with a "pop" voice would have just made the song too fantastical, not allowing for anyone to take the song seriously.
OK, this is going to be "fun". In short, I have no idea what the lyrics mean, or at least no firm ground on which to base any theories. Reading around online, there are three main theories:
1. An environmental message, I honestly think someone just came up with this idea because they use the word "garbage" at one point.
2. The Falklands War. This makes a bit more sense, as the song has the line "The Argentines collapse in defeat" and also "The Admiralty surveys the remnants of the fleet." I get the logic, but I don't really know how to feel about a song which makes abstract reference to a small scale conflict which occurred several decades ago and had no real historical significance in the long run, really. Just why
3. My personal favourite,but with far less evidence, is that the song is a series of observations. I don't get how the last verse figures in, but the first two sort of fit.
My personal opinion is that the song is just a piece of poetic observations of a series of objects and events. Perhaps akin to a train of thought piece. They started with a Mansard roof, and ended up in Argentina. I don't get it, but I've made some pretty weird mental connections in my time, so I'm not one to judge. As a final note, there are not many lyrics. The first and second verses are identical, and there are only three verses. I understand that the music was the focus, but I really wish there had been more lyrics to help listeners get it.
Winners:
Overall, this is almost certainly the best three songs I've analysed together so far. Again, I was really hoping for the all Brit thing, but never mind.
First Category: Music:
Honestly, I don't listen to The Clash for their music as much as their lyrics, so they are out of the running for this with that track.Between the other two, however, it's a tough pick. Both are incredibly lively and catchy, and there isn't much to separate the two if vocals and lyrics are taken out. However, I think Vampire Weekend deserve this one, with Cornershop as the runners-up
Second Category: Vocals:
This is the easiest by far. The Clash are out because of the incomprehensibility of several lines, which I find slightly infuriating. Really, it's down to my preference of Tjinder Singh of Cornershop or Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. Although I love a lot of the work of Vampire Weekend, I have to say in a track to track comparison, Singh wins. Koenig is a reasonably close runner-up.
Third Category: Lyrics
Vampire Weekend is out instantly. Despite some fantastic imagery, the lyrics are just too ambiguous for my tastes. The Clash and Cornershop are both reasonably upfront about what they're saying, really leaving it up to a preference of Indian cinema or British politics in the 70's. I have a hell of a lot of difficulty picking this one, but I've got to go with The Clash on this one, just because of the use of a traditional theme to draw upon the ideals of the general public. I like that idea very much. Cornershop is of course the runner-up.
Overall:
1. "Brimful Of Asha" by Cornershop
2. "Mansard Roof" by Vampire Weekend
3. "English Civil War" by The Clash
.... The Clash came last?
H. Rourke
Saturday, 23 June 2012
3 Songs: Ben Folds Five vs. The Kinks vs. Gomez
As stated at the beginning of this blog, this is mainly for my own amusement, so I don't really give a rat's if having three "3 Songs" posts in a row is boring, I find it weirdly entertaining. It's like pitting the songs together to see who survives. Ben Folds went down surprisingly quick. Shame. Anyway:
Song #1: Do It Anyway by Ben Folds Five (Unnamed Album, 2012 (I hope))
As of June 2012, this is the first song to have been released off of BFF's upcoming 4th album. I've got it pre-ordered, and I can't recommend it enough. Anyway, "Do It Anyway":
Now, musically, this is pretty average Ben Folds, a reliance on piano with whatever the rest of the "Five" have to contribute. This song seems much angrier than a lot of Folds work, but I suppose its hard to write a song with an instruction as the title and not seem a little forceful. Really, nothing that stands out in regards to the piano of Folds.
Vocally, this song still seems forceful and strict, basically shouting at the audience at several points, which can work in certain circumstances, but doesn't really match what I have come to expect from Folds or his Five. Still, nothing far from the Folds standard.
Lyrically, this is one of the simpler songs I've looked at. Guess what? Folds wants you to do it (it being anything) Don't want to? Do it anyway! Here are some circumstances in which you should do it anyway (insert song lyrics here). Done. That's not really fair, though. The actual lyrics aren't as nearly as much a narrative as my favourite BFF songs, but they still saying something, rather than the majority of bullshit pop nowadays. Decent, but far from their best.
Song #2: You're Lookin' Fine by The Kinks (Face To Face, 1966, Track 12)
By this stage, I imagine anyone reading would have gathered quite an idea of my play-list. Apparently, I like a lot of Ben Folds and a lot of The Kinks. Yep, that would be about right. Anyway, I actually downloaded Face To Face, as it contains one of my all time favourite songs, "Sunny Afternoon". "You're Lookin' Fine" just happens to be on the same album. This song was neither a single nor a hit, so there isn't much on it, but since when has the fact that nobody gives a shit stopped me from doing anything?
Musically, this is superior to "Waterloo Sunset". The comparison has to be drawn, as both songs have been discussed. The music is pretty 60's standard, with a few touches that keep it above standard. Overall, the music has a somewhat confusing mood. The opening and ending make it seem a chilled, relaxed piece of album filler. In-between, however, the song takes a bit of a turn. The mood doesn't really change from cool and relaxed, but the vocals really get in the way.
The vocals are just horrid. I like a lot of The Kinks work, and I like aspects of this song too, but the vocals are far from good. They sound strained, pained and brutally forced. In a harsher, more emotive song that may be understandable, as the lyrics really mean something to the singer, but unless Ray Davies is trying to say something between the lines here, the forced, jarring vocals are just irritating. By this stage, if I had an audience, I'd be expecting hate mail or something.
Finally, the lyrics. Now, my belief is that lyrics for pop music have slowly been going down the drain for the past 60 years or so. Of course, there are exceptions, such as Gotye's brief and fantastic stint at the top of the pop chart in America, but overall...things aren't so good. With this said, "You're Lookin' Fine" isn't bad by modern standards. If most modern pop artists made a song with these lyrics today, it would be a considerably step up. However, I pride myself in possessing music which has at least some lyrical complexity. This song, even by modern standards, is incredibly shallow. There are 25 lines in this song. Of these, 9 are the line "You're lookin' fine". 7 more are variants of the phrase "I feel alright". That leaves less than 10 lines to get the point of the song across. By no means am I saying short songs, or songs with less lyrics naturally have less meaning or complexity. Just this one. The entire narrative of the song can be summised by restating the title.I was once told in a discussion of Coldplay that the majority of artists today have meaningless lyrics. That was depressingly accurate, perhaps through history as well as today.
Song #3: Meet Me In The City by Gomez (Split The Difference, 2004, Track 9)
Two days ago I went into my beloved money-sink shop, a second-hand CD store called Flipside. I traded in a few CD's and had a few bucks to spend. I came across some fantastic albums and a few I'm starting to regret buying already. One album, however, is...interesting. I found an album called "Split The Difference" by a group called Gomez. Now, the word Gomez triggered something in my brain, and I felt I'd heard a song of theirs before and liked it. Two days later and I still have no idea what that song was and I'm starting to thing I may have miss-heard "Gotye" at some point. Still, I now have their album, and as it was in the "3 for $10" I have no reason to feel ripped off. Now, "Meet Me In The City".
Now, I am yet to hear the album in its entirety, as it went on an MP3 player which is constantly set on shuffle, but I don't mind what I've heard so far at all. This particular song certainly warrants a few listens. At first it sounds like a cacophony of random noise (like (insert overrated, unpleasant musician here)), but after a few listens, it really comes into its own. Despite a lot of noise, at its heart this song is cool and bluesy. I really get the image this song is trying to paint, which it does much more with music than with lyrics. The sound seems to be the atmosphere of some conversation between a couple, both intruding upon and influencing the pair. It honestly sounds like the lyrics and music, whilst occurring simultaneously, have no previous association, just tying to cope with each others existence. Really fascinating.
The vocalist of this track knows exactly where he stands: secondary to the music, and the song succeeds because of this. Many songs do poorly because the artist at some point incorrectly decides that a song needs more or less input from the vocalist. This is not to be confused with lyrics. Lyrics are different. I mean making the vocals louder or more subtle, more blatant or kept to the background. Anyway, this song does it very well, with the music dominating the vocals at the beginning with the vocals taking over by the end. Well done, I must say.
The lyrics here are few, but unlike the previous song, it does not suffer for this. The lyrics are only as descriptive as they have to be, telling the story of a man meeting up with his girlfriend in "the city", only to end up pleading for her not to leave him. The vibe of the entire song is that the narrator is a little intoxicated, although this is never stated, its just my read on it. My theory is the entire song is a telephone call, occurring in a loud bar in New York or Chicago or London, with the narrator battling with the sounds around him, whilst fighting his own slightly skewered senses, all while trying to talk to his girlfriend, attempting to be heard and make sense despite everything. Really well done, I must say.
Winners:
Commentary: Well, these songs vary, well and truly, in calibre. The first and last are pretty good, but the second is possibly the worst song to appear on a "3 Songs" post so far.
First Category: Music:
This is a tricky one due to the nature of the songs. BFF is out pretty quick, due to the fact I know he can do a hell of a lot better. In the end, its a pick between classic, British, catchy beats or a mess of music that is clearly trying to do something different. In the end, trying new things successfully should always be picked first, so "Meet Me In The City" by Gomez wins this, with "You're Lookin' Fine" by The Kinks a close runner-up.
Second Category: Vocals:
Again, a close pick between two artists, Gomez and Folds. If you have to ask why "You're Lookin' Fine" isn't here, you clearly missed the point of my discussion of it. In the end, I'm going to have to give this one to Gomez, for the simple reason they aren't fucking screaming at us every now and then. Really, just listen to "Whatever and Ever, Amen" and tell me if at any point it sounds like Folds is trying to reach out of the speaker to tell you to do something. Not going to bother? I rest my case. Gomez first, Folds second.
Third Category: Lyrics:
This is honestly the easiest pick so far in "3 Songs" posts. Folds. Easy. The lyrics are terrible in "You're Lookin' Fine" and are secondary in "Meet Me In The City". Folds at least has a point. Folds first, Gomez the only other contender.
Winners:
1. "Meet Me In The City" by Gomez
2. "Do It Anyway" by Ben Folds Five
3. "You're Lookin' Fine" by The Kinks
Commentary welcomed. Hate mail tolerated.
H. Rourke
Song #1: Do It Anyway by Ben Folds Five (Unnamed Album, 2012 (I hope))
As of June 2012, this is the first song to have been released off of BFF's upcoming 4th album. I've got it pre-ordered, and I can't recommend it enough. Anyway, "Do It Anyway":
Now, musically, this is pretty average Ben Folds, a reliance on piano with whatever the rest of the "Five" have to contribute. This song seems much angrier than a lot of Folds work, but I suppose its hard to write a song with an instruction as the title and not seem a little forceful. Really, nothing that stands out in regards to the piano of Folds.
Vocally, this song still seems forceful and strict, basically shouting at the audience at several points, which can work in certain circumstances, but doesn't really match what I have come to expect from Folds or his Five. Still, nothing far from the Folds standard.
Lyrically, this is one of the simpler songs I've looked at. Guess what? Folds wants you to do it (it being anything) Don't want to? Do it anyway! Here are some circumstances in which you should do it anyway (insert song lyrics here). Done. That's not really fair, though. The actual lyrics aren't as nearly as much a narrative as my favourite BFF songs, but they still saying something, rather than the majority of bullshit pop nowadays. Decent, but far from their best.
Song #2: You're Lookin' Fine by The Kinks (Face To Face, 1966, Track 12)
By this stage, I imagine anyone reading would have gathered quite an idea of my play-list. Apparently, I like a lot of Ben Folds and a lot of The Kinks. Yep, that would be about right. Anyway, I actually downloaded Face To Face, as it contains one of my all time favourite songs, "Sunny Afternoon". "You're Lookin' Fine" just happens to be on the same album. This song was neither a single nor a hit, so there isn't much on it, but since when has the fact that nobody gives a shit stopped me from doing anything?
Musically, this is superior to "Waterloo Sunset". The comparison has to be drawn, as both songs have been discussed. The music is pretty 60's standard, with a few touches that keep it above standard. Overall, the music has a somewhat confusing mood. The opening and ending make it seem a chilled, relaxed piece of album filler. In-between, however, the song takes a bit of a turn. The mood doesn't really change from cool and relaxed, but the vocals really get in the way.
The vocals are just horrid. I like a lot of The Kinks work, and I like aspects of this song too, but the vocals are far from good. They sound strained, pained and brutally forced. In a harsher, more emotive song that may be understandable, as the lyrics really mean something to the singer, but unless Ray Davies is trying to say something between the lines here, the forced, jarring vocals are just irritating. By this stage, if I had an audience, I'd be expecting hate mail or something.
Finally, the lyrics. Now, my belief is that lyrics for pop music have slowly been going down the drain for the past 60 years or so. Of course, there are exceptions, such as Gotye's brief and fantastic stint at the top of the pop chart in America, but overall...things aren't so good. With this said, "You're Lookin' Fine" isn't bad by modern standards. If most modern pop artists made a song with these lyrics today, it would be a considerably step up. However, I pride myself in possessing music which has at least some lyrical complexity. This song, even by modern standards, is incredibly shallow. There are 25 lines in this song. Of these, 9 are the line "You're lookin' fine". 7 more are variants of the phrase "I feel alright". That leaves less than 10 lines to get the point of the song across. By no means am I saying short songs, or songs with less lyrics naturally have less meaning or complexity. Just this one. The entire narrative of the song can be summised by restating the title.I was once told in a discussion of Coldplay that the majority of artists today have meaningless lyrics. That was depressingly accurate, perhaps through history as well as today.
Song #3: Meet Me In The City by Gomez (Split The Difference, 2004, Track 9)
Two days ago I went into my beloved money-sink shop, a second-hand CD store called Flipside. I traded in a few CD's and had a few bucks to spend. I came across some fantastic albums and a few I'm starting to regret buying already. One album, however, is...interesting. I found an album called "Split The Difference" by a group called Gomez. Now, the word Gomez triggered something in my brain, and I felt I'd heard a song of theirs before and liked it. Two days later and I still have no idea what that song was and I'm starting to thing I may have miss-heard "Gotye" at some point. Still, I now have their album, and as it was in the "3 for $10" I have no reason to feel ripped off. Now, "Meet Me In The City".
Now, I am yet to hear the album in its entirety, as it went on an MP3 player which is constantly set on shuffle, but I don't mind what I've heard so far at all. This particular song certainly warrants a few listens. At first it sounds like a cacophony of random noise (like (insert overrated, unpleasant musician here)), but after a few listens, it really comes into its own. Despite a lot of noise, at its heart this song is cool and bluesy. I really get the image this song is trying to paint, which it does much more with music than with lyrics. The sound seems to be the atmosphere of some conversation between a couple, both intruding upon and influencing the pair. It honestly sounds like the lyrics and music, whilst occurring simultaneously, have no previous association, just tying to cope with each others existence. Really fascinating.
The vocalist of this track knows exactly where he stands: secondary to the music, and the song succeeds because of this. Many songs do poorly because the artist at some point incorrectly decides that a song needs more or less input from the vocalist. This is not to be confused with lyrics. Lyrics are different. I mean making the vocals louder or more subtle, more blatant or kept to the background. Anyway, this song does it very well, with the music dominating the vocals at the beginning with the vocals taking over by the end. Well done, I must say.
The lyrics here are few, but unlike the previous song, it does not suffer for this. The lyrics are only as descriptive as they have to be, telling the story of a man meeting up with his girlfriend in "the city", only to end up pleading for her not to leave him. The vibe of the entire song is that the narrator is a little intoxicated, although this is never stated, its just my read on it. My theory is the entire song is a telephone call, occurring in a loud bar in New York or Chicago or London, with the narrator battling with the sounds around him, whilst fighting his own slightly skewered senses, all while trying to talk to his girlfriend, attempting to be heard and make sense despite everything. Really well done, I must say.
Winners:
Commentary: Well, these songs vary, well and truly, in calibre. The first and last are pretty good, but the second is possibly the worst song to appear on a "3 Songs" post so far.
First Category: Music:
This is a tricky one due to the nature of the songs. BFF is out pretty quick, due to the fact I know he can do a hell of a lot better. In the end, its a pick between classic, British, catchy beats or a mess of music that is clearly trying to do something different. In the end, trying new things successfully should always be picked first, so "Meet Me In The City" by Gomez wins this, with "You're Lookin' Fine" by The Kinks a close runner-up.
Second Category: Vocals:
Again, a close pick between two artists, Gomez and Folds. If you have to ask why "You're Lookin' Fine" isn't here, you clearly missed the point of my discussion of it. In the end, I'm going to have to give this one to Gomez, for the simple reason they aren't fucking screaming at us every now and then. Really, just listen to "Whatever and Ever, Amen" and tell me if at any point it sounds like Folds is trying to reach out of the speaker to tell you to do something. Not going to bother? I rest my case. Gomez first, Folds second.
Third Category: Lyrics:
This is honestly the easiest pick so far in "3 Songs" posts. Folds. Easy. The lyrics are terrible in "You're Lookin' Fine" and are secondary in "Meet Me In The City". Folds at least has a point. Folds first, Gomez the only other contender.
Winners:
1. "Meet Me In The City" by Gomez
2. "Do It Anyway" by Ben Folds Five
3. "You're Lookin' Fine" by The Kinks
Commentary welcomed. Hate mail tolerated.
H. Rourke
Friday, 22 June 2012
3 Songs: Something For Kate vs. Operator Please vs. The Kinks
Well, no response to the first attempt, so my logic states that the obvious next step is to do it all over again.
Song #1: Electricity by Something For Kate (Beautiful Sharks, 1999, Track 4)
Now, this track (for context) is taken off the Triple J Hottest 100 CD from 1999. Sadly, I've never listened to a full Something For Kate album, let alone owned one. I have, however, listened repeatedly to the solo release by the lead singer, Paul Dempsey, who I still regard as one of the best male vocalists in Australia at the moment. Now, the song.
To be perfectly honest, this is not my kind of music. If this had not been on a compilation CD, I probably never would have listened to it. The actual music is a little to loud and repetitive for my usual tastes, but this might just be the oddly mournful tone. I'm not completely sure whether this is the vocals of Dempsey or the music itself, but it just seems such a sad song.
The vocals are definitely the pulling point of the song, although this really isn't Dempsey's forte in my opinion. He does a good job of what he's given, managing to put strength and emotion into a song which could easily lack it.
The lyrics here are interesting. The title and only lyric in the chorus is a strange concept, especially in a sad song. Electricity can have many connotations, and I've read some interesting interpretations of the meaning of this song. The concept of this song being about a "greener" world is one which stuck out. I understand the train of thought, but I don't agree with the end conclusion. Another good one was the theory that SFK is complaining about the speed at which society operates, and I think this is getting closer. My theory is that SFK is discussing the world being distant from them, attempting to put into word the way in which the world operates, eventually using the metaphor of electricity, a modern cornerstone, something that can be found all over modern society. But I'm pretty sure any theory can be made from it.
Song #2: Zero! Zero! by Operator Please (Yes Yes Vindictive, 2007, Track 1)
Well, the previous three songs I looked at were from Las Vegas, Chapel Hill and New York City, so it seems fitting that so far both artists on this list are Aussies, SFK originating in Melbourne and Operator Please originating in the Gold Coast. Now, I don't know much about Operator Please, besides the fact they produced an annoying little ear-worm named "Just A Song About Ping-Pong", which received a lot of hatred, most of which I feel is undeserved. Yes, its rather silly, but the song is harmless enough. I have a serious problem with Operator Please: I keep confusing them with Architecture In Helsinki. And that, in short, is how I ended up possessing an album of theirs. It was only $2, so I feel like I came out on top, as the album is not nearly as bad as I feared. But a review of the entire album can wait for another day. "Zero! Zero!" was not released as a single, and outside of the fan-base of Operator Please, I doubt anyone would be familiar with it.
Music first. The one thing I must note is the inclusion of violin. It's good to know that the group is at the very least attempting to make themselves stand out from the pop masses. The song has a feeling of tension and suspense, as if it's leading up to a much larger event. This makes it a great choice for the first track on the album, as it makes the rest of the album seem like it is important, and the band is trying to stress the importance of hearing it. The violin, again, is possibly the most obvious cause of this.
The vocal. One thing that I enjoy about Operator Please is the fact that they have a female vocalist, which is unfortunately a minority in my music. I certainly have music by a large group of solo female artists (Washington, Sia, Bertie Blackman, etc.) but not many female artists front the groups I listen to (with the only exception that leaps to mind being Killing Heidi. Or possibly The Herd, as Ozi Batla and Urthboy aren't exactly vocalists. That really might be it. Shame). What threw me at first upon hearing this group is the style of the vocalist. Her actual voice is much more typical of pop-divas rather than members of bands. This is far from an insult, rather an observation of how the group is avoiding compartmentalisation, which I respect. The vocals suit the music is the best way I can summarise this. The harsh, confident vocals of Amandah Wilkinson contrast with the jumpy and skittish violin, again giving this impression of suspense, leading up to something.
Most importantly, the lyrics. What can I say? This is a tricky one to translate, and I may be completely off in my logic. Upon a cursory google, I couldn't find much about it other than repetition of the lyrics. My Internet is kind of shite in my new apartment, so I can't really look at any interviews or the like unfortunately. Anyway, my translation is that this song is about the end of a "honeymoon" period in a relationship, in which one member is finding too much out about their partner, with their opinion of them sinking lower and lower, eventually making them a "zero" in the eyes of the narrator. Interesting, but probably open to a fair deal of interpretation. The one thing I must note, once more, is the tension and build up in this tune, shown in the lyrics by phrases often being repeated, shouted the second time, as if to stress the point the singer is making.
Overall, "Zero! Zero!" is interesting, using unusual instruments and vocals to convey, if noting else, how different the are.
Song #3: Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks (Something Else by The Kinks, 1967, Track 13)
OK, this could be a tricky song to navigate. If I had any readers, I'd be scared of backlash. Ah, the joys of writing to myself. Now, I obtained this track fro a "Best Of" CD, as the complete discography of The Kinks was going over 3GB. Something about this song reminded me of a book I finished the other day, "31 Songs" by Nick Hornby, in which Hornby looks at 31 songs and 14 albums. Incredibly entertaining. I can't recommend it enough. The song reminded me of a comment made in the book, which is basically Hornby claiming there are very few truly British songs.I honestly have no idea if this can be considered true or not, as I am neither British nor have I ever travelled there, but this song is about as British as I can imagine music safely getting.
Now, the music first. To be perfectly honest, this music doesn't do that much for me. From what I've read, it was new and fascinating upon its release, but the novelty hasn't aged well. Many people have even gone so far to state this as their favourite song, and I just don't get it. Out of The Kinks discography, "Sunny Afternoon" and "Apeman" are miles ahead musically. Lyrically, though, I do understand it a bit more, but I'll get to the lyrics soon.There's guitar, as much of a surprise that is. The opening of this song keeps reminding me of "Asshole" by Dennis Leary, and that is one subliminal connection I do NOT want to be making. Gentle, soothing, quiet... I can't imagine anyone on earth being offended by this sort of music. Again, I have nothing against it, and I certainly understand the role of slower, calmer music in every play-list, but I have difficulty understanding why people adore this song. Good? Certainly. Great? Yeah, I'd go that far. Fantastic? Not quite.
Vocals. Slow, gentle, confident: 1950-1970 British band starting with "The" kind of singing. The singer clearly does understand what this song is about, and manages to drag out every note that needs emphasis. It fits perfectly.
Lyrics. Certainly the highpoint of this song. I can't recall if I've discussed this before in my bloggings, but I divide music into two types: Narrative and Poetic. Although there are mentions of a couple meeting up a few times, there is hardly a story there. This song is certainly poetic, describing London as seen from the narrator's window. Clearly he is a very honest individual, who loves the view. The opening line describes a "Dirty old river" as if it is an old friend, both in lyrics and in vocal tone. I can clearly see the love and passion expressed through this song, and there is no reason to write it off as "old" or "dull". There is plenty to be viewed if you just give the song a good listen or two.
Winners:
Commentary: To be perfectly honest, the calibre of these songs is completely dwarfed by the previous 3 songs. There is just no way on earth Something For Kate and Operator Please can compete with The Killers and Ben Folds (I honestly don't know who would win between The Kinks and Jonathan Coulton. It would all depend on which songs were being compared. Perhaps another time). But that is not what is being discussed here. The three songs also manage to cover a span of 40 years. That's really crazy, in regards to the kind of music I listen to. Anyway, the winners.
First Category: Music
I'm going to go with "Electricity" for this one. I think my mood is the most reflected here, as I'm not angry enough for "Zero! Zero!" or sentimental enough for "Waterloo Sunset". I'm not depressed enough for "Electricity" either, but it seems the easiest to get into of the three. "Zero! Zero!" is the runner-up.
Second Category: Vocals
Without a doubt, Dempsey is the winner. Although "Electricity" is completely the wrong sort of song for a voice like his, his talent still shines through. The understanding of the subject is clear in "Waterloo Sunset", so it's the runner-up.
Third Category: Lyrics
Dear God, this is a tough one to choose between. Abstract lyrics or clearly descriptive lyrics? Really, this is down to my personal choice, but really either could win. "Zero! Zero!" is just too vague, so is an obvious last, but I also find "Electricity" a touch too vague as well, so I'm giving the victory in this one to "Waterloo Sunset", with "Electricity" as the runner-up
Overall:
1. "Electricity" by Something For Kate
2. "Waterloo Sunset" by The Kinks
3. "Zero! Zero!" by Operator Please
This was much harder than the previous comparison. Really, with the exception of "Waterloo Sunset" in the first category, an argument could be made for any song in any position. Again, commentary is welcomed.
H. Rourke
Song #1: Electricity by Something For Kate (Beautiful Sharks, 1999, Track 4)
Now, this track (for context) is taken off the Triple J Hottest 100 CD from 1999. Sadly, I've never listened to a full Something For Kate album, let alone owned one. I have, however, listened repeatedly to the solo release by the lead singer, Paul Dempsey, who I still regard as one of the best male vocalists in Australia at the moment. Now, the song.
To be perfectly honest, this is not my kind of music. If this had not been on a compilation CD, I probably never would have listened to it. The actual music is a little to loud and repetitive for my usual tastes, but this might just be the oddly mournful tone. I'm not completely sure whether this is the vocals of Dempsey or the music itself, but it just seems such a sad song.
The vocals are definitely the pulling point of the song, although this really isn't Dempsey's forte in my opinion. He does a good job of what he's given, managing to put strength and emotion into a song which could easily lack it.
The lyrics here are interesting. The title and only lyric in the chorus is a strange concept, especially in a sad song. Electricity can have many connotations, and I've read some interesting interpretations of the meaning of this song. The concept of this song being about a "greener" world is one which stuck out. I understand the train of thought, but I don't agree with the end conclusion. Another good one was the theory that SFK is complaining about the speed at which society operates, and I think this is getting closer. My theory is that SFK is discussing the world being distant from them, attempting to put into word the way in which the world operates, eventually using the metaphor of electricity, a modern cornerstone, something that can be found all over modern society. But I'm pretty sure any theory can be made from it.
Song #2: Zero! Zero! by Operator Please (Yes Yes Vindictive, 2007, Track 1)
Well, the previous three songs I looked at were from Las Vegas, Chapel Hill and New York City, so it seems fitting that so far both artists on this list are Aussies, SFK originating in Melbourne and Operator Please originating in the Gold Coast. Now, I don't know much about Operator Please, besides the fact they produced an annoying little ear-worm named "Just A Song About Ping-Pong", which received a lot of hatred, most of which I feel is undeserved. Yes, its rather silly, but the song is harmless enough. I have a serious problem with Operator Please: I keep confusing them with Architecture In Helsinki. And that, in short, is how I ended up possessing an album of theirs. It was only $2, so I feel like I came out on top, as the album is not nearly as bad as I feared. But a review of the entire album can wait for another day. "Zero! Zero!" was not released as a single, and outside of the fan-base of Operator Please, I doubt anyone would be familiar with it.
Music first. The one thing I must note is the inclusion of violin. It's good to know that the group is at the very least attempting to make themselves stand out from the pop masses. The song has a feeling of tension and suspense, as if it's leading up to a much larger event. This makes it a great choice for the first track on the album, as it makes the rest of the album seem like it is important, and the band is trying to stress the importance of hearing it. The violin, again, is possibly the most obvious cause of this.
The vocal. One thing that I enjoy about Operator Please is the fact that they have a female vocalist, which is unfortunately a minority in my music. I certainly have music by a large group of solo female artists (Washington, Sia, Bertie Blackman, etc.) but not many female artists front the groups I listen to (with the only exception that leaps to mind being Killing Heidi. Or possibly The Herd, as Ozi Batla and Urthboy aren't exactly vocalists. That really might be it. Shame). What threw me at first upon hearing this group is the style of the vocalist. Her actual voice is much more typical of pop-divas rather than members of bands. This is far from an insult, rather an observation of how the group is avoiding compartmentalisation, which I respect. The vocals suit the music is the best way I can summarise this. The harsh, confident vocals of Amandah Wilkinson contrast with the jumpy and skittish violin, again giving this impression of suspense, leading up to something.
Most importantly, the lyrics. What can I say? This is a tricky one to translate, and I may be completely off in my logic. Upon a cursory google, I couldn't find much about it other than repetition of the lyrics. My Internet is kind of shite in my new apartment, so I can't really look at any interviews or the like unfortunately. Anyway, my translation is that this song is about the end of a "honeymoon" period in a relationship, in which one member is finding too much out about their partner, with their opinion of them sinking lower and lower, eventually making them a "zero" in the eyes of the narrator. Interesting, but probably open to a fair deal of interpretation. The one thing I must note, once more, is the tension and build up in this tune, shown in the lyrics by phrases often being repeated, shouted the second time, as if to stress the point the singer is making.
Overall, "Zero! Zero!" is interesting, using unusual instruments and vocals to convey, if noting else, how different the are.
Song #3: Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks (Something Else by The Kinks, 1967, Track 13)
OK, this could be a tricky song to navigate. If I had any readers, I'd be scared of backlash. Ah, the joys of writing to myself. Now, I obtained this track fro a "Best Of" CD, as the complete discography of The Kinks was going over 3GB. Something about this song reminded me of a book I finished the other day, "31 Songs" by Nick Hornby, in which Hornby looks at 31 songs and 14 albums. Incredibly entertaining. I can't recommend it enough. The song reminded me of a comment made in the book, which is basically Hornby claiming there are very few truly British songs.I honestly have no idea if this can be considered true or not, as I am neither British nor have I ever travelled there, but this song is about as British as I can imagine music safely getting.
Now, the music first. To be perfectly honest, this music doesn't do that much for me. From what I've read, it was new and fascinating upon its release, but the novelty hasn't aged well. Many people have even gone so far to state this as their favourite song, and I just don't get it. Out of The Kinks discography, "Sunny Afternoon" and "Apeman" are miles ahead musically. Lyrically, though, I do understand it a bit more, but I'll get to the lyrics soon.There's guitar, as much of a surprise that is. The opening of this song keeps reminding me of "Asshole" by Dennis Leary, and that is one subliminal connection I do NOT want to be making. Gentle, soothing, quiet... I can't imagine anyone on earth being offended by this sort of music. Again, I have nothing against it, and I certainly understand the role of slower, calmer music in every play-list, but I have difficulty understanding why people adore this song. Good? Certainly. Great? Yeah, I'd go that far. Fantastic? Not quite.
Vocals. Slow, gentle, confident: 1950-1970 British band starting with "The" kind of singing. The singer clearly does understand what this song is about, and manages to drag out every note that needs emphasis. It fits perfectly.
Lyrics. Certainly the highpoint of this song. I can't recall if I've discussed this before in my bloggings, but I divide music into two types: Narrative and Poetic. Although there are mentions of a couple meeting up a few times, there is hardly a story there. This song is certainly poetic, describing London as seen from the narrator's window. Clearly he is a very honest individual, who loves the view. The opening line describes a "Dirty old river" as if it is an old friend, both in lyrics and in vocal tone. I can clearly see the love and passion expressed through this song, and there is no reason to write it off as "old" or "dull". There is plenty to be viewed if you just give the song a good listen or two.
Winners:
Commentary: To be perfectly honest, the calibre of these songs is completely dwarfed by the previous 3 songs. There is just no way on earth Something For Kate and Operator Please can compete with The Killers and Ben Folds (I honestly don't know who would win between The Kinks and Jonathan Coulton. It would all depend on which songs were being compared. Perhaps another time). But that is not what is being discussed here. The three songs also manage to cover a span of 40 years. That's really crazy, in regards to the kind of music I listen to. Anyway, the winners.
First Category: Music
I'm going to go with "Electricity" for this one. I think my mood is the most reflected here, as I'm not angry enough for "Zero! Zero!" or sentimental enough for "Waterloo Sunset". I'm not depressed enough for "Electricity" either, but it seems the easiest to get into of the three. "Zero! Zero!" is the runner-up.
Second Category: Vocals
Without a doubt, Dempsey is the winner. Although "Electricity" is completely the wrong sort of song for a voice like his, his talent still shines through. The understanding of the subject is clear in "Waterloo Sunset", so it's the runner-up.
Third Category: Lyrics
Dear God, this is a tough one to choose between. Abstract lyrics or clearly descriptive lyrics? Really, this is down to my personal choice, but really either could win. "Zero! Zero!" is just too vague, so is an obvious last, but I also find "Electricity" a touch too vague as well, so I'm giving the victory in this one to "Waterloo Sunset", with "Electricity" as the runner-up
Overall:
1. "Electricity" by Something For Kate
2. "Waterloo Sunset" by The Kinks
3. "Zero! Zero!" by Operator Please
This was much harder than the previous comparison. Really, with the exception of "Waterloo Sunset" in the first category, an argument could be made for any song in any position. Again, commentary is welcomed.
H. Rourke
Thursday, 21 June 2012
3 Songs: The Killers vs. Ben Folds vs. Jonathan Coulton
Now, this is going to be the first of my attempts to discuss three random songs from my MP3 player and discuss tune, melody, mood, lyrics, meaning and probably other things. Overall, I want to be able to take all three songs, show what the weaknesses of each are as well as the strengths and finally pick a favourite. Now, there are a lot of covers on this little device (my, my, Mr Folds sure does like a cover) and in the case of a cover, both the cover and the original will be discussed. Now, onwards!
Song #1: Bling (Confessions of a King) by The Killers (Sam's Town, 2006, Track 4)
The actual sound of this song is very different. The music at the beginning of the song reminds me of the music from old Pokemon games, where you're going through creepy old corridors, and even then the music was trying to freak you out with strange, wavering notes. I can honestly say I would never think of using such a thing in music.This effect is soon drowned out by the guitar kicking in, but you can still hear it in the background, adding to the overall effect. From this point on, the actual music is the same for the rest of the song, with the addition of a ...something... during the chorus. Seriously, I have no god-damn idea what that sound is.
Now, vocals.Just for a short piece of background: Sam's Town was my first real introduction to The Killers. Sure, I'd heard their hits, but that really means nothing in the long run. I had seen Sam's Town in the discount bin and eventually just took a leap of faith and bought it. It still ranks in my top five smartest buys at that shop, and I have bought many, many dozens of CD's there. Now, I have the complete Killers discography on this MP3, so I have heard a lot of the stuff they have made, but nothing really matches the feeling of getting home and listening to a CD from beginning to end like I did with Sam's Town. Anyway, back to the song. Yes, that was almost completely out of the blue. Vocals. Apparently Sam's Town was a real "back to basics" in regards to vocals,as the previous album had been a lot of auto-tune. This style of vocals falls under my category of "Jarring but good", which was very popular in Brit-pop. I honestly would class The Killers as Brit-pop if they were not American. Really, the certainly sound Pommie enough. There are some great usages of backing vocals, used very sparingly, but this creates great effect, as you know exactly where the singer wants us to focus.
Now, lyrics. I could make neither heads nor tails of these lyrics when I heard them for the first few times.From the name of the song, you sort of expect something along the lines of "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay, but instead you get something very different. Now, the lyrics are supposedly based on the father of the lead singer's alcoholism.Looking at the lyrics knowing that, it makes a hell of a lot more sense. It seems to be from two points of view, that of the son and the father, the son trying to help the father but the father sees his downfall as inevitable, and indeed, he hits rock bottom (apparently with an audible "huh"). He manages to get back up, however. Now, the genius of the song can be seen in the last verses, in which the repeated line is "We'll get higher and higher". Now, this completely changes the conclusion of the song depending on who the narrator is. If it is the son, he is deluding himself in thinking his father is okay, or else is bidding farewell as he has died. If it is the father, however, clearly he has made a recovery with the assistance of the son. Even if I have viewed it completely incorrectly, I prefer it that way.
Now, I'm not going to give this an overall score. I'm going to compare it to the other songs at the end.
Song #2 You've Got To Learn To Live With What You Are by Ben Folds (Sunny 16 (EP), 2003, Track 2)
Well, I do like a song that has a pretty bloody upfront meaning. Firstly, though, the music. This is one of Folds' slower songs to start off with. Actually, only the singing is slow. The piano is going at the usual pace. This song is very reminiscent of "There's Always Someone Cooler Than You", possibly due to the fact both songs are off of the same EP. Piano and singing. I must say, this song is a pretty good summation of Ben Folds solo work. There are many songs better than this one, but also a few worse, so this song is a good medium.
Vocals are Ben Folds at his Ben Foldsiest. Just look at any of my Folds reviews to find out what that is. Although, I must say the vocals are far slower and more sentimental in this track than in most others, so this might be not quite the Ben Foldsiest he has ever been.
Lyrics. What can I say? The title said almost everything. The song is seemingly just about an individual who is obsessed with getting and becoming more, with Folds attempting to make them understand that they really have to just take what they have and live with it. The interesting thing about this song is that Folds at one point states that "There's never going to be a moment of truth for you." Despite this, the entire song is about Folds trying to tell them to change. If he already knows its not going to happen, why bother? I'll throw a little unasked for context here too. Sadly, I don't own a physical copy of Sunny 16, or any Ben Folds EPs for that matter, so I only have the downloaded version of it, although it may have appeared on the Best Imitation Of Myself retrospective. Overall, with this song, it really would be improved by Folds having talked about the story behind it and I'm certain there is one. Sadly, this song is somewhat obscure, so no-one has really asked much about it.
#3 The Future Soon by Jonathan Coulton (Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow (EP), 2004, Track 1)
Now,I've talked about Coulton before, but only a little.The thing to be respected about Coulton is that he is definitely a musician first and a comedian second. This isn't to say that he is less funny than say Flight of the Concords or Weird Al, but it is to say his music is much better. I'm sorry, but the goal of the other two artists is to be funny. Music just happens to be the message they use to get it across. Coulton makes music, and just happens to throw a funny message in there. Now the music in "The Future Soon" is fantastic, with reliance on guitars and backing vocals, with drums kicking in here and there. There is also a strange beeping at the end of the song. I suppose it ties in, but I still see it as an odd inclusive choice.
Now, vocals. As previously stated, backing vocals are used really well. Now, I don't know if its the music or the vocals, but this is without a doubt the catchiest of the three songs so far, especially with the chorus. Coulton has a fantastic voice, and although he doesn't demonstrate the range he is capable of in this particular song, you can sort of tell what he can do.
Now, the most important part, the lyrics. The actual song tells the story of a nerd who embarrasses himself in front of a girl he likes, escaping his shame and her pity by repeating the line "It's going to be the future soon". He then retells how he's going to work as a scientist, designing a robot army to invade the world and turning himself into a cyborg. Finally, he concludes the song by attempting to kidnap and marry the very same girl who he embarrassed himself to at the beginning of the song. Now, that's all well and good, but consider the themes here. Social awkwardness, desperation to be different, attempting to forget, having something to make you special. I think this song reveals a hell of a lot more than Coulton intended.
The Winners:
First Category: Music
The winner here is without a doubt "The Future Soon" by Jonathan Coulton. It is just one of the catchiest songs I've heard in a long time. "Bling" is the runner-up.
Second Category: Vocals
Again, "The Future Soon" by Jonathan Coulton. He just has so much confidence and charisma, singing like it's second nature. "You've Got to Learn to Live With What You Are" by Ben Folds is the runner-up.
Third Category: Lyrics
A tie between "The Future Soon" and "Bling". Coulton is upfront with what he's discussing and the themes he discusses are clear and interesting. The Killers, however, rely on symbolism, abstract thought and varying perspective, both tactics being interesting and certainly worth a few listens. Ben Folds just puts everything on the table, but there really isn't much there. I adore the work of Folds, but this is just so very far from his best.
Overall:
1. "The Future Soon" by Jonathan Coulton
2. "Bling (Confessions Of A King)" by The Killers
3. "You've Got To learn To Live With What You Are" by Ben Folds
Please, listen to all three and give me your impressions or just one or two of them. Also, please give your input if you'd rather album reviews or something discussed in options.
H. Rourke
Song #1: Bling (Confessions of a King) by The Killers (Sam's Town, 2006, Track 4)
The actual sound of this song is very different. The music at the beginning of the song reminds me of the music from old Pokemon games, where you're going through creepy old corridors, and even then the music was trying to freak you out with strange, wavering notes. I can honestly say I would never think of using such a thing in music.This effect is soon drowned out by the guitar kicking in, but you can still hear it in the background, adding to the overall effect. From this point on, the actual music is the same for the rest of the song, with the addition of a ...something... during the chorus. Seriously, I have no god-damn idea what that sound is.
Now, vocals.Just for a short piece of background: Sam's Town was my first real introduction to The Killers. Sure, I'd heard their hits, but that really means nothing in the long run. I had seen Sam's Town in the discount bin and eventually just took a leap of faith and bought it. It still ranks in my top five smartest buys at that shop, and I have bought many, many dozens of CD's there. Now, I have the complete Killers discography on this MP3, so I have heard a lot of the stuff they have made, but nothing really matches the feeling of getting home and listening to a CD from beginning to end like I did with Sam's Town. Anyway, back to the song. Yes, that was almost completely out of the blue. Vocals. Apparently Sam's Town was a real "back to basics" in regards to vocals,as the previous album had been a lot of auto-tune. This style of vocals falls under my category of "Jarring but good", which was very popular in Brit-pop. I honestly would class The Killers as Brit-pop if they were not American. Really, the certainly sound Pommie enough. There are some great usages of backing vocals, used very sparingly, but this creates great effect, as you know exactly where the singer wants us to focus.
Now, lyrics. I could make neither heads nor tails of these lyrics when I heard them for the first few times.From the name of the song, you sort of expect something along the lines of "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay, but instead you get something very different. Now, the lyrics are supposedly based on the father of the lead singer's alcoholism.Looking at the lyrics knowing that, it makes a hell of a lot more sense. It seems to be from two points of view, that of the son and the father, the son trying to help the father but the father sees his downfall as inevitable, and indeed, he hits rock bottom (apparently with an audible "huh"). He manages to get back up, however. Now, the genius of the song can be seen in the last verses, in which the repeated line is "We'll get higher and higher". Now, this completely changes the conclusion of the song depending on who the narrator is. If it is the son, he is deluding himself in thinking his father is okay, or else is bidding farewell as he has died. If it is the father, however, clearly he has made a recovery with the assistance of the son. Even if I have viewed it completely incorrectly, I prefer it that way.
Now, I'm not going to give this an overall score. I'm going to compare it to the other songs at the end.
Song #2 You've Got To Learn To Live With What You Are by Ben Folds (Sunny 16 (EP), 2003, Track 2)
Well, I do like a song that has a pretty bloody upfront meaning. Firstly, though, the music. This is one of Folds' slower songs to start off with. Actually, only the singing is slow. The piano is going at the usual pace. This song is very reminiscent of "There's Always Someone Cooler Than You", possibly due to the fact both songs are off of the same EP. Piano and singing. I must say, this song is a pretty good summation of Ben Folds solo work. There are many songs better than this one, but also a few worse, so this song is a good medium.
Vocals are Ben Folds at his Ben Foldsiest. Just look at any of my Folds reviews to find out what that is. Although, I must say the vocals are far slower and more sentimental in this track than in most others, so this might be not quite the Ben Foldsiest he has ever been.
Lyrics. What can I say? The title said almost everything. The song is seemingly just about an individual who is obsessed with getting and becoming more, with Folds attempting to make them understand that they really have to just take what they have and live with it. The interesting thing about this song is that Folds at one point states that "There's never going to be a moment of truth for you." Despite this, the entire song is about Folds trying to tell them to change. If he already knows its not going to happen, why bother? I'll throw a little unasked for context here too. Sadly, I don't own a physical copy of Sunny 16, or any Ben Folds EPs for that matter, so I only have the downloaded version of it, although it may have appeared on the Best Imitation Of Myself retrospective. Overall, with this song, it really would be improved by Folds having talked about the story behind it and I'm certain there is one. Sadly, this song is somewhat obscure, so no-one has really asked much about it.
#3 The Future Soon by Jonathan Coulton (Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow (EP), 2004, Track 1)
Now,I've talked about Coulton before, but only a little.The thing to be respected about Coulton is that he is definitely a musician first and a comedian second. This isn't to say that he is less funny than say Flight of the Concords or Weird Al, but it is to say his music is much better. I'm sorry, but the goal of the other two artists is to be funny. Music just happens to be the message they use to get it across. Coulton makes music, and just happens to throw a funny message in there. Now the music in "The Future Soon" is fantastic, with reliance on guitars and backing vocals, with drums kicking in here and there. There is also a strange beeping at the end of the song. I suppose it ties in, but I still see it as an odd inclusive choice.
Now, vocals. As previously stated, backing vocals are used really well. Now, I don't know if its the music or the vocals, but this is without a doubt the catchiest of the three songs so far, especially with the chorus. Coulton has a fantastic voice, and although he doesn't demonstrate the range he is capable of in this particular song, you can sort of tell what he can do.
Now, the most important part, the lyrics. The actual song tells the story of a nerd who embarrasses himself in front of a girl he likes, escaping his shame and her pity by repeating the line "It's going to be the future soon". He then retells how he's going to work as a scientist, designing a robot army to invade the world and turning himself into a cyborg. Finally, he concludes the song by attempting to kidnap and marry the very same girl who he embarrassed himself to at the beginning of the song. Now, that's all well and good, but consider the themes here. Social awkwardness, desperation to be different, attempting to forget, having something to make you special. I think this song reveals a hell of a lot more than Coulton intended.
The Winners:
First Category: Music
The winner here is without a doubt "The Future Soon" by Jonathan Coulton. It is just one of the catchiest songs I've heard in a long time. "Bling" is the runner-up.
Second Category: Vocals
Again, "The Future Soon" by Jonathan Coulton. He just has so much confidence and charisma, singing like it's second nature. "You've Got to Learn to Live With What You Are" by Ben Folds is the runner-up.
Third Category: Lyrics
A tie between "The Future Soon" and "Bling". Coulton is upfront with what he's discussing and the themes he discusses are clear and interesting. The Killers, however, rely on symbolism, abstract thought and varying perspective, both tactics being interesting and certainly worth a few listens. Ben Folds just puts everything on the table, but there really isn't much there. I adore the work of Folds, but this is just so very far from his best.
Overall:
1. "The Future Soon" by Jonathan Coulton
2. "Bling (Confessions Of A King)" by The Killers
3. "You've Got To learn To Live With What You Are" by Ben Folds
Please, listen to all three and give me your impressions or just one or two of them. Also, please give your input if you'd rather album reviews or something discussed in options.
H. Rourke
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Options
Well, I've suddenly got much more free time than I'm used to, so I'm going to attempt to do a post a day, and I want to know what you want. Requests are accepted as usual, but I'm asking what my small, small, small audience would like to read:
1. Album review.
Y'know. That thing I always do? Look at "'Palookaville' by Fatboy Slim" for an example.
2. List of 10.
I've done a few of these. Look at my list of great songs from the 2000's for an example.
3. Rant.
Example: "A Book"
4. 1 Song
Example: "77%"
5. 3 Random Songs
MP3 Player shuffle button. That's it.
6. A Look at an Artist
That's it.
7. ????
Any ideas?
H. Rourke
1. Album review.
Y'know. That thing I always do? Look at "'Palookaville' by Fatboy Slim" for an example.
2. List of 10.
I've done a few of these. Look at my list of great songs from the 2000's for an example.
3. Rant.
Example: "A Book"
4. 1 Song
Example: "77%"
5. 3 Random Songs
MP3 Player shuffle button. That's it.
6. A Look at an Artist
That's it.
7. ????
Any ideas?
H. Rourke
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Moving to the Music
Well, I haven't even looked at this blog for over a month, but I have a slightly more legitimate reason for this delay than just "I'm Lazy". Slightly. That reason is that I have been both drowning in work and moving. That is one hell of an unpleasant time-killer cocktail.
I will finish the previous post...eventually. But in the meanwhile, let me explain the six songs that represent moving this time. Why, yes,I have been reading Nick Hornby lately. Why do you ask?
1.One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces by Ben Folds Five (1997)
Well, this song was the last playing as I walked the last exact same way home. The actual song is one of Ben Folds classics, and although it did not get the popularity it deserved it is certainly one of the greats in my mind. the actual song is about a man who is angry with a group of people who teased him in school, claiming he is now wealthy and powerful, while I think it is pretty obvious he's full of it. In the liner notes from Ben Folds' retrospective album, he calls it something like the song to sing when you have a group of school bullies tied up in your basement.Honestly, the guy in the song sounds like he's about to do that. What relevance does this have to moving? None!
2. House by Ben Folds Five (2011)
Okay, this one is the most obvious moving song I have ever heard, and it just happened to be the last song I heard on the last night in my old house. That is just fate or something more reasonable, yet akin to it. The actual song is just about a terrible experience in a house, and how the narrator is sick and tired of it, refusing to ever go back in again. This song was one of the tracks newly recorded for Ben Folds retrospective CD last year, in which BFF reunited, and are now planning on releasing a new album. My theory on the song is that nothing that affected the narrator actually occurred in the house. He just had a terrible period of his life, and decided that the house was the only constant in his misery. This ties a lot back to my personal perspective. Even if a song is completely unrelated to an event, I will associate the two anyway, as long as they occurred at the same time.
3. Dead End Street by The Kinks (1966)
This is pretty much an anti-moving song, but it is still the song I first heard upon putting a earbud in my ear the morning of moving day. I think The Kinks are far too rarely heard of, when a lot of their messages are still very relevant. Also, Sunny Afternoon is one of the greatest songs of all time. Anyway, the first line is perfect, as there was a crack in the corner of my bedroom ceiling that was driving me fucking crazy over the previous three years
4. Ikea by Jonathan Coulton (2003)
Now, I'm a recent fan of Coulton, thus why he is previously unmentioned on this blog. If anyone is interested, This is the episode of Nash's Musical Chair which introduced him to me, despite the fact I had already heard "RE: Your Brains", his cover of "Baby Got Back" and "Creepy Doll", but I hadn't investigated further. For those who don't know, think Weird Al, but his own, better, music, a better voice and wittier.The song is basically making fun of Ikea and their customers, but I do like the idea of naming furniture. I do that myself, as it runs in the family. Presently, I'm writing on a laptop named "Thomas". This was the song playing as I finished helping throw the last of the crap into the truck. Yeah, a small feeling of success at getting half-way is good.
5. Underground by Ben Folds Five (1995)
Noticing a trend in the music I listen to? Yeah, me neither. Ben Folds fantastic derision filled look at "alternative" groups. This was playing upon first entering the new apartment with belongings in tow, which is always when you start looking at the house in a completely different light.If you were deluded with a picturesque home with space and natural lighting, this is when the vicious reality takes hold. Luckily, I thought the place looked incredibly small previously, so things changed for the positive.
6. Wandering by Ben Folds (2003)
I was really hoping to have some uber obscure song in this list, such as one of the "Fear of Pop" songs (a BFF side-project) I tracked down, or some cover no-one's ever heard of. Why? I'm a music snob. If you think anyone who isn't a music snob would have a blog dedicated to their opinion of music, you need help. This song is as close as I come. "Wandering" is taken from the 2003 EP "Speed Graphic" (the cover of which is my desktop background for my other laptop. His name is Maximilian, by the way). The actual song is about a relationship ending. A Ben Folds song about relationships?! How novel! Anyway, this is the big one. This is the first song heard as I sank into the couch upon moving everything in. This is probably the song I'll remember for the apartment.
H. Rourke
P.S. For anyone who's interested, the previous three residences are:
"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
"Chase That Feeling" by the Hilltop Hoods
"Fire" by Kasabian
I will finish the previous post...eventually. But in the meanwhile, let me explain the six songs that represent moving this time. Why, yes,I have been reading Nick Hornby lately. Why do you ask?
1.One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces by Ben Folds Five (1997)
Well, this song was the last playing as I walked the last exact same way home. The actual song is one of Ben Folds classics, and although it did not get the popularity it deserved it is certainly one of the greats in my mind. the actual song is about a man who is angry with a group of people who teased him in school, claiming he is now wealthy and powerful, while I think it is pretty obvious he's full of it. In the liner notes from Ben Folds' retrospective album, he calls it something like the song to sing when you have a group of school bullies tied up in your basement.Honestly, the guy in the song sounds like he's about to do that. What relevance does this have to moving? None!
2. House by Ben Folds Five (2011)
Okay, this one is the most obvious moving song I have ever heard, and it just happened to be the last song I heard on the last night in my old house. That is just fate or something more reasonable, yet akin to it. The actual song is just about a terrible experience in a house, and how the narrator is sick and tired of it, refusing to ever go back in again. This song was one of the tracks newly recorded for Ben Folds retrospective CD last year, in which BFF reunited, and are now planning on releasing a new album. My theory on the song is that nothing that affected the narrator actually occurred in the house. He just had a terrible period of his life, and decided that the house was the only constant in his misery. This ties a lot back to my personal perspective. Even if a song is completely unrelated to an event, I will associate the two anyway, as long as they occurred at the same time.
3. Dead End Street by The Kinks (1966)
This is pretty much an anti-moving song, but it is still the song I first heard upon putting a earbud in my ear the morning of moving day. I think The Kinks are far too rarely heard of, when a lot of their messages are still very relevant. Also, Sunny Afternoon is one of the greatest songs of all time. Anyway, the first line is perfect, as there was a crack in the corner of my bedroom ceiling that was driving me fucking crazy over the previous three years
4. Ikea by Jonathan Coulton (2003)
Now, I'm a recent fan of Coulton, thus why he is previously unmentioned on this blog. If anyone is interested, This is the episode of Nash's Musical Chair which introduced him to me, despite the fact I had already heard "RE: Your Brains", his cover of "Baby Got Back" and "Creepy Doll", but I hadn't investigated further. For those who don't know, think Weird Al, but his own, better, music, a better voice and wittier.The song is basically making fun of Ikea and their customers, but I do like the idea of naming furniture. I do that myself, as it runs in the family. Presently, I'm writing on a laptop named "Thomas". This was the song playing as I finished helping throw the last of the crap into the truck. Yeah, a small feeling of success at getting half-way is good.
5. Underground by Ben Folds Five (1995)
Noticing a trend in the music I listen to? Yeah, me neither. Ben Folds fantastic derision filled look at "alternative" groups. This was playing upon first entering the new apartment with belongings in tow, which is always when you start looking at the house in a completely different light.If you were deluded with a picturesque home with space and natural lighting, this is when the vicious reality takes hold. Luckily, I thought the place looked incredibly small previously, so things changed for the positive.
6. Wandering by Ben Folds (2003)
I was really hoping to have some uber obscure song in this list, such as one of the "Fear of Pop" songs (a BFF side-project) I tracked down, or some cover no-one's ever heard of. Why? I'm a music snob. If you think anyone who isn't a music snob would have a blog dedicated to their opinion of music, you need help. This song is as close as I come. "Wandering" is taken from the 2003 EP "Speed Graphic" (the cover of which is my desktop background for my other laptop. His name is Maximilian, by the way). The actual song is about a relationship ending. A Ben Folds song about relationships?! How novel! Anyway, this is the big one. This is the first song heard as I sank into the couch upon moving everything in. This is probably the song I'll remember for the apartment.
H. Rourke
P.S. For anyone who's interested, the previous three residences are:
"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
"Chase That Feeling" by the Hilltop Hoods
"Fire" by Kasabian
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