Well, a belated congratulations to myself upon reaching 50 posts. This is about the 53rd, but considering the amount of post apologising for not writing anything, it probably works out about right. Well, as you may have gleaned from the title, this is a return to 3 Songs format. Deal with it.
Song #1 The Return by The Hilltop Hoods (State Of The Art, 2009, Track 1)
My spelling is terrible. I hope this isn't obvious, as I spellcheck rather thoroughly after every post, but there are some situations in which my spelling gets frustrating. This is evident on my MP3 player. The computer I use to put songs on it doesn't have the internet, so I fill in every song myself. So far I have one song called "Wings Of An Angle" and a second named "Th Return". Anyway, actually looking at what I've looked at so far, besides "High Seas" by The Herd, there really hasn't been any hip-hop in the 3 Songs posts. Time to remedy that.
The music of this song creates quite an atmosphere. I can't say I'm aware of what tracks are being sampled throughout the song, but there is a slow, mysterious instrumental track that mainly is played throughout the beginning and end of the song, with the middle being more filled by a decent, but rather generic guitar track. There actually seems to be a male vocalist at some points, and I don't know which of the two tracks he's part of. This creates a feeling of mystery before and after the track, creating the impression that what featured throughout the track was passing and was not to be repeated.
As with most hip-hop, the vocal ability of the MC's is a good portion of the appeal. As always, the Hilltop Hoods. As I'll discuss a little more in the lyrics section, this track is a good way to open to the album. There is certainly a great deal of skill involved with everything the Hilltop Hoods are involved with, but that doesn't guarantee a fantastic song. This track has skill, good music and good lyrics, which reflects accurately on the album. Yes, there are some fantastic songs, such as "Parade Of The Dead", "Still Standing" and, of course, "Fifty In Five" (which is my favourite song of all time). At the same time, there are track like "Chris Farley" and "She's So Ugly", which although they have redeeming features, are far from good tracks. Skilful and experienced are the two words that describe the vocals of this song.
Although there is no overall narrative in this song, it brings a few connections to mind. Death seems to be a running theme in this album, or perhaps returning from the dead would be more accurate. Anyway, the entire point of this track is basically a drawn-out intro. This isn't to say it's lacking at any point, it just plays the same role. Many albums have short "skits" as intros, outros and interludes. This is most often done very poorly, with obvious exceptions. This was the first album by the Hilltop Hoods I heard, and the fact they didn't use those ridiculous skits earned them a lot of respect from my view. For an example of a poorly placed skit, look at "DJ Ballbreakers" from "Choose One" by 1200 Techniques. A fantastic album, overall, except for that one piece. Now, individual lyrics. I enjoy Aussie hip-hop because it doesn't go out of its way to alienate people, or outright offend them, like the majority of US rap seems to be trying to do. The Hilltop Hoods are a fantastic example of this. This entire song could have been used to list everyone the Hilltop Hoods think sucks, throw a few references to them committing felonies or objectifying women and they would sell well in the states. Instead, they use pop-culture references to show how they've changed, improved, and wish to perfect their art (thus the name of the album). Some lines, such as "The return of the motherfucking motherfuckers" seem pointless, gratuitous and overall just there for drunk twenty-year olds to loudly sing along with. I'm aware that I'm most likely either preaching to the converted or the unconvinced, but it was worth a try of spreading what I consider a fantastic genre of music from a country that really doesn't have many genres to call its own.
Song #2: Nothing That I'd Rather Do by Urthboy (The Signal, 2007, Track 2)
As soon as I say I haven't discussed much hip-hop yet, of course I need another track from the genre. I really hope the last song isn't something like The Kinks, or else this is going to be one hell of a weird marking system at the end. Urthboy, by the way, is a member of The Herd. Also worth mentioning is the participation of two other artists on this track: Hau (of Koolism) and Muphin ( of Muph & Plutonic).
Musically, this song is nothing outstanding. A simple, enjoyable, down to earth track that seems to base itself around a piano, drums and guitar track, with the occasional use of claps that really emphasise the simplicity and the unpretentious Urthboy seems to excel at. The music is very pushed to the back throughout the verses, seeming almost like an afterthought, but really takes off through the chorus.
In regards to the vocals, this track is fantastic. I know of no genre that has as many artists featuring on other artists tracks. This is because each artist brings their own style, lyrics and skills to the track. I adore both the groups, but if you swapped the guitarists from Franz Ferdinand and Kasabian, who would really notice? Unlike most genres, the vocalist is both supplying lyrics and using their vocals as the main instrument, as everything else falls back. Urthboy has simple, inoffensive style, emphasising the role of the past and the future in many of his tracks. I can't say I'm familiar with that much of Koolism's work ( despite the fact I share a city with them), but Hau seems to have a much more powerful voice, putting the flow of the lyrics over the actual content, although both are well thought out. Muph has a much smoother voice, seeming much calmer and relaxed. The combination of the three artists creates a memorable track.
In regards to the lyrics, the track has the common thread of discussing why the three MC's are rapping instead of following other dreams. First note: It took me a depressingly long time to find out what the reference to Laxman and Dravid was about. It's cricket. Fucking cricket. Honestly, Ozi Batla places much better references in his tracks, but I suppose that explains the variety or The Herd. There are actually a large amount of references to sport, as all three of the rappers seem to have wanted to be sportsmen at some point. All the references are surprisingly revealing and emotional, considering the genre, premise and artists. If I was given the artists, premise and era on paper, I would just expect the artists saying how awesome they are for nearly four minutes. I was pleasantly surprised. Also, bonus points for the Discman reference.
Song #3: Scots Of The Riverina by John Schumann & The Vagabond Crew (Lawson, 2005, Track 8)
Okay, before I go into how fucking hard it's going to be to compare this to the previous songs, I just want a moment to point out how damn awesome it is to finally have an all-Aussie 3 Songs. The Hilltop Hoods are from Adelaide, as is John Schumann, while Urthboy (or Tim Levinson) is from Sydney. Another name is worthy of mention here, but I'll get into that soon. Now, this comparison is going to be tricky. Schumann is a great musician, but it is going to be a bloody tricky job comparing this song to hip-hop. I beg your patience in understanding this one.
Musically, the song suits the lyrics for the most parts. When I explain the lyrics, which involve a man being killed in WWI, I would like for you to think, "Is an electric guitar solo really necessary here?" It just really does not match for me. The rest of the song is slow, gentle and I do like the use of a violin. That really does suit the mood of the song, and I'm not really one who makes many connotations for the placement of instruments. Aside from this, no real comment to make.
The vocals for this song are surprisingly good. I don't listen to Schumann for his voice, which is almost grating in some performances, but it really works here. I think the subject matter wouldn't be sufficiently covered by most of the musicians I listen to, but Schumann gives every note of music a feeling it is important and worth listening to (which is rather irritating in some songs with lighter tones). Now, Schumann is best known for the song "I Was Only 19", which was performed with the band Redgum. Anyway, the song is briefly broken up by the vocals of a woman, who I'm afraid I can't name. She presents a pleasant rest from Schumann, and her presence really makes the song.
Lyrically, I have little to complain about. Why? Because the lyrics are taken directly from a poem by the great Henry Lawson (thus the name of the album), the poem also being the name of the song. I'm not going to critique the poetry of Lawson. What right does Schumann have to translate his poetry to music? I'm of two minds. Firstly, it feels as if the song is taking all of its strength from the poem, almost stealing its power. This feels just plagiaristic. On the other hand, I'm sure Schumann is a fan, and what right do I have to say that he shouldn't have made the song. Anyway, the poem tells the story of a son who walks away from his family, who live in the Riverina (an area of New South Wales) around harvest-time, which is apparently unforgivable, the father refusing to speak of the boy again and takes the son's name from the family bible. The son promptly goes and gets himself killed when WWI comes along, and the father adds the boy's name to the family bible before dying himself. A fantastic piece of Australian bush poetry. What more can I say?
Winners:
First Category: Music:
This is a tricky one, as none of the songs are that good musically. Overall, I've got to give it to Urthboy, for keeping it simple and being the most appropriate to the subject matter, which I actually think is very important for any song. I've got to give the runner-up position to Schumann, as they try to give the poem some relevant sounds, while the Hilltop Hoods were just doing what they thought sounded cool.
Second Category: Vocals:
Okay, this is going to be tricky, but at least Schumann is out of the running for any position. I just don't like the man's voice, no matter what. Although Urthboy does some great things with the inclusion of two other big names in Aussie hip-hop, the Hilltop Hoods just do it better. There is no better way of putting it. They have a better flow, a snappier pace and sound much more professional. There is a reason a Hilltop Hoods song was once voted the best Australian song of all time. Not saying Urthboy hasn't excelled in his own right, but the song by song comparison just favoured the Hilltop Hoods.
Third Category: Lyrics:
I resent the position Schumann has put me in. Either give him credit for a poem superior to 99% of the work he will ever do (I'm so very much not going to compare "I Was Only 19" and anything by Lawson) or claim that Lawson's work is not as good as it is. I think my only choice is to award this one to Schumann, but resentfully. Second place goes to Urthboy, as although the Hilltop Hoods have clever wordplay and certainly talent, they don't actually have anything to say, as compared to a much more meaningful song by Urthboy.
Overall:
1. "Nothing That I'd Rather Do" by Urthboy
2. "The Return" by the Hilltop Hoods
3. "Scots Of The Riverina" by John Schumann And The Vagabond Crew
I'm perfectly aware that all three songs tied in the scoring, and the overall rankings are pretty random, but they reflect how I feel about the musicians more than anything. I really still do not know how to feel about a song of a poem, especially when it doesn't do it justice. At least it was a poem by an Australian, completing the All-Aussie theme. Feedback always welcome.
H. Rourke
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