During my eight weeks in the course American Vernacular Music I have learned a great deal of history and musical knowledge. This course has made me gain a deeper appreciation of listening to music and hearing the little details. I have learned a great deal about the different eras of music and have also found myself listening to more music from diverse eras.
Radiohead's "Bodysnatchers" is a song that takes a special taste to acquire. Radiohead is a mix between an alternate rock group, punk, and some heavy metal. As I said, this takes some getting use to and wanting to listen to it. For my own opinion, Radiohead was never a group that I listened to. They did not have a sound that I gravitated towards, but that is only my opinion. When listening to "Bodysnatchers" there are some items that stick out. First being the title. It can have the listener hooked or turned off depending on the person. There are plenty of individuals who judge before hearing anything. This band had a very strong presence of electrical instruments. They went three electric guitars deep. The album that "Bodysnatchers" is on is titled In Rainbows and is considered to be their gentle album. "Bodysnatchers" displays edginess and power, which reflects Radiohead's earlier days.
The opening of the song starts with a distorted guitar riff that is repetitive. The tuning of the guitar is very low. The words in this song are interesting in the fact that, "The song's lyric describes the alienation of a person incarcerated within his own body. Like an etherized yet conscious patient, the first-person subject of the song is confined within the limitations of his physical body, unable to connect directly to the world around him" (Starr & Waterman, 2014). Approximately half way through the song the instruments open up and tend to have a different sound and a guitar solo follows. Within, there is a great deal of distortion and reverb connected to guitars and vocals. The vocals are aggressive and the guitars reflect this also. As all of this culminates, it categorizes under contemporary alternative rock.
It has been a pleasure keeping a detailed listening log for American Vernacular Music. I hope everyone that has read this has enjoyed the writings and analysis of each of the songs that I have examined. As we say in music Fine!
Monday, December 7, 2015
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Week 7
In the 1980s there were many avenues that were explored, which one had not ventured to do too often. The music of the 80s is still popular amongst today's society. In "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Eurythmics, there is a big integration of different pieces of technology that were not used before. In this song, the synthesizer is heavily used and prominent throughout. One of the most interesting pieces of information about this group is that it is made up of two individuals, a key player and a singer. The entire song is made with vocals, drum machine, looper, and milk bottles...yes, milk bottles. The use of the synthesizer was used during the beginning of the 80s, as the new sound of synth-pop became defined. The advanced use of a looper and over-dubbing voices is what made this song interesting. The vocals were sung, harmonies, and back-ups were all performed by one person. The drum machine continued throughout, and the sense of feel with this piece was hypnotic. This new type of music at the time was transitioning into dance music for the time. There was a sense of the strong beats on two and four just as we continue to hear today and was from previous eras also. So, now I am going to fill you in on the milk bottle comment from earlier. During the chorus, there is a clinking sound, yes those are the milk bottles. These were just like wine glasses in the sense that you fill them with water to get different pitches, the same was done with these milk bottles for this song.
"When Doves Cry" by Prince is similar to "Sweet Dreams" in the fact that Prince wrote, produced, and performed "When Doves Cry" all by himself. He sang all the vocals, played all the instruments including electric guitar, synthesizer, and the drum machine. There is another connection, the both used synthesizers and drum machines! One instrument that Prince left out was the bass. Originally, the bass was in this song and then he decided to get rid of it. Without bass, that anchor of low sound is missing. Also, bass usually grounds everything tonally. Prince also crossed a few different items hear with the electric guitar rhythm and distortion making it a heavy metal feel, synthesizer screaming 80s, and drum machine, with more of a funk feel. The song is consider long for the time being almost six minutes in length. As heard in the 80s, the layering and looping is used in Prince's recording also. The song could be broken in two main sections. Section one, which would consist of alternating chorus and verse, section 2, consisting of eight-bar phrases with instrument solos, sung phrases, and other vocal effects.
"Walk This Way" originally performed by Aerosmith was re-mastered and recorded by Run-D.M.C. The song opens up with the typical hook from Aerosmith's original version with a drum beat laid down followed by scratching of a turntable. After, the entrance of the electric guitar, which acts as a second hook enters. This is the most known from "Walk This Way", the drum beat and guitar riff. The alteration that Run-D.M.C. made on this recording was that they sang all of the verses except for one, and Steven Tyler from Aerosmith sang all of the choruses. His high-pitched-strained voice for the chorus depicts what many would categorize as a heavy metal/rock sound. As you continue to listen, the vocal interaction between Run-D.M.C. and Steven Tyler become more intertwined and a collaborative work. When listening to the words of the song many may find them offensive or vulgar in the manner in which they come out. The words are very sexually influenced. This song was a cross-over between the white and black race at the time.
Alternative rock was a genre of music that many flocked towards. This was a mix of punk and heavy metal. The mix of the two created a sound that wasn't too hardcore and wasn't too light. Nirvana was one of the groups that led the way with this type of rock. They sold millions of copies of records along with dominating the record charts at the top for many years. Musicians are always connected to looking back to their roots. In this, Nirvana was apt to looking back to the creativity of the Beatles for their music. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a single that reached the platinum charts and was a top 10 hit. When listening to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" there is a mix of heavy metal instrumental playing and timbre and the sound of pop songwriting in the lyrics. Most rock music consists of power chords and in Nirvana's song there are four major chords in it. It is also broken down into four, eight, and twelve-bar phrases. The song primarily follows the form of Intro, A, B, C, interlude. The Intro four bars, A section is eight bars, B section eight bars, C section twelve bars, interlude four bars. With each section, there is a change in musical sense and feel. In the intro, there is the bass line and drums with guitar chimes added in. The A section includes vocals, which are rather quiet with a depressed tone in the voice and light instrument playing. The B section is made up of a one word repetition. The word 'hello' is repeated in a spacey way with the accompaniment of guitar chords and the crescendo with vocals and instruments. The C section is very aggressive. The vocals are sung in an angry voice with heavy metal power chords and loud, distorted instruments. The interlude includes a stop-time effect, which is hear very often throughout music. In the stop-time the guitar is the response.
The 80s opened many doors especially with the use of electronics and layering of music. This helped to introduce many new avenues with drum machines, synthesizers, looping, etc. The fusion of new sounds in the late 80s early 90s is what advanced some of the alternative rock sounds as well. The up and coming rap music was also an important genre of music that was included in this also.
"When Doves Cry" by Prince is similar to "Sweet Dreams" in the fact that Prince wrote, produced, and performed "When Doves Cry" all by himself. He sang all the vocals, played all the instruments including electric guitar, synthesizer, and the drum machine. There is another connection, the both used synthesizers and drum machines! One instrument that Prince left out was the bass. Originally, the bass was in this song and then he decided to get rid of it. Without bass, that anchor of low sound is missing. Also, bass usually grounds everything tonally. Prince also crossed a few different items hear with the electric guitar rhythm and distortion making it a heavy metal feel, synthesizer screaming 80s, and drum machine, with more of a funk feel. The song is consider long for the time being almost six minutes in length. As heard in the 80s, the layering and looping is used in Prince's recording also. The song could be broken in two main sections. Section one, which would consist of alternating chorus and verse, section 2, consisting of eight-bar phrases with instrument solos, sung phrases, and other vocal effects.
"Walk This Way" originally performed by Aerosmith was re-mastered and recorded by Run-D.M.C. The song opens up with the typical hook from Aerosmith's original version with a drum beat laid down followed by scratching of a turntable. After, the entrance of the electric guitar, which acts as a second hook enters. This is the most known from "Walk This Way", the drum beat and guitar riff. The alteration that Run-D.M.C. made on this recording was that they sang all of the verses except for one, and Steven Tyler from Aerosmith sang all of the choruses. His high-pitched-strained voice for the chorus depicts what many would categorize as a heavy metal/rock sound. As you continue to listen, the vocal interaction between Run-D.M.C. and Steven Tyler become more intertwined and a collaborative work. When listening to the words of the song many may find them offensive or vulgar in the manner in which they come out. The words are very sexually influenced. This song was a cross-over between the white and black race at the time.
Alternative rock was a genre of music that many flocked towards. This was a mix of punk and heavy metal. The mix of the two created a sound that wasn't too hardcore and wasn't too light. Nirvana was one of the groups that led the way with this type of rock. They sold millions of copies of records along with dominating the record charts at the top for many years. Musicians are always connected to looking back to their roots. In this, Nirvana was apt to looking back to the creativity of the Beatles for their music. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a single that reached the platinum charts and was a top 10 hit. When listening to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" there is a mix of heavy metal instrumental playing and timbre and the sound of pop songwriting in the lyrics. Most rock music consists of power chords and in Nirvana's song there are four major chords in it. It is also broken down into four, eight, and twelve-bar phrases. The song primarily follows the form of Intro, A, B, C, interlude. The Intro four bars, A section is eight bars, B section eight bars, C section twelve bars, interlude four bars. With each section, there is a change in musical sense and feel. In the intro, there is the bass line and drums with guitar chimes added in. The A section includes vocals, which are rather quiet with a depressed tone in the voice and light instrument playing. The B section is made up of a one word repetition. The word 'hello' is repeated in a spacey way with the accompaniment of guitar chords and the crescendo with vocals and instruments. The C section is very aggressive. The vocals are sung in an angry voice with heavy metal power chords and loud, distorted instruments. The interlude includes a stop-time effect, which is hear very often throughout music. In the stop-time the guitar is the response.
The 80s opened many doors especially with the use of electronics and layering of music. This helped to introduce many new avenues with drum machines, synthesizers, looping, etc. The fusion of new sounds in the late 80s early 90s is what advanced some of the alternative rock sounds as well. The up and coming rap music was also an important genre of music that was included in this also.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Week 6
Led Zeppelin was a British rock band that set many standards. One of the most iconic moments was when the band toured the United States in 1973 and broke the world record for live concert attendance set by the Beatles during their tours of the mid-1960s (Starr & Waterman, 2014, p. 382). "Stairway to Heaven" is a song that is a cornerstone in Led Zeppelin's history. Back when the group recorded this, it was not a single. If someone wanted this song they needed to purchase the whole album. This song involves many components that all intertwine with each other. The 8-minute long song is considered more of a ballad than a straight rock song. It consists of guitar sustains, along with solos in the song. Throughout, there are 8 and 4-meausre phrases with occasional 1 measure interludes, which acts as instrumental links to the next section. The song opens with a calm acoustic guitar and a doubled flute. This continues with the entrance of the vocals at approximately the 2-minute mark. After this, the electric guitar enters with keys and the tempo is pushed by a bit more in pace. It is almost at halfway through the song that drums enter and the dynamics increase in the song to thicken the textural mood and material. The tempo continues to pick-up throughout and at the end, the solo voice ends the song. The song is made up of three main sections. The first two sections are made primarily A & B, which alternate and then have the linking interlude tossed in. The last section of the song includes C & B sections with instrument interludes again and the addition of a D section.
Carlos Santana is a guitarist who was born in 1947, and has been creating and performing amazing music since. To this day, Santana is a performer who continues to 'wow' individuals. Santana was a pioneer in creating a fusion of rock and Latin American music. "Oye Como Va" is a song that is still popular to this day. The intricate layering of instruments is what makes this song complex. The Afro-Cuban traditions that link to Latin American music are heard within this. Instruments included in this are guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and Latin percussion. The mixing of this recording is what makes it the way it is in regards to balance, blend, and positioning of instruments and sounds. Majority of Santana's songs and performances are focused around his lead guitar playing. The complexity of rhythm is what makes fusion rock and Latin American music solid in its grooves. When listening, you can hear the bass in the middle of everything being the glue that holds it all together. The percussion instruments and sounds are positioned more towards the outside of the recording. The intro, which includes an organ and the bass is a sound that would come from a rock band group where the fusion starts. This groove locks the groove for the entire song. This is connected to salsa music with the figure being played by the bass and organ are called the tumbao. The locking rhythms align vertically and horizontally to have a hard groove through the entire piece. Between the solos, the groove continues and acts as an accompaniment underneath. You hear the recurring rhythmic figure from the introduction. Majority of the song is instrumental with only a small percent having vocals included. Many of the sounds included within are stylistic of the rock era with the guitar solo and distortion along with the organ.
Disco was an important part of dance music in America's history. In "Bad Girls" right off the first beat you feel and hear the 'thump-thump-thump-thump' of the bass drum to give that driving, pushing tempo to keep moving. The groove on the closed hi-hat also contributes to the dance music along with the guitar groove. The entrance of the keys gives a block chord sense with the entrance of the rhythmic horns behind it. The short back-up vocal syllables play to the rhythmic sense of the dance feel. Throughout, the tempo stays the same. There is no stop-time in disco music and when there are unison rhythmic hits, the 'thump' continues through. This type of music is based on a verse-chorus form with the chorus being heard first. In "Bad Girls" there are entrances and drop-outs of instruments/voices, such as brass, back-up vocals, and the whistle. This comes and goes throughout the song.
"Psycho Killer" is an interesting song, which reflects on different elements of music. This band, The Talking Heads, used an approach from minimalistic music, which is mainly known from composer Philip Glass. The Talking Heads were not a group who went to far in depth with the structure of their songs. The way that they did this was by using different textural items within instruments, voice, and feel of the song. In "Psycho Killer" the main attention is on David Byrne's lead vocals. Even though the song starts with a straight forward bass riff, which is similar to that in 70s funk. When the guitar enters, it plays chords that are articulated with different patterns into the bass riff. The entrance of the vocals give a sense of "weirdness". Byrne's voice was high-pitched, nervous, schizophrenic type of sound that he produced. In this song, some of the words are spoken and some are sung. There are instances where there is a combination of both. Most of the song is in 8-measure phrases. The main form is ABB/ABB/CBB/Coda. The last item hear is feedback, which could be a play on the title with the sound of a psycho killer.
Carlos Santana is a guitarist who was born in 1947, and has been creating and performing amazing music since. To this day, Santana is a performer who continues to 'wow' individuals. Santana was a pioneer in creating a fusion of rock and Latin American music. "Oye Como Va" is a song that is still popular to this day. The intricate layering of instruments is what makes this song complex. The Afro-Cuban traditions that link to Latin American music are heard within this. Instruments included in this are guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and Latin percussion. The mixing of this recording is what makes it the way it is in regards to balance, blend, and positioning of instruments and sounds. Majority of Santana's songs and performances are focused around his lead guitar playing. The complexity of rhythm is what makes fusion rock and Latin American music solid in its grooves. When listening, you can hear the bass in the middle of everything being the glue that holds it all together. The percussion instruments and sounds are positioned more towards the outside of the recording. The intro, which includes an organ and the bass is a sound that would come from a rock band group where the fusion starts. This groove locks the groove for the entire song. This is connected to salsa music with the figure being played by the bass and organ are called the tumbao. The locking rhythms align vertically and horizontally to have a hard groove through the entire piece. Between the solos, the groove continues and acts as an accompaniment underneath. You hear the recurring rhythmic figure from the introduction. Majority of the song is instrumental with only a small percent having vocals included. Many of the sounds included within are stylistic of the rock era with the guitar solo and distortion along with the organ.
Disco was an important part of dance music in America's history. In "Bad Girls" right off the first beat you feel and hear the 'thump-thump-thump-thump' of the bass drum to give that driving, pushing tempo to keep moving. The groove on the closed hi-hat also contributes to the dance music along with the guitar groove. The entrance of the keys gives a block chord sense with the entrance of the rhythmic horns behind it. The short back-up vocal syllables play to the rhythmic sense of the dance feel. Throughout, the tempo stays the same. There is no stop-time in disco music and when there are unison rhythmic hits, the 'thump' continues through. This type of music is based on a verse-chorus form with the chorus being heard first. In "Bad Girls" there are entrances and drop-outs of instruments/voices, such as brass, back-up vocals, and the whistle. This comes and goes throughout the song.
"Psycho Killer" is an interesting song, which reflects on different elements of music. This band, The Talking Heads, used an approach from minimalistic music, which is mainly known from composer Philip Glass. The Talking Heads were not a group who went to far in depth with the structure of their songs. The way that they did this was by using different textural items within instruments, voice, and feel of the song. In "Psycho Killer" the main attention is on David Byrne's lead vocals. Even though the song starts with a straight forward bass riff, which is similar to that in 70s funk. When the guitar enters, it plays chords that are articulated with different patterns into the bass riff. The entrance of the vocals give a sense of "weirdness". Byrne's voice was high-pitched, nervous, schizophrenic type of sound that he produced. In this song, some of the words are spoken and some are sung. There are instances where there is a combination of both. Most of the song is in 8-measure phrases. The main form is ABB/ABB/CBB/Coda. The last item hear is feedback, which could be a play on the title with the sound of a psycho killer.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Week 5
As I took a glance at the listening list for this week I saw two great songs that I really enjoy and connect with something. "My Girl" reminds me of the movie My Girl and also it reminds me of my neighbor Krista and I. Krista and I grew up together living right next door to one another. Our parents always referred to us as Vada and Thomas J. from the movie. We were inseparable. Every time I hear this song I think back to our childhood days and all of the fun times and memories. The second song is "You Can't Hurry Love". This song has always been a fun and catchy tune. If you listen to "My Girl" and "You Can't Hurry Love" they each start with a bass intro that works as a hook. In "You Can't Hurry Love" there is a heavy back-beat played within the rhythm section and the bass part is also prominent through the piece along with rhythmic figures within the guitar. The tambourine is a driving force with its strong beats on two and four. In "My Girl" as stated above, the bass lays down a pattern as a heartbeat in my mind and then the guitar plays the 'hook'. The horns are what make the layered chorus so impactful. The layering of horns and strings along with vocals makes the built up each time great. Also, the finger snaps on two and four is a typical strong beat pattern such as the tambourine. Both of these pieces are great examples of Motown music.
Then the Beatles craze hit America. The U.K. band hit American soil and ran with what they started in Great Britain. The technical aspects of their music is genius. The musical movement, chords, lyrics, rhythms, everything is precise and thought out. These gentlemen are some of the greatest musicians of all time. "Please Please Me" was recorded in 1962 and was the Beatles' first top 10 hit in Britain. In America, this was not thought the same way until later. "Please Please Me" follows the typical AABA form, which we know so well from previous weeks. Some clever items that the Beatles included in "Please Please Me" were the rhyming of lines, descending chords, upbeat tempo/energy, rising melody, and then descending melody after hitting the melodic high point, and lastly, a song in two minutes. In "A Hard Day's Night" an interesting beginning is that there is a big hit with dissonance and then the group comes in. This gets the attention of the audience/listener and then it follows an AABA pattern, and also follows along the lines of the 12-bar blues figure, but it doesn't. Does that make sense? There are 12-bar but with three 4-bar phrases. In this, there are also blue notes, which differs from the actual '12-bar blues'. Here, the Beatles also veered away from the traditional chord structure and substituted other chords in place of the traditional ones. Many consider "Yesterday" by the Beatles a rock ballad, with the accompaniment from all the electronic instruments, and also drums, which stay at a low dynamic through the entire song. When listening deeply to the words of the song, when each new section starts, there are strong words. For example, A section- Yesterday, A section- Suddenly, B section- Why she/I said, A section- Yesterday. It follows a typical AABA form, which is very similar to that of Tin Pan Alley and how it is a solo voice throughout. "Eleanor Rigby" was a song that went a totally different direction of a lot of other music. This did not follow your typical rock band style or sound. This followed more of a traditional folk ballad, and did not have any drums or guitars. It was accompanied by a string orchestra. This song opens with a strong chord of voice and orchestra. The strings are very straight forward with their rhythms of keeping a steady beat and not much movement. This also alternates between minor and major chords.
When the Beach Boys are heard you know it is them by their distinctive voice timbre. "Good Vibrations" was performed by the Beach Boys and is probably still one of their most famous songs. To me, this song plays on its title almost the whole song. In the beginning you hear the entrance of the solo high voice, but underneath you hear a distant keyboard and bass. In the keyboard there is a reverb effect in my mind is like a vibration. Then when the low bass voice enters the keys begin to use pitch bend and 'vibrate' the sound. In a sense there is no exact form for this song rather than an ABAB pattern, which comes to ABABCD with an instrument interlude along with transitions. There are times where the song just changes feeling totally. In the D section it offers a totally new but known melody and then transitions into the already known B section, which has variations.
Bob Dylan is a musician who took a different approach and had a different sound to his vocals within his music than anyone else. In "Like a Rolling Stone" Dylan sounds like his vocals are a spoken-sung style. With his poetic style, his voice cuts through everything with no problem. In this song, the combination of organ, keyboard, guitar, bass, drums and the addition of harmonica give it a folk style sound. It follows a strophic verse-chorus pattern. Bob Dylan was the one who gave Jimi Hendrix the want to sing and know that if Bob Dylan could do it he could do it.
Then the Beatles craze hit America. The U.K. band hit American soil and ran with what they started in Great Britain. The technical aspects of their music is genius. The musical movement, chords, lyrics, rhythms, everything is precise and thought out. These gentlemen are some of the greatest musicians of all time. "Please Please Me" was recorded in 1962 and was the Beatles' first top 10 hit in Britain. In America, this was not thought the same way until later. "Please Please Me" follows the typical AABA form, which we know so well from previous weeks. Some clever items that the Beatles included in "Please Please Me" were the rhyming of lines, descending chords, upbeat tempo/energy, rising melody, and then descending melody after hitting the melodic high point, and lastly, a song in two minutes. In "A Hard Day's Night" an interesting beginning is that there is a big hit with dissonance and then the group comes in. This gets the attention of the audience/listener and then it follows an AABA pattern, and also follows along the lines of the 12-bar blues figure, but it doesn't. Does that make sense? There are 12-bar but with three 4-bar phrases. In this, there are also blue notes, which differs from the actual '12-bar blues'. Here, the Beatles also veered away from the traditional chord structure and substituted other chords in place of the traditional ones. Many consider "Yesterday" by the Beatles a rock ballad, with the accompaniment from all the electronic instruments, and also drums, which stay at a low dynamic through the entire song. When listening deeply to the words of the song, when each new section starts, there are strong words. For example, A section- Yesterday, A section- Suddenly, B section- Why she/I said, A section- Yesterday. It follows a typical AABA form, which is very similar to that of Tin Pan Alley and how it is a solo voice throughout. "Eleanor Rigby" was a song that went a totally different direction of a lot of other music. This did not follow your typical rock band style or sound. This followed more of a traditional folk ballad, and did not have any drums or guitars. It was accompanied by a string orchestra. This song opens with a strong chord of voice and orchestra. The strings are very straight forward with their rhythms of keeping a steady beat and not much movement. This also alternates between minor and major chords.
When the Beach Boys are heard you know it is them by their distinctive voice timbre. "Good Vibrations" was performed by the Beach Boys and is probably still one of their most famous songs. To me, this song plays on its title almost the whole song. In the beginning you hear the entrance of the solo high voice, but underneath you hear a distant keyboard and bass. In the keyboard there is a reverb effect in my mind is like a vibration. Then when the low bass voice enters the keys begin to use pitch bend and 'vibrate' the sound. In a sense there is no exact form for this song rather than an ABAB pattern, which comes to ABABCD with an instrument interlude along with transitions. There are times where the song just changes feeling totally. In the D section it offers a totally new but known melody and then transitions into the already known B section, which has variations.
Bob Dylan is a musician who took a different approach and had a different sound to his vocals within his music than anyone else. In "Like a Rolling Stone" Dylan sounds like his vocals are a spoken-sung style. With his poetic style, his voice cuts through everything with no problem. In this song, the combination of organ, keyboard, guitar, bass, drums and the addition of harmonica give it a folk style sound. It follows a strophic verse-chorus pattern. Bob Dylan was the one who gave Jimi Hendrix the want to sing and know that if Bob Dylan could do it he could do it.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Week 4
Being from northern New Jersey, I often visit Hoboken, NJ the birthplace of Frank Sinatra. It is not uncommon to hear his music on a regular basis in the area. In "Nancy" Sinatra has taken a different approach to his music of the time with the performance. His voice is mellow and calm and is accompanied by an orchestra. The orchestra introduction leads to an anticipation with the ritardando in the tempo and then the lead in of Sinatra's voice. Also the waltz feel and swooping feel of the strings keeps the mood low key throughout. The song follows the typical Tin Pan Alley 32-bar AABA form since it was co-written by Tin Pan Alley writers.
"Mambo No. 5" displays the uncharacteristic style of music from the time with the Latino influence and feel. In the 1950s American listeners started to transition their listening to various styles. Many can say that this was the beginning of Latino influenced music. Also, you can hear the Afro-Cuban feel with hand percussion/drums, trumpets, and few vocals with the band chanting the words. This song has been recorded by many modern musicians and have remixed their own versions.
Jump Blues became popular in regards to having a touring schedule with money coming in and because of the war there were shortages so the leaders of big bands began to downsize. Smaller combos and groups formed mainly with a rhythm section and a horn or two (could possibly be more). One of the most successful jump bands were the Tympany Five, which was led by Louis Jordan. Louis Jordan was well-known by the black listeners and was James Brown's biggest influence. The Tympany Five was featured in a number of films. "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" sold over 2 million copies and topped the charts for 18 weeks and reached number seven on Billboard's pop hit list. The form is a series of verses in twelve-bar blues and alternated with an eight bar chorus.
Chuck Berry recorded "Maybellene" in 1955 and decided to go a different route. This song was nothing like anything else out there. Berry used different elements to put this song together. An upbeat tempo, vocals, rhythm and blues, prominence of a guitar are some of the items. When writing this, Berry put a few items into consideration. With his background of growing up with rhythm and blues styles he wanted to add other elements of something that was not done before. Berry knew country music, which he also connected with the appeal of the white people. With this, he had both whites and blacks hooked onto his music. The song is about a lovers' quarrel in the form of a car chase.
"Long Tall Sally" is one of those fun songs. Right off the first note it is uptempo and energizing. Little Richard is aggressive in singing the vocals and having the energy throughout. I can see myself dancing to this song and the saxophone solo in the middle is a nice break of vocals while still keeping the structure and energy of the piece. This was also built on a 12-bar blues, while having the rock' n' roll feel and vibe to it.
"Don't Be Cruel" hooks the listener right from the beginning with the opening guitar riff. The next thing is with the vocals the back-up vocals are very percussive and enticing. Elivs' voice is very distinctive because of a few reasons. He had a blues type of voice, a 'regional' accent, an effect, which is called hiccuping. This is also when reverb was being introduced and can be heard within the guitar, and also the chorus like back-up vocals in the bop-bop and oohs and aahs. Most of "Don't Be Cruel is based off of a 12-bar blues but also has an addition of an extension, which includes 6 more bars. The strong influence of blues is also heard on the strong back-beat.
"Charlie Brown" is a fun song that tells a story. As it describes it is about that kid in the class that always wants to be the clown. When they get pinned on being it, they want to know why they are always being picked on. his is high energy and is in a sense a 'spoof' type of song that still is around today. Songs are still made just like this one.
"Mambo No. 5" displays the uncharacteristic style of music from the time with the Latino influence and feel. In the 1950s American listeners started to transition their listening to various styles. Many can say that this was the beginning of Latino influenced music. Also, you can hear the Afro-Cuban feel with hand percussion/drums, trumpets, and few vocals with the band chanting the words. This song has been recorded by many modern musicians and have remixed their own versions.
Jump Blues became popular in regards to having a touring schedule with money coming in and because of the war there were shortages so the leaders of big bands began to downsize. Smaller combos and groups formed mainly with a rhythm section and a horn or two (could possibly be more). One of the most successful jump bands were the Tympany Five, which was led by Louis Jordan. Louis Jordan was well-known by the black listeners and was James Brown's biggest influence. The Tympany Five was featured in a number of films. "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" sold over 2 million copies and topped the charts for 18 weeks and reached number seven on Billboard's pop hit list. The form is a series of verses in twelve-bar blues and alternated with an eight bar chorus.
Chuck Berry recorded "Maybellene" in 1955 and decided to go a different route. This song was nothing like anything else out there. Berry used different elements to put this song together. An upbeat tempo, vocals, rhythm and blues, prominence of a guitar are some of the items. When writing this, Berry put a few items into consideration. With his background of growing up with rhythm and blues styles he wanted to add other elements of something that was not done before. Berry knew country music, which he also connected with the appeal of the white people. With this, he had both whites and blacks hooked onto his music. The song is about a lovers' quarrel in the form of a car chase.
"Long Tall Sally" is one of those fun songs. Right off the first note it is uptempo and energizing. Little Richard is aggressive in singing the vocals and having the energy throughout. I can see myself dancing to this song and the saxophone solo in the middle is a nice break of vocals while still keeping the structure and energy of the piece. This was also built on a 12-bar blues, while having the rock' n' roll feel and vibe to it.
"Don't Be Cruel" hooks the listener right from the beginning with the opening guitar riff. The next thing is with the vocals the back-up vocals are very percussive and enticing. Elivs' voice is very distinctive because of a few reasons. He had a blues type of voice, a 'regional' accent, an effect, which is called hiccuping. This is also when reverb was being introduced and can be heard within the guitar, and also the chorus like back-up vocals in the bop-bop and oohs and aahs. Most of "Don't Be Cruel is based off of a 12-bar blues but also has an addition of an extension, which includes 6 more bars. The strong influence of blues is also heard on the strong back-beat.
"Charlie Brown" is a fun song that tells a story. As it describes it is about that kid in the class that always wants to be the clown. When they get pinned on being it, they want to know why they are always being picked on. his is high energy and is in a sense a 'spoof' type of song that still is around today. Songs are still made just like this one.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Week 3
This week is where some things start to sound very familiar in a few different ways. The first is hearing that 12-bar blues that many of us are so familiar with. The second is hearing some players that we know and also some tunes that are ones that we know with the blink of an eye.
"St. Louis Blues" was recorded with a great performer, Bessie Smith. In this recording her voice is a perfect choice for singing this piece. There are some great aspects of her voice such as in the words of the song there is a sense of misery with the way she drags out the vowels to in a sense play on the words. In this style of music, there are many similarities to Tin Pan Alley especially with form. In this, there is the typical following of the outline, but at the end, there is a C section, which is not uncommon for this type of music, but is where the differentiation starts with Tin Pan Alley. After hearing the A section, it is not heard again throughout. The great thing about hearing "St. Louis Blues" and the performers in it is how they connect with one another. Bessie Smith's vocals are great and Louis Armstrong on cornet is just perfect. Armstrong and Smith are doing much of what we call a call and response. Smith sings her lyrical lines and then Armstrong just follows it up with a response to the sung phrase. The reed organ is a different sense of hearing rather than a piano but gives it character. The use of the 'blue notes' is a great compositional addition. The singer also does a great job of altering these notes on her own as well.
In "Wrappin' It Up" you can feel the swing and the 2 and 4 emphasis. In this time, the brass and reed instruments were treated as two separate entities. As in "St. Louis Blues" Smith and Armstrong used a lot of call and response technique. In "Wrappin' It Up" there is also a lot of call and response between these two sections. The rhythm section lays a solid foundation of time and rhythm for the rest of the big band ensemble to kick. During this time, it was very common to walk the bass and for the drummer to keep the foot on all four beats. In addition, the guitarist would play chords on every downbeat also. This would keep that driving feel for the ensemble and the audience. Using a big band bigger than normal gave a smoother feel in hearing the music and playing. In contrast to the downbeat patterns in the rhythm section, there was much offbeat material in the winds. There were times where the rhythm section would give an offbeat hit as well. The main outlined form structure for this piece is ABAC.
"Taking a Chance on Love" has a nice laid back big band feel with once again the call and response between the reeds and brass. In addition, the call and response was also between the soli sections that are prominent within. The song starts off with instrumental before the voice comes in and has an instrumental break in the middle. Just as the ending, the instrumental section ends the song. This is a familiar 32-bar AABA form structure.
"Caravan" is a great piece that is still well known today. I actually heard a marching band play this on the field this year and totally owned the performance. "Caravan" is also a 32-bar AABA form structure. This piece starts with percussion and sets a more of a Spanish feel with additional use of wire brushes and mallets. When the trombone enters, this is when you hear the main tune of the piece.
"In the Mood" is one of the all-time top charts for swing. If you have ever heard any swing I am sure this is one of them. This is one of, if not the biggest tunes in popular music. This piece has a main 'riff' that is played by the saxophone section. Many know this piece for its enjoyment and happy mood, hence "In the Mood" and also know it for one other thing...its trick ending. If renamed, this should be renamed to "Are We Tricking You?" I find this as a joke and not in anyway being serious. If someone has not heard this piece before, then they may have the surprise, but if you know it, it is deceiving. The way that I can connect this musically is by thinking of a deceptive cadence, and again, and again, and then the resolution. Tricks you a bunch of times and finally goes home. That is what Joe Garland the composer did. That is one of the staples of this piece!
"Paper Doll" was an example of a vocal group song that still made it along with the big bands. These groups were all vocalists and sometimes accompanied by guitar. The guitar was plain and not overwhelming. The harmonies are what made these groups what they were. Many of the times, the harmonies were close together, which could be compared to a soli section in an instrumental arrangement.
"St. Louis Blues" was recorded with a great performer, Bessie Smith. In this recording her voice is a perfect choice for singing this piece. There are some great aspects of her voice such as in the words of the song there is a sense of misery with the way she drags out the vowels to in a sense play on the words. In this style of music, there are many similarities to Tin Pan Alley especially with form. In this, there is the typical following of the outline, but at the end, there is a C section, which is not uncommon for this type of music, but is where the differentiation starts with Tin Pan Alley. After hearing the A section, it is not heard again throughout. The great thing about hearing "St. Louis Blues" and the performers in it is how they connect with one another. Bessie Smith's vocals are great and Louis Armstrong on cornet is just perfect. Armstrong and Smith are doing much of what we call a call and response. Smith sings her lyrical lines and then Armstrong just follows it up with a response to the sung phrase. The reed organ is a different sense of hearing rather than a piano but gives it character. The use of the 'blue notes' is a great compositional addition. The singer also does a great job of altering these notes on her own as well.
In "Wrappin' It Up" you can feel the swing and the 2 and 4 emphasis. In this time, the brass and reed instruments were treated as two separate entities. As in "St. Louis Blues" Smith and Armstrong used a lot of call and response technique. In "Wrappin' It Up" there is also a lot of call and response between these two sections. The rhythm section lays a solid foundation of time and rhythm for the rest of the big band ensemble to kick. During this time, it was very common to walk the bass and for the drummer to keep the foot on all four beats. In addition, the guitarist would play chords on every downbeat also. This would keep that driving feel for the ensemble and the audience. Using a big band bigger than normal gave a smoother feel in hearing the music and playing. In contrast to the downbeat patterns in the rhythm section, there was much offbeat material in the winds. There were times where the rhythm section would give an offbeat hit as well. The main outlined form structure for this piece is ABAC.
"Taking a Chance on Love" has a nice laid back big band feel with once again the call and response between the reeds and brass. In addition, the call and response was also between the soli sections that are prominent within. The song starts off with instrumental before the voice comes in and has an instrumental break in the middle. Just as the ending, the instrumental section ends the song. This is a familiar 32-bar AABA form structure.
"Caravan" is a great piece that is still well known today. I actually heard a marching band play this on the field this year and totally owned the performance. "Caravan" is also a 32-bar AABA form structure. This piece starts with percussion and sets a more of a Spanish feel with additional use of wire brushes and mallets. When the trombone enters, this is when you hear the main tune of the piece.
"In the Mood" is one of the all-time top charts for swing. If you have ever heard any swing I am sure this is one of them. This is one of, if not the biggest tunes in popular music. This piece has a main 'riff' that is played by the saxophone section. Many know this piece for its enjoyment and happy mood, hence "In the Mood" and also know it for one other thing...its trick ending. If renamed, this should be renamed to "Are We Tricking You?" I find this as a joke and not in anyway being serious. If someone has not heard this piece before, then they may have the surprise, but if you know it, it is deceiving. The way that I can connect this musically is by thinking of a deceptive cadence, and again, and again, and then the resolution. Tricks you a bunch of times and finally goes home. That is what Joe Garland the composer did. That is one of the staples of this piece!
"Paper Doll" was an example of a vocal group song that still made it along with the big bands. These groups were all vocalists and sometimes accompanied by guitar. The guitar was plain and not overwhelming. The harmonies are what made these groups what they were. Many of the times, the harmonies were close together, which could be compared to a soli section in an instrumental arrangement.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Week 2
Through music many genres and popular styles have evolved through the years. There are many connections between events that have happened to create the music of that time. While listening to "Castle House Rag" I thought to myself that this did not sound like a rag that one would normally hear. It included some different timbres than one is use to hearing. When listening and hearing the violin I would not normally think of hearing such an instrument within a rag. When considering who performed this piece is was the James Reese Europe's Society Orchestra. The piece is mainly split up into even measures except for both C sections and a 4-measure transition. Some of the alternate instruments that are heard are percussion instruments as well as the violin and I am sure there is piano as well. The sections do not seem to be clearly formulated as sometimes the material is fuzzy. In the form of this piece around the F section is sounds a bit chaotic, but then comes into control for the last five seconds to close out the statement.
In the "Tiger Rag" the clarinet and trombone are the highlighted instruments throughout. The use of the musical trick stop-time sequences are brilliant to focus on one instrument such as when the clarinet has a few beats to play by itself and shine. The higher register of the clarinet is highlighted within the rag. Also the use of slides is great within the trombone with short sudden pauses in addition to the slides on the clarinet also.
"My Blue Heaven" is a wonderful tune. Gene Austin's interpretation was the best-selling record of its era (Not until Bing Crosby recorded "White Christmas" in 1942 did any record sell more copies) (Starr and Waterman, 2014, p. 110). This tune follows the typical form of a tune from the Tin Pan Alley song form. The verse is shorter than the refrain. The song 'hooks' listeners from the beginning with the cello solo rather than having typical instrumentation that individuals were use to hearing. In the each refrain, the AABA form is followed. In the first refrain, the main tune is carried, and the melody and rhythm from each A section is the same for each refrain section. In the second refrain, it switches from the voice having the melody to the cello taking the lead and then switching back to the voice. There is a twist on the third refrain with whistling in the background representing the whippoorwill. One item that is heard in the A section of the refrain is the call and response of the voice to the piano, then voice and cello, and finally whistling and voice.
The first thing that came to mind when listening to both versions of Al Jolson's "April Showers" was Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire". I know it sounds silly...but in Joel's song, the words are primarily spoken and this is what I thought of when I listened to the later recording of "April Showers". As "My Blue Heaven" has the typical two-part verse-refrain, which is common in Tin Pan Alley music, "April Showers" uses the second most popular form, ABAC pattern. In the 1921 recording, the orchestra plays the 'hook' in the beginning and at the end. This is a typical musical style to get the listeners attention and to remind them at the end of a tune. In the 1932 recording, there is no 'hook' per say. In both recordings, there is a reoccurring leaping gesture in the voice throughout the tune. Jolson's voice was clear and strong and came across with no problem. This was different for this time of music.
One of the best known standards is "I Got Rhythm". This is an iconic tune by Gershwin. Some places that many have heard this is within a show, or even a movie, Mr. Holland's Opus to name one. "I Got Rhythm" offers and upbeat tempo, which was not too often likely and also with an offbeat feel. As from the Tin Pan Alley music is follows the AABA form. The singer also uses the four-syllable word phrase within the tune/melody. Within, 'questions' are also asked, and answered within the refrain. This tune is one of the most well-known standards in American popular music.
In the "Tiger Rag" the clarinet and trombone are the highlighted instruments throughout. The use of the musical trick stop-time sequences are brilliant to focus on one instrument such as when the clarinet has a few beats to play by itself and shine. The higher register of the clarinet is highlighted within the rag. Also the use of slides is great within the trombone with short sudden pauses in addition to the slides on the clarinet also.
"My Blue Heaven" is a wonderful tune. Gene Austin's interpretation was the best-selling record of its era (Not until Bing Crosby recorded "White Christmas" in 1942 did any record sell more copies) (Starr and Waterman, 2014, p. 110). This tune follows the typical form of a tune from the Tin Pan Alley song form. The verse is shorter than the refrain. The song 'hooks' listeners from the beginning with the cello solo rather than having typical instrumentation that individuals were use to hearing. In the each refrain, the AABA form is followed. In the first refrain, the main tune is carried, and the melody and rhythm from each A section is the same for each refrain section. In the second refrain, it switches from the voice having the melody to the cello taking the lead and then switching back to the voice. There is a twist on the third refrain with whistling in the background representing the whippoorwill. One item that is heard in the A section of the refrain is the call and response of the voice to the piano, then voice and cello, and finally whistling and voice.
The first thing that came to mind when listening to both versions of Al Jolson's "April Showers" was Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire". I know it sounds silly...but in Joel's song, the words are primarily spoken and this is what I thought of when I listened to the later recording of "April Showers". As "My Blue Heaven" has the typical two-part verse-refrain, which is common in Tin Pan Alley music, "April Showers" uses the second most popular form, ABAC pattern. In the 1921 recording, the orchestra plays the 'hook' in the beginning and at the end. This is a typical musical style to get the listeners attention and to remind them at the end of a tune. In the 1932 recording, there is no 'hook' per say. In both recordings, there is a reoccurring leaping gesture in the voice throughout the tune. Jolson's voice was clear and strong and came across with no problem. This was different for this time of music.
One of the best known standards is "I Got Rhythm". This is an iconic tune by Gershwin. Some places that many have heard this is within a show, or even a movie, Mr. Holland's Opus to name one. "I Got Rhythm" offers and upbeat tempo, which was not too often likely and also with an offbeat feel. As from the Tin Pan Alley music is follows the AABA form. The singer also uses the four-syllable word phrase within the tune/melody. Within, 'questions' are also asked, and answered within the refrain. This tune is one of the most well-known standards in American popular music.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Week 1
As I listened to this week's listening examples, I directly correlated them to the reading in the chapter. Much of the music could be linked back to the African American stream in regards to rhythm and texture. There are plenty of times where rhythms are syncopated even if it is just plucking it on a banjo or strumming on a guitar. Some of the pieces were similar in nature, but I myself was able to pick out the underlying background for the piece and how it may have been influenced.
The history behind some of the pieces is quite interesting. As I listened to "Long John" I had a few thoughts in my head. In today's society, you still hear similar things with call and responses, such as group work, pledges and so on. It was interesting to learn about the song leader in the piece we listened to that was named Lightning Washington (Starr and Waterman, 2014, p. 32).
For the pieces labeled Old-Time Music, it was interesting hearing in "Barbary Allen" the melodic lines in the a capella voice all stay the same for the entire song. The story told a deep story, but as translated in the book, some words were not written in modern day English but followed the local dialect in Kentucky, such as slow-lie (slowly). For the two renditions of "Soldier's Joy" the listener had one version with words and the other without. The first recording was The Skillet Lickers, which is made up of a string band, guitar and fiddles. This recording had sung verses as well as played verses. The song follows the A-B musical pattern, which is made up of two phrases. In the second version, Tommy Jarrell is the performer. The two are similar, but differences can be heard, such as tuning. Also, there is a different texture since there are no words in the song at all. In the beginning Tommy speaks a bit and that is it. In this recording, the fiddle seems has a more scratchy sound to the bowing, which gives it a distinct characteristic sound. Also, it has the same repetitiveness as the Skillet Lickers' rendition also.
"Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" has the sound and context of an Irish style of music with the light flute and the plucked string instrument, which could be either a guitar or a mandolin. Also, a fiddle/violin enters at various points throughout the song. The AABA form is heard very easily within the song as it is very light and soothing. There is no unhappiness to my ears in the song. The movement is not jumpy and mainly moves in steps, but there are a few occasions where there are leaps and jumps, but does not detract from the overall performance of steps.
Within "After the Ball" the waltz feel is felt and heard from beat 1. I can envision two dancers waltzing around the dance floor and hearing the higher notes in the piano can be the dancers spinning. Each verse is followed by a chorus, which is similar to music of today as we are used to hearing this in modern music. It took me by surprise to hear the narrative in the middle and for it not to be sung.
As heard in "Enigue Nigue" the polyrhythms were wild to listen to! It had me engaged like no other. Being a percussionist I was loving it. It was hard to follow, and did add a twist to how one would listen to the piece. Also, "La Cumparsita" had a very heavy guitar part rather than what I am use to hearing, which is more of strings and piano. Also, as I have listened to other tangos this week, I have heard many beginnings with the accordion.
This week's listening examples were interesting and many of the others were similar and different in many aspects. As we continue to listen, I will be able to relate back to the foundation that has been set here.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)