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Post by mummifiedstalin on Dec 1, 2011 11:59:36 GMT -5
Can I play the snarky bastard and ask if it has less to do with music and more to do with the politics/worldview that often (although of course, not always) goes along with folk?
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Post by Mr. Atari on Dec 1, 2011 12:15:19 GMT -5
Out of curiosity -- how do you account for your appreciation of the folky "Over the Rhine"? I don't know; it's a good question. My best excuse is that they strike me as more pop-oriented than folk. Their instrumentation is low key, but their core seems to be more Beatles pop than strummy folk.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Dec 1, 2011 12:20:17 GMT -5
Can I play the snarky bastard and ask if it has less to do with music and more to do with the politics/worldview that often (although of course, not always) goes along with folk? Yes and no. Yes, you can play the snarky bastard. No, I don't think it has anything to do with the perspective or politics. It's entirely musical. I like lots of bands with worldviews contrary to mine.
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Post by mummifiedstalin on Dec 1, 2011 12:28:39 GMT -5
So is it then that "folk" music usually sees the music as often as simply as possible? A few chords, a basic "know-how" on a guitar and not much else, then let the supposed "sincerity" of the lyrics and intent (what some might call the "soul") rather than execution be the driving force? That's what bugs me about a lot of attempted folk music. The stuff that I like that might get classified as folk is where there's just that extra something that outshines the rest. But if someone is trying to be a folk artist (i.e., really trying to express through simplicity than doing it naturally), then, yeah, I'm turned off.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Dec 2, 2011 0:07:04 GMT -5
Out of curiosity -- how do you account for your appreciation of the folky "Over the Rhine"? I don't know; it's a good question. My best excuse is that they strike me as more pop-oriented than folk. Their instrumentation is low key, but their core seems to be more Beatles pop than strummy folk. That might be the case with me and rap music. Can't stand that angry, scatting, spew of words stuff... but then something comes along that I'll enjoy, Mama Says Knock you Out or Fight For Your Right Top Party... and I think, well maybe they're the exception because they both have a steady rock rhythm and beat to them? Rhine do have their poppy side. But the Americana folk is also prevalen to my mind.... and since I enjoy both they are a win/win for me.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Dec 16, 2011 14:43:20 GMT -5
Okay, so I've rambled about '80s music. I rambled about Genesis. I rambled about Rush. I think I found my next project for this blog. I'm excited to work on it over the coming Christmas break.
Here's a hint:
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jan 1, 2012 15:10:56 GMT -5
Okay, here's the new project. A song by song review of an incredible and largely unknown album. If we're going to do this, I need you to clear your mind and reset your expectations. Forget everything you know or have been led to believe about Extreme. Forget "More Than Words". Forget the era of hair metal. Forget Gary Cherone's mismatch with Van Halen. As the above videos show, Extreme was far more like Queen than Warrant. They were a progressive metal band, influenced by classical music and funk. Their first album was standard technical east-coast '80s metal, with the Mozart-quoting shred single, "Play With Me", that was featured in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Their second release was a concept album that held together pretty well, but featured that power ballad I told you to forget. III Sides to Every Story was their third release and is an incredible work of storytelling, musical performance, philosophy, passion, and has the best arrangement and orchestration on a rock album I've ever heard. (Again, comparisons to Queen are not misplaced.) They recorded it to be a 3-sided album, with each side covering a lyrical theme and a different musical style. The overall theme of the album is worldviews. It asks difficult, metaphysical questions and treats them with honesty, anger, fear, and a humility you'll never find on any other rock album. There's no posturing, no false arrogance, and no shallow party-all-the-time crap. Even the introspective stuff is humble and real, and doesn't come across all whiny. It's like a great novel that challenges how you see the world, but in a way that makes you feel glad for the experience. Side 1 is labeled, "Yours", and it focuses on the world as it is. We go to war over selfishness while peacemakers get assassinated. Governments are corrupt, prejudice is everywhere, and love is easier to mock than to find. The musical style on this section is guitar-centered hard rock that gives the lyrics the crunchy punch they need. Side 2 is labeled, "Mine", and it focuses on the hard questions about life, God, purpose, tragedy and hope. The musical style on this section is quiet, emotive, and sparse. Side 3 is labeled, "the Truth", and it features a 3-part opus called, "Everything Under the Sun". It might be my favorite 20 minutes of music ever written. It's a mammoth piece of orchestration and arranging, where the singer struggles with his faith and cries out for a spiritual connection. The questions raised throughout the album don't get answered because the catharsis comes in the asking. There is a depth to the themes and a mastery of the music that I've never found on any other rock record. But make no mistake-- the precision of the playing takes nothing away from the passion of the performance. The majesty of the music matches perfectly the power of the ideas. It's like listening to a symphony or a Mozart opera, complete with recapitulations and movements, arias and solos, and a huge sweeping finale. And when it's done, I feel full and spent. Ew. So I want to dissect the album one song at a time and highlight the highlights and note the few flaws, and let all of you hear the golden goodness.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jan 4, 2012 13:34:06 GMT -5
1. Warheads
The album explodes with...well, explosions. "Warheads" opens with a drill instructor barking orders at some poor sap, who we discover is a small child. Then the helicopters and air raid sirens come in, quickly followed by a killer Nuno Bettencourt riff over machine gun drumming.
The Music: Musically, this is the most like Extreme's previous output. It's a fast-paced, shred-riffic, energetic anthem with a sing-song chorus. There's some great chord moves and you can hear the classical influence in the solo, but there's also plenty of bluesy bends and funky chord voicings, especially leading into the chorus. The percussive punctuations underneath the solo are a ton of off-time fun. The harmonies in the bridge ("Blackheads, whiteheads, redheads, deadheads...) always make me smile. I also love the arrangement of the vocals in the chorus, notably the back and forth between the gang vocals and Cherone's lead. Gary Cherone's voice has just the right amount of grit and metal edge, without sounding strained. At first blush, this might sound like a run-of-the-mill hair metal opener, but it's all the little things in the arrangement and harmonies that really set it apart. And once you recognize them, you'll be impressed, too.
The Lyrics: This is the first track in the section called "Yours", which focuses on the worldview of the masses. It satirizes the jingoism that we pass down to our kids, especially the Rambo-ism in the '80s that became the morass of the Middle East in the '00s. It's also a valid criticism of terrorist principles, where extremists train their children the value of violence. "Hey kid wanna have some fun? Choose a side and here's your gun." "Ramboy, it's us and them, just like your daddy in Vietnam. Monkey see, monkey do; you're boy's grown up just like you." The silliness of the Dr. Pepper chorus "I'm a warhead, he's a warhead, she's a warhead, would you like to be a warhead too?" is the perfect tone to make a serious point about how flippant we are about a horrible thing like war. Like all good satire, I imagine that some people don't recognize the irony and blast this song from their pickup trucks as a rallying cry for violence. What Sledge Hammer! was for TV, "Warheads" is for music.
Favorite Moment: My favorite moment in this song is when Cherone is singing, "M-m-m-monkey see, monkey do" and hearing what the Hell, Michigan the guitar is doing in the background. Holy Nuno!
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jan 8, 2012 16:33:42 GMT -5
2. Rest in Peace
Track 2 continues the theme of war and peace. While the first track was ironic and satirical, this one is sincere and direct and far more intelligent than how other bands would treat the subject. This was the one single from the album, and it didn't do much on the charts. It was just too straight-ahead rock with great harmonies and a Queen-like guitar solo for the grunge era.
The Music: "Rest in Peace" begins with a string quartet. It isn't some synth violins playing easy chords, it's a well-arranged classical piece with contrary motion; like something George Martin would have added to mid-era Beatles. It doesn't come back at all during the song, but it signifies where the album is heading: this isn't brainless hair metal; it's sophisticated and impressive. When the guitar kicks in, it kicks hard. Another great Nuno riff over some very simple drumming leads into a very pop-oriented, funky verse melody. The back-and-forth between the lead vocals and harmonies is amazing once again, and leads to some nice power behind the lyrical theme. This song is just one hook after another. The guitar solo reminds me of Brian May and ends with Nuno quoting the "Voodoo Chile" riff, which is a nice Woodstock reference, since the lyrics both affirm and question the hippie ideology of "Make love, not war". The end of the song fades out and comes back in with a nice nylon string repeat of the chorus with some fun "da da das" that reminded me of the "bap-a-da-das" in Danger Death Ray. They throw in some bucolic sound effects to capture the musical image of peace on earth. It's a little goofy, but it feels right to me.
The Lyrics: The main idea on this one is that quotes like "Give peace a chance" and "Make love, not war" are well-meaning, but ultimately too weak to make any real difference. Such simplistic platitudes don't fix the tendency of those who push back with selfishness when the cost gets too high...which is all of us. We need something more than bumper sticker peace to really change the world. Instead, as the lyrics state, "Let's not pretend to justify, rather [let's] amend where treasures lie. Straight through the heart, peace can be found. That's where you start, not all around." The only solution to achieve peace on earth is through the hearts of selfish people, not slogans or cliches. But how can we do that? The suggestion in verse 1 is that it will take a miracle, since "It's just as complex as water to..." It's not that the hope for peace is dumb, it's that overly-simplistic solutions and slogans just expose our own hypocrisy.
Favorite Moment: My favorite moment is in the second pre-chorus, when Nuno adds a triplet pick-up to the chords under the phrase, "Don't tread on me." It's the little things that impress me.
The only version I could find on YouTube is the official video. It's goofy and makes the band look very dated and mockable. Try to tune out the visuals and focus on the audio. [/quote]
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jan 10, 2012 16:31:15 GMT -5
3. Politicalamity
We are now immersed in the first movement of the triple album, focused on the critique of world philosophies. "Politicalamity" is a simple commentary on how corruption shows no ideological preference. Dictatorships, democracies, monarchies, it doesn't matter when the leaders (and even the voters) are cut from the same selfish cloth. Basically a song that's as true now as in 1992, and will be proven true again and again in every campaign season.
The Music: This is a funky one. It opens with a wah-wah intro and run on the chorus melody. Very Hendrix. Then the rhythm section kicks in under the main riff. There's also a horn section and some crispy '70s funk guitar reminiscent of Kool & the Gang and/or The Ohio Players. Extreme always considered themselves funk-metal, and from the bass & guitar angle, I can see it. The problem is that Paul Geary might be the whitest, unfunky drummer who ever played. At first listen, I'm convinced that the drums on this whole album are programmed or played on midi pads. There are no dynamics in the drums. None. Every snare hit is the same volume on the whole album. There are no grace notes, the fills are all too exact, and the cymbals all sound identical. But then you watch Geary on live footage, and you realize, that's how he plays. They're clearly influenced by Queen, and Roger Taylor is the gold standard of boring, rigid, yet effective drumming. So maybe it's intentional. I love the riff on this song, and I very much enjoy the funky arrangement and horn section. I just wish the drumming was more Motown and less Casio.
I also notice again here just how melodic Nuno's guitar work is. For someone who could shred with the best of them (and sometimes does), he also has the ability to make memorable simple phrases. He holds back when he needs to and lets the hook do the work. Then, when he turns up the musicianship, it's a complement to the piece, not a distraction. Just listen to the simple, yet memorable, melody of the guitar solo here. Not a lot of notes, just the right ones.
The Lyrics: There's not much here that requires explanation. Like the first two songs, there's a criticism of war, but this time the finger is pointed at the political ideologues who drive it. Throughout the album, there are allusions to Beatles' lyrics (or Lennon's "Give peace a chance" on the last song), and Biblical concepts and verses. Jesus said that an increase in "wars and rumors of wars" was a sign of the end times (Matthew 24). That's the first line of this song, and a foreshadowing of where the album will end up by the time it's finished. It's not unique or original for a band to have a rant against warring governments, but how many would come up with the imagery of the lyric, "Donkeys, bears, and elephants all paper trained on parliament"?
Favorite Moment: I love how the chorus melody (referenced in the opening guitar riff & the horns throughout) overlaps with the main guitar riff. There's great contrary motion between them, something the majority of bands would never come up with, and the majority of listeners might never notice.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jan 20, 2012 17:05:16 GMT -5
4. Color Me Blind
We continue on with the first movement of the album, this time turning our attention to racism. "Color Me Blind" (not to be confused with Color Me Badd) keeps the heavy rock train moving at full blast.
The Music: This one is a straight-ahead, driving pop metal number, based around a great riff and amazing harmonies. There's some Beatles in the harmonies, but the chunky riff is all metal. Nuno has a ton of harmonic screams on this one. The way he creatively noodles around the chords differently in each verse is so stinkin' impressive.
I've been asked before if I like Progressive Rock as a genre, or just certain bands. I like THIS kind of prog rock. It's straightforward, melodic pop, but the playing underneath it is far better than the simple song merits. The technical prowess in the solo, in the chord voicings, in the harmonies, and in the way the song is arranged is so mind-blowing that I forget I'm listening to what is probably the weakest song on the album.
The Lyrics: The idea behind the lyrics is a good one, and it fits the theme of this part of the album. However, the sentiment and depth is pure 1992: "Picture the world minus a rainbow...I don't understand why we fight with our brother, color me blind just to love one another." It's a simple song with simplistic lyrics.
One fun allusion, however, is to MLK's "dream" speech. "I had a dream I was looking over the mountain, but I've yet to see the so-called promised land." It's not great, but it introduces the MLK thread which pops up again and reaches an amazing zenith just a few songs later.
Favorite Moment: Nuno's noodling under the second verse.
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Post by Mod City on Jan 20, 2012 19:07:35 GMT -5
You're always one to surprise, Mr. A.
While I agree, More Than Words was extremely overplayed in its heyday, overall I don't mind them as a band. I owned the Bill & Ted's soundtrack, which is actually quite good, as far as I'm concerned, as well as Pornagraffiti. I admit most of my exposure to them came in their heavy MTV-rotation days, but I still can't help but crank the volume knob when I hear Get The Funk Out.
They're obviously a talented bunch - Bettencourt and Cherone could impress if you gave them the chance.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jan 21, 2012 0:00:36 GMT -5
Have you heard this album, Mod? I thought they're first two were okay. They showed glimmers of genius, but still too much in the hair metal style for me. This one is a progressive masterpiece. I don't want to call it a rock opera because it's not really telling a narrative story like other rock operas. It's more dealing with deep philosophical questions like a rock epic poem; or like, you know, actual opera. Which makes me keep thinking about the Queen connection, since they approached this stuff in a similar way.
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Post by Mod City on Jan 22, 2012 14:01:08 GMT -5
No, I haven't. They pretty much fell off the map for me when then-on-the-rise alternative music kind of forced them from the scene. I'll have to reexamine them.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Jan 29, 2012 20:53:28 GMT -5
5. Cupid's Dead
The show continues with an amazing piece of progressive funk, a standout song on the first "side" of the album. In fact, if not for the final movement to come, this would be my favorite song on the album. The incredible musicianship supports a song that criticizes the press's ability to turn half-truths into depressing news, and also takes a hard look at the world's sad abandonment of hope in finding genuine love, instead turning to cold self-reliance.
The Music: "Cupid's Dead" is the most progressive of the songs here, with a brain-melting instrumental jam that takes up 2 minutes of the song (starting at the 3:00 mark). It's complexity is easily on par with anything any progressive band ever did, plus it's funky. Before that drool-inducing section arrives, however, the song has already worked through one of the best riffs you'll hear in your life. Bonus points because bassist Pat Badger matches Nuno on every note. In fact, his chunky bass lines are all over this one; they're worth listening to all on their own here. He's also an incredible harmony vocalist. All hail Pat! There is a dumb voice-over right before the jam and a rap at the end that has early '90s metal-rap written all over it. On repeated listens, though, it doesn't sound so bad. The rest of the music is just too good.
The Lyrics: The main idea here is an indictment of the media: "Three sides to every story: Yours, Mine, and Monday morning's." But then they mixed in the idea of Cupid's apparent suicide, which becomes an indictment of cynics who've given up on love. "The arrow that once pierced my heart points to the apple on your head." It quotes Shakespeare ("O Romeo..."), and then implies that we're too sophisticated to believe in such simplistic ideas of romance. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I get a sense of Nietzche's famous quote in the title, and I think Extreme finds that idea very sad.
Favorite Moment: The instrumental jam. Ooohhhh, that jam. Good grits, that.
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