It's time for adventure! It's time for wonder! It's time for... an okay dance song.
Whoo. Yay. Okay, so this is Adventure Club featuring The Kite String Tangle. Excuse me while I look up who's doing the singing and who's doing the beats. Looks like it's Adventure Club on beats and The Kite String Tangle on vocals. Okay... now, what's the song like? Like I said, it's just okay. It's not offensive to the ear, but also, for a dance song, it doesn't really make you wanna get up and dance. I mean, if this was being played at a club, I think the dancing would stop and be replaced with... I don't know, swaying? What do people do at clubs? I need to get out more often. Actually, I don't picture this being played at clubs at all. It's just too slow. But it's not completely without merit. There is this dreamlike, bouncy quality to its music. However, that doesn't really show up in the lyrics, despite the title. And I know I should have held you closer And I know I should have treated you better It's a song about regret, which kind of destroys the magic the music gives off. I just don't think the two are a good fit. Maybe if the song had been about a lighter topic, you know, soaring through the clouds or whatever... or maybe if the music matched the tone and the beats were a little harsher... but we can "what if" this song all day and not get anywhere. In the end, it's just an average song with not much thought put into it. Or maybe there was a lot of thought put into it. I don't know. I'm not in their heads. Sure wish I was sometimes, it would make assuming a whole lot easier.
Ever since the dawning of the Neanderthals when Og stole Thog's idea for making fire, people have been putting their own spins on other people's ideas. Now, music-wise, we can talk about sampling and we can talk about cover songs. But what does my title say I want to talk about today? It looks like we're gonna talk about cover songs.
This is Aerosmith's version of one of my favourite Beatles songs, as you might recall: "Come Together". What do I think of it? Well, I love Aerosmith and I love "Come Together", but I think The Beatles' version is still superior. Although I still like this version a lot. It's a harmless cover, and it gets the job done. But harmless covers are not the type I'm going to talk about today. No, today we're going to talk about when cover songs are inappropriate, or just not very well-thought-out. What makes it so? I think that part of the problem with some cover songs is that if you're going to cover a song, make sure it's not one that has that extra-special meaning to the original artist. I mean, obviously all songs an artist writes, composes and performs will have some kind of meaning attached to them, but there's a difference between covering The Beatles' "Come Together"...
...and covering "Let it Be". I still think I'm in the minority here, but I absolutely loathed this performance. Right down to that intro. When John Legend was talking about Paul writing the song about his mother I thought, "So let him sing the song then, you jackwad." And believe you me, I don't throw words like "jackwad" around lightly, I tell ya what. You can't touch "Let it Be", in my opinion. No one can except Paul McCartney. Because that song is very personal to him, and it comes from a special place in his heart and in his mind. I mean, at least they played it at a Beatles tribute and not some separate performance on their own. But it still rubs me the wrong way. I'll delve into more specifics later with my upcoming Top 10 list this week, but I'll leave this post on this note: You have to know and feel what you're singing in order to sing a song well without it sounding like amateur hour at a karaoke bar, no matter who you are. You could be John Legend, you could be Aretha Franklin, hell, you could even be Paul McCartney. Think before you sing. That's all. Thank you.
Before we delve into some of the new hits of this summer, let's take one last look at country's fading face in popularity before it rides off into the sunset. Enough mixed metaphors for ya? Good, then let's look at Jason Aldean's "Burnin' it Down".
Okay... is this even a country song? I seriously can't tell anymore. Country music has become so pop-ified in the past few years the the two genres are starting to blend together in all the wrong ways. I mean, listen to that instrumentation in the beginning: you've got some electronic drum beats, and some of the most computerized guitar I've ever heard, if that even is a guitar. Where does the country start? With Jason Aldean's voice? Is that all you need to make your song country these days? When did this happen? Okay, so it looks like I won't be looking at this through a country point of view, because... how can I? Aldean seems to want to distance himself from the genre as much as possible, so I guess that means I have to follow suit. All right, then... how does this work as a pop song? Well, the lyrics seem to center around this imagery of burnin' it down, burnin' it down, and burnin' it down some more. Which I guess is supposed to be a code for sex, but... burnin' it down? I get "lightin' it up", or "makin' sparks fly", but "burnin' it down"? What, are you a part-time pyromaniac, Aldean? Or the Wicked Witch of the West or something?
Don't you hurt that poor scarecrow! He's got no brain! He's been through a lot!... uh, anyway... So, the title of the song doesn't translate for me, which definitely isn't good. But let's take a look at some other lyrics, to see if there's anything salvageable here. You slip your finger through the tear in my t-shirt You stirrin' up dirty in the back of my mind Okay. You keep on flirtin' cause you know that it's workin' You stuck in my head girl writing the lines Yeah. Couldn't sing this song without you if I tried Let's light it up like it's our last night We're just hanging around, burnin' it down Yep, that's where I tune out: right around the chorus. Look, he even uses "light it up" in the verse, so obviously, he has some kind of clue what he's doing! I hope... Honestly, the song's not that bad. It's a little dreary-sounding for a love/sex song, and I can't get past that dreadful "burnin' it down" imagery enough to enjoy it, but it doesn't really offend me in the opposite way either. Which sucks, because the death of country music should be with a bang, not a whimper. So, way to go, Jason Aldean. You've left a legacy of mediocrity behind you. Great job. *slow clap*
Finally, *NSYNC released a new album... much to the surprise of *NSYNC! Yes, Sony/Legacy had released another album in their Essential series with *NSYNC without telling them, which is perfectly legal to do, but still lacks common courtesy. Sony/Legacy apologized to *NSYNC, and Lance Bass is set to receive royalties for the album, so everything seems cool.
Hey, so does anyone remember when I talked about Flashdance?
You know, that movie with the awesome soundtrack that I crowned the winner of all soundtracks of all time? Well, that's mostly due to two songs: the one above, and "Maniac".
These songs are songs that you can't bypass when talking about 80's music. They're staples of an era when the music was fine and Jennifer Beals was even finer. Maniacally so, even. And that's where our Flashback Friday song this week comes from. Reaching number 1 on the Billboard chart in September of 1983, it proved to be just as much of a smash hit as the film. So, what makes this song work so well? Well, part of it is the usage of the song in the movie to showcase the intensity of both the visual moment and the song. The two elements of the scene play off of each other extremely well. She's a maniac, the song is maniacal. It all works. If I had to pick a favourite part of this song, it would be the guitar solo after that second chorus. It just adds a little extra punch to the flavour of the song. Just what the song needs, actually. Now, there are rumours that this song was actually written for a very different movie, a 1980 horror film entitled Maniac. The legend goes that the lyrics were rewritten so that the song could be used for Flashdance. Which doesn't even sound like a convincing theory on its own, but when you also factor in the DVD release where the fact that the song was written for Flashdance shows up in the special features, you've got yourself a dead rumour. Urban legends: fun, but usually false. That's really all I need to say about "Maniac". It's a fantastic dance song that was used appropriately to maximize its selling point, and it's got a wacky urban legend surrounding it. What more could you ask for? Well, maybe other than an all-expenses-paid getaway to Bora Bora. But let's not get greedy.
This may seem trite right after I just commented on how death brings in the money in the music industry, but the topic of death also brings out the emotion of performers, especially when that death is a fellow musician. Here are the top 10 tribute songs to deceased musicians. 10. "Hound Dog Man" - Roy Orbison
There have been a ton of tribute songs to Elvis since his death in 1977, but at the risk of appearing repetitive, I decided to go with only one. That one was by Roy Orbison, and it was called "Hound Dog Man". It's the tribute to Elvis I found that sounded the saddest to me, but also the most hopeful. He says "play it again", like he'll see Elvis again someday. But of course, he's still sad about the death and you can really hear it in his voice. When the King of Rock n' Roll died, a lot of people felt this way. And in terms of artists, I think Roy conveyed it the best. 9. "Brickyard Road" - Johnny Van Zant
Johnny Van Zant is the younger brother of Ronnie Van Zant, the former lead vocalist of Lynyrd Skynyrd. On the day when Ronnie died in a plane crash with bandmate Steve Gaines, Lynyrd Skynyrd was put on hiatus. Johnny eventually took over as the new lead singer, and afterwards released Brickyard Road, an album containing a title track that wrenches at the heartstrings. Van Zant sings about his brother and the plane crash in a very soulful way. The personal connection of brother-to-brother really helps to move the listener. The song even mentions a "free bird", in reference to one of Skynyrd's most popular songs. It's those little touches and the familial connections that make for a winning tribute. 8. "Nightshift" - The Commodores
This one's a tribute to two legendary soul singers: Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye. Each of them has a verse dedicated to them, and then the same chorus to reference both of them after each verse. It's not easy to reference two people in one song and make it sound personable to both of them, but that's exactly what happens here. The song is organized very smartly, and reflects both singers in a positive, warm light. It was also The Commodores' only hit since Lionel Richie left the group in 1982. Remember what I said on Monday? Okay, maybe I shouldn't reference what I said on Monday if I want to get through this without a hitch. 7. "Late" - Ben Folds
You might remember Ben Folds from that one hit song that he and his band had, "Brick". Or you might remember him from his cameo on We're The Millers. Regardless, Ben Folds released a song called "Late" to honour fellow singer Elliott Smith, who died in 2003. And Ben Folds definitely has the chops to pull off a tribute song like this. Melancholy, but still enjoyable, Ben Folds' "Late" is a somber tribute to a great musician, by a great musician. 6. "I'll Be Missing You" - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans ft. 112
Yes, that's right. The song I singled out on my Monday post shows up on this list. I don't even like Puff Daddy, or P. Diddy, or whatever the hell he calls himself now. Poof Snazzy? Whatever. But this song is admittedly a very heartfelt tribute to Puff's friend and prodigy, The Notorious B.I.G., who died the same year this song was released. It also features Faith Evans, who was once tied to Biggie romantically. It also features 112, who were once featured Biggie on one of their songs, so... that's something, right? Anyway, the message might be simple, but I really do feel the emotion coming from Puff Daddy, which is a first. Of course Faith Evans and 112 are great on the track as well. A great tribute to an amazing rapper, taken way too soon. 5. "Would?" - Alice in Chains
This song was written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell, in tribute to the late lead singer of Mother Love Bone, Andrew Wood, who died of a heroin overdose in 1990. Wood and his band was highly influential in the Seattle music scene, which makes the death so tragic and personal to Alice in Chains, coming out of Seattle in 1987. The song was so strong for Jerry that he needed a lot of coaxing from lead singer Layne Staley to sing the opening part. But he did, and it just makes the song that much more emotional. Unfortunately, Staley would suffer a similar fate when he died in 2003 of a speedball overdose. Rest in peace to both of them. 4. "Let Me In" - R.E.M.
I wouldn't have pegged R.E.M. to do such a good Kurt Cobain tribute, but here we are now, and I have to say, it works just as well as any of their great songs. This is more of a subtle tribute to Kurt, and it deals more with the regret over his death than anything else, and how Michael Stipe felt that he could have done something to stop it, but didn't. It's a very dark song, and even has that grungy feel to it, with the low, distorted guitar and the deep vocals. I think it works on a lot of levels as a tribute, and it just goes to show that I should never underestimate R.E.M. again. Fantastic band. Fantastic. 3. "Tha Crossroads" - Bone Thugs n' Harmony
I still stand by my decision to put Puff Daddy on the list, but I also stand by my position that this song is way, way better as a tribute. This one goes out to Eazy-E, a member of gangsta rap group N.W.A. I think the reason that this one works better is that it's jsut a more talented ensemble overall. I mean, you could sense that Puff Daddy felt some emotion from Biggie's death, but not that much. And that's probably the extent of his emotional range. These guys have a lot more capability, with their melodic rapping. It's a lot more of a believable tribute song, and that's why it gets the nod over "I'll Be Missing You". 2. "Sleeps with Angels" - Neil Young
As the Godfather of Grunge, you'd expect Neil Young to do a fitting tribute to Kurt Cobain's death. And you'd be right. Because Kurt Cobain quoted Neil Young in his suicide note, Neil Young felt an especially large twinge of guilt from the whole ordeal. Just the use of grunge elements in his music here really hammers the message home, that he feels great pain with Cobain's death and wants to recover from it himself and help others recover. It's very sad, but also very soothing, from probably one of the most fitting artists for the job. 1. "Back on the Chain Gang" - The Pretenders
This tribute song sounds starkly different to the other ones, as you might notice. It doesn't sound sad or somber. It sounds happy. So, what's the deal here? Why is it my #1 song on this list? Well, first of all, The Pretenders are awesome. Secondly, the song sounds happy because it tries to do something different with the concept of tribute songs. It sounds happy because Chrissie Hynde is reflecting on previous memories of James Honeyman-Scott, whom this song is dedicated to. It's still a very emotional song, but The Pretenders make it work all the better with their different take on a tribute song. And it's that originality, while still managing to capture raw emotion, that does it for me.
Hey guys! How have your summers been? Have you been going to beaches, maybe swimming in the ocean? If so, then you'll want to avoid a little something called... THE RIPTIDE!!! Okay, I'm officially running out of intros. Regardless, here's Vance Joy's "Riptide".
Vance Joy, unlike some artists on here, hasn't been hiding under the radar for very long. He's actually a fairly new artist, releasing his first album in 2013. He released his first single, "From Afar", in early 2013, but that one went nowhere. This one did. Why? Well, "From Afar" isn't a bad song, but it's certainly not one I would have chosen as a lead single. It's too slow and unremarkable. Unlike "Riptide", which is set at a faster pace and full of energy. It's really more deserving of the debut single title. Anyway, "Riptide" is currently sitting at #75 on the US charts. Is it enough to go higher? Well, let's take a look at the type of song this is, because fads come and go, and maybe this one's latching onto a fad. Now, "Riptide" is an indie folk song. And who can tell me what indie folk artist first pops into their head?
Mmm-hmm. Now the question is, since Mumford & Sons don't appear to be coming back in popularity anytime soon, are we ready for another indie folk act to take the reins? Well, even though you could file both of these acts under the same genre, they are very different in how they go about their music. The big difference is the ensemble; Mumford & Sons is a group, and Vance Joy is a solo artist. So, they're bound to be different in some ways. Mumford & Sons (okay, this name gets stupider the more I type it) have a more grandiose sound, which is why I usually prefer their live renditions of songs to the studio versions. I don't think this would be the same case with Vance Joy. He seems a little more processed, like the studio is the right place for him, so that he can edit the sound to make it sound a little better. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does set a difference between him and Mumford & Sons (seriously, it sounds like the name of an attorney clinic). I like "Riptide". It flows along nicely, has a sort of dreamlike quality to the sound, and it's got this pretentious-as-hell video that you can't help but love in all its pretentiousness. Except I honestly think the video does detract a little from the song, especially the part where the lady's singing into the microphone and the lyrics on the bottom are obviously wrong. Like, ha-ha, it's funny the first time, but they keep doing it, so much so that I begin to question if I'm hearing the words right. So I don't have to question myself anymore, let's get to the big verdicts. Hot 100 Success: Will he have it? I root for the guy, I do. But I don't think his success will be that great, as I think rock and folk are starting to fall out of favour. Still, this song's got enough value that I can see it on the top half. Should he have it? Vance Joy seems like an intelligent artist, and I certainly don't hate his music. If he does more like "Riptide" and less like "From Afar", sure, I'll advocate his sticking around.
Wait, I know this song... sorta, kinda. Well, welcome to the world of Canadian adult contemporary, Andee! Where if you're not Sarah McLachlan or Alanis Morissette, people barely know you exist. Enjoy it! Yeah, I still don't know Serena Ryder well enough to pick out her voice from a crowd of pop singers, so I'm certainly not going to do well with Andee. Especially with nondescript songs like these. It's like... a bunch of ideas for an adult contemporary hit, but the project never really finishes and we're left with just hearing those snippets of ideas. So, how do they all come together? How, indeed. I don't know. I'd give it points for trying, but... I don't know if it really is. I can't even pinpoint the mood of this singer. Is she angry? Jealous? Happy? Vengeful? Lame? Yeah, this is lame.
There is much to be said about death. Where do we go? Will I ever see my loved ones again? Does Satan have a chair reserved for me? Those kinds of questions. But when a famous musician dies, a question pops up with somehow more cynicism than the Satan question I asked earlier: Is death a cash cow? Now obviously I don't mean a cash cow for the dead performer, because as they say, you can't take it with you. I mean a cash cow for the inheritors, the family, and artists who try to capitalize on the death of a performer. Did someone say "Puff Daddy"?
Okay, that's a little harsh. Obviously Puff and Biggie Smalls were very close with each other, since Biggie was under his record label. Still, you can't deny the success that the song garnered. It's one of the best-selling singles of all time, in fact. So is someone's death, no matter how tragic, a good way to cash in? Well, a prominent death in the music industry definitely shakes things up. And in that midst, there's bound to be some people that can benefit from it. Yeah, it is admittedly a really cynical point of view, but money is a huge part of what makes the world go round. And when musicians die, people pay money for their records in overdrive. Whoever is lucky enough to get that money really benefits. So, is death a cash cow? Maybe not consciously, but there is an element of big profit from a musician's death. I don't really understand the mentality behind suddenly buying albums after a musician's death, but you can't deny that it\s there. And for whatever reason, mourning brings in the money. Sad but true.
I think I'm getting a little out of the loop, pop music wise. Case in point: the first time I heard this song was when somebody performed it on America's Got Talent.
Despite my general distaste for singers on this show, this one impressed me. So much so that I decided to look up the original song, seeing as it's on the pop charts as well. In the Top 10, in fact. I guess it's pretty much my duty to do so. So let's take a listen to Sia's version.
...Great. Now I've got two great versions of the song and I can't decide which one I like better! What a problem to have, huh? On one hand, Sia's version is more spectacular and showy. It sounds like it had a lot of work put into it, and the end payoff is well worth all the work. But on the other hand, Emily West's version sounds a little more tangible. It sounds like it's coming from a real place, whereas Sia's sounds like it's coming from fantasyland. Sia's version is a little too distanced from authentic emotion, whereas Emily nails this perfectly. But as I said, both versions are absolutely fantastic. Sia's original lets the full potential of the song's melody of the song shine through in an exciting and memorable way, and West's cover downplays the music to let her beautiful voice shine through and make it sound more like a personal story. Bravo to both of them. What can I say? Two great versions of a great song. I don't want to choose between the two, but if I had to, I'd choose Sia's just for being a little more interesting. And after all, she is the original artist and she would know her song best. But Emily West still did an original take on the song and it paid off well. She's through to the next round, and yes, I do watch America's Got Talent. Sue me.
