| Feature Article People are Turning to Meaningful Songs for Emotional and Spiritual Relief:
Author: Michael Alan
A New Breed of Aspiring Songwriters Is In The Making. What are the Sacrifices of the Solo Singer Songwriter in Today's Changing Culture? David La Motte and Michael Alan are performing musicians and singer songwriters who share their experiences and insights about the hard work required to earning a livelihood in the music business. It seems everyday is filled with frequent questions and emails from aspiring songwriters from all around the country who want to know how to get started as a singer songwriter. The interest of song writing is on an upsurge of popularity as noticed by book sales and courses offered on the subject. Clarification: The first question David and Michael would ask when folks approach them with a myriad of questions is "Do you mean getting started as a writer of songs or getting started as a playing musician for a living?" The two activities are very different from each other and the first should come before the second both chronologically and in terms of importance. Serious songwriters believe that a well crafted song, a harmonious blend of music and poetic lyrics, can change the world by influencing the way we think about each other. The emotional input involved with delicately crafting words and music together can help heal a wounded heart and may even help in the healing of others who feel sorrow. This could only be considered a sacred thing and worth pursuing. However; making money with music is altogether another issue which leads us to consider many other important questions. In today's music environment only a hand full of songwriters earn a steady livelihood as published songwriters. The streams of income, royalties, which a writer relies on, are an extremely delicate subject of negotiation and are forever under the scrutiny of the music industry. The Art of Songwriting: Where do ideas come from? Where does inspiration come from? For time tested songwriters the hard part isn't having ideas for songs, but keeping track of them long enough to scribble them down into a personal journal and coming back to them later. The process of taking a raw idea which may be a series of words and phrases will require much attention and rewriting to eventually develop the making of a suitable song. There are many ways to approach song writing and just about every songwriter does it a little different. Warming Up: Free Writes: In her excellent book "The Artist's Way," Julia Cameron notes that runners warm up every day. No serious runner goes out for a run and blows off the warm up because they warmed up yesterday. Writing, she argues, is no different. Julia recommends that every writer fill three blank pages in a notebook every morning. This is not WRITING, with all the baggage that comes with it. It's just a warm up drill. The warm up writing does not need to be compelling, well-reasoned or insightful. It doesn't even have to be in complete sentences. In fact, Julia specifically forbids us to read any of our "morning pages," as she calls them, for the first few weeks that we're writing them. The only rule with "morning pages" is that you can't let the pen stop moving. One caution, though; don't be disappointed if you're not swimming in song ideas at the end of this. Most of you will find that for the rest of the day you'll be in the creative side of your head, and this is the whole point of the discipline. Remember this is practice, no different than the piano. Keep the daily activity going and see if the seeds take root. Music as a vocation: Should I quit my day job? The word "vocation" literally means "calling." In order to play music as your job, I think you have to feel some sense that this is what you are supposed to do with your life. Otherwise it makes no sense. Long hours and hard work and lots of time away from family and friends balance against….well, very little money. On the other hand, if you stick with it long enough and work hard and things go well, you may get to see a lot of interesting people and visit some amazing places as part of your work. And if you're really lucky, you might get to touch upon people's hearts. It's incredibly rewarding to get a note from someone telling you that your song intersected their lives at a point when they needed it. Some performers have been able to support themselves with their music, which is a privilege, though not without its sacrifices. An important point about the "day job" question is that there is no superiority implied by not having one. Some of the best songwriters work construction, wait tables, and wash dishes. There's no shame in earning a steady paycheck. One traveling musician has a scissors sharpening business. He contracts with local hairdressers in towns where he is booked and sharpens scissors with fancy laser tools in the daytime and he performs in the evenings. It's been said that Mary Chapin Carpenter didn't quit her secretarial work in DC until after her first Grammy award. The most foolish thing that someone can do if they're trying to get a music career going is to quit their day job too soon. The time to quit is when you've got no time to do it, and there's enough money coming in from your performances to support yourself. The simple rule is to consider your music your primary job and work at another one in order to support it until the music is eating all of your time and paying you enough to let your second job go. If you quit your day job so you have time to work on music, you're likely to be short on the money you'll need to get your career started (You'll need to make demos, print press kits, shoot and duplicate photos, send out postcards, etc., but this comes later). Good luck with the journey…. David La Motte (author) is a musician, crafted songwriter, and performer in the US. Website: http://www.DavidLaMotte.com " http://www.DavidLaMotte.com Michael Alan (editor) is a published songwriter, with album & movie credits, who has lived and toured in the US & Europe. Website: http://www.MichaelAlanMusic.com " http://www.MichaelAlanMusic.com ...
People are Turning to Meaningful Songs for Emotional and Spiritual Relief:
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article People are Turning to Meaningful Songs for Emotional and Spiritual Relief:
Author: Michael Alan
A New Breed of Aspiring Songwriters Is In The Making. What are the Sacrifices of the Solo Singer Songwriter in Today's Changing Culture? David La Motte and Michael Alan are performing musicians and singer songwriters who share their experiences and insights about the hard work required to earning a livelihood in the music business. It seems everyday is filled with frequent questions and emails from aspiring songwriters from all around the country who want to know how to get started as a singer songwriter. The interest of song writing is on an upsurge of popularity as noticed by book sales and courses offered on the subject. Clarification: The first question David and Michael would ask when folks approach them with a myriad of questions is "Do you mean getting started as a writer of songs or getting started as a playing musician for a living?" The two activities are very different from each other and the first should come before the second both chronologically and in terms of importance. Serious songwriters believe that a well crafted song, a harmonious blend of music and poetic lyrics, can change the world by influencing the way we think about each other. The emotional input involved with delicately crafting words and music together can help heal a wounded heart and may even help in the healing of others who feel sorrow. This could only be considered a sacred thing and worth pursuing. However; making money with music is altogether another issue which leads us to consider many other important questions. In today's music environment only a hand full of songwriters earn a steady livelihood as published songwriters. The streams of income, royalties, which a writer relies on, are an extremely delicate subject of negotiation and are forever under the scrutiny of the music industry. The Art of Songwriting: Where do ideas come from? Where does inspiration come from? For time tested songwriters the hard part isn't having ideas for songs, but keeping track of them long enough to scribble them down into a personal journal and coming back to them later. The process of taking a raw idea which may be a series of words and phrases will require much attention and rewriting to eventually develop the making of a suitable song. There are many ways to approach song writing and just about every songwriter does it a little different. Warming Up: Free Writes: In her excellent book "The Artist's Way," Julia Cameron notes that runners warm up every day. No serious runner goes out for a run and blows off the warm up because they warmed up yesterday. Writing, she argues, is no different. Julia recommends that every writer fill three blank pages in a notebook every morning. This is not WRITING, with all the baggage that comes with it. It's just a warm up drill. The warm up writing does not need to be compelling, well-reasoned or insightful. It doesn't even have to be in complete sentences. In fact, Julia specifically forbids us to read any of our "morning pages," as she calls them, for the first few weeks that we're writing them. The only rule with "morning pages" is that you can't let the pen stop moving. One caution, though; don't be disappointed if you're not swimming in song ideas at the end of this. Most of you will find that for the rest of the day you'll be in the creative side of your head, and this is the whole point of the discipline. Remember this is practice, no different than the piano. Keep the daily activity going and see if the seeds take root. Music as a vocation: Should I quit my day job? The word "vocation" literally means "calling." In order to play music as your job, I think you have to feel some sense that this is what you are supposed to do with your life. Otherwise it makes no sense. Long hours and hard work and lots of time away from family and friends balance against….well, very little money. On the other hand, if you stick with it long enough and work hard and things go well, you may get to see a lot of interesting people and visit some amazing places as part of your work. And if you're really lucky, you might get to touch upon people's hearts. It's incredibly rewarding to get a note from someone telling you that your song intersected their lives at a point when they needed it. Some performers have been able to support themselves with their music, which is a privilege, though not without its sacrifices. An important point about the "day job" question is that there is no superiority implied by not having one. Some of the best songwriters work construction, wait tables, and wash dishes. There's no shame in earning a steady paycheck. One traveling musician has a scissors sharpening business. He contracts with local hairdressers in towns where he is booked and sharpens scissors with fancy laser tools in the daytime and he performs in the evenings. It's been said that Mary Chapin Carpenter didn't quit her secretarial work in DC until after her first Grammy award. The most foolish thing that someone can do if they're trying to get a music career going is to quit their day job too soon. The time to quit is when you've got no time to do it, and there's enough money coming in from your performances to support yourself. The simple rule is to consider your music your primary job and work at another one in order to support it until the music is eating all of your time and paying you enough to let your second job go. If you quit your day job so you have time to work on music, you're likely to be short on the money you'll need to get your career started (You'll need to make demos, print press kits, shoot and duplicate photos, send out postcards, etc., but this comes later). Good luck with the journey…. David La Motte (author) is a musician, crafted songwriter, and performer in the US. Website: http://www.DavidLaMotte.com " http://www.DavidLaMotte.com Michael Alan (editor) is a published songwriter, with album & movie credits, who has lived and toured in the US & Europe. Website: http://www.MichaelAlanMusic.com " http://www.MichaelAlanMusic.com ...
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article Musician's Survival was Truly a Miracle: Singer Songwriter Fights for his Life
Author: Michael Alan
Every morning when singer-songwriter Michael Alan looks into the mirror and sees the surgical scar across his chest he is reminded of how lucky he is to be alive. Three years ago he suffered a major heart attack and a year after the episode he was required to have open-heart surgery. The heart attack caused physical disability and the onset of severe depression. In perspective his life evolved around a course of different therapeutic modalities for several years. Looking back in time, it was the musical sounds in Michael's head that helped to keep him internally calm during the 911 emergency run to the hospital. He closed his eyes and concentrated on beautiful music and calming images to offset the immense pain and fear. In Michael's words, "When one experiences an event which threatens your life, leaves you disabled, or takes from you a loved one, the soul inside of you searches for understanding and it yearns for compassion from others. My wounded heart led me to the one thing which always nurtured my spirit". Michael's efforts to improve his emotional state led him back to singing and writing songs, a passion he had put on hold while making other commitments to develop a business career. The result of Michael's rebirth in writing and recording is the making of a new album release titled "Michael Alan – Searching for the Heartland." The recorded song tracks on the CD are a compilation of different time periods in Michael's song writing, performing and recording career. They include his works as a staff writer for a major music publisher in Los Angeles, his performance touring in Europe with the Esquires, and his most recent music projects since relocating to Seattle, WA. Several of the songs on the album have received grandiose broadcast results on regional College radio in the US. The songs "Rosary" and "Candy" have been placed onto "air-play rotation" schedules with several European commercial stations for weekly broadcasts. Michael Alan, who records with the label "Global Fish Records," is a rare artist who creates without a prescribed musical formula. His approach to writing is straight from the heart, lyrically poetic and honest, and void of any sound-alike comparisons. His songs create a myriad of lyrical expressions and images that move the listener through a musical experience of excitement, tenderness, passion, and sadness. His ability to write songs in a variety of musical styles reveals the fact that he is an avid listener of all types of music. Michael approaches the art of song writing with full emotional conviction. He expresses himself in a personal way sharing his deepest thoughts and feelings through his music. In a recent conversation he commented, "Sometimes on a rare occasion the music and words come together like shadows of light creating a warm sense around me. It's a feeling that you are not alone in the rhythm of life. It's in this moment that you know the hearts and souls of all people around the world are truly connected." Music and Healing: Michael has been blessed with a second chance at life. It is his desire to share his personal story in hopes that he might encourage people to become educated about heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of Americans today affecting people of all ages. The American Heart Association website, www.heart.org , offers a wealth of health information and discusses many options to make healthy lifestyle choices. Global Fish Records and Michael Alan are a registered third-party fundraiser for the American Heart Association. A portion of the revenue from the music CD sales is donated to the American Heart Association affiliate office in Seattle, Washington. To learn about the association's resources and programs call 1-800-562-6718. Michael spends his Saturday mornings handing-out educational literature about heart disease to people at shopping malls and grocery stores in Lynnwood. He is comfortable in sharing his experience with folks and he feels a responsibility to inform the public about the growing health crisis in America. As Michael puts it; a lot of people walk by and look at me with a silly grin on their faces while I'm standing in the rain and the cold in my efforts to chat and offer life-saving information. The highlight of my efforts is when a person calmly approaches me with a smile and says "I read the literature you gave me last week and I visited the website of the American Heart Association and now I am prepared to discuss my health concerns with my doctor in an informed manner." The music CD, Michael Alan - Searching for the Heartland, is available at the website: www.MichaelAlanMusic.com The website offers mp3 audio samples for all 12 songs along with insights and lyrics. The album's promotional song release "Rosary" can be downloaded for free. Additionally, the site includes links to several nationally recognized health-information websites. Michael Alan is a published singer songwriter, with album & movie credits, who has lived and toured in the US and Europe. Website: http://www.MichaelAlanMusic.com " http://www.MichaelAlanMusic.com He is also an active member of the American Heart Association. ...
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article Musician's Survival was Truly a Miracle: Singer Songwriter Fights for his Life
Author: Michael Alan
Every morning when singer-songwriter Michael Alan looks into the mirror and sees the surgical scar across his chest he is reminded of how lucky he is to be alive. Three years ago he suffered a major heart attack and a year after the episode he was required to have open-heart surgery. The heart attack caused physical disability and the onset of severe depression. In perspective his life evolved around a course of different therapeutic modalities for several years. Looking back in time, it was the musical sounds in Michael's head that helped to keep him internally calm during the 911 emergency run to the hospital. He closed his eyes and concentrated on beautiful music and calming images to offset the immense pain and fear. In Michael's words, "When one experiences an event which threatens your life, leaves you disabled, or takes from you a loved one, the soul inside of you searches for understanding and it yearns for compassion from others. My wounded heart led me to the one thing which always nurtured my spirit". Michael's efforts to improve his emotional state led him back to singing and writing songs, a passion he had put on hold while making other commitments to develop a business career. The result of Michael's rebirth in writing and recording is the making of a new album release titled "Michael Alan – Searching for the Heartland." The recorded song tracks on the CD are a compilation of different time periods in Michael's song writing, performing and recording career. They include his works as a staff writer for a major music publisher in Los Angeles, his performance touring in Europe with the Esquires, and his most recent music projects since relocating to Seattle, WA. Several of the songs on the album have received grandiose broadcast results on regional College radio in the US. The songs "Rosary" and "Candy" have been placed onto "air-play rotation" schedules with several European commercial stations for weekly broadcasts. Michael Alan, who records with the label "Global Fish Records," is a rare artist who creates without a prescribed musical formula. His approach to writing is straight from the heart, lyrically poetic and honest, and void of any sound-alike comparisons. His songs create a myriad of lyrical expressions and images that move the listener through a musical experience of excitement, tenderness, passion, and sadness. His ability to write songs in a variety of musical styles reveals the fact that he is an avid listener of all types of music. Michael approaches the art of song writing with full emotional conviction. He expresses himself in a personal way sharing his deepest thoughts and feelings through his music. In a recent conversation he commented, "Sometimes on a rare occasion the music and words come together like shadows of light creating a warm sense around me. It's a feeling that you are not alone in the rhythm of life. It's in this moment that you know the hearts and souls of all people around the world are truly connected." Music and Healing: Michael has been blessed with a second chance at life. It is his desire to share his personal story in hopes that he might encourage people to become educated about heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of Americans today affecting people of all ages. The American Heart Association website, www.heart.org , offers a wealth of health information and discusses many options to make healthy lifestyle choices. Global Fish Records and Michael Alan are a registered third-party fundraiser for the American Heart Association. A portion of the revenue from the music CD sales is donated to the American Heart Association affiliate office in Seattle, Washington. To learn about the association's resources and programs call 1-800-562-6718. Michael spends his Saturday mornings handing-out educational literature about heart disease to people at shopping malls and grocery stores in Lynnwood. He is comfortable in sharing his experience with folks and he feels a responsibility to inform the public about the growing health crisis in America. As Michael puts it; a lot of people walk by and look at me with a silly grin on their faces while I'm standing in the rain and the cold in my efforts to chat and offer life-saving information. The highlight of my efforts is when a person calmly approaches me with a smile and says "I read the literature you gave me last week and I visited the website of the American Heart Association and now I am prepared to discuss my health concerns with my doctor in an informed manner." The music CD, Michael Alan - Searching for the Heartland, is available at the website: www.MichaelAlanMusic.com The website offers mp3 audio samples for all 12 songs along with insights and lyrics. The album's promotional song release "Rosary" can be downloaded for free. Additionally, the site includes links to several nationally recognized health-information websites. Michael Alan is a published singer songwriter, with album & movie credits, who has lived and toured in the US and Europe. Website: http://www.MichaelAlanMusic.com " http://www.MichaelAlanMusic.com He is also an active member of the American Heart Association. ...
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article I'll choose rap over hip hop any day: Rap lyrics keep it real
Author: Syd Johnson
If you listen to rap music on a regular basic you will notice the stark differences between rap lyrics and hip hop lyrics. It is widely known that rap came up from the streets where the artists would use their rhyming skills to tell the world about their sense of isolation and not being part of the American mainstream.
Hip hop lyrics from the same place, but this time it was middle class children who did not like how they were treated as their families moved into the suburbs and edge cities.
So what happened?
Along the way, hip hop went mainstream as it was cleaner and dance friendly. Hip hop lyrics made their way from the streets, to the clubs, to MTV and finally to the top of the music charts. Rap lyrics remained where they began, as the music of the down trodden and this gives emerging artists the freedom to experiment without worrying about their best camera angle.
You can still get a good rap album onto the charts with very little time on MTV.
How do rap artists maintain such complete control over their music:
1. Rap lyrics are seen as more raw so the artists can get away with more explicit and sensitive subjects. Whether it's gangs, drugs, homophobia, or domestic violence, rappers have total creative freedom to address taboo subjects with out turning off their fans.
2. Rap lyrics are mostly created by individual artist and not song writing committees. An artist could free style in person or on paper. It doesn't matter because you don't get the huge song writing teams that dominate pop, country and even hip hop music.
3. Rap lyrics are not music reliant. They actually sound better without huge overpowering beats behind them. Most professional rappers do their best work when they have mike without any musical accompaniment
4. Rap lyrics are not easily recycled since they are based on personal rather than universal experiences. The original lyrics can touch the audience but it is not easily transferred from one artist to another. Rappers can inject pieces of their personality, family history, educational background and more into their songs.
Of course, you can put samples into hip hop or pop songs, but it is very different for a middle class thirteen year old to remake your song and not sound like an idiot.
In the end, I still listen to all types of music. It's just that when it comes to originality and raw musical styles, I'll take rap lyrics over hip hop.
About the AuthorThis article may be freely distributed as long as there's an active link to http://www.rapidlingo.com
Syd Johnson
Editor ...
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article I'll choose rap over hip hop any day: Rap lyrics keep it real
Author: Syd Johnson
If you listen to rap music on a regular basic you will notice the stark differences between rap lyrics and hip hop lyrics. It is widely known that rap came up from the streets where the artists would use their rhyming skills to tell the world about their sense of isolation and not being part of the American mainstream.
Hip hop lyrics from the same place, but this time it was middle class children who did not like how they were treated as their families moved into the suburbs and edge cities.
So what happened?
Along the way, hip hop went mainstream as it was cleaner and dance friendly. Hip hop lyrics made their way from the streets, to the clubs, to MTV and finally to the top of the music charts. Rap lyrics remained where they began, as the music of the down trodden and this gives emerging artists the freedom to experiment without worrying about their best camera angle.
You can still get a good rap album onto the charts with very little time on MTV.
How do rap artists maintain such complete control over their music:
1. Rap lyrics are seen as more raw so the artists can get away with more explicit and sensitive subjects. Whether it's gangs, drugs, homophobia, or domestic violence, rappers have total creative freedom to address taboo subjects with out turning off their fans.
2. Rap lyrics are mostly created by individual artist and not song writing committees. An artist could free style in person or on paper. It doesn't matter because you don't get the huge song writing teams that dominate pop, country and even hip hop music.
3. Rap lyrics are not music reliant. They actually sound better without huge overpowering beats behind them. Most professional rappers do their best work when they have mike without any musical accompaniment
4. Rap lyrics are not easily recycled since they are based on personal rather than universal experiences. The original lyrics can touch the audience but it is not easily transferred from one artist to another. Rappers can inject pieces of their personality, family history, educational background and more into their songs.
Of course, you can put samples into hip hop or pop songs, but it is very different for a middle class thirteen year old to remake your song and not sound like an idiot.
In the end, I still listen to all types of music. It's just that when it comes to originality and raw musical styles, I'll take rap lyrics over hip hop.
About the AuthorThis article may be freely distributed as long as there's an active link to http://www.rapidlingo.com
Syd Johnson
Editor ...
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article Let it Be, Naked
Author: Jelbaby
MUSIC REVIEW
The Beatles; Let it Be, Naked – Released in Australia, January 2004.
The Beatles; Let it Be, Naked is yet, another Beatles re-issue album containing recordings from the original Get Back/Let it Be sessions that took place in 1969. It is supposed to be a walk back in time, a listen to the music created at Twickenham and Abbey Road studios when the Beatles were recording and filming material for the album and the film, Let it Be(which was originally titled Get Back). There is also a 22-minute bonus disc, Fly on the Wall, which contains, spliced snippets of rehearsals, banter, mild sniping and more of those tossed off musical asides. Let it Be, Naked attempts to depict a time when life was a creative work-in-progress and love was more than just a four-letter word. It also tries to recall and demonstrate a time when the Beatles were all about the music. Unfortunatley Let it Be, Naked fails to convey this picture to long time Beatle fans, as most of the die-hard Beatle fans know the real story behind the making and creation of the original album Let it Be and the film of the same name.
Early in 2003, lost tapes of the Beatles' Get Back/Let it Be recording sessions from the Twickenham and Abbey Road studios were discovered somewhere in Holland. It was alleged that these tapes were stolen from Abbey Road studios in 1970(Fricke, Rolling Stone, 2003). Some of the material on these tapes has been used to create Let it Be, Naked and the second compact disc, Fly on the Wall. The original album Let it Be was released in March 1970, Let it Be; the movie was screened in cinemas in May 1970, in England. As the final album the Beatles released, it was a disappointing fullstop to a career that changed the face of music forever. Having said that the last album the Beatles worked on together was, in-fact Abbey Road, as the Let it Be project was shelved for a time. Beatles fans everywhere, would argue that Abbey Road is the Beatles final album. Many critics and fans alike have described the album Abbey Road as a masterpiece and the best album released by the Beatles and if this is so, then their career didn't end as inadequately as one may infer. It is also qute ironic that the release of Let it Be, Naked in Australia comes almost forty years after the birth of Beatlemania, or is it, perhaps the release of this album was meant to coincide with the anniversary of Beatlemania.
When the Beatles finally did resume work on Let it Be, they were rarely in the studio. Phil Spector; king among pop music freaks was called in to salvage Let It Be. His solution, as always, was more of everything, more horns, strings, choirs and the like. Rolling Stone magazine quoted George Harrison as saying that the Get Back/Let it Be sessions were the divorce of John Lennon and Paul McCartney's song writing partnership and the break up of the Beatles, things were so fraught that George Harrison temporarily quit the band. It has also been inferred that Paul McCartney was never happy with the album Let it Be after its release and that he delayed the release of Let it Be, because he was releasing his own solo album at the time. Whether these accusations are true or not are neither here nor there, the most obvious feature about the album Let it Be, Naked is that it contains everything that Paul McCartney liked about the original Let it Be, and nothing that he didn't..
Let it Be, Naked is a somewhat flawed album and no masterpiece has been revealed by peeling off the layers of Phil Spector's studio lacquer. Paul McCartney was quoted as saying in defence the double-vinyl White Album, which some criticised as too long, "It's the Beatles for God's sake; shut up!" Paul Mccartey has long had the reputation for being an egomaniac, when it comes to his work and Paul Mcartney is quite adept at getting his way. Now, however over 30 years later, Paul McCartney has got his way, Phil Spector (currently a murder suspect) is indisposed, and the album has been remixed. The so called offending strings and girlie chorus have been wiped, the studio banter dropped, and the running order changed. Let it be, Naked is an interesting album, the mix of tracks are better than the original Let it Be, simply because this mix of tracks seem to flow and blend with each other a lot better than the original Let it Be.
The main differences between the original and Let it Be, Naked are: Harrison's, For you Blue, the Let it Be, Naked version of thiis song sounds much better than the original version. The beautiful Lennon track; Don't Let me Down is now included on the album and the tracks The Long and Winding Road, Across the Universe and Let it Be have been stripped back. Maggie Mae and the Dig It jam were left off the album. The producers felt that these tracks did not belong on this album of 11 songs and neither did the dialog. These days, however with the extra space available on compact disc, one does wonder why they dropped those tracks as they really did add character to the original album, Let it Be, reminding all fans of the Beatles and educating the new generation of Beatles fans, of the genuine camaraderie that existed within this band..
George Harrison's vocal on For you Blue, is much brighter and clearer and so is the overall sound of this track. What is also interesting is the unique sound Paul McCartney got out of his piano. It's a fuzzy, metallic sound, which he did by putting a piece of paper in the piano strings, causing them to vibrate against the paper when Paul McCartney struck the keys. It is also interesting to note, that Paul McCartney does not play bass on this track, the bass sound comes from the piano.
Don't Let me Down should have been included on the original album, simply because it belongs there. The powerful sentiment and meaning attached to this song is one reason, as John Lennon is no longer with us and Don't Let me Down was one of the tracks recorded and played live in the famous rooftop performance at Abbey Road studios. Don't Let me Down, was the B- side to the single, Get Back, however it should be mentioned that Don't Let me Down, is also on the Hey Jude album, which is not an official album in the Beatles' catalogue; meaning Hey Jude is not an official Beatles album release. Extensive research was carried out, but this album was not found listed in any Beatle's discographies, however it does exist.
Phil Spector performed a great job on the original Let it Be, much of his input on that album worked. The female backing vocals and orchestral interludes on The Long and Winding Road are meant to be there, the changes to this song do not necessarily work; it's simply too well-known to survive this transition. Many Beatles' fans will be imagine the choir and orchestra in their heads and will expect to hear this overdubbing. That is not to say that the track The Long and Winding Road, on Let it Be, Naked is not a good version of this famous Paul McCartney ballad. This version shows the absolute brilliance and quality of Paul McCartney's work and his muscial talent, with out the assistance of overdubs, strings and choirs. For this reason alone the Let it Be, Naked version of The Long and Winding Road works to a point. The Long and Winding Road was also not the first Beatles song to contain female backing vocals. The White Album is full of female backing vocals, (mostly Patti Boyd-Harrison's and Yoko Ono's), and there are orchestral interludes all the way through the track, A Day in the Life, off the Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts' Club Band album, not to mention All You Need is Love, Strawberry Fields Forever and tracks off the awesome Abbey Road album.
Another track that seemed to survive the transition is I've Got a Feeling, there is a definitive difference in John Lennon and Paul McCartney's vocals on this track. The sound is clearer and the vocals are more powerfully executed. I've Got a Feeling is one of those numbers that is akin to the track Hey Jude, where the last half of the song is basically ad libbed. The listener can truly hear the passion in the voices of these two legendary singer/songwriters. George Harrison's lead guitar also come across clearer in this version of I've Got a Feeling, yet again displaying this great guitarists amazing talent.
John Lennon's, Across the Universe was also changed and stripped down, changes which were quite unnecessary, because the original version was absolutely brilliant. John Lennon was obviously never happy with the original version of Across the Universe, or Yoko Ono would never have allowed these changes to take place. Let it Be, Naked, concludes with the track Let it Be, which is a fitting end to this album. The producers original choice was Across the Universe, however it was decided that Let it Be should be at the end where it belongs.
As a whole, Let It Be, Naked flows beautifully and credibly conveys the feeling of a band in a room; of this band in a room, and faithfully honors Paul McCartney's original concept. Roll on the DVD of the movie; next year apparently, and let's hope Paul McCartney hasn't revised that to take out the argument with George Harrison. That scene alone captured the tenor of their times. That scene, and the ever-present figure of Yoko Ono.
As a manic Beatles' fan myself, I chose to write this review and give my opinion on this newest addition to the Beatle's music catalogue. I will be aiming this review at music magazines both in Australia and overseas in the hope it will be published. The audience of these magazine is quite large as there are many music fans out there. Most music fans that read these publication will undoubtably find this review of interest as it is about the Beatles. The Beatles are regarded as the greatest band ever and if the reader does not know who the Beatles are then they might as well tear up their magazines, never read anything relating to music again, throw their CD's in the fire and never listen to music again. The Beatles will be remembered in the same as music fans will remember Bach, Beethoven and the like.
This review begins with a brief introductory paragraph on the album Let it Be, Naked and it's purpose and goes on to discuss the history of the original Let it Be album, the Beatles and some of their other album releases. This reveiw discusses the differences between the two albums, Let it Be, the original and Let it Be, Naked, specifically the music, the order of tracks and how some of the tracks were stripped back. A great deal of research has also been carried out by reading music magazines, to get an idea of how the writer structures his or her writing and the styles different writers use in composing their reviews. While researching this review, which is outlined in detail at the conclusion of this essay, an interesting dicovery was made, which I mentioned briefly earlier on in the review. When I tried to track down information on the album Hey Jude, I found that this album is not offically part of the Beatles catalogue. Hey Jude was never an official Beatle's album release, however this album exists as I have a copy. According to my research, the song Hey Jude was released as a single and the B-side to Hey Jude was Revolution, and neither of these tracks are on any official Beatles album, yet the vinyl album I have in my collection is titled, The Beatles, Hey Jude. This is yet another one of those Beatles mysteries, and there are many of those.
The original Let it Be album was a good album and probably up there with one of the Beatles best albums, however no album is without flaw, even if it is the Beatles. Going back and fixing something as iconic as a Beatles album – even a flawed one, would be a somewhat dubious task. Why release the album again was my question, but after listening to it several times, I've come to the conclusion that this is an album worth buying and owning. It is a very worthwhile addition to any music fan's catalogue and a necessity for any Beatles fan, which I think, includes all of us, however most Beatles' fans will no doubt own the original and wonder if Let it Be, Naked is a worthwhile investment. Casual fans will ask what all the fuss is about and novice fans should also get the original. The 22 minute bonus CD of what could be dubbed as, Beatle chatter, would really only interest the most crazed fans.
In concluding this reflection I should repeat that I am a huge lover of the Beatles and as a musician myself I am extremely passionate when it comes to expressing an opinion about music. If my opinions and thoughts in this review and reflection come across as biased, then they probably are, but my reasons for this are spelled out above. As music is one of my biggest passions, writing about this band and the wonderful, beautiful, musical gift they have given their fans forever is a labour of love. The Beatles and their music spans over forty years. They may have broked up in 1970 and never recorded music together again, but their music will live on forever.
RESEARCH AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
Coleman, R. (1995) McCartney, Yesterday and Today, Boxtree Ltd, Great Britian.
Lewisohn, Mark, 1987, The Beatles, 25 years in the life, a chronology 1962-1987, Sidgwick & Jackson, London.
MacDonald, Ian, (1994), Revolution in the Head, the Beatles records and the sixties, Fourth Estate, 1994
Journals and Magazines:
Aizlewood, J. (2004), The Drab Four, Q, Emap Metro Ltd, UK
Doggatt, P. (2003), The Lost Beatles Albums, Roecord Collector, Diamond Publications Ltd,
London.
Du Nuyer, P & Hepworth, D (2003), Was it Just the Beginning, Word, Development Hell Ltd,
London.
Fricke, D (2003), Buried Treasure, Rolling Stone, Next Edition, Sydney
Hayes, R, (2003), I Hope We Passed the Audition, Record Collector, Diamond Publishing Ltd,
London.
White, J, (2004) The Naked Truth, Rolling Stone, Next Edition, Sydney
Audio Research:
The Beatles, (1967) Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts' Club Band, EMI/Capitol Records, London.
The Beatles, (1968) Hey Jude, Apple Records, London
The Beatles, (1969), Abbey Road, Apple Records, London
The Beatles, 1970, Let it be, Apple Records, London.
The Beatles (1994), Anthology, Apple Records, London
The Beatles, Let It Be ... Naked, (Capitol/Apple) Compact Disc, 2003, released in Australia,
January 2004.
About the AuthorA review of the re-issue 1970 Beatles Album, Let it be. ...
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article How to overcome the lyric writing hurdles that are keeping you behind.
Author: Mantius Cazaubon
The lyric writing side of songwriting is known to create an enormous number of problems for some folks. No matter how hard they try, they are unable to write a single line that they can be pleased with.
In many cases these very same people make phenomenal advancements in writing music and melodies. However they just can't seem to figure out how to come up with suitable lyrics to match them.
If you are facing such a situation, there's probably no need to worry. By taking certain appropriate steps you should be able to overcome lyric writing hurdles and write songs that deliver.
(1) Here are some essential ideas for overcoming these hurdles.
1. Collaboration
If you're very good at writing melodies but can't seem to write a single line, one solution might be collaboration. Instead of beating your head against the wall for ideas, find someone who is very good at writing lyrics and work together. You may be surprised at the wonders that can emanate from a combination of his excellence at writing lyrics and your brilliance at writing melodies.
2. Lyric writing tools
Perhaps you may be hoping for some other solution. While you don't mind the idea of collaboration, you want to allow yourself to get better at writing lyrics, instead of leaving it to someone else.
As far as I'm concerned, the importance of laying hold on good songwriting "tools" should never be underestimated. Educate yourself as much as you can. Make use of songwriting books, programs, courses, software, articles or whatever valuable resources that you have at your disposal.
3. Motivation
You've probably heard it said a thousand times ... Without motivation, you won't go very far. This also applies to your lyric writing. While the songwriting "tools" outlined above can help you improve, without adequate motivation failure is inevitable.
(2) Here are a few tips to help you generate lyric writing ideas.
1. Use different lyrics to bring the same message across.
Choose a theme which is known to have made a few hits. What message does this theme bring across? Write different lyrics that bring the same message across. A typical example of this is John Denver's "I'm Leaving on a Jetplane" and Wyclef Jean's "Gone till November". These songs made hits in different eras. Their basic message was similar ... Baby, you don't need to cry because I'll return.
2. Add a unique twist to a cliche.
Turn on your radio and you will hear cliches being repeated over and over. Using these very same cliches is simply a futile exercise. My suggestion is to add a unique twist to these cliches. This is something I am focusing on more and more.
A typical example of adding a unique twist to a cliche is found in Dianne Warren's "Unbreak my Heart" made popular by Toni Braxton. The ever popular cliche, "break my heart", was twisted.
(3) Here are three lyric writing suggestions.
1. Write a song about a particular incident. Your song should tell a story.
2. Write lyrics that have absolutely nothing to do with anything you've actually experienced.
3. Get lyric writing ideas from newspapers, magazines, movies, TV and so on.
Overcoming lyric writing hurdles involves a lot of determination, hard work and perseverance on your part. Implement the suggestions presented above and move one step closer to lyric writing success.
About the AuthorMantius Cazaubon offers lots of valuable songwriting tips, suggestions and advice on his site http://www.ultimatesongwriting.com Visit http://www.ultimatesongwriting.com for the ultimate truth about lyric writing and songwriting. ...
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article How to overcome the lyric writing hurdles that are keeping you behind.
Author: Mantius Cazaubon
The lyric writing side of songwriting is known to create an enormous number of problems for some folks. No matter how hard they try, they are unable to write a single line that they can be pleased with.
In many cases these very same people make phenomenal advancements in writing music and melodies. However they just can't seem to figure out how to come up with suitable lyrics to match them.
If you are facing such a situation, there's probably no need to worry. By taking certain appropriate steps you should be able to overcome lyric writing hurdles and write songs that deliver.
(1) Here are some essential ideas for overcoming these hurdles.
1. Collaboration
If you're very good at writing melodies but can't seem to write a single line, one solution might be collaboration. Instead of beating your head against the wall for ideas, find someone who is very good at writing lyrics and work together. You may be surprised at the wonders that can emanate from a combination of his excellence at writing lyrics and your brilliance at writing melodies.
2. Lyric writing tools
Perhaps you may be hoping for some other solution. While you don't mind the idea of collaboration, you want to allow yourself to get better at writing lyrics, instead of leaving it to someone else.
As far as I'm concerned, the importance of laying hold on good songwriting "tools" should never be underestimated. Educate yourself as much as you can. Make use of songwriting books, programs, courses, software, articles or whatever valuable resources that you have at your disposal.
3. Motivation
You've probably heard it said a thousand times ... Without motivation, you won't go very far. This also applies to your lyric writing. While the songwriting "tools" outlined above can help you improve, without adequate motivation failure is inevitable.
(2) Here are a few tips to help you generate lyric writing ideas.
1. Use different lyrics to bring the same message across.
Choose a theme which is known to have made a few hits. What message does this theme bring across? Write different lyrics that bring the same message across. A typical example of this is John Denver's "I'm Leaving on a Jetplane" and Wyclef Jean's "Gone till November". These songs made hits in different eras. Their basic message was similar ... Baby, you don't need to cry because I'll return.
2. Add a unique twist to a cliche.
Turn on your radio and you will hear cliches being repeated over and over. Using these very same cliches is simply a futile exercise. My suggestion is to add a unique twist to these cliches. This is something I am focusing on more and more.
A typical example of adding a unique twist to a cliche is found in Dianne Warren's "Unbreak my Heart" made popular by Toni Braxton. The ever popular cliche, "break my heart", was twisted.
(3) Here are three lyric writing suggestions.
1. Write a song about a particular incident. Your song should tell a story.
2. Write lyrics that have absolutely nothing to do with anything you've actually experienced.
3. Get lyric writing ideas from newspapers, magazines, movies, TV and so on.
Overcoming lyric writing hurdles involves a lot of determination, hard work and perseverance on your part. Implement the suggestions presented above and move one step closer to lyric writing success.
About the AuthorMantius Cazaubon offers lots of valuable songwriting tips, suggestions and advice on his site http://www.ultimatesongwriting.com Visit http://www.ultimatesongwriting.com for the ultimate truth about lyric writing and songwriting. ...
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article Music Reviews - Bard Of Ely
Author: Ken Mowery
Good writing has a transcendent quality and possesses the power to transport through time and mindset. Even if it is done purely for the sake of entertainment, good writing enables us to see and experience life from vantage points much different than our own. Steve Andrews (aka The Bard of Ely) offers a complex and varied array of songs that are in short "good writing".
The Bard of Ely carries listeners through various paradigms that range from the earthy and humorous musings of "You're A Liar, Nicky Wire" and the bravado spoof "Superhero" to "other- worldly" expositions like "For Peter & for Paul" and "Priest of the Venusians".
Perhaps the true heart, soul and conscience of The Bard Of Ely find clearest expression in "commentary" songs like "The Hundredth Monkey v The Beast" and "Insect Inside" or the philosophical proclamation "Sound of One".
As you read Steve's responses to the CreatorsWeb Interview questions below you will see that he sites the influences of songwriters like Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Neil Young. You will recognize their musical and spiritual presence in The Bard of Ely tracks as you listen.
Check it out for free at: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/bardofelymusic.htm
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Music Style And Audience
How do you classify your music?
I don't! If asked I say I write songs. I am always fascinated finding out what other people make of my songs but for me I feel that a song is basically a set of words, the lyrics, and a tune. I write my words first and then find a tune on the guitar and that is the basic song but how it turns out later is another matter. All songs are open to being arranged differently and can be given different production. They all start out as words and music and in my own creative process I write the lyrics first, so in the beginning was the word!
Do you target a specific audience? If so, who?
Not really, I just sing my songs and if people like them then I consider that to that degree I have been successful as an artist. I do find I get a better reaction from rock fans rather than 'folkies' though.
What performance venues are you currently exploring?
Mainly festivals. I have been the compere for the Avalon Stage at Glastonbury Festival for the last 2 years, as well as playing there, and followed this with doing the same at It's Jo and Danny's Green Man Festival in Brecon.
Musical Instruments - Recording - Computer Hardware - Software
What musical instruments do you play?
Guitar and harmonica, keyboards, penny whistle and Jew's harp enough to have used them on recordings. Kazoo too but that is so simple it doesn't really count as 'playing.' I regard my vocals as an instrument as well.
Do you record in a home studio?
I haven't got one, only Cool Edit and a microphone but I have used the home-studios of friends.
What equipment and software do you use?
Various. It all depends on what is available. I have various guitars but I mainly use a semi-acoustic Fleetwood jumbo for practice and gigging. The only computer music software I have used myself is Cool Edit. I must confess that I don't know much about creating digital music and am much happier with a guitar and mic. This doesn't stop me collaborating with other musicians online who are skilled with this new technology, and in fact I have a song called 'Electric Bard,' which is a 3-way collaboration between myself and EXLectiX from America and Catherine Duc from Australia. I wrote the words and did the vocals and my collaborators created the music and produced it. Also, the highly talented musician, Ed Drury, has added his music and arrangements to a series of my poems. This sort of thing, to my mind, is one of the wonderful things about the world of music available online.
Musical Background -Influences
How did you get started playing music?
I would have been aged about 12 and I was listening to pop and some rock bands and also soul and Tamla and this would have been when I was first thinking about it. This was the time of the 'Mersey sound.' Then the psychedelic '60s arrived and the folk protest movement and as a teenager I was inspired by Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, Neil Young and many other singer/songwriters, as well as the whole idea of an alternative society. I would say that I fancied myself as following in these singer/songwriters' footsteps if I could. By the age of 16 I was going to festivals and gigs and I made my own start at playing guitar and writing songs and poetry. Initially it was an effort to impress girls because I was painfully shy. I had decided that I wasn't that impressed by the Beatles, although John Lennon is one of my 'heroes,' and The Stones were far more my sort of rock band. Neil Young was my favorite guitarist then and still is. Other acts that I really liked and still do are Hendrix, David Bowie, Roy Harper, Kate Bush, Van Morrison, Dory Previn, Jefferson Airplane, Nico, Lou Reed, Donovan, Jethro Tull, Bob Marley, Neil Diamond, the Incredible String Band, Syd Barrett, Joni Mitchell, Bridget St John, Tyrannosaurus and T. Rex, Roxy Music and many many more. Then in the mid '70s Punk and New Wave happened and a lot of the energy of the movement I found inspiring. I saw a lot of the bands then like The Clash, Boomtown Rats, the Stranglers, Patti Smith and others.
What has influenced your music the most?
All those acts I have mentioned above, along with many more modern ones and genres of music like the Blues, Soul, R&B, Folk, Rock 'n' Roll, Jazz, Experimental and anything else that I've spent time listening too. My inspiration for songs though is very varied and just reflects my life I think.
Music And Internet Marketing
How has the Internet effected you as a musician?
In a big way: I used to be heavily involved in music networking via the snail mail with all the fanzines and small press and the casssette culture which gave way to CDs, but I seem to have phased most of that out because the Internet is a lot easier, cheaper and faster to use.
Also, I have made very many good friends, whom I have met via OMDs and at bbs, and discovered so much excellent music. As well as these things it has given me a means of collaborating with people all over the world.
When did you start marketing your music on the Internet?
In about 1997 when I first began to understand IT and to have access to computers.
What has been the most effective way to market your music on the Internet?
Via OMDs and Bulletin Boards. My favorite OMD was mp3.com and I haven't seen any other site which has offered so much. The stations it gave acts the option of creating was a great way to promote your music and that of other acts you enjoyed, as well as finding new music.
Musicians And The Future
What does the future hold for you?
More collaborations, more festivals...but as to where my music will take me I really don't know! I have just written my first song in Spanish and am learning the language, so who knows where my path will lead?
Finally, is there anything else you want to say about yourself?
I prefer to hear what others think of me and my work so I'll let my good friends Laura J Bollé and Chris Kalessin have their say:
Words can barely describe the amazing, multi-talented, multi-faceted and multi-media phenomenon that is the Bard of Ely!!! Part eco-warrior, poet, Arthurian Druid, master of herblore, techno-folk fusion pioneer, MC, songwriter, singer, actor, writer and performer, the Bard has assumed cult status and is featured in many counter-culture books and articles ... a genuinely iconic figure!
His solo work, many collaborations (most recently with Funender stalwart Ed Drury) and remixes represent a wonderfully eclectic body of writing and performance, work that that does justice to the traditions of acoustic music, yet with modernity, political relevance, and some great melodies! :)
And something else that distinguishes this talented artist is his enthusiastic and positive support for music and musicians, and his friendly, universally-respected presence across the online music community. We are proud to know him and highly recommend his music to all - Steve, the Bard of Ely!!!
Check him out TODAY!!! http://www.bardofely.com
****************************
Register Your Band For A CreatorsWeb Review and Interview
http://creatorsweb.com/promotionservice.htm
*****************************
Advertise On Over 100 Entertainment And Art Related Websites
http://www.creatorsweb.com/webs optenplace/rotation.htm
******************************
About the AuthorKen is a pastor, writer, musician living in Greeley Colorado. His articles have been published in a number of magazines, ezines and websites including his own www.creatorsweb.com ...
Era of Throwaway Lyrics
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article Era of Throwaway Lyrics
Author: Austin Akalanze
Era of Throwaway Lyrics
I often thought it was the generation gap or perhaps the evolutionary cycle or simply a sign of the end times. But, whatever it is, one thing is certain: that music has changed immensely in the 20th century.
For brevity, my focus shall be on the sixties and seventies, when the nations seemed to have come alive with the lyrics and rhythm of the time and the nineties, when they seem to have lost that rhythm change that drove the sixties.
While music has grown in other times, the sixties saw an explosion in the industry. It did not only grow in size, but also in quality. Performers elevated the art to a new high, using their talents to address the needs and concerns of society.
In Africa, artists turned out hit after hit. This was especially true in central and western Africa. The folkloric songs of the fifties were replaced by the more vibrant, more up beat rhythm of the sixties. In Zaire, Franco in his hit song "Trezempoli," which translates "very impolite," criticized those who smoke in offices where they do not like smoke. Also in Zaire, Tabuley in his song "Sara" talked about the problem of divorce.
In his philosophy divorce is unthinkable. Nigeria's, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, in his massive hit "Zombie", done in Nigeria's unofficial lingua franca, Broken English, berates the military government of then General Olusegun Obasanjo for its lack of vision and the soldiers for their blind obedience. "Zombie no go think unless you tell am to think…" he lamented.
In the Caribbean, the Ska was polished and elevated to the richer, more balanced Rocksteady, with a lot of infusion of the African drum, and finally to the internationally acclaimed Reggae beat. Joe Higgs, Desmond Decker, and Bob Marley were some of the early apostles. In his hit song "War," Bob Marley reechoed a speech made by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia at the United Nations in the 1960's. "Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior, is finally and permanently, discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war." Also from the Caribbean, Jimmy Cliff, in his classic "Vietnam" lent a credible voice to the opposition against America's carnage in that country. "Yesterday I got a letter from my friend, fighting in Vietnam… Tell all my friends that I will be coming home soon, my time will be up sometime in June. But Mrs. Brown your son is dead." Yet, in another hit he lamented the widening divide between the rich and the poor. "It's a pain to see we are in a sad situation, suffering in the land. The rich is getting richer and the poor…"
The story was the same in America. Descendants of Negro slaves turned the beats and experiences of White America's cotton fields into new forms, imbuing them with new spirituality and new energy that gave added impetus to their struggle. Candy Staton, in "In the Ghetto," captured the mood and spirit of Negroes trapped in the ghettoes of North America. "If there is anything she don't need, it's another little hungry mouth to feed in the ghetto… and his mama cried." James Brown, in "I am Black and Proud," sought to bring pride back to blackness, which hitherto had been a burden and a badge of dishonor and scorn to those who wore it. "Say it loud, I am black and proud," he implored. Cart Stevens, "Wild World"- now that I have lost everything to you …but if you wanna leave take good care, hope you make a lot of nice friends out there but just remember a lot of nice things turn bad out there…"
It was a global phenomenon. There was cross grafting of genre across national boundaries. The world was on the move, driven by the rhythms and the beats of the time. But what was driving the rhythms and the beats and the people behind them? - The turmoil of the time.
The sixties were a period of great upheavals. Freedom movements in Africa, liberation struggles in South America, civil rights marches in North America, labor movements in Europe, political emancipation struggles in the Caribbean, - all provided the impetus for the rhythm change and the performers were in the vanguard. Using their creativity and artistry and the circumstances of their time they created classics that elevated the spirit. Whether it was about war or politics or love, there was an element of subtlety that gave the listeners the opportunity to dream. They were limited only by their imagination.
The sonorous sixties were an era redolent of a great musical renaissance. And regardless of the culture or the geographical location of the songs, there seemed to be a common thread running through them, -- the lyrics were not throwaway words. They were words that aroused your humanity and agitated your conscience. They were evergreens, destined to stand the tests and rigors of time.
But that was as it should be. Good music must, regardless of culture or era, stand the test of time. It should elevate the mouth that sings and the ear that hears. It should be a vehicle for positive change and above all appeal to the higher self.
Anchored on that premise, what shall we then say of the nineties and the present? With due respect, with the exception of a few, not much except that it was an era that ushered in a gang of hollow and lackluster musicians. It was an era when the clean lyrics of the sixties were smeared with obscenity. There seemed to be a preoccupation among musicians on lewdness and vulgarity. This is self-evident in some of their lyrics and videos.
How did this happen? The answer is simple. Although the issues-- poverty, inequality, injustice, war, death, love, etc-- that inspired and impelled the revolutions of the sixties are still very much alive, modern musicians took the easy way, assaulting undiscriminating ears and eyes with baseness.
How have they done this? Through music videos. Whereas the artists of the sixties had no medium other than sound, today's artists have the added advantage of visual images.
Hiding behind seductive graphics, they pass off trash and mediocre songs as hits. The artists of the sixties did not have that privilege. They understood that the distance between success and failure was as far as the distance between the ears and the brain and they worked hard to reduce it. Today's artists do not have to work that hard. There is always the video for a cheap bail out.
While today's artists may win Oscars and Grammies, it is doubtful whether many of those award winners can stand the tests and rigors of time. When it comes to the performing arts, time is the best judge. One thing though is certain: that this truly is an era of throwaway lyrics.
About the AuthorAustin Akalanze is an Educator, Poet and Freelance writer and webmaster at http://www.power-profit-systems.com/pips.html He writes in from Dallas Texas. ...
Era of Throwaway Lyrics
Article Page Main Lyrics Sites
| Feature Article Era of Throwaway Lyrics
Author: Austin Akalanze
Era of Throwaway Lyrics
I often thought it was the generation gap or perhaps the evolutionary cycle or simply a sign of the end times. But, whatever it is, one thing is certain: that music has changed immensely in the 20th century.
For brevity, my focus shall be on the sixties and seventies, when the nations seemed to have come alive with the lyrics and rhythm of the time and the nineties, when they seem to have lost that rhythm change that drove the sixties.
While music has grown in other times, the sixties saw an explosion in the industry. It did not only grow in size, but also in quality. Performers elevated the art to a new high, using their talents to address the needs and concerns of society.
In Africa, artists turned out hit after hit. This was especially true in central and western Africa. The folkloric songs of the fifties were replaced by the more vibrant, more up beat rhythm of the sixties. In Zaire, Franco in his hit song "Trezempoli," which translates "very impolite," criticized those who smoke in offices where they do not like smoke. Also in Zaire, Tabuley in his song "Sara" talked about the problem of divorce.
In his philosophy divorce is unthinkable. Nigeria's, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, in his massive hit "Zombie", done in Nigeria's unofficial lingua franca, Broken English, berates the military government of then General Olusegun Obasanjo for its lack of vision and the soldiers for their blind obedience. "Zombie no go think unless you tell am to think…" he lamented.
In the Caribbean, the Ska was polished and elevated to the richer, more balanced Rocksteady, with a lot of infusion of the African drum, and finally to the internationally acclaimed Reggae beat. Joe Higgs, Desmond Decker, and Bob Marley were some of the early apostles. In his hit song "War," Bob Marley reechoed a speech made by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia at the United Nations in the 1960's. "Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior, is finally and permanently, discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war." Also from the Caribbean, Jimmy Cliff, in his classic "Vietnam" lent a credible voice to the opposition against America's carnage in that country. "Yesterday I got a letter from my friend, fighting in Vietnam… Tell all my friends that I will be coming home soon, my time will be up sometime in June. But Mrs. Brown your son is dead." Yet, in another hit he lamented the widening divide between the rich and the poor. "It's a pain to see we are in a sad situation, suffering in the land. The rich is getting richer and the poor…"
The story was the same in America. Descendants of Negro slaves turned the beats and experiences of White America's cotton fields into new forms, imbuing them with new spirituality and new energy that gave added impetus to their struggle. Candy Staton, in "In the Ghetto," captured the mood and spirit of Negroes trapped in the ghettoes of North America. "If there is anything she don't need, it's another little hungry mouth to feed in the ghetto… and his mama cried." James Brown, in "I am Black and Proud," sought to bring pride back to blackness, which hitherto had been a burden and a badge of dishonor and scorn to those who wore it. "Say it loud, I am black and proud," he implored. Cart Stevens, "Wild World"- now that I have lost everything to you …but if you wanna leave take good care, hope you make a lot of nice friends out there but just remember a lot of nice things turn bad out there…"
It was a global phenomenon. There was cross grafting of genre across national boundaries. The world was on the move, driven by the rhythms and the beats of the time. But what was driving the rhythms and the beats and the people behind them? - The turmoil of the time.
The sixties were a period of great upheavals. Freedom movements in Africa, liberation struggles in South America, civil rights marches in North America, labor movements in Europe, political emancipation struggles in the Caribbean, - all provided the impetus for the rhythm change and the performers were in the vanguard. Using their creativity and artistry and the circumstances of their time they created classics that elevated the spirit. Whether it was about war or politics or love, there was an element of subtlety that gave the listeners the opportunity to dream. They were limited only by their imagination.
The sonorous sixties were an era redolent of a great musical renaissance. And regardless of the culture or the geographical location of the songs, there seemed to be a common thread running through them, -- the lyrics were not throwaway words. They were words that aroused your humanity and agitated your conscience. They were evergreens, destined to stand the tests and rigors of time.
But that was as it should be. Good music must, regardless of culture or era, stand the test of time. It should elevate the mouth that sings and the ear that hears. It should be a vehicle for positive change and above all appeal to the higher self.
Anchored on that premise, what shall we then say of the nineties and the present? With due respect, with the exception of a few, not much except that it was an era that ushered in a gang of hollow and lackluster musicians. It was an era when the clean lyrics of the sixties were smeared with obscenity. There seemed to be a preoccupation among musicians on lewdness and vulgarity. This is self-evident in some of their lyrics and videos.
How did this happen? The answer is simple. Although the issues-- poverty, inequality, injustice, war, death, love, etc-- that inspired and impelled the revolutions of the sixties are still very much alive, modern musicians took the easy way, assaulting undiscriminating ears and eyes with baseness.
How have they done this? Through music videos. Whereas the artists of the sixties had no medium other than sound, today's artists have the added advantage of visual images.
Hiding behind seductive graphics, they pass off trash and mediocre songs as hits. The artists of the sixties did not have that privilege. They understood that the distance between success and failure was as far as the distance between the ears and the brain and they worked hard to reduce it. Today's artists do not have to work that hard. There is always the video for a cheap bail out.
While today's artists may win Oscars and Grammies, it is doubtful whether many of those award winners can stand the tests and rigors of time. When it comes to the performing arts, time is the best judge. One thing though is certain: that this truly is an era of throwaway lyrics.
About the AuthorAustin Akalanze is an Educator, Poet and Freelance writer and webmaster at http://www.power-profit-systems.com/pips.html He writes in from Dallas Texas. ...
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