Every Moment Has A Song

Songs You May Have Missed #467

23 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: flying machines, stay

Flying Machines: “Stay” (2009)

One might hear echoes of melodramatic symphonic pop of yesteryear in the sound of New York’s Flying Machines. I don’t throw out Freddie Mercury comparisons lightly, but there may be basis for it here.

“Stay” is from their consistently melodic and enjoyable debut.

Songs You May Have Missed #466

21 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: jazz name, pat donohue

Pat Donohue: “Jazz Name” (2005)

Pat Donohue is not only a master of acoustic fingerstyle guitar, but his songwriting is pretty spectacular too. The winning “Jazz Name” throws a witty series of internal rhyme rabbit punches at you until you surrender with a smile.

Guitarist Brian May Explains the Making of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

19 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: bohemian rhapsody, queen

(Source: Open Culture)

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen is one of the most audacious pop songs ever made. Part ballad, part opera, part heavy metal orgasm, the song has six distinct sections and took over a month to record. At just under six minutes, “Bohemian Rhapsody” was considered too long for pop radio. “The record company, in their infinite ignorance, of course immediately suggested that we cut it down,” said Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who stood by his bandmates and refused to let the song be cut. “It really was hit or miss. It was either going to be massive or it was going to be nothing.”

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” of course, went on to become one of the most popular songs in music history. It spent nine weeks at number one in the UK following its release in the fall of 1975, and went back to number one after the death of singer Freddie Mercury in 1991. In America the song peaked at number nine in 1976 and re-entered the charts in 1992, when it was featured in the movie Wayne’s World. Last year, an ITV poll in Great Britain listed “Bohemian Rhapsody” as “The National’s Favorite Number One” song in 60 years of music.

In this fascinating video, Queen guitarist Brian May goes back to the mixing board to explain the complexity of layers that went into realizing Mercury’s vision for the song. The original 24-track analogue recording system was far too limited, so the band used the ping-pong technique to “bounce” literally hundreds of overdubs into the mix. May explains how the operatic vocal layers were inspired by the “cascading strings” effect made famous by Annunzio Paolo Mantovani, a technique May first tried out in 1974 with the guitar solo on “Killer Queen.”

The video is an excerpt from Inside the Rhapsody, a documentary that was included on the 2002 DVD Queen: Greatest Video Hits 1. For more on the making of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” please see our post, “Listen to Freddie Mercury’s Wonderous Piano and Vocal Tracks for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (1975).” And for a reminder of how it all came together, here’s the official video:

Songs You May Have Missed #465

16 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: heartland, moon safari

Moon Safari: “Heartland” (2010)

From the band that currently have me held firmly in the clutches of heavy–no, damn near continuous–rotation. This particular song has the tightest grip of all.

Moon Safari represents an astounding juxtaposition of seemingly incompatible musical components: the surprise-around-every-corner complexity of prog rock alongside an almost boy-bandesque propensity for catchy pop hooks, and a five-part harmony vocal sound simply unmatched in their genre.

At its absolute best prog rock is a triumph of possibility over musical triteness and cliché. It stretches the envelope. But it doesn’t need to tear the seams–to sound so “original” that it challenges more than pleases.

And that’s what Moon Safari seem to understand: ultimately music–even relatively complex music–is meant to be enjoyed. Melodic and instrumental hooks abound here. But like the best prog, it’ll take you many repeated listens to assimilate the song entirely–to be able to sing every lyric on cue and hit every correct note of the solo on air guitar or synth.

And long before you do–assuming you have a musical sweet tooth for the sunny, uplifting sounds typical of Swedish prog–you’ll be blaring it from a car window or hitting the repeat button on your device to enjoy another rapturous six-minute fix.

Ornate, yet entirely accessible. A treat for fans of complex music, but a great bridge into the genre for fans of more mainstream bands (Styx come to mind). This might be the perfect prog song.

Open all of your windows, can’t you hear the boys are calling
Step outside for the night, y’know it’s summertime, they’ll all be there
And they’re playing memories on the radio
Got your back pretty one, I know that you’ve got mine

Oh my love, there is trouble in the heartland
You and me, as we walk the square of possibility
Caught up in a love that could not be

I remember she used to refer to you as sweet, sweet prince
Though she’s always known that you’re nothing but a working man’s son
Your ambition was always to high for one of us
Surely you would go on, oh baby, to do what we can’t dream

Oh my love, there is trouble in the heartland
One last dance, save your worries for another rainy day
You wouldn’t want it any other way
But darling it’s time to say our goodbyes to summer romance
By the fall, all will be gone and then we’ll walk our separate ways
We’ll let this night be our last big mistake

From the heroes of yesteryear
The only one, still left standing
Tuned in to life’s radio
A blue song from long ago

Oh my love, there is trouble in the heartland
You and me, as we walk the square of possibility
Caught up in a love that could not be

But darling can’t you see?
We’re still soldiers of the heartland,
even now I still see you like I did when I could dream
of a place where we’d be known as king & queen

Video Tutorial: Donald Fagen Deconstructs Steely Dan Songs

16 Aug 2013 2 Comments

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: donald fagen, steely dan

One of the creators of some of the most sophisticated rock of the 70’s (or any other decade) discusses Steely Dan songs “Chain Lightning”, “Peg” and “Josie” in this video tutorial.