“True” by Spandau Ballet entered my life when I was in middle school and my brother became obsessed with this song. I’m not really sure why my brother thought this song was so cool. This ballad laced with synthesizers that perfecting exemplifies the cleaned-up new wave image of the early 1980s seems kind of lame on first listen. It sounds adult contemporary, has an almost “soap opera-level” of emotions in the sings. Check when the sing looks straight into the cameras and sings “but now I come again.” (3:40).
Well, actually the entire video is kind of hilarious. I would say that I love video in an ironic “wow, this is so unintentionally, hilariously awful” kind of way but that’s not how I feel about this song. Let’s look beyond the surface here, strip away the dated the musical landscape and you’ll be surprised at what you find.
In this 2009, performance, Spandau Ballet strips this song down to its core with minimal instrumentation to show us all what is at the heart of “True.”
Tony Hadley sings with less bravado and more intimacy reminiscent of George Michael as tries to emote how he feels. This man has traveled the world and still can’t quite put into words what is special. The line “this is the sound of my soul” is referring to the way that the music is describing something that he can’t say put into words “why’d I find it hard to write the next line.” What is truly “true” is the feeling that in the simple contour of the refrain lacking words but full of emotion.
It is never made clear what Spandau knows is true. Is he confessing his love or is he telling someone that he trusts her despite rumors of infidelity or is it something about himself? You don’t know and that’s one things that’s cool about this song. The music creates an emotion we all share and relate to without tying it down to a situation. We place that feeling into the an event or person in our own lives and it because personal, meaningful and true.
“True” is everything I love about music. It’s optimistic, life-affirming and embraces the mystery and magic that is music. You can tell that Spandau Ballet loves understands music when Tony sings “listening to Marvin all night long,” reffering to Marvin Gaye. I don’t think I could listen to Spandau Ballet all night long, but every so often I listen to “True” and I can’t help but love every moment of this song.
I know this much is true.
Showing posts with label New Wave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Wave. Show all posts
Monday, July 5, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding by Elvis Costello
In the middle of a recession, high oil prices an angry voice came from screaming from Britain. Elvis Costello a strange amalgamation of 1950s imagery with Buddy Holly glasses emerged from the New Wave movement but with an aggressive punk sound. However he had decidedly not punk message which is immediately evident in one of his earliest hits “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding.”
The original version of this song was written and recorded by Costello’s friend, Nick Lowe.
Lowe’s version is a country-styled mellow contemplation of the world. This version is a man contemplating why the world isn’t a better place. Nick Lowe invites us to make us take a step back and consider that maybe there’s something that we should reconsider in this world. When Nick Lowe says it almost makes him want to cry it’s from sadness and feeling tired. It’s from simply not understanding the darkness in the world and trying to make sense of it all.
Elvis Costello feels a little bit more like I do right now. He transforms a calm invitation to ponder how we feel about optimism into a frustrated, aggressive, confrontational attack on our cynicism and pessimism.
With the tempo turned up, with darker instruments and raw vocals, Costello tears through this song like a man possessed. No more is this question an invitation but a statement of anger and frustration. Why with all these horrible and frustrating things in the world are peace, love and understanding not taken as serious solutions to the world’s problems?
I guess that I’m just in a strange mood right now. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m dealing with Chicago winter or that I’m simply tired, but this world can be pretty frustrating. I mean really, there is so many people do bad things to people out there. You don’t have to even unfold a newspaper to find evidence of people being jerks in the world.
It frustrating that some people have a knee-jerk reaction against “peace, love and understanding” being able to solve any of the world’s problems. Look I agree, you need a lot more than love to make it through the day and yes, world peace will never happen and understanding is not going to solve the energy crisis.
However peace, love and understanding are real solutions to every day interactions we have with the people in our lives and in helping us with our small problems in our every day life you can change the world and eventually tackle these bigger issues. Now if you think this is some crazy hippy, idealistic, utopia idea, then I pity you.
If you don’t believe that we can make the our lives and the world a better place through peace, love and understanding than I do have not have any idea how you get through the day. A life without believing in the potential for the goodness in others is a life without belief in the goodness within us. And ff we don’t believe in ourselves than there really isn’t much point to living.
Tell me, what’s so funny about peace, love and understanding. I don’t see anybody laughing, all I see is the single most powerful force in the universe: hope.
The original version of this song was written and recorded by Costello’s friend, Nick Lowe.
Lowe’s version is a country-styled mellow contemplation of the world. This version is a man contemplating why the world isn’t a better place. Nick Lowe invites us to make us take a step back and consider that maybe there’s something that we should reconsider in this world. When Nick Lowe says it almost makes him want to cry it’s from sadness and feeling tired. It’s from simply not understanding the darkness in the world and trying to make sense of it all.
Elvis Costello feels a little bit more like I do right now. He transforms a calm invitation to ponder how we feel about optimism into a frustrated, aggressive, confrontational attack on our cynicism and pessimism.
With the tempo turned up, with darker instruments and raw vocals, Costello tears through this song like a man possessed. No more is this question an invitation but a statement of anger and frustration. Why with all these horrible and frustrating things in the world are peace, love and understanding not taken as serious solutions to the world’s problems?
I guess that I’m just in a strange mood right now. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m dealing with Chicago winter or that I’m simply tired, but this world can be pretty frustrating. I mean really, there is so many people do bad things to people out there. You don’t have to even unfold a newspaper to find evidence of people being jerks in the world.
It frustrating that some people have a knee-jerk reaction against “peace, love and understanding” being able to solve any of the world’s problems. Look I agree, you need a lot more than love to make it through the day and yes, world peace will never happen and understanding is not going to solve the energy crisis.
However peace, love and understanding are real solutions to every day interactions we have with the people in our lives and in helping us with our small problems in our every day life you can change the world and eventually tackle these bigger issues. Now if you think this is some crazy hippy, idealistic, utopia idea, then I pity you.
If you don’t believe that we can make the our lives and the world a better place through peace, love and understanding than I do have not have any idea how you get through the day. A life without believing in the potential for the goodness in others is a life without belief in the goodness within us. And ff we don’t believe in ourselves than there really isn’t much point to living.
Tell me, what’s so funny about peace, love and understanding. I don’t see anybody laughing, all I see is the single most powerful force in the universe: hope.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Walking On Broken Glass by Annie Lennox
When popular music was first introduced to Annie Lennox as part of the New Wave duo, the Eurhythmics, Lennox was a shocking symbol of androgyny. Dressed in a suit with hair dyed orange that was cut short in a buzz cut, Lennox’s image in the video for the Eurhythmics’ most famous song, “Sweet Dreams” was cold and unfeeling. Her vocal performance over plodding synthesized beats was cold and robotic. However. in the depth of her tone, you could only hear hints of the blue-eyed soul that lied beneath the cold corporate image.
In 1992, Lennox released her first solo album Diva. Lennox lived up to the pretension of the album title and proved herself to be one of the most unique and powerful voices in popular music. While her first single “Why” was a powerful ballad, mournful, desperate and intimate, it was her third single “Walking on Broken Glass” that caught my attention.
Maybe it was music video based with 118th century costumes feature John Malkovich and Hugh Laurie or maybe it was the fact that the song sounded like nothing I had heard before.
The opening of the song starts with a piano line that is quickly joined with a string section. The piano and strings are not only used as a harmonic basis but provide and rhythmic momentum like in Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.” The pattern starts on the beat but is quickly thrown off the beat hopping around like someone dancing gingerly through broken glass. The acoustic sound of the piano is layered on top of a pulsing dance beat that adds more vitality to the song creating an organic fusion between classical instruments and modern pop music sounds.
Female singers are divided into two main groups, sopranos and altos. Almost every single female pop star is a soprano. Sopranos in general sing higher than altos but it’s the tone that they sing with that defines the different types of voices. Sopranos have higher lighter voices while altos sing with a darker depth to the sound. Alto’s aren’t as popular as sopranos because often their voices are heavy and not as easy to sing along with because of the range that they sing in. However, Lennox’s voice has the depth of the alto voice but the lightness of soprano resulting in a sultry mix of soul.
Where other sopranos belt and force out higher notes (like Kelly Clarkson), Lennox flips into a light head voice during the bridge of the song. This is a gutsy move exposes a thinner tone in her voice but only adds to the vulnerable feelings expressed in the words.
If one Annie Lennox wasn’t enough, she builds up into the final chorus with cascading overdubs breaking up the phrase “can’t keep walking on broken glass” into a chaotic chorus that erupts into a beautiful celebration musical euphoria.
The lyircs of the song are dark and full of pain but the music is joyful foreshadowing the feeling the protagonist will feel when she finally lets go of this man that is hurting her. It's a powerful statement of optimism through pain, a little desperate but more than anything a lot of fun.
In 1992, Lennox released her first solo album Diva. Lennox lived up to the pretension of the album title and proved herself to be one of the most unique and powerful voices in popular music. While her first single “Why” was a powerful ballad, mournful, desperate and intimate, it was her third single “Walking on Broken Glass” that caught my attention.
Maybe it was music video based with 118th century costumes feature John Malkovich and Hugh Laurie or maybe it was the fact that the song sounded like nothing I had heard before.
The opening of the song starts with a piano line that is quickly joined with a string section. The piano and strings are not only used as a harmonic basis but provide and rhythmic momentum like in Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.” The pattern starts on the beat but is quickly thrown off the beat hopping around like someone dancing gingerly through broken glass. The acoustic sound of the piano is layered on top of a pulsing dance beat that adds more vitality to the song creating an organic fusion between classical instruments and modern pop music sounds.
Female singers are divided into two main groups, sopranos and altos. Almost every single female pop star is a soprano. Sopranos in general sing higher than altos but it’s the tone that they sing with that defines the different types of voices. Sopranos have higher lighter voices while altos sing with a darker depth to the sound. Alto’s aren’t as popular as sopranos because often their voices are heavy and not as easy to sing along with because of the range that they sing in. However, Lennox’s voice has the depth of the alto voice but the lightness of soprano resulting in a sultry mix of soul.
Where other sopranos belt and force out higher notes (like Kelly Clarkson), Lennox flips into a light head voice during the bridge of the song. This is a gutsy move exposes a thinner tone in her voice but only adds to the vulnerable feelings expressed in the words.
If one Annie Lennox wasn’t enough, she builds up into the final chorus with cascading overdubs breaking up the phrase “can’t keep walking on broken glass” into a chaotic chorus that erupts into a beautiful celebration musical euphoria.
The lyircs of the song are dark and full of pain but the music is joyful foreshadowing the feeling the protagonist will feel when she finally lets go of this man that is hurting her. It's a powerful statement of optimism through pain, a little desperate but more than anything a lot of fun.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Take On Me by A-Ha
I listen to “Take On Me” every single day on the way to work, or at least the first couple seconds.
My wife and I listen to our iPods in the car and every day we update our playlists and podcasts. When we unplug our iPods from the computer the iPods resets and instead of starting from the last thing we were listening to it starts playing songs in by artist. So when we press play in our car it starts with A-Ha and plays “Take On Me.”
At least half the time, I’m not really thinking about what I want to listen to and I let my iPod play “Take On Me” and when I realize that I’m listening to “Take On Me” again, I grumble but once the chorus hits, I can’t help but smile.
My first exposure to “Take On Me” was the amazing music video. The rotoscope animation technique in which live action film is projected and each frame is traced over with pencil created a magical world bringing a comic book to life in a way that simply blew my mind.
The blend of live action and animation is reminiscent of the Mary Poppins with the girl in the diner being invited into the comic book. There is pure magic as she explores the world and the camera circles around a mirror with live action on one side and rotoscope animation on the other. A chase ensues, she makes it back to the real world and in the end the guy comes out of the comic banging against the walls shaking off his animated self in one of the most unforgettable moments in music videos.
Is “Take On Me” really about a comic book come to life experience? Not really, but what the music video captures is the sense of wonder and magic that comes from looking into eyes of someone you love. That’s really all this song is about.
Often in music, male protagonists are boastful and self-assured but in “Take On Me” the main character is shy and sweet. Here is a guy who sees a girl that he likes, doesn’t have any lines and is shy himself but is willing to push past this because as he states in the second verse, “it’s no better to be safe than sorry.”
Even more than the lyrics of this song, what sticks out in many people’s minds is Morten Harket’s lead vocals. The chorus of this song starts low and gets high, really high. From the bottom note to the top note Harket covers the range of two and a half octaves. “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which is often criticized for its difficulty to sing, only covers the range of an octave and a half. In case you had any doubts that this was a legit performance and produced with studio magic, check out this impromptu live performance they did in 2005.
Steve Perry of Journey ain’t got nothing on this guy. Harket’s heartfelt performance makes the angular coldness of the frenetic synthesized backgrounds seem at peace. They seem right, it’s hard to imagine this song any other way. Maybe it’s nostalgia. I grew up listening to this song any it reminds me of a simpler time but Diana didn’t. She’s never watched the music video in its entirety but she loves this song as well.
Great music transcends its genre. “Take On Me” is the perfect example of 1980s New Wave music, a cleaned-up synthesized reaction to punk music of the 1970s. If you strip away what characterizes “Take On Me” as New Wave you are left with a great pop song with honest lyrics and a simple but catchy chorus, that is hilarious fun is singalong with.
“Take On Me” is about seeing a possibility, hoping for the best and taking a chance. When you think about it, "Take On Me" really is the perfect song to start the day with.
My wife and I listen to our iPods in the car and every day we update our playlists and podcasts. When we unplug our iPods from the computer the iPods resets and instead of starting from the last thing we were listening to it starts playing songs in by artist. So when we press play in our car it starts with A-Ha and plays “Take On Me.”
At least half the time, I’m not really thinking about what I want to listen to and I let my iPod play “Take On Me” and when I realize that I’m listening to “Take On Me” again, I grumble but once the chorus hits, I can’t help but smile.
My first exposure to “Take On Me” was the amazing music video. The rotoscope animation technique in which live action film is projected and each frame is traced over with pencil created a magical world bringing a comic book to life in a way that simply blew my mind.
The blend of live action and animation is reminiscent of the Mary Poppins with the girl in the diner being invited into the comic book. There is pure magic as she explores the world and the camera circles around a mirror with live action on one side and rotoscope animation on the other. A chase ensues, she makes it back to the real world and in the end the guy comes out of the comic banging against the walls shaking off his animated self in one of the most unforgettable moments in music videos.
Is “Take On Me” really about a comic book come to life experience? Not really, but what the music video captures is the sense of wonder and magic that comes from looking into eyes of someone you love. That’s really all this song is about.
Often in music, male protagonists are boastful and self-assured but in “Take On Me” the main character is shy and sweet. Here is a guy who sees a girl that he likes, doesn’t have any lines and is shy himself but is willing to push past this because as he states in the second verse, “it’s no better to be safe than sorry.”
Even more than the lyrics of this song, what sticks out in many people’s minds is Morten Harket’s lead vocals. The chorus of this song starts low and gets high, really high. From the bottom note to the top note Harket covers the range of two and a half octaves. “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which is often criticized for its difficulty to sing, only covers the range of an octave and a half. In case you had any doubts that this was a legit performance and produced with studio magic, check out this impromptu live performance they did in 2005.
Steve Perry of Journey ain’t got nothing on this guy. Harket’s heartfelt performance makes the angular coldness of the frenetic synthesized backgrounds seem at peace. They seem right, it’s hard to imagine this song any other way. Maybe it’s nostalgia. I grew up listening to this song any it reminds me of a simpler time but Diana didn’t. She’s never watched the music video in its entirety but she loves this song as well.
Great music transcends its genre. “Take On Me” is the perfect example of 1980s New Wave music, a cleaned-up synthesized reaction to punk music of the 1970s. If you strip away what characterizes “Take On Me” as New Wave you are left with a great pop song with honest lyrics and a simple but catchy chorus, that is hilarious fun is singalong with.
“Take On Me” is about seeing a possibility, hoping for the best and taking a chance. When you think about it, "Take On Me" really is the perfect song to start the day with.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Mad World by Tears for Fears/Michael Andrews & Gary Jules/Adam Lambert
1982-Tears for Fears, a British New Wave band releases “Mad World” as their third single becoming their first hit on the United Kingdom singles chart.
2009-Adam Lambert sings “Mad World” as one of one of the finalists on American Idol.
It’s amazing to think that after twenty-one years after its original release “Mad World” would become a hit and even more mind-boggling that “Mad World” would help propel an American Idol contestants to become the runner-up and one of most popular American Idols contestants.
“Mad World” by Tears for Fears on initial listening is an unremarkable song. Its synthesized New Wave instrumentation instantly make the song sound dated. The driving tempo and pulsing drums sounds like s a dance club song, however if you listen past the “blips and bloops” and focus on the lyrics an emotional rawness is revealed.
The lyrics of “Mad World” express a bleak world view. The song opens observing “familiar faces” that are “going nowhere.” In reaction to this the singers is crying wanting to “drown my sorrow.” The chorus bring us deeper into the thoughts of the protagonist contemplating how he feels about his own depression.
And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I ever had
I find it hard to tell you ‘cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles, it’s a very, very . . . mad world.
The idea that people are running in circles without meaning feels like insanity to the singer. The contemplating of dying engenders a feeling of humor and sadness, which evokes a sense of madness in the main character. The singer rather die than live life aimlessly. It is kind of funny and kind of sad to conclude that death is the only way to make sense out of the insanity of life.
Some lyrics are ambiguous enough in their meaning that imagining different interpretations is no problem. Even though the words in “Mad World” don’t seem to leave a lot open for interpretation different performer have found different meaning in this song.
Tears for Fears with their faster tempo and synthesized sounds has paranoid feel. The jagged instrumental lines have a feeling of insanity. Here there is a man sitting in an apartment in a futuristic distopia frustrated, angry and scared not so much of the world but what his emotions are doing to himself.
Michael Andrews and Gary Jules interpretation of “Mad World” is similar to Johnny Cash’s cover of Nine Inch Nails’“Hurt.” The slower tempo and simpler background instruments expresses a feeling of solitude and quiet contemplation. Instead of anger, there is a feeling of letting go and giving up. It just doesn’t make sense. Shivering, tired and close to tears, he no longer has anything left.
Adam Lambert takes the arrangement of Andrews and Jules and adds the anger and bitterness from the Tears for Fears version. The purity of Lambert’s voice against the lyrics expresses a feeling of disappointment, an innocence lost. Here is a man in conflict struggling with the world around him near the point of giving up.
There is one more interpretation to consider that bring forth the soul of "Mad World." In 2006, in front of a choir and full orchestra, Curt Smith from Tears for Fears performed “Mad World.”
What instantly hits the ear is the sonic world that it revels to us that this song is not so much about the individual but the “mad world.”
Every interpretation is a different reaction to the same world. Within the constructs of the song there is universality in the meaning of this song, the idea that we all at some time see the world as being insane. These different performances remind us that we all react to the world in our own unique way. They challenges us to examine ourselves and questions whether what we find inside is kind of funny or kind of sad.
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