Friday, April 14

Talk about the passion.

It's very difficult to describe your inner most feelings when you're so passionate about something.

Sometimes, one's passion can switch or transpose or fluctuate, depending on one's own circumstances. In those cases, it's not the true passion that falters, but the circumstances that deteriorates it.

My passion lies within music.

I can't even begin to explain how music can evoke such an emotion within me. At the right time....in the right circumstances...I become enveloped amidst the devotion of what I hope to be similar feelings that the artist/s felt when they listen to the final mix.

I can appreciate all different genres and types, call them what you will. Scatty Jazz still confuses me though, but nobody can say that I haven't tried with it.

There's nothing wrong with a trashy pop song,. In fact, a well written pop song can contain 'hooks' that get under your skin and dig in, until you can take it no more and find yourself humming along at the most inappropriate times.
Sometimes, you can sucked in with a song by an artist that you've always filed in the 'tried it, but kinda crap' section. And it's great to appreciate each song for what it is....a perfect dollop of ingredients, melting together to form a beautiful concoction of sound, voice and words.

And how do they know....?
How do these artists know when the song is 'finished'?
They record, lay down tracks, add backing vocals, mix, layer, cut, splice, edit, change, re-record, remix etc....
Is there a point when they sit there in the recording studio, listening to mixes and suddenly say, "Yeah, that's the one"? I guess there must be, otherwise nothing would ever get released. But how do they know?
I've often wondered about this when going to live concerts. The artists play their songs over and over and over, so surely they must get a little disenchanted with it. But that aside, I wonder how many of them would like to write a much better lyric, strum a much slicker bassline because after all those plays....it feels like it could be better.

I can't begin to explain my passion and feelings about music.

I've changed the bedshaped jukebox, listing 5 songs that I've listened to tonight. 5 songs that for me, hold such passion in the way they have been written, sung and played.

Mew "Comforting Sounds."
8 minutes and 45 seconds of sheer bliss.
From the beginning....just the simple guitar to gently lead into the next phase of the song. And then his vocal, an unusual voice. It's one of those songs that when you hear the beginning, you can anticipate the build up and hope, hope, hope that it grows into something full and beautiful.
It builds and builds into something quite lovely. The chord changes sink right into me and I want it to keep going....and it does.

"Why don't we share out solitude? Nothing is pure anymore, but solitude."

Leaves "Epitaph."
I don't much about Leaves, except the guy has a great voice, writes lovely lyrics and they sounds like.....well, like a band should.
From the gentle strumming of the acoustic guitar to the full blown violin finale, this song sounds almost prefect to me. I can close my eyes and completely lose myself in the way this song portrays itself. It's sheer beauty.
And that string section at the end....
This, for me, has the best ending to a song that I've heard in such a long, long time.

"What I should do instead, realise. I look at myself, I disappear. I can do that, but it's such an easy way out."

Iron & Wine "The Trapeze Swinger."
A song with no chorus. The story just keeps unfolding as more and more instruments kick in, meandering and weaving themselves into each other. It's the sort of song I can imagine hearing sat around a campfire. It's got a great 'outside' feel to it. It ends with some "Nah na nah's". How can it not be a great song if it has "nah na nah's"

"Please remember me, my misery and how it lost me all I wanted."

The Cardigans "Couldn't Care Less."
A sad song, a powerful song, a broken soul song. Her voice becomes a catalyst for each word she sings. Not the sort of song that's best listened to when you're feeling sombre, or reflective. It pretends to end....then it climbs back in with an outro that just finishes off the mood perfectly.

"Your back's not straight like before, you really couldn't carry me no more. I'm much too heavy for you. I'm really quite a mess."

The Vines "Amnesia."

They've done some shit, they've done some good stuff. This is, for me, their pinnacle and it will take something simply amazing to top this. The backing vocals that caress the bridge are just.....just....*le sigh*. Add a dose of complimentary guitar, with a hook that just digs in and wont let go and you will be halfway there.
Amazingly, the song has only 7 lines.

"I cannot remember my own sanity. God's love ain't forever, He'll set us free."

I have a whole 1 day off over the Easter break. Go me!
But I still know parts of this weekend are gonna be great.

3 parlez:

x said...

i just wanted to say thank you again in public. xx

beth said...

Leaves - Icelandic footballers.

I love that album.

Joe said...

I have difficulty describing my feelings for music too. It's the reason I took a journalism degree, but three years later and I still can't spell, and my best musical rants come at 3:30am when the vodka is trying to get out of my system.