I make a distinction between Rhythm & Blues, as we discussed it earlier this semester, and R&B (or “Contemporary Rhythm & Blues”). R&B, in my opinion, is basically Rhythm & Blues Pop Music. It therefore contains much of the common characteristics of Commercial Music, focussing primarily on revenue. This new style of R&B became popular in the 1980s, and inherited the synthetic dance rhythm from Disco music, and sometimes even use Hip-Hop style beats.
An interesting characteristic in R&B is the use of “melisma” or “melismatic singing.” Usually when people sing, one syllable is sung on one musical note. In melismatic singing, one syllable is sung over several musical notes. The success of melisma singing in R&B may also be a contributor to the popularity of the “Auto-Tune”-phenomena over the past decade and a half. Some popular melisma singers include Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
Following is a short selection of representative R&B songs:
We already listened to one of the first Rap / Hip-Hop songs, when we discussed Disco music. Do you remember the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”; rhyming rapped over looped vamp sampled from Chic’s “Good Times”?
But what is Hip-Hop? It is important to note that “Hip-Hop” firstly refers to a subculture; particularly an African American subculture that developed in the Bronx in New York City in the 70s. Part of Hip Hop is a creative expression through art (graffiti writing), dancing (B-boying), as well as music in the form of DJing and MCing. DJing refers to the use of synthetic instruments like a turn table, drum machines, and music editing controllers to “sample,” “loop,” “scratch,” and so on. MCeeing refers to “rapping,” in which the rapper / MC perform rhythmical rhymes, or poetry put to beat. The MC may also “beatbox,” which is the act of mimicking percussion instruments, i.e. drums, using one’s mouth and voice.
In the 1970s, particularly in the Bronx area, youth had parties (e.g. “block parties” and “tennis court discos”) in which DJs created dance music. The music were often a combination of sampled snippets from the popular songs of the day, for instance Chic’s “Good Times.” Over these sampled rhythms people would perform their rhymes.
One of the first DJ’s during this time was Clive Campbell (aka DJ Kool Herc), known as the “Father of Hip Hop.” DJ Kool Herc sampled beats from different songs and mixed them together, or one after the other, to create syncopation and polyrhythm. DJ Kool Herc’s prodigy was Joseph Saddler (aka Grandmaster Flash).
Watch a part of an episode called “The Perfect Beat,” from a series called “Rock & Roll,” below. While listening to it, try to answer this question: How is Hip-Hop music different from all the other established genres of music?
Below is a list of some representative Hip-Hop music:
Traditionally Hip-Hop music made social commentary, expressed political concerns, and contemplated personal issues; however, the themes in Hip-Hop have evolved to less noble topics.
Thematically Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” (2002) is quite positive. How would you summarize this song? In other words, what are the topic, idea, and theme of this song?
Unfortunately few contemporary Hip-Hop songs are so inspirational. Instead, Hip-Hop music have has become a medium for promoting a warped idea of masculinity and gender violence (misogyny). Learn more about these issues at the Independent Lens’ Hip-Hop page.
Following is a trailer for the great documentary Beyond Beats & Rhymes, which is well worth seeing.
You can learn more about this documentary at the Independent Lens website. The website also includes a timeline of Hip-Hop’s development and a glossary of common terms when discussing Hip-Hop music.
For your final presentation (which counts as your final exam mark), you need to present and discuss a recent English song. The song should not be older than 15 years.
You need to hand in a typed document which should contain the following:
- Mention its social significance. (E.g. Does it have any effecy on society? Does it make social comment? Is it representative of social or political ideas?)
4) A full analysis of the music:
- Melody: Use appropriate vocabulary like “pitch,” “scales,” “melodic contour,” “ascending and descending motion,” “range,” “countermelody,” and so on.
- Harmony: Use appropriate vocabulary like “chord progression” and “dissonance and consonance.”
- Rhythm: Use appropriate vocabulary like “polyrhythm,” “syncopation,” and so on.
- Other: Orchestration & Instruments Dynamics / Timbre / Texture / Density / Form
5) A historic contextualization (Which previous genres influenced this song).
- Write a short essay in which you discuss what genres of music influenced the song you are presenting.
Keep the complexity of the song in mind:
Choose your song carefully. Keep the level of complexity of the song in mind. If the song that you choose is complex, you will probably have more to say about it. An analysis of a complex song is likely to get higher grades than an easy analysis of a simple song. However, if the song is too complex, it may take too long to discuss, which means that you may not be able to finish it in time.
Class presentation:
Your class presentation should be a summary of your full analysis. During your presentation you will play the song to the class and provide the metadata, and the lyrics with the song structure indicated; after which you summarize the lyrics, indicating the topic & idea, and theme(s). Also point out poetic devices if appropriate. Finally, give a short analysis of the music with reference to the melody, harmony, rhythm, and other important aspects. You do not have to play the whole song, you need only play sections that will reveal the points you wish to explain. Remember to mention the historical musical influences on the song, and be sure to mention if the song has any social significance.
Your whole presentation should be around 5 minutes.
Pop music is music enjoyed by a wide audience. Pop music is usually not very complex, with melodies that are easy to follow, and often with strong hooks. The song structure in pop music is also quite standard -- verse 1 / chorus / verse 2 / chorus / bridge / chorus – with occasional variation. The songs tend to be relatively short. The themes in pop music are usually (but not exclusively) about romantic love.
Often the main purpose in pop music is to make money. It is therefore also sometimes referred to as Commercial Music. Crossroads in Music (p. 64) explains: “Music created for the primary purpose of generating revenue for the writers and performers can be considered commercial.” To make the most amount of money the music needs to appeal to the greatest number of people (biggest audience).
Pop Icons
Some pop artists become so successful and famous, that they become known as Pop Icons. A “Pop Icon” is a person that is well known in popular culture. In this course we have listened to the music of quite a number of Pop Icons like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Cher, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain(Nirvana), Freddie Mercury (Queen), The Rolling Stones, and so on.
On the list above, Elvis Presley is probably the most prominent Pop Icon. We have already spend a couple of posts looking at the music of Elvis Presley.
Let’s look at two other Pop Icons, Madonna and Michael Jackson.
Madonna
Madonna is called the “Queen of Pop” and in 2006, according to Mail Online, she is the “highest earning female singer on earth.” Bloomberg Press reported that Madonna’s “Sticky & Sweet” word tour is the highest-grossing solo tour and sold over $280 million in tickets.
Probably Madonna’s greatest asset is her ability to continuously re-invent herself, changing not only her appearance, but also her “sound.” Let’s listen to a couple of her songs – note how her look and sound has changed through the time.
"Like a Virgin" (1984)
"Express Yourself" (1984)
“Secret” (1994)
“Frozen” (1997)
“Die Another Day” (2002)
“Give it 2 me” (2008)
Michael Jackson
The title for “King of Pop” goes to the late Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson’s singing, dancing, and music style have influenced innumerable artists in many different genres, for instance Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Britney Spears, and numerous more. Although a good number of Jackson’s songs are “love songs,” many of them contained other themes in which he attempted to make people aware of social issues like war, abuse, AIDS, environmental issues, and the like.
Apart from his influence on music, Michael Jackson was also an extraordinary philanthropist, and it is estimated that he donated over 300 million dollars to charities. However, as a pop icon he was also involved in many negative media hype.
It is extremely difficult to assess how great Michael Jackson’s legacy to pop music, pop culture, and the world is. You can read more about this in the article "The Battle Over Michael Jackson's Legacy" on Time.Com.
Following are some famous singles by the King of Pop:
Are there commonalities that most of Madonna and Michael Jackson's music share? If yes, what are they? Do you think that this has contributed to their respective world wide success?
Write an essay in which you discuss the problem of violence, sex and drugs in Rock Music. Take a personal opinion and then connect your discussion with any artist(s) of your choice and give examples from lyrics where appropriate. Your essay should contain references to other sources, with correct citation where appropriate.
Female Rock artists usually find their niche in an alternative rock genre, possibly because the Heavy Metal and Hard Rock genres tend to emphasize masculinity so much. Let’s look at some female rock vocalist.
Tina Turner is known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll.” Although her career started already in the 60s, she was especially popular in the 80s, at which time she won Grammy Awards in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1989! Here is “Simply the Best”:
Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill” remained on the top ten on the U.S. Billboard for over a year. This album is one of only three albums, alongside Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" and Celine Dion’s "Falling into You," to achieve this. Let’s listen to the single “You Learn” from that album. What would you say is the topic and controlling idea of this song?
We have already listened to Sheryl Crow singing a duet with Kid Rock. Crow is a celebrated crossover artist and have won Grammy Awards in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2003. Below is her cover of Guns ‘n Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine.” (You can listen to the original here.)
Pink (Alecia Moore) is a pop-rock artist that started out as an R&B singer. Pink is known for her rebellious and tough-chick attitude. Let’s listen to her song “So What” from her latest album, “Funhouse.”
Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, College Rock, Grunge
Another subgenre of Rock Music is Alternative Rock, and refers to rock music that is not as popular as some of the other mainstream rock bands. It is rooted in the smaller bands that often played at colleges, and which created an alternative and more creative sound. Since many of these bands were not picked up by the big music producers, they were more likely to produce their own music independently. They are therefore also known as independent rock, or indie rock.
Alt-rock songs frequently focus on social issues, or reflected the angst and expectations of the youth in the 80s and 90s.
One of the early alt-rock bands to become very successful is R.E.M. Below is their song “It’s the End of the World.”
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock which started in the Seattle area with bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Hammerbox, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. The grunge-sound usually had a slower tempo than the typical rock music, but still retained a heavy distorted electric guitars, dissonant harmonies and complex orchestration, although it is generally not as dense as hard rock and heavy metal.
Thematically grunge focuses on feelings of apathy, angst, “outsidership” (feelings of social alientation), and a bleak view of the future. Some grunge songs, however, are satirical, made fun at the issues they contemplated.
Many Alternative bands gained a cult following. Few bands had a cult following like the grunge band Nirvana. Listen to “It Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “In Bloom.” Identify the topics and themes for each of these songs.
Another grunge band from Seattle is Pearl Jam, which became “the most popular American rock & roll band of the 90s,” according to Stephen Erlewine. Listen to Pearl Jam’s “Alive”; how would you describe the message of this song? Is it a positive or a negative message?
A very diverse alternative rock band is The Smashing Pumpkins. Listen to their song “The World is a Vampire.” What do you think is meant by this metaphor?
The UK alternative band, Placebo, is another band that sings about topics of (teenage) angst and uncertainty. Gender issues are also a common theme in some alternative rock bands, for instance Placebo’s song “Nancy Boy.” My personal favorite Placebo song is “Protect Me from What I Want,” especially the French version.
Punk Rock
Punk Rock is another alternative rock genre noted for their high rhythmic density, but fairly low instrumental density. The lyrics are usually short and often cover socio-political themes and anti-establishment or anarchistic topics. The vocals in punk rock are usually high pitched, generally with an adolescent sound.
The artist Patti Smith is known as the "Godmother of Punk." She combined “beat poetry” with fast paced rock music – creating a style that would be taken up by other artists and would become the familiar punk rock sound. Her song “Because the Night,” which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen, is probably her most recognizable.
Another original punk band is the Sex Pistols. Here is there famous (and controversial) “God Save the Queen”:
What do you think is the political message sent by the song? What themes does it address?
Green Day is one of the most successful Punk Rock bands. They have been nominated at the American Music Awards for Favorite Alternate Artist on numerous occasions. In 1995 their album “Dookie” won the Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album, in 2000 “American Idiot” won Best Rock Album and in 2006 they won Record of the Year for “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
We will listen to “Basket Case” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
Other famous Punk Rock bands include The Offspring and Blink 182. Good representative examples of their music are“Hit That” by The Offspring and “All the Small Things” by Blink 182.
Extra Credit Assignment: “Did Punk Rock evolve from Blue Grass?” In an essay, answer the question above. Remember to motivate your answer with examples. The assignment should be handed in before the final exams start.
Around the 70s and later, Rock ‘n Roll started to develop sub-genres. We have already listened some of these subgenres namely Country Rock (or Southern Rock) and Blues Rock.
Now we will look at some of the other famous rock sub-genres. Psychedelic Rock
“Psychedelic” refers to the use of psychedelic- or mind-altering drugs that were emerging and prevalent during the sixties and seventies. Psychedelic Rock tried to capture these drug experiences in music. There was also a strong theme of “hedonism” – the believe that pleasure is the only goal in life.
Psychedilic Rock retained the typical orchestration associated with Rock music, but often incorporated exotic instruments, like sitars. The Beatles’ album “St. Pepper’s Heart Club Band” is considered by many to be a psychedelic album .
Another psychedelic rock band dating from the late 60s is The Yarnbirds. Eric Clapton was the lead guitarist for The Yarnbirds from 1963-1965. The Yarnbirds was known for their experimental use of the electric guitar. Below are two songs by The Yarnbirds.
“Over Under Sidewards Down”
“Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”
Hard Rock & Heavy Metal
The word “Hard” in Hard Rock refers to the high dynamics of the music; in other words the loudness of the volume which is often so loud (due to amplification) that the sound becomes distorted and therefore has lots of dissonance. Distortion is a key feature in this genre. Hard Rock is strongly influenced by blues music and many of the songs are based on the 12 Bar Blues structure. The pentatonic scale is also frequently used, which is probably rooted in the Spirituals and Negro folk songs.
Jimi Hendrix was one of the initiators of Hard Rock. “The Jimi Hendrix sound and the instrumentation of his band – guitar, bass, and drums: the ‘power trio’ – were at the core of the hard rock style and of the heavy metal style that followed” (Crossroads in Music, p. 222). Hendrix was influenced by Psychedelic Rock, particularly their experimentation with the electric guitar, which, of course, was something he excelled at.
The term “Heavy Metal” was first used in the song “Born to Be Wild,” by Steppenwolf, which is also considered to be the first Heavy Metal song.
But what is the difference between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? The two genres (if they are indeed two separate genres) overlap a great deal. Generally, I would say, that both have high dynamics with a big focus on the “metals” (the electric guitar and bass guitar); however, Heavy Metal tend to have more intricate melodies and harmonies, with longer guitar solos. Sometimes Heavy metal may also seem more aggressive, with lots of emphasis on being “macho”. It is also believed that the influence of Blues and Rhythm & Blues had a greater influence on Hard Rock, while other more complex genres like Jazz and Classical Music also contributed to Heavy Metal.
Let’s listen to “Born to Be Wild”:
The British band Judas Priest is one of the early Heavy Metal artists. Listen to their song “Breaking the Law.”
The idea of “breaking the law” is consistent with a theme in Heavy Metal that is anti-conformist and anti-establishment – even anarchistic.
A common characteristic in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is the use of guitar riffs. A “riff”, as you may remember, is similar to the “vamp” in Disco. Listen to the highly recognizable guitar riff in Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.”
Did you notice the use of the organ in this song? The use of the organ as an instrument in music is rooted in Gospel music.
Of course, the Beatles was one of the first bands to redefine Rock ‘n Roll and started to make a new “Rock” sound. The album “St. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band,” which we looked at before. Anther influential band was (and still is) the Rolling Stones, which we have listened to as well.
“Honky Tonk Woman” is a song by the Rolling Stones, dating 1969. The word “Honky Tonk” refers to a pub or bar with live music, and a honky tonk woman is presumably a dancer (maybe an erotic dancer?) in such an establishment.
The Dark Side of Rock-‘n-Roll: Sex, Drugs & Violence: Songs about sex, alcohol and other drug use, and even violence became common themes in Rock music, creating a culture of self-destruction. “Rock music and its stars have demonstrated a tendency toward self-destruction, as the drug related deaths of Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, all around 1970, attest. In the same period, at the tragic Rolling Stones concert at Altamont, many in the crowd of an estimated 300, 000 were physically assaulted and one person was murdered before the cameras of a documentary film crew. Ten years later eleven people died at a Who concert in Cincinnati, and a year later John Lennon was murdered. The message of rock seemed to encourage violence, sex, and drugs…” Crossroads in Music (p. 222).
Following we will look at a couple other famous rock bands.
The Eagles
One of the most popular artists of the 70s were The Eagles. “Hotel California” is probably their best known song. While listening to the song take note of the orchestration, as well as the use of consonance (harmony).
The lyrics describe another “honky-tonk” scene, this time a hotel with music and dancing. The narrator finds himself imprisoned in the hotel. What do you think is the symbolic or metaphoric meaning of this song?
Pink Floyd
“We Don’t Need No Education” is part of “Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)” a section in Pink Floyd’s rock-opera “The Wall,” which was also made into a movie. While listening to it, notice the Disco sounds, mixed with electric guitars, electric bass and other “rock” sounds . Can you hear the vamp / riff played by the bass?
Like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd also hails from the UK.
Led Zeppelin
Considered by some one of the greatest Rock songs of all time Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” has three distinct sections. In the beginning the density is low, starting with the picking of an acoustic guitar and recorder accompaniment. Electric guitars add to the dynamics towards the middle. The final part of the song increases in density as more instruments are added and the rhythmic density and dynamics increases further. While listening to the song, identify the song structure and musical arrangement.
Now focus on the lyrics of this song. It is full of poetic images and symbols. First try to figure out the meaning of the lyrics for yourself, then look at the following interpretation: A Song of Hope. Do you agree with the interpretation?
Edgar Winter Group
This band created quite experimental rock music, almost with jazz-like improvisation, using a range of electric and electronic instruments and equipment. Listen to their rendition “Frankenstein” and try to describe the development of the song.
When we discuss the lyrics of the song, we have to mention what it is about – in other words, what is the topic of the song. The topic is the subject that the song is concerned with. To find the topic it is often useful to summarize the song as shortly as possible, preferably in one sentence. Take for instance the song “Who Makes You Feel” by Dido that we listened to earlier. The topic of this song is the relationship of the narrator and her lover.
Knowing the topic, however, is not enough. A song is not merely a topic; it is something about a topic. It is true that the topic of “Who Makes You Feel” is the relationship between the narrator and her lover; but what about the relationship? What is the (controlling) idea that the narrator (or lyricist) wants to get across through this song? In “Who Makes You Feel” the controlling idea is: In no other relationship will the lover feel as good and loved, as in the relationship with the narrator.
In short, the topic is “relationship,” and the controlling idea is that “our relationship makes you feel the best.”
Apart from the topic and its related controlling idea, one can also identify the bigger idea in the lyric, known as theme. While the topic is specific, the theme is more general. In literature there are a number of themes that are relatively easily identifiable. The most common theme in music is the theme of “love.” The theme in “Who Makes You Feel” is also love; possibly unreciprocated love.
Assignment:
Choose any song by Dido or Björk, copy down the lyrics and identify the topic and idea, as well as the theme(s). Write a paragraph or two in which you explain the topic, idea, and theme. The assignment is due Noverber 19th.
A while ago when we discussed yodeling, I showed how the yodeling effect is recreated synthetically through electronic means, known as "auto-tuning." Today I found this video that discusses Auto-Tune as a meme.
Disco music had two important features that made for good dancing: (1) a distinct rhythm and (2) vamps (aka loops). In Disco the artist would actually sing the vamps, but because of computers sampling and looping got easier, and in a sense the singing artist became obsolete. The vocalist’s voice became merely another sound which could be sampled and then edited and looped. In Dance music the real artist is not the singer or the band members, but the DJ (Disk Jockey) who mixes different sampled sounds into new segued compositions. And so, in the early 1980s started a new type of dance music – electronic dance music.
The main subgenres of Dance music include: Techno, House, Trance, Electro, Break beat, and Drum-and-Bass.
Honestly, I’m still trying to figure the different sub-genres. A good place to start may be at Techno.Org’s Electronic Music Guide.
I will attempt short explanations to Techno, House, and Trance:
Techno music is the most repetitive style of dance music, with a 4/4 beat. It sounds very synthetic – in other words, one cannot recognize any normal instruments, only electronic sounds. Example of techno DJs may be Richie Hawtin, Chris Liebling, and DJ Hell.
House music seems to be slightly less synthetic, as if more sampling of “natural sounds” are included. There is also a clearer use of syncopation. Examples of house DJs may be Derrick Carter, Deep Dish, and Erik Morello.
Trance Music is similar to house, but it tends to build up (increase in rhythmic density) and build down (decrease in rhythmic density) a number of times throughout the session. Trance also have more harmony – or at least layers of instruments. Famous Trance DJs are Paul van Dyk, Astral Projection and Tiesto.
Since Dance music is not focused on lyrics, it falls slightly beyond our focus which is “Poetry in Music.” One way to listen to dance music while at the same time listening to good lyrics, is to find a crossover artist that makes both dance music, but also writes good lyrics. Let’s look at two examples: Dido and Björk.
We’ve already heard how rhythm gained more focus in Funk. This continued, so that a new genre evolved focussing primarily on dancing. Disco is a type of dance music that originally catered for an African-American audience, but later gained a wider audience. It is often associated with gay-culture.
Saturday Night Fever and the Bee Gees
The movie Saturday Night Fever epitomizes Disco, so let’s look at some sections from this cult classic.
The soundtrack for this movie is by the Bee Gees. Some people is of the opinion that the Bee Gees and this movie is the beginning of Disco. This is, however, not the case. When “Saturday Night Fever” came out in 1977, Disco was already going for a number of years. Let’s look other prominent names in Disco.
Barry White
In 1973 Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra recorded “Love’s Theme,” a purely instrumental piece. While listening to the music, try to describe the melody, harmony, and especially the rhythm.
Now listen to another song by Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra, “I’m Gonna Love You, Just a Little More Baby.” The video is from a concert he performed in Sao Paulo, Brazil. What would you say is the main element in this song?
Now listen to “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me.” Again, notice the very prominent rhythm.
The Jackson Five
Quite influential during the 70s were the Jackson Five. Listen to them perform one of their great singles, “I Want You Back,” from 1972. Also listen to “ABC” thereafter.
Especially in “ABC” one can very clearly hear the vamp. The vamp, which was a distinctive element of Funk, is also a common feature in Disco music since it adds to the songs dance quality.
KC and The Band’s “That’s The Way I Like It”
The song “That’s the Way I Like It” is another great Disco classic. While listening to the song, try to identify all the jazz influences in this song.
You’ll also notice that there is not much lyrics. Most of the words of the song consists only of it’s hook: “That’s the way uh-huh uh-huh, I like it!” There is also a very clear vamp. Something you may have noticed by now is that Disco music often neglected lyrics in favor of rhythm. Words became mere tools to reinforce the rhythm, by repeating the words on the beats.
Chic
While Chic’s music was not that different from other Disco music of the time, they were probably the cause of one of today’s most successful pop genres, namely Hip-Hop. In the following song you will hear a very important rhythm. Tom Zarecki explains:
Interestingly, the instrumental, non-vocal parts of "Good Times" before and after the singers were singing, were used more and more in nightclubs as the rhythm track while people in the club grabbed the mic and would recite rhymes over the infectious music. This technique, using "Good Times" as well as hundreds of other popular dance tracks of the day, later formed the foundation of what later became known as hip hop / rap music. In fact, the bass and rhythm for "Good Times" became the foundation track of the first crossover hip hop song, "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang.
If Soul = Gospel + Rhythm & Blues, then what is the formula for Funk? One ingredient of Funk is definitely Soul music.
Watch this short video about “Funk”:
In one sense, Funk music still “looked” like Soul and often had similar orchestration and background vocalists. However, Funk orchestration focused especially on the electric guitar, electric bass, and the drums. The reason is that all of these instruments work ideally to emphasize rhythm, which is probably Funk’s most distinctive quality. Unlike Rhythm & Blues and Soul music that had strong melodies and some focus on harmony, Funk music focused primarily on the Rhythm. The use of chord progression was replaced with a groovy vamp of pitches within one chord. A “vamp” is a continuous repetition of a short piece of music. (In Classical music the vamp is known as “ostinato” and in Rock music as a “riff.” Later, in Hip-Hop music the vamp would be called a “loop.”)
The Godfather of Soul and King of Funk
James Brown is the known as the “Godfather of Soul,” and was instrumental in this new sound, known as Funk. Another title for James Brown is “King of Funk.” Listen to James Brown perform his signature song “I Feel Good.” This song is based on the Twelve Bar Blues structure. Even parts of the lyrics have the AAB-form, for instance: “I feel good, I knew that I would, now / I feel good, I knew that I would, now / So good, so good, I got you.” This is, of course, inherited from the blues tradition.
Watch the following video-clip in which James Brown repeats the phrase “Make it Funky.” This is a good example of “vamp” in funk music. The vamp not only includes the beat and bass-riff, but also the lyrics is at times part of the vamp.
Lady Marmalade
In the 70s Labelle came out with a song called “Lady Marmalade.” This Funk song, is considered by some as one of the first Disco songs. Let’s listen to it.
The French phrase “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?” in the song means “Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)?” The song is about one man’s encounter with Lady Marmalade, a prostitute in New Orleans.
In 2002 Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mya, and Lil' Kim covered this “Lady Marmalade” for their Moulin Rouge performance.
Soul can be defined as a blend of Gospel and Rhythm & Blues. The themes are usually secular (i.e. not religious), but may still contain elements of testifying, in other words, sharing one life experiences. The word “soul” refers to deep heartfelt emotion, thus Soul music is considered emotional music. Borrowed from Gospel music is the caller-response technique, and from Rhythm & Blues the emphasis on catchy rhythms.
Soul music started around the 60’s, the same time Rock ‘n Roll took the stage. This early style of Soul “often included accompaniments featuring large brass, woodwind, and string sections, as well as backup vocal groups” (Crossroads in Music, p. 220).
Ray Charles, who we listened to before when discussing “From Blues to Rhythm & Blues” is often thought of as the first Soul singer. Listen to one of his hit songs, “Unchain my Heart.” Note how it reminds of a Gospel song with the caller-response, and the hand clapping. This performance almost looks like one of those African-American celebration churches.
A more “soulful” song is “I Need Your Love So Bad” by Irma Thomas.
Another famous song sung by Irma Thomas is “Time Is on My Side”.
You may not have heard this song sung by Irma Thomas before. Most people know “Time Is on My Side” because it was covered by the Rolling Stones. Below is their 1964 version (very much in the Rock ‘n Roll style of the time, and part of the “British Invasion”).
The version below dates from the 80’s.
Known as the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin is one of the most prominent Soul singers. Let’s take note of a couple of her most famous songs:
“Say a Little Prayer”
“A Natural Woman”
“Respect”
“I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”
Again, the more famous version is by the Rolling Stones:
It was also covered by Britney Spears in 1999:
Another interesting cover of this song is by Björk and PJ Harvey, performed at the 1994 BRIT-Awards:
This is song is a good example of how Rock ‘n Roll was based on other music genres; in this case Soul, which in turn is based on Gospel and Rhythm & Blues.
But, let’s get back to Soul Music.
Probably one of the most recognizable Soul songs is “My Girl.” Let’s listen to a live performance by The Temptations:
“My Girl” was also sung by the young Michael Jackson:
Another classic Soul song is “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye.
Notice the electronic keyboard, as well as the electric bass guitar. These synthetic / electronic sounds will become increasingly more prominent as we listen to the next three genres: Funk, Disco, and Dance.
Country & Western have fused with different genres quite successfully to create new popular genres. We will look at Country Blues and Country Rock.
Country Blues
Crossroads in Music (p. 225) explains that “the use of country instrumentation and country-style lyrics” combined with blues music “led to the term ‘country blues.’” An example of an artist performing in this style is Stevie Ray Vaughan. Crossroads in Music (p. 225) mentions that Vaughan “developed a guitar performance style that was a unique blend of blues, jazz, rock, and country, a blend that audiences found to be very exciting. The Rolling Stone Magazine listed Stevie Ray Vaughan #7 in their list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Stevie Ray Vaughan is another guitarist that died young – he was killed in a helicopter crash.
Listen to “Texas Flood” below:
Country Rock / Southern Rock
Country Rock is a blend of rock ‘n roll, country music, and some blues elements. It is also sometimes referred to as “Southern Rock.” One example of Southern Rock would be Creedence Clearwater Revival. Here is “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”
Listen to Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long.” Kid Rock, who has won five Grammy awards, performs in different genres which include hip-hop, heavy metal, rock, blues rock, as well as country music. He is known as a "crossover" artist. “Crossover” is a term used to describe music or artists that is difficult to define, as one can label them within more than one genre. How would you label "All Summer Long"?
Another “crossover” artist is Sheryl Crow. She mixes Rock, Country-styles, and pop. One of her most famous songs is “If It Makes You Happy.”
Listen to this beautiful duet “Picture” by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. This song is clearly influenced by Country & Western, and, as is typical of the genre, it tells a story.
An important feature of country rock (which influenced how typical rock music is written as well) is the verse-chorus form. "In this form, each statement of the chorus (also called "refrain") repeats the same words, but each statement of the verse (also called "stanza") has different words. Most often these verses are used to tell a story or to provide additional information about a topic" (Crossroads in Music, p. 217).
Through Old-Time music, we have already established that Country & Western music has a folk song connection, and is similar to the blues. Also like blues that have a close relationship to religious music (spirituals and Gospel music), so too Country & Western have always had a strong connection with religious music. It is probable that while the religious foundation for the blues was the spirituals (an African lineage), for Country Music it was hymns (a European lineage).
Below are examples of religious Country & Western music.
Let’s start with a bluegrass performance by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, aka The Foggy Mountain Boys. The name for the “Soggy Bottom Boys”, the fictional bluegrass band in the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou” to whom we listened to before may have been inspired by the Foggy Mountain Boys. We will listen to them perform “When the Saints Go Marching In.” We have heard this song before in most of the genres we have discussed so far; by now you should recognize that it is quite a successful meme.
One of my favorite bluegrass gospel songs is by Alison Krauss and the Union Station. Listen to it here.
Jim Reeves, the professional baseball player turned singer, is one of the most noted singers of Christian music in the Country & Western style. Below is another story-song, “The Farmer and the Lord”:
Here is another song performed by Jim Reeves. Take note of the orchestration: the fiddle to give the melody, a piano for harmony, and a guitar for rhythm.
There are many noteworthy Country & Western Christian songs that have stood the test of time. One such a song is “One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus.” It was originally written by Marijohn Wilken and Kris Kristofferson (both well established singer/songwriters). Kris Kristofferson also wrote the song “Me and Bobby McGhee,” one of Janis Joplin’s most famous covers. The song “One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus” was written in 1974 and was covered by hundreds of artists. We will listen to one of the most famous renditions, by Cristy Lane.
When I think of Country Music one of the first faces that come to mind is Dolly Parton. She has been in the music industry for almost 50 years and is known as the "Queen of Country Music." One of her most famous songs is "I will Always Love You," covered by many artists, including Whitney Houston. Here is Dolly Parton singing another memorable Country & Western Gospel song “There is Power in the Blood.” Note the leader-chorus feature in this song. This should remind you of the Gospel music we have covered before. (Listen to Mahalia Jackson singing “There is Power in the Blood” in the Gospel style)
The interaction between Gospel music and Country & Western Christian music is a strong one, with artists borrowing songs and adapting it to their respective genres.
Country & Western Christian music's success is an undeniable element in the development of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). CCM refers to pop-music (in different genres) that focus on Christian themes. An example of a CCM-ensemble in the Country & Western style is the Gaither Vocal Band (which you heard before when we discussed “Harmony”). Listen to them perform one of their most successful songs, “Alpha and Omega.” The song doesn’t sound much like any of the Country & Western music we have heard so far. What Country & Western elements can you identify in the song? Apart from Country & Western music, what other genres do you think influenced this song?
As already mentioned, country music has its origin in European folk music, particularly the British Isles. There is another feature often heard in the vocals of country music which is not rooted in the folk music of the British Isles, but rather Austria, Switzerland, and Italy – it is known as yodeling. Yodeling “involves the alternating between a natural tone (lower pitch) and a falsetto tone (higher) pitch). This folk technique was used by popular and folk musicians in other parts of the world and was adopted by the cowboy singers of the American West.”
Listen to Patsy Montana yodel in the song “I Want to be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.”
What is the function of the yodeling in this song?
Listen to Hank Williams use the yodeling technique in the song “Lovesick Blues.” Note how his use of the yodeling technique is different from Patsy Montana’s.
Now listen to modern artists that replicate the yodel effect synthetically through controllers (for example by using Auto-Tuners or Vocoders).
Cher singing “Believe” (1998):
Kanye West performs “Heartless” (2008):
Former member of Korea’s hip-hop/pop band Big Bang, G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-Yong) performs “Heartbreaker” (2009).
The song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by the Beatles, which we have listened to a number of times already, was one of the first songs that manipulated the voice electronically. Of course, in “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” the manipulation of the voice was not as clear and obvious as in Cher's "Believe," West’s “Heartless,” or G-Dragon’s “Heartbreaker.” These modern songs recreates the yodeling effect, using synthetic (electronic) manipulation.
Another original American music genre, like spirituals, blues, Rhythm and Blues, and Jazz, is Country Music. And like these other genres, Country Music also contributed a lot to Rock music. In fact, it is probably the heavy emphasis on the guitar as the instrument of choice that influenced the use of the guitar in Rock and Roll, and later Rock music.
Hillbilly / Old-Time Music
In a previous lesson we learned that Elvis Presley’s style was partially based on a type of “hillbilly music.” This type of music (also known as “old-time music”) is a form of North American folk music, which “grew out of the folk ballads of the British Isles” (Crossroads in Music, p. 213), i.e. England, Scotland, and Ireland. In other words, Hillbilly music is a type of folk music. The main instruments used in Hillbilly music are stringed instruments like the guitar, banjo, and fiddle. Traditionally the fiddle functioned as the main melodic instrument. Hillbilly music includes songs with a high rhythmic density, usually used for dancing, as well as songs with slower tempos, usually ballads.
Below is an example of a hillbilly song called “Big Eyed Rabbit” by Samantha Bumgarner and Eve Davis. Notice in this song that the orchestration stays the same, basically a fiddle and banjo playing the same melody and harmony repeatedly.
Bluegrass
While bluegrass developed out of the Old-Time folk music, it is not considered folk music.
In the late 1930s and 1940s, the musician Bill Munroe and his band the Blue Grass Boys started to experiment with different orchestration and settled on the fiddle, guitar, mandolin, five-string banjo, and string bass. Listen to an example by Bill Munroe called “Southern Flavour.”
You’ll notice that in this orchestration, unlike in Old-Time Music (Hillbilly Music), the focus shifts from one instrument to another. First the mandolin played the lead, then the fiddle, the focus shifts back to the mandolin, next the acoustic guitar takes the lead, the focus returns once more to the mandolin, and finally all the instruments increases in dynamics, to play equally loudly. Bluegrass music has this in common with jazz music: the focus is shared by different instruments to play the main melody and improvising around it.
This style of music, inspired by Bill Munroe and his Blue Grass Boys, became known as bluegrass music. Crossroads in Music (p. 216) describe the vocals in bluegrass as follows: “The vocals usually take the form of solos or duets. In the duets, the harmony part is higher than the melody. Bluegrass tunes are also distinctive in that their tempo tends to be rather fast.” Also typical of bluegrass vocals are the high pitched singing, with men usually singing tenor and woman soprano.
A famous bluegrass song is “Man of Constant Sorrow”. The song has folksong roots and dates back to at least the early 1900s. Listen to it performed as part of the soundtrack of the movie O Brother Where Art Thou?, featuring George Clooney. The lead vocalist is Dan Tyminski of The Union Station. While listening to the song, identify the different instruments that play the melody during the interludes.
The spirituals focused exclusively on religious themes; while bluegrass music may also mention religious themes, it is not exclusively religious. Although the song “Man of Constant Sorrow” refers to heaven (“God’s golden shore”), it is not strictly a religious song.
Cowboy Music & Country Music
These days cowboy music refers to the more traditional country music, specifically as it developed in America’s “Wild West,” particularly the “South,” i.e. Texas. It is also known as “Western Music,” and was originally the songs that were composed and sung by the cowboys (and cowgirls). For this reason, a main theme in Country / Western music is the life of the cowboy.
(You can listen to traditional “cowboy music” here.)
Below is the famous story of “Little Joe, the Wrangler”:
This sad song is typical of Country and Western music. Crossroads in Music (p. 213) mentions a Newsweek article that notes a direct relationship between radio time devoted to country music and suicide rate.
Country Songs are Story Songs
A very important feature of both Western and Country Music is that they always tell a story. Sometimes the story is spoken, rather than sung. Listen to Johnny Cash tell the story of “A Boy Named Sue”:
Another famous story-song is “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers. In this song the act of playing cards (Poker) wisely, becomes an analogy for living life wisely.
Probably one of the most famous story-songs in the Bluegrass tradition is Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” – listen first to the version by Charlie Daniels himself, and then to the rendition by funk-metal band Primus.
For more reading on country music, visit Tom Zarecki’s page about country music history.
This blog provides some class notes for EL4234 ("Poetry in Music") at SYU, running from August 31st to December 18th, 2009.
Class Description:
The purpose of this course is to facilitate you in the listening, reading and discussion of contemporary English songs. Poetry theory, music theory and rhetorical theory will be incorporated while listening to and contemplating a number of different music genres, ranging from Hymns to Hip-Hop music.
In this class we will basically enjoy a cursory overview of contemporary music and in the process develop your skills to converse about music in general, but in particular to read, interpret, and discuss song lyrics (which are the poetry in music).
Our main textbook is:
Larsen, M. A. (Ed.), Borg, P. W., Poultney, D., Unsworth, A., and Washburn, R. 2003. Crossroads in Music: Traditions & Connections. Schirmer-Cengage Learning.
We will also supplement the course with other sources, including online links, and music that more accurately match our goals.
