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.
Showing posts with label Week 11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 11. Show all posts
From Disco to Dance
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.
Dido – “Who Makes You Feel”
Björk – “All Is Full of Love”
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.
Dido – “Who Makes You Feel”
Björk – “All Is Full of Love”
Disco
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:
Here is Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”:
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.
Here is Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”:
Funk = Soul + ?
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.
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 = Gospel + Rhythm & Blues
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.
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.
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