Date: Oct 30, 1982
Weeks: 1
Ahhhhh. Just when I'm on the verge of declaring some trope or another to be stupid and wonder why it's even a thing in popular music, along comes a song that reminds me why people thought it was good in the first place. And so it is with this song. It's a one-song lesson on the virtues of the saxophone in popular rock music.
I love the arrangement in this song. The guitars are perfectly balanced to provide interest during the verses, but they never detract from the vocals in the verse, or the saxophone in the chorus or bridge. I love the way the song builds to the chorus. I love the way the vocals and the saxophone alternately wail the chorus. I love the way the sound feels a little thin and light early on and builds into a fairly full sound by the end. This is a well-orchestrated song, from the use of the guitars, to the featured saxophone, to the drums that provide a little extra interesting variety at surprising moments throughout.
The lyrics seem to be the paranoid worries of a shut-in. He's not sure who is at the door, and wants to be quiet until the person goes away. As far as I can tell, the song was written as just a goofy, silly idea, rather than a genuine exploration of mental breakdown. It certainly works on that level. Lines like "If he hears, he'll knock all day. I'll be trapped, and here I'll have to stay," provide a funny idea of a guy who is scared of everything.
My verdict: Like it. It's a well-put-together song that makes me remember why saxophones are cool.
Showing posts with label 1982. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1982. Show all posts
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Song #514: "I Love Rock 'N Roll" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Date: Mar 20, 1982
Weeks: 7
Now this is more like it. This is classic rock and roll for the ages. It's got wailing guitar, vocals filled with attitude, and a percussion line you can't help but clap along to. I think this may be the closest thing to punk rock on this list. This song isn't punk rock, not really. It's a bit too slow for that. But Joan Jett makes punk rock (you can hear her excellent punk rock song "Bad Reputation" in the beginning of the above video). And as far as I'm aware, no other punk artist has reached No. 1. So this is the closest thing you'll find to punk on this list.
The biggest reason this song is so good is the music. The guitars are hard and heavy, but the drums are fairly soft. And the guitars drop out from time to time to let the vocals carry the song. The result is a song that makes use of hard guitars without ever feeling like they're so hard that they're unpleasant. I like punk rock, but I understand that it can be a little overwhelming for some people. This song nicely splits the difference for maximum awesomeness.
Joan Jett's vocals are also a really great part of this song. Her bratty, punk attitude works along with the guitars to make an energetic and fun song. The backing vocals are a bit of a cheat to make the listener feel like a huge crowd around them is singing along to an arena rock anthem, but I don't mind the cheat very much. Those backing vocals contribute extra energy, and that's a good thing.
The lyrics are pretty simple. She sees the guy at the jukebox at the bar, they bond over a shared affection for the same music, and they go home together. It's a simple enough rock and roll story, and Joan Jett's vocals are well-matched to these lyrics, emphasizing the bold, bratty, I'll-do-what-I-want-no-matter-what-anyone-thinks sentiment. The lyrics are really kind of secondary to just singing "I love rock 'n roll" over and over with much enthusiasm, but what's there is decent enough.
I think it's worth noting that this song is a cover. It was originally made by the Arrows in 1975. Their version is a pretty good song to start with, but Joan Jett's punk attitude and brash guitars improves on the original.
My verdict: Like it. I think this is my favorite song that I've reviewed so far.
Weeks: 7
Now this is more like it. This is classic rock and roll for the ages. It's got wailing guitar, vocals filled with attitude, and a percussion line you can't help but clap along to. I think this may be the closest thing to punk rock on this list. This song isn't punk rock, not really. It's a bit too slow for that. But Joan Jett makes punk rock (you can hear her excellent punk rock song "Bad Reputation" in the beginning of the above video). And as far as I'm aware, no other punk artist has reached No. 1. So this is the closest thing you'll find to punk on this list.
The biggest reason this song is so good is the music. The guitars are hard and heavy, but the drums are fairly soft. And the guitars drop out from time to time to let the vocals carry the song. The result is a song that makes use of hard guitars without ever feeling like they're so hard that they're unpleasant. I like punk rock, but I understand that it can be a little overwhelming for some people. This song nicely splits the difference for maximum awesomeness.
Joan Jett's vocals are also a really great part of this song. Her bratty, punk attitude works along with the guitars to make an energetic and fun song. The backing vocals are a bit of a cheat to make the listener feel like a huge crowd around them is singing along to an arena rock anthem, but I don't mind the cheat very much. Those backing vocals contribute extra energy, and that's a good thing.
The lyrics are pretty simple. She sees the guy at the jukebox at the bar, they bond over a shared affection for the same music, and they go home together. It's a simple enough rock and roll story, and Joan Jett's vocals are well-matched to these lyrics, emphasizing the bold, bratty, I'll-do-what-I-want-no-matter-what-anyone-thinks sentiment. The lyrics are really kind of secondary to just singing "I love rock 'n roll" over and over with much enthusiasm, but what's there is decent enough.
I think it's worth noting that this song is a cover. It was originally made by the Arrows in 1975. Their version is a pretty good song to start with, but Joan Jett's punk attitude and brash guitars improves on the original.
My verdict: Like it. I think this is my favorite song that I've reviewed so far.
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