Date: May 5, 1979
Weeks: 4
"We both are so excited 'cause we're reunited." Okay, go back and write a song that actually communicates excitement. This one communicates, at best, quiet self-satisfaction.
Once again, we have a bunch of instruments involved in creating a really quiet song, so there is neither emotional spareness nor energetic fullness. The instruments that are here seem to be really cheaply produced, possibly simulated. Take out the drums and explore the emotional sincerity of your song.
Vocally, the song's not much better to listen to. Herb is a pretty mediocre singer, and he doesn't carry his solo sections very well. Peaches does better, and I don't mind her voice at all. But together, they just don't harmonize very well. "There's one perfect fit and sugar this one is it." Your voices don't fit together at all. Your voices need to be reunited.
The lyrics feel really lazily written. There's no poetry here, just a bunch of words that rhyme. "I spent the evening with the radio. Regret the moment that I let you go." "Spent the evening with the radio" isn't an idiom, and it's kind of half a metaphor at best. And to fit the sentence structure, it should be "I regret the moment," but of course that doesn't fit the meter. Also, I don't really like the sentiment. Relationship songs are usually about angst, or contentment, but this one is just kind of smugly satisfied.
My verdict: Don't like it. It's just all wrong.
Showing posts with label 1979. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1979. Show all posts
Friday, April 20, 2012
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Song #477: "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer
Date: Nov 24, 1979
Weeks: 2
Oh no. Not another 1930s-style Barbra Streisand soft song. Oh no! Suddenly it turned into a repetitive Donna Summer disco song. It's the worst of both worlds. I've disliked both of their songs separately, and now I have to endure one where they mix their styles. How am I going to get through this?
Okay, okay. Start by saying something positive. Well, in the soft part of the song, Summer's part is quite good. The 70s disco music that I'm used to hearing from her doesn't do her voice justice. Of course, that's kind of ruined by Streisand doing the same fake-sounding oversinging thing I've complained about before.
No, stay positive! The disco part of the song actually seems more compatible with Streisand's singing style. The bold music seems to actually match it. She should make this kind of music more often. Then again, she even manages to find ways to overwhelm the frantic disco music.
Okay, okay, what else. Well, the lyrics seem to be feminist. "Enough is enough is enough." Great message for women in tough relationships: get out. Of course, the song kind of undermines that when it tries to explain what's so wrong about the guy and comes up with "My love life is boring me to tears." Okay, but maybe it's a song about having the self-awareness to understand when a relationship is over. No, the song says "Pack his raincoat, show him out."
It's really two songs that have failed to properly integrate. One is a soft song that laments the sadness of a relationship that has gotten stale and just isn't exciting any more. The other is about a woman who has been wronged. They don't quite go together correctly.
Musically, each song is pretty mediocre. The first half is piano and strings, and resists the temptation to add too much additional sound to it, but is kind of plain and unexciting. The second half sounds a lot like "Hot Stuff" (#465). It's okay, but has the usual 70s problems of adding too many strings and not enough guitars.
The best part of the song is probably the bridge, when the song gets quiet except for the bongos driving the song forward. There is an extended version of the song that extends this bridge, and I think I like the extended version better for focusing on the best part of the song. Or maybe I've just taken the whole idea of staying positive too far and found the part that annoys me least.
My verdict: Don't like it. It's like they took two songs I didn't like and stuck them together with tape and glue.
Weeks: 2
Oh no. Not another 1930s-style Barbra Streisand soft song. Oh no! Suddenly it turned into a repetitive Donna Summer disco song. It's the worst of both worlds. I've disliked both of their songs separately, and now I have to endure one where they mix their styles. How am I going to get through this?
Okay, okay. Start by saying something positive. Well, in the soft part of the song, Summer's part is quite good. The 70s disco music that I'm used to hearing from her doesn't do her voice justice. Of course, that's kind of ruined by Streisand doing the same fake-sounding oversinging thing I've complained about before.
No, stay positive! The disco part of the song actually seems more compatible with Streisand's singing style. The bold music seems to actually match it. She should make this kind of music more often. Then again, she even manages to find ways to overwhelm the frantic disco music.
Okay, okay, what else. Well, the lyrics seem to be feminist. "Enough is enough is enough." Great message for women in tough relationships: get out. Of course, the song kind of undermines that when it tries to explain what's so wrong about the guy and comes up with "My love life is boring me to tears." Okay, but maybe it's a song about having the self-awareness to understand when a relationship is over. No, the song says "Pack his raincoat, show him out."
It's really two songs that have failed to properly integrate. One is a soft song that laments the sadness of a relationship that has gotten stale and just isn't exciting any more. The other is about a woman who has been wronged. They don't quite go together correctly.
Musically, each song is pretty mediocre. The first half is piano and strings, and resists the temptation to add too much additional sound to it, but is kind of plain and unexciting. The second half sounds a lot like "Hot Stuff" (#465). It's okay, but has the usual 70s problems of adding too many strings and not enough guitars.
The best part of the song is probably the bridge, when the song gets quiet except for the bongos driving the song forward. There is an extended version of the song that extends this bridge, and I think I like the extended version better for focusing on the best part of the song. Or maybe I've just taken the whole idea of staying positive too far and found the part that annoys me least.
My verdict: Don't like it. It's like they took two songs I didn't like and stuck them together with tape and glue.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Song #460: "Tragedy" by Bee Gees
Date: Mar 24, 1979
Weeks: 2
I was recently defending disco, and the Bee Gees in particular. Compared to a lot of the other popular songs of the 70s, disco is at least bold and interesting. The problem is that boldness is occasionally obnoxious, and that's certainly the case here.
This song is sung entirely falsetto. I suppose I should admire their commitment to maintaining that falsetto, but it feels like an assault on my ears. This song could have been done in a normal register and been interesting.
The overly synthesized soundtrack isn't helping, either. Combined with the falsetto vocals, it feels a bit like I'm being attacked by a low-flying spaceship. The verses are kind of okay, but their minimalism contrasts sharply with the rather overbearing and unpleasant chorus.
Lyrically, this is a breakup song. I think the word "tragedy" may be a bit misapplied to describe a breakup. "When the feeling's gone and you can't go on." Yes, a breakup can be depressing, but it's not exactly a tragedy. The Bee Gees sure do love their overdramatic breakup songs, don't they? Hmm. I guess it's possible that it's not a breakup, but the tragedy is that someone did die and they are missed. But the music is nowhere near sad enough to communicate it if that was their intent.
My verdict: Don't like it. The music and subject matter are poorly combined, and neither one is particularly good on its own.
Weeks: 2
I was recently defending disco, and the Bee Gees in particular. Compared to a lot of the other popular songs of the 70s, disco is at least bold and interesting. The problem is that boldness is occasionally obnoxious, and that's certainly the case here.
This song is sung entirely falsetto. I suppose I should admire their commitment to maintaining that falsetto, but it feels like an assault on my ears. This song could have been done in a normal register and been interesting.
The overly synthesized soundtrack isn't helping, either. Combined with the falsetto vocals, it feels a bit like I'm being attacked by a low-flying spaceship. The verses are kind of okay, but their minimalism contrasts sharply with the rather overbearing and unpleasant chorus.
Lyrically, this is a breakup song. I think the word "tragedy" may be a bit misapplied to describe a breakup. "When the feeling's gone and you can't go on." Yes, a breakup can be depressing, but it's not exactly a tragedy. The Bee Gees sure do love their overdramatic breakup songs, don't they? Hmm. I guess it's possible that it's not a breakup, but the tragedy is that someone did die and they are missed. But the music is nowhere near sad enough to communicate it if that was their intent.
My verdict: Don't like it. The music and subject matter are poorly combined, and neither one is particularly good on its own.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Song #471: "Sad Eyes" by Robert John
Date: Oct 6, 1979
Weeks: 1
This deep into the 70s, it's a bit refreshing to hear a song that isn't disco, or disco-infused. This feels like it comes from the Hall & Oates school of trying to turn the 70s into the 80s. It doesn't entirely escape some of the more obnoxious 70s tropes, though.
The music is the first thing I noticed about this song. It's not disco, yet it's not exactly far from disco. The bass line seems derived from 70s-style funk, the periodic syncopated guitar strum is that disco guitar sound, and of course there's a string line through it all. All of that sound is okay, but makes the song feel dated, and very locked in the 70s. It's particularly bad during the verses. During the chorus, the drums pick up and they feel a bit more successfully timeless. During the bridge, someone fires up an electric guitar, and that guitar solo is pretty satisfying. That may be the key thing that makes the song feel like it's moving into the 80s, and edges the song out of the 70s soft rock doldrums into something a bit more interesting and engaging.
The vocals are the awful, no-good, 70s falsetto vocals. I've ranted about this before, but why was this such a big thing in the 70s? I suppose Robert John deserves a bit more credit because most of the chorus seems to be sung in his normal range, his normal range is just a bit on the high side. But the verses and the part at the end send him into shrill territory. Although the song isn't sung badly, the vocals are very piercing and grating. This song seems like it would be vastly better being sung in a lower register. I just had an imaginary Barry White cover of this song run through my head, and that version is much better.
The lyrics are about the end of a relationship. The singer is breaking off a relationship, and the "sad eyes" are the eyes of the person he's singing to. He's saying not to be sad, and to "try to remember the magic that we shared." I think that's a nice sentiment. Too many break-up songs are about pain and vilification, so it's nice to have one around that just says, "This isn't working out and we need to end it, and although it's sad, we should remember the good times."
Unfortunately, there are a couple lyrics that hint at a different reason for the breakup. In the chorus, there's this line: "You knew there'd come a day when we would have to say goodbye." It's unusual for a relationship to have that kind of expected terminus on it. Generally most people are going for "happily ever after." So why was the relationship expected to end? Terminal disease? The end of summer vacation? The philosophical idea that eventually all relationships end, either in separation or death?
No, it seems the answer lies in the first lines of the song. They sneak in before you even have the context to understand their meaning. "Looks like it's over, you knew I couldn't stay. She's coming home today." That's right, this guy's wife, or girlfriend, or whoever, is coming back. So this is a heartbreaking song from the point of view of a man who's sad that he has to break off his affair. And all that fake falsetto emotion is suddenly really hard to sympathize with.
I haven't come up with a viable alternate interpretation of the lyrics, so I'm left with the feeling that this is a pretty lousy love song to play for anyone.
My verdict: Don't like it. The lyrics are a big part of this, but honestly the music isn't that engaging, either. Other than the lyrics, it's not an awful song, but even without them it didn't really appeal to me.
Weeks: 1
This deep into the 70s, it's a bit refreshing to hear a song that isn't disco, or disco-infused. This feels like it comes from the Hall & Oates school of trying to turn the 70s into the 80s. It doesn't entirely escape some of the more obnoxious 70s tropes, though.
The music is the first thing I noticed about this song. It's not disco, yet it's not exactly far from disco. The bass line seems derived from 70s-style funk, the periodic syncopated guitar strum is that disco guitar sound, and of course there's a string line through it all. All of that sound is okay, but makes the song feel dated, and very locked in the 70s. It's particularly bad during the verses. During the chorus, the drums pick up and they feel a bit more successfully timeless. During the bridge, someone fires up an electric guitar, and that guitar solo is pretty satisfying. That may be the key thing that makes the song feel like it's moving into the 80s, and edges the song out of the 70s soft rock doldrums into something a bit more interesting and engaging.
The vocals are the awful, no-good, 70s falsetto vocals. I've ranted about this before, but why was this such a big thing in the 70s? I suppose Robert John deserves a bit more credit because most of the chorus seems to be sung in his normal range, his normal range is just a bit on the high side. But the verses and the part at the end send him into shrill territory. Although the song isn't sung badly, the vocals are very piercing and grating. This song seems like it would be vastly better being sung in a lower register. I just had an imaginary Barry White cover of this song run through my head, and that version is much better.
The lyrics are about the end of a relationship. The singer is breaking off a relationship, and the "sad eyes" are the eyes of the person he's singing to. He's saying not to be sad, and to "try to remember the magic that we shared." I think that's a nice sentiment. Too many break-up songs are about pain and vilification, so it's nice to have one around that just says, "This isn't working out and we need to end it, and although it's sad, we should remember the good times."
Unfortunately, there are a couple lyrics that hint at a different reason for the breakup. In the chorus, there's this line: "You knew there'd come a day when we would have to say goodbye." It's unusual for a relationship to have that kind of expected terminus on it. Generally most people are going for "happily ever after." So why was the relationship expected to end? Terminal disease? The end of summer vacation? The philosophical idea that eventually all relationships end, either in separation or death?
No, it seems the answer lies in the first lines of the song. They sneak in before you even have the context to understand their meaning. "Looks like it's over, you knew I couldn't stay. She's coming home today." That's right, this guy's wife, or girlfriend, or whoever, is coming back. So this is a heartbreaking song from the point of view of a man who's sad that he has to break off his affair. And all that fake falsetto emotion is suddenly really hard to sympathize with.
I haven't come up with a viable alternate interpretation of the lyrics, so I'm left with the feeling that this is a pretty lousy love song to play for anyone.
My verdict: Don't like it. The lyrics are a big part of this, but honestly the music isn't that engaging, either. Other than the lyrics, it's not an awful song, but even without them it didn't really appeal to me.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Song #463: "Heart of Glass" by Blondie
Date: Apr 28, 1979
Weeks: 1
One of the great things about Blondie's best songs is that you can hear the 70s turning into the 80s. This song
is a great example of that. The backing drums and bass are very disco, but the keyboards and vocals are pure New Wave. On review of Wikipedia, I discovered this song was a bit controversial among punk fans at the time because of its disco sound. Blondie was accused of selling out by making their sound more mainstream, but in retrospect it seems more like they were just interested in trying out different musical styles, and they found a good one here.
This is another example of that early 80s "thin" sound I've referenced before. There is almost no lead guitar in this sound. Most of the music is in the bass line, with keyboards providing most of the treble side. There are some guitar rhythms as accents, but they aren't exactly the main thing happening musically here. I think that the thinness of the sound makes every part you do hear more enjoyable. The bass stands out, and it's a really good bass line. The rhythmic guitar line, despite being very subtle, manages to be catchy.
Debbie Harry's vocals are a great match for this sound, too. Her voice isn't particularly strong, so the music's restraint allows you to hear her. And her voice is very pleasant, especially in this song.
The lyrics are pretty clever. While the music and the vocals are playing like this is a sweet little love song about lost love, the lyrics are actually about how the singer realized her loving relationship wasn't so great after all, and she's glad it's over. There are a lot of songs that get sad about lost love, but this one is actually happy about it. "It seemed like the real thing but I was so blind."
My verdict: Like it. Blondie is a great band with a great sound, and this is one of their best songs. I'm glad it made this list.
Weeks: 1
One of the great things about Blondie's best songs is that you can hear the 70s turning into the 80s. This song
is a great example of that. The backing drums and bass are very disco, but the keyboards and vocals are pure New Wave. On review of Wikipedia, I discovered this song was a bit controversial among punk fans at the time because of its disco sound. Blondie was accused of selling out by making their sound more mainstream, but in retrospect it seems more like they were just interested in trying out different musical styles, and they found a good one here.
This is another example of that early 80s "thin" sound I've referenced before. There is almost no lead guitar in this sound. Most of the music is in the bass line, with keyboards providing most of the treble side. There are some guitar rhythms as accents, but they aren't exactly the main thing happening musically here. I think that the thinness of the sound makes every part you do hear more enjoyable. The bass stands out, and it's a really good bass line. The rhythmic guitar line, despite being very subtle, manages to be catchy.
Debbie Harry's vocals are a great match for this sound, too. Her voice isn't particularly strong, so the music's restraint allows you to hear her. And her voice is very pleasant, especially in this song.
The lyrics are pretty clever. While the music and the vocals are playing like this is a sweet little love song about lost love, the lyrics are actually about how the singer realized her loving relationship wasn't so great after all, and she's glad it's over. There are a lot of songs that get sad about lost love, but this one is actually happy about it. "It seemed like the real thing but I was so blind."
My verdict: Like it. Blondie is a great band with a great sound, and this is one of their best songs. I'm glad it made this list.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Song #465: "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer
Date: June 2, 1979
Weeks: 3
Weeks: 3
This one's tough to evaluate on its own merits. It has carved out a very particular niche context that is hard to separate it from. Wikipedia cites a representative example: "'Hot Stuff" is the background song in Episode 31 of Sex and the City in which Carrie Bradshaw is a guest celebrity judge on Staten Island for the New York City Fire Department's 'Calendar Contest'." That's exactly the image that pops into my head when I hear this song. But I'll try to ignore that and focus on the song itself.
Is this disco? I'm not even sure. It's certainly a dance song from the disco era, but its disco sounds are relatively muted, and it employs heavier drums than most disco songs I've heard. There's even a prominently featured rock guitar, which gets a lengthy solo during the bridge. The guitar is really pretty good. I enjoy the solo.
The song's lyrics are straightforward and consistent. Donna Summer is looking for loving and she's calling everybody she knows until she gets some. I don't know that the sentiment is all that interesting or relatable for me, but full credit for a consistent message and lyrics that all apply to the point the song is trying to make.
The lyrics "hot stuff" start to wear out their welcome, though. It's not necessarily a problem within the chorus, where the repetition is used effectively, but when the background singers get involved it starts to get tired. The part just after the guitar solo where the background singers sing "hot, hot, hot, hot, stuu-uff, hot, hot, hot" is intolerable both lyrically and musically. There's repetition for emphasis, and then there's having no other ideas what to do in the bridge. And the pitch bending they do on "stuff" is trying to be interesting, but just sounds flat and out of place.
Ultimately, the repetition is the thing that hurts the song most. It's not so bad if you listen to the song just once. But as part of my review process I listen to every song several times, and I'm really dreading my next listen because I find myself getting tired of the repetitive chorus. There are some attempts to inject variety around the phrase, but they mostly fall flat because all I hear is "blah blah Hot Stuff blah blah blah. blah blah Hot Stuff blah blah blah."
My verdict: Don't like it. It's a fine enough song to listen to once, but pop songs need to be fun to listen to multiple times. I don't think this one passes that test.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Song #467: "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward
Date: June 30, 1979
Weeks: 2
Doing these reviews has certainly challenged many of my musical prejudices. One of the biggest was that disco was bad. However, I've heard a few disco songs now that I actually kind of like. It's not a universally bad genre.
But then I run across the songs that remind me why I have that prejudice in the first place. This is one of those.
The worst part of the song is the music and the choice of instruments. There's that weird space-age "pew" sound that overwhelms everything at the start. There's the overactive background singers, who manage to interfere with any sense that the song will tell a personal story. And there's the fact that a song called "Ring My Bell" uses a really weak and wimpy bell sound. I think it's actually a xylophone.
The lyrics are stupid. Not that there are many of them. Most of the song is just "You can ring my bell" over and over and over again. And I don't even get what that's supposed to mean. The most obvious interpretation is that the singer is inviting somebody to ring her doorbell so they can get together for some loving. Sounds like a booty call song. But the rest of the lyrics make it sound like they live together. "I'm glad you're home." Not "here," but "home." "Lay back and relax while I put away the dishes." Sure, put off the romantic mood until a household chore is done. That doesn't sound like a booty call, it sounds like a couple who lives together and knows the chores need to get done. So what is the bell that's being rung? Maybe it's a euphemism, but I don't get the etymology of it. Here is where the song needs to explain it, at least via metaphor.
And on top of all that, Anita Ward isn't even a very strong singer. Hearing her sing "Ring my bee-eee-eel" grates on my ears, and it's over and over and over again in this song. It goes on and on long after it's run out of ideas, none of which were any good in the first place.
My verdict: Don't like it. Exhibit A in the case against disco.
Weeks: 2
Doing these reviews has certainly challenged many of my musical prejudices. One of the biggest was that disco was bad. However, I've heard a few disco songs now that I actually kind of like. It's not a universally bad genre.
But then I run across the songs that remind me why I have that prejudice in the first place. This is one of those.
The worst part of the song is the music and the choice of instruments. There's that weird space-age "pew" sound that overwhelms everything at the start. There's the overactive background singers, who manage to interfere with any sense that the song will tell a personal story. And there's the fact that a song called "Ring My Bell" uses a really weak and wimpy bell sound. I think it's actually a xylophone.
The lyrics are stupid. Not that there are many of them. Most of the song is just "You can ring my bell" over and over and over again. And I don't even get what that's supposed to mean. The most obvious interpretation is that the singer is inviting somebody to ring her doorbell so they can get together for some loving. Sounds like a booty call song. But the rest of the lyrics make it sound like they live together. "I'm glad you're home." Not "here," but "home." "Lay back and relax while I put away the dishes." Sure, put off the romantic mood until a household chore is done. That doesn't sound like a booty call, it sounds like a couple who lives together and knows the chores need to get done. So what is the bell that's being rung? Maybe it's a euphemism, but I don't get the etymology of it. Here is where the song needs to explain it, at least via metaphor.
And on top of all that, Anita Ward isn't even a very strong singer. Hearing her sing "Ring my bee-eee-eel" grates on my ears, and it's over and over and over again in this song. It goes on and on long after it's run out of ideas, none of which were any good in the first place.
My verdict: Don't like it. Exhibit A in the case against disco.
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