Date: Mar 23, 1996
Weeks: 6
So remember when I complained about the overproduction in the single version of "My Heart Will Go On" (#825)? Well, if you ever wondered what it would sound like if you removed the classy orchestral undercurrent from that song and left nothing but the shallow overproduction, here's your answer. Unsurprisingly, we once again have Diane Warren to thank for this.
This has all those usual cheesy power ballad hallmarks. The "tick..boom" drum, the gospel-sounding background chorus attempting to inflate the song's importance. The unnecessary strings doing the same thing. The cheesy emotionlessly emotional synth bass line. This song contains a bonus sound that really grates my brain, too. During the second verse, some instrument or another just keeps droning these monotone quarter notes. Whatever that is, it doesn't return again, so I'm not sure what the point was. I guess they wanted the song to build from start to finish and this was the only way they could think to accomplish that. I will give credit that the song does successfully build and get bigger from start to finish, so while I don't enjoy listening to it, at least the variety keeps it from being boring.
Celine Dion gives a good performance here. She's well-matched to the song, and her level of performance and showing off near the end works quite well.
The lyrics are fine, I guess. They're about how the support of someone who loves you gives you strength, especially when you need it most. I always thought the song was a little asymmetrical, with one person able being supported by another but not offering support back. But Warren supposedly wrote this song about her father, and that kind of one-directional supportive love makes more sense when it's about a parent than a romantic partner. While I don't object to the sentiment, I do think the song makes its point early and then repeats itself for the rest of its running time, and it doesn't manage to be poetic or original about it.
My verdict: Don't like it. The lyrics are okay, if bland. The singing is actually pretty good. But nothing can overcome the cheesy music.
Showing posts with label Diane Warren. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diane Warren. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Song #677: "Look Away" by Chicago
Date: Dec 10, 1988
Weeks: 2
I sort of liked Chicago in the 80s. I thought their music was emotional and appealing. But now I find their music just kind of emotionally manipulative. It's like it's been carefully calculated to be as heart-wrenching as possible, without necessarily earning it via any genuine sentiment.
I think the lyrics of this song illustrate exactly what I'm talking about. "If you see me walking by, and the tears are in my eyes, look away." It's supposed to be a sad image, of a man crying over lost love. But the lyric itself seems to suggest that he's just going to be walking around bawling, possibly for years afterward. It's kind of paints a funny image.
The verses of this song aren't so bad. It's the story of your ex moving on and how that kind of put a finality to the relationship that you had sort of held out a glimmer of hope for. The lyrics in the verses are at least clear about the story they're telling, and the sentiments expressed feel genuine enough. "I tell you I'm fine, but sometimes I just pretend." It's the chorus where things get absurd and overdramatic. "Don't look at me. I don't want you to see me this way." Here I am, singing a sad song about how I don't want you to see me feeling sad. Aren't guys who don't want attention all cool and sexy? Pay attention to me saying that I don't want you to pay attention to me!
Musically, this is a pretty egregious example of the excesses of the late 80s. There are a lot of synthesizers put to bad use here. Synthesizers are not good at gentle music, 80s. Then on top of that is that blaring guitar that always gets used in Diane Warren songs. Yes, this is another song from Diane Warren. Cheesy schmaltz with blaring guitars. I'm not even sure if the drums here are real or a drum machine.
With all the fake instruments, the emotional heavy lifting has to be done by the guitars, which do an okay job in that 80s power ballad kind of way, and the vocals. This after Peter Cetera left the band, so at least we don't have to confront the question of his quality just now. This lead singer is Bill Champlin. He does an okay job, his voice is pleasant enough. But he does have that kind of trite, gravelly intonation that was so popular in the era. He also kind of overdoes it in the last chorus, reaching back and coming up with some really growly vocals. He also sounds really, overly, kind of cartoonishly sad in the last lyrics "I'm really happy for you." It sounds like he's about to turn away from the microphone and start bawling, and it's kind of unintentionally funny.
My verdict: Don't like it. Even back when I liked Chicago, I didn't care much about this song. These days it seems kind of typical of many fake-emotional songs of the time.
Weeks: 2
I sort of liked Chicago in the 80s. I thought their music was emotional and appealing. But now I find their music just kind of emotionally manipulative. It's like it's been carefully calculated to be as heart-wrenching as possible, without necessarily earning it via any genuine sentiment.
I think the lyrics of this song illustrate exactly what I'm talking about. "If you see me walking by, and the tears are in my eyes, look away." It's supposed to be a sad image, of a man crying over lost love. But the lyric itself seems to suggest that he's just going to be walking around bawling, possibly for years afterward. It's kind of paints a funny image.
The verses of this song aren't so bad. It's the story of your ex moving on and how that kind of put a finality to the relationship that you had sort of held out a glimmer of hope for. The lyrics in the verses are at least clear about the story they're telling, and the sentiments expressed feel genuine enough. "I tell you I'm fine, but sometimes I just pretend." It's the chorus where things get absurd and overdramatic. "Don't look at me. I don't want you to see me this way." Here I am, singing a sad song about how I don't want you to see me feeling sad. Aren't guys who don't want attention all cool and sexy? Pay attention to me saying that I don't want you to pay attention to me!
Musically, this is a pretty egregious example of the excesses of the late 80s. There are a lot of synthesizers put to bad use here. Synthesizers are not good at gentle music, 80s. Then on top of that is that blaring guitar that always gets used in Diane Warren songs. Yes, this is another song from Diane Warren. Cheesy schmaltz with blaring guitars. I'm not even sure if the drums here are real or a drum machine.
With all the fake instruments, the emotional heavy lifting has to be done by the guitars, which do an okay job in that 80s power ballad kind of way, and the vocals. This after Peter Cetera left the band, so at least we don't have to confront the question of his quality just now. This lead singer is Bill Champlin. He does an okay job, his voice is pleasant enough. But he does have that kind of trite, gravelly intonation that was so popular in the era. He also kind of overdoes it in the last chorus, reaching back and coming up with some really growly vocals. He also sounds really, overly, kind of cartoonishly sad in the last lyrics "I'm really happy for you." It sounds like he's about to turn away from the microphone and start bawling, and it's kind of unintentionally funny.
My verdict: Don't like it. Even back when I liked Chicago, I didn't care much about this song. These days it seems kind of typical of many fake-emotional songs of the time.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Song #715: "Love Will Lead You Back" by Taylor Dayne
Date: Apr 7, 1990
Weeks: 1
Here's a song to remind us of the gap between popular music and good music. Not only were there better songs in 1990 that missed being No. 1 because this song was there, but Taylor Dayne has better songs than this that should have made No. 1. Unfortunately, this is her only No. 1 song.
The biggest problem with this song is the late-80s power ballad backing music. It's too soft and gentle and Taylor Dayne's powerful, bold voice completely drowns it out. And she's holding herself back, too. This is a woman whose voice can dominate a full 80s synth song. She can cover a Barry White song and not do half-bad. She's poorly matched to this song.
The song was written by Diane Warren, a songwriter responsible for some of the cheesiest schmaltz songs ever to reach the pop charts. Personally, I know her best for this particular crime against music. I guess Warren's writing explains much of my problem with this song, although maybe with more acoustic instruments and a more gentle singer this song could be okay.
The lyrics are essentially just an expansion of that old expression that if you love something, set it free, and if it comes back to you it was truly meant to be. Expand that idea to 4 minutes and as many words as possible, and you have this song. It's not that creative an idea for a song, although I guess there's nothing in particular wrong with the lyrics.
My verdict: Don't like it. Taylor Dayne should be remembered for better songs than this.
Weeks: 1
Here's a song to remind us of the gap between popular music and good music. Not only were there better songs in 1990 that missed being No. 1 because this song was there, but Taylor Dayne has better songs than this that should have made No. 1. Unfortunately, this is her only No. 1 song.
The biggest problem with this song is the late-80s power ballad backing music. It's too soft and gentle and Taylor Dayne's powerful, bold voice completely drowns it out. And she's holding herself back, too. This is a woman whose voice can dominate a full 80s synth song. She can cover a Barry White song and not do half-bad. She's poorly matched to this song.
The song was written by Diane Warren, a songwriter responsible for some of the cheesiest schmaltz songs ever to reach the pop charts. Personally, I know her best for this particular crime against music. I guess Warren's writing explains much of my problem with this song, although maybe with more acoustic instruments and a more gentle singer this song could be okay.
The lyrics are essentially just an expansion of that old expression that if you love something, set it free, and if it comes back to you it was truly meant to be. Expand that idea to 4 minutes and as many words as possible, and you have this song. It's not that creative an idea for a song, although I guess there's nothing in particular wrong with the lyrics.
My verdict: Don't like it. Taylor Dayne should be remembered for better songs than this.
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