rock – Page 12

The Beach Boys | ‘Til I Die

‘Til I Die” from The Beach Boys’ 1971 album Surf’s Up was “one of the only songs written by Brian (Wilson) for which he wrote the lyrics as well the music, (American Songwriter). “Usually other lyricists, such as Mike Love, Van Dyke Parks and Tony Asher, wrote the words to his songs. This one was inspired by Brian’s confrontation with the immensity of the universe. ‘The ocean was so incredibly vast,’ Brian said, ‘the universe was so large, and suddenly I saw myself in proportion to that, a little pebble of sand, a jellyfish floating on top of the water; traveling with the current I felt dwarfed, temporary. The next day I began writing Til I Die, perhaps the most personal song I ever wrote for The Beach Boys.’

Don Was, (the noted producer), said that Brian told him the chords for the song were created by the way they looked geometrically. ‘He essentially created this masterpiece by contorting his fingers into really groovy shapes (on the piano),’ said Was.”

“‘Til I Die’ is the most personal and revealing track he ever wrote, depicting the troubled young songwriter as … an isolated, helplessly adrift person who will be at the mercy of others ‘until I die,” (Sputnik Music). “Surf’s Up represents desolation and despair, not visceral in nature, but rather submissive to fate and the hell it will bring. Anyone with a basic knowledge of Beach Boys history can connect the dots regarding what this album is representing: the woes of Brian Wilson as his struggles with addiction and depression spiraled to some of their lowest points.”

Dropping right into the first verse without so much as a note of introduction, the tune shifts tonality often, meandering among several keys but never quite finding a home in any of them. At 1:40, a prominent repeating bass vocal part finally provides some grounding for the outro, which is an extended one given the tune’s overall length of only 2:33.

The Police | Message in a Bottle

“‘Second-album slump’ is one of the most dreaded phrases you can foist upon a new rock artist, as it can often equate to another unpleasant label – ‘career killer,'” (LouderSound). “But this didn’t seem to cross the minds of The Police trio of singer/bassist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers, and drummer Stewart Copeland when they began thinking about a follow-up to the band’s hit debut album Outlandos d’Amour (which had spawned hit singles including ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Can’t Stand Losing You’).”

One of the band’s best-known tracks, “Message In A Bottle,” was a single from the its second album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979). “As with all of The Police’s hits, Sting is listed solely as the song’s author. But according to Summers, he and Copeland helped shape the final track, which Summers cited as his favorite from the band’s entire catalog. ‘We all had ideas. It was very collaborative. I think we had already found our way. The thing between Sting and I, we grew up listening to very much the same kind of music, which was a lot of jazz – a lot of Miles Davis, a lot of Thelonious Monk.’ With these shared musical tastes, Summers quickly realised that he had found the perfect songwriting partner. ‘I could play these more off-the-wall voicings on the guitar and he wouldn’t flinch – he’d just sing right through it … It was the right melting pot for the guitar skills that I had, with a singer who had the ears for it. So that’s why it was so unique. There’s no formula for it.”

Perhaps it’s Summers’ inventive, often oblique guitar voicings or Copeland’s constantly shifting cymbal work and syncopated kicks that de-emphasize the change between two already closely-related keys. But after a start in C# minor, the tonality slips down into A major for the chorus (for the first time at 0:31) before reverting to C# minor for the next verse at 1:00; the pattern continues from there.

Garbage | I’m Only Happy When It Rains

“Garbage are an iconic, eclectic band that is anything but what their name implies,” (Consequence). “With the music scene awash in a sea of grunge {in the ’90s], Garbage went a different way — and to great effect. This all-star band — with world class producer Bruce ‘Butch’ Vig (Nirvana) at the production helm — has released hit after dynamic hit with an infectious pop sound that belied frequently dark lyrics. They’ve scored a number of Top 10 hits and were even chosen to record a James Bond theme.

Fronting the outfit is the charismatic and irrepressible Shirley Manson from Edinburgh, Scotland. Manson first met up with her three future [American} bandmates in Wisconsin … their self-titled debut came the iconic hit ‘Only Happy When It Rains” (1995) [is] a record that feels as fresh today as it did nearly 30 years ago.”

Starting in G# minor, the track shifts at 0:41 into a chorus that seems a bit off-kilter. On closer inspection, it’s built completely from major chords and (colorless) power chords: C#, G#, A, and B, touching on F# before moving on to the next verse.

Boz Scaggs | Lido Shuffle

“Whoever you are, wherever you are, as you read this sentence, a used vinyl copy of Silk Degrees is sitting in the closest record store to you,” (Pitchfork). “It is not in great condition, and it is not expensive, and it was first owned by someone at a time when a lot of people owned vinyl records—and a lot of those people owned Silk Degrees. There are certain albums that go down so smoothly — inhaling the busy sounds of pop radio and exhaling their own cool, irresistible blend — that they seem to open a permanent slot in the greater public consciousness, sailing like a ship into a harbor in the clouds. Some albums belong to everybody …

If you know Silk Degrees but don’t know much about Boz Scaggs, it is at least partially by design. Before its release, he was largely a critical favorite, first for his contributions to an early, underrated iteration of the Steve Miller Band, and later for the solid if slightly anonymous albums under his own name. Within five years of the release of Silk Degrees, he would retire from the music industry … ” But during its moment, the album secured Scaggs’ place in the varied mix that was late-70s top 40. ” … as it has aged, the album feels increasingly divorced from its moment in pop culture, and its more mysterious qualities—the abstract melancholy of Scaggs’ voice, the late-night twinkle of the band—are what pull you in, making it feel like your own, no matter how many people owned the LP before you did.”

“Lido Shuffle” was recorded in 1975 but not released as a single until 1977. Members of the backup band included David Paich, Jeff Porcaro and David Hungate, who later became founding members of Toto. The track did well on the pop charts worldwide: #2 in Australia, #5 in Canada, #13 in the UK, and #11 in the US. The verses are in G major, but the choruses shift to Bb major (for the first time at 0:55 before reverting to G for the next verse at 1:31). The layered synth solo (2:47 – 3:14) could be seen as an unlikely tip of the hat to prog rock textures, given the tune’s more traditional horn-driven arrangement — but serves the relentless shuffle groove so well that it all fits like a glove.

The American Breed | Bend Me, Shape Me

“Bend Me, Shape Me,” was originally recorded in 1966 by The Outsiders, who were known for their hit “Time Won’t Let Me.” The tune was written by songwriters Scott English and Larry Weiss, who later wrote “Rhinestone Cowboy,” made famous by Glen Campbell. In 1968, a band called Amen Corner took the tune to #3 in the UK (Songfacts). But in 1967, The American Breed took the definitive version of the song to #5 on the US pop charts and #24 in the UK.

The American Breed’s big break was quite unusual: “On January 20, 1967, a freak snow storm that dumped twenty inches on Chicago changed the fate of Gary & The Knight Lites,” (the band’s initial name) … “when Kenny Myers, former Senior Vice President of Mercury Records, found himself stranded and met with producer Bill Traut in his studio at Universal Recording. After Traut played Meyers some of the band’s tapes, Meyers was impressed enough to sign them to his new record label … and suggested they change their name. ‘They told us Gary and the Knight Lites sounded a little dated, so we put a bunch of names in a hat and pulled out American Breed.’ The band’s first single was ‘I Don’t Think You Know Me,’ written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.” (Billboard).

Two of the four members of American Breed that played on “Bend Me,
Shape Me” — bassist Chuck Colbert and drummer Lee Graziano — formed a new group, which included newer AB members not on that hit, keyboardist
Kevin Murphy and singer Paulette Williams. That new group became “Ask
Rufus”. Eventually, AB guitarist Al Ciner joined. Three of the original four AB members were in Rufus, though only guitarist Al Ciner stayed through that group’s fame with vocalist Chaka Khan.

Key changes are the main ingredients here. The tune starts in C minor; the pre-chorus (0:27) shifts to A minor; finally, the chorus (0:41) is in A mixolydian. After a percussion break, the cycle repeats.

Switchfoot | Hometown Christmas

Switchfoot, a Grammy-winning band based in San Diego, CA, have released twelve studio albums. “Hometown Christmas,” which also features the rock band Needtobreathe, is the final track on the group’s first Christmas record, This is Our Christmas Album, which was released last month. The tune begins in C, modulates up to D at 1:59, and returns to C at 2:44.

Little River Band | Happy Anniversary

“If you were listening to Top 40 around 1977-78, you know all about ‘Happy Anniversary,’ which narrowly missed the Top 10 at that time,” (Something Else Reviews). “For those of you who weren’t around, ‘Happy Anniversary’ was one of those snappy, mildly country-ish pop tunes laden with rich harmonies that sounded like soft California rock at its finest –except that these blokes were from Down Under. The deal-sealer is that funky undercurrent; the popping bassline not only works with the Nashville elements of the song, it makes the song downright irresistible.

The upbeat tone … belies that fact that it’s about a busted relationship, but hey, it’s got that funky bassline, so everything’s good. In fact, the album from which this ditty came, … Diamantina Cocktail, is arguably the best CSN album that Crosby, Stills and Nash never made.”

After the tune starts in E minor, there’s a shift at 1:15 – 1:36 for the early bridge, which features a lighter feel, agile ornamentation from a (likely real) string section, and a D major tonality. After the bridge, the return to E minor also brings a rock feel driven by an energetic funk-inspired bassline. There are several ingredients here that might suggest yacht rock. Yacht or Nyacht lists several LRB tunes, but they score low on YON’s scale. “Happy Anniversary” doesn’t make the list at all; despite checking a few boxes, it was released a little too early, and was a bit too short on breezy escapism, to have made the cut.

Michael Bolton | When a Man Loves a Woman

Written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright, “When a Man Loves a Woman” was originally recorded by singer R&B singer Percy Sledge in 1966 and became his biggest hit. Michael Bolton included a cover of the tune on his 1991 album Time, Love & Tenderness, winning a Grammy for the track and making it the seventh tune reach the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 as recorded by multiple artists.

The song begins in Db and directly modulates up a half step to D at 2:04.

Toto | One Road

“Toto was a lab accident. Obviously, not a tragedy, like Chernobyl. More like Bruce Banner getting exposed to Gamma Rays and becoming The Hulk,” (PastPrime). “With time, their odd greatness and great oddness have become much clearer. But back in 1982, they sounded both hulkingly awesome and completely normal. They won the Grammys for best song (‘Rosanna’) and album (IV) of the year. They sold over ten million records. They were proof that Rock music could be sonically pristine and exceedingly popular; that musicians could look just like regular guys — or worse — and still be stars; and that Pop music could be ‘all encompassing’ (in toto).”

During the 21st century, after more than a fair share of personnel changes and the untimely death of one of the band’s founding members (drummer Jeff Porcaro), guitarist Steve Lukather has become the band’s undisputed center. “When Lukather gets exposed to those Gamma Rays, he reunites some version of the mutant supergroup … But, contrary to their name, no band — not even The Beatles — can be all encompassing. Toto was perhaps the only band to have ever really tried. Their hypothesis ultimately proved invalid or, at least, inconclusive. But, in 1982, after the Iran Hostage Crisis but before Thriller, they sounded like a miracle of science.” The band’s website details the towering influence of its members’ contributions as first-call LA studio musicians: “… the band members’ performances can be heard on an astonishing 5,000 albums that together amass a sales history of half a billion albums. Amongst these recordings, NARAS applauded the collected works with 225 Grammy nominations.”

The 1999 version of the band heard on “One Road,” however, sounds “alternately like Richard Marx fronting Aerosmith … or Donald Fagen writing and producing for Foreigner.” The term mutant fits, as the band doesn’t conform to any one particular genre. For a rock/pop/kitchen sink band with a multi-decade reputation for rich harmonic sensibilities and meticulously crafted arrangements, Toto’s discography features surprisingly few outright modulations. But “One Road” starts in E minor, then shifts up to F# minor (2:30-2:45) for an instrumental bridge built around a Lukather guitar solo.

Jonas Brothers | Poison Ivy

“Poison Ivy” is featured on the Jonas Brothers’ 2009 album Lines, Vines and Trying Times. The track, which features a horn section, was partially inspired by the English indie rock band The Zutons. “We were really inspired by the Zutons,” Joe Jonas said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “We heard their new record, You Can Do Anything, when we were in Europe last year and got everyone around us hooked on it.”

The song begins in G and modulates down to Eb at 3:06.