rock – Page 2

The Offspring | Americana

“In 2015, The Offspring auctioned off the rights for their Columbia Records catalogue to Round Hill Music, a $35 million deal that included a total of six studio albums and a greatest hits LP — all released after 1994’s Smash, the group’s Epitaph breakthrough and still the best selling independent album of all time … (but) Round Hill was interested primarily in the crown jewel of (1998’s) Americana,” (Stereogum). The album’s lead single, “Pretty Fly for a White Guy,” is almost certainly the band’s best known track.

” … The Offspring’s transgressions in the ’90s did not exactly mirror those of their fellow radio-rockers; they did not hold as explicit a strain of toxic misogyny that saddled so many of their pop-punk peers and later descendants … As a whole, Americana practices a sort of ‘respectability politics’ against people in poverty — criticizing junkies, criminals, and the unemployed for not owning up and dealing with their problems, all the while conveniently neglecting any structural factors that may be at the root. Basically, it re-imagines punk rock as Fox News.” The Album reached #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart before being certified gold and then platinum.

As if “Americana” didn’t have enough energy to begin with, the band adds a half-step key change just before the track’s end (2:35).

Stone Temple Pilots | Trippin’ On a Hole in a Paper Heart

“For a band that started out their career hearing countless accusations of them being copycats and carpetbaggers, Stone Temple Pilots sure turned out to be willing to change their sound and blaze their own trail,” (Alternative Albums Blog). “Released in 1996, their third album Tiny Music … Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop found the band leaving behind nearly all traces of the grunge and alt rock of Core and Purple in favor of of glam, psychedelia, and fizzy pop. It is a bold move that mostly paid off.

The album spun off several successful singles, including the manic rush of ‘Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart,’ the second single from the album … (the track) is a jittery rush of music that captures the feeling of a bad acid trip, which (according to singer and lyricist Scott Weiland) is what the song is about … Sadly, Scott Weiland’s demons with drug abuse would … repeatedly cut short tours and other opportunities so that he could attend rehab or spend time in jail. In fact, it is impressive how creative and interesting Tiny Music … Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop ultimately is, considering how much Weiland was struggling at the time.”

Weiland died in 2015. But according to a 2005 Esquire interview, “Over the last decade, (he) established himself as the quintessential junkie rock star. Now thirty-seven, he has to his credit several platinum albums, five drug arrests, a six-month jail stint, and uncountable attempts at rehab … In 1987, he formed the group that became Stone Temple Pilots … One of the biggest acts of the mid-nineties, STP followed the lead of bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam to the top of the charts with its hard, lyric-driven rock. Fabulously rich, monumentally fucked-up, Weiland crossed over to mainstream consciousness in 1996, when the members of his band—his closest friends—held a press conference on the eve of a national tour to out their buddy as an incorrigible heroin addict, ‘unable to rehearse or appear.'”

The tune’s intro and verse are built on a contradiction right out of the gate, built around alternating F# major and A major chords. But the melody, lyrics, and groove take precedent, pulling us along to the chorus (0:34), which is built in B minor (with a i-VI vamp). At 0:48, we return to the verse. The second chorus (1:19) is more expansive, leading to an instrumental verse with a guitar feature (1:51). Lastly, a final chorus (2:22) with an unresolved ending suddenly leads us off a cliff, leaving the final vocal melody note completely unaccompanied. Spiky, manic, off-balance, unsettling? Yes.

Three Dog Night | Easy to Be Hard

“‘Easy To Be Hard’ appeared in the stage musical Hair (1968). It became a smash American Top 40 hit in its own right,” (Last.FM). “It was played frequently by Top 40 radio stations well into the summer of ’69. The track spoke to the milieu of the late ’60s: Social consciousness and social injustice. For that reason, young America embraced it.” From Sleepless Critic’s review: “Before cell phones, the internet, and alternate forms of digital communication invited people to text and talk on a computer screen as an alternative to seeing someone in person, Hair highlights the value of in person camaraderie, especially when things seem to be falling apart. Set in war-torn 1968 and focusing on a tribe of hippies that could possibly be drafted, emotionally and physically holding onto each other helps them cope in a world gone mad.”

The tune was written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni and was first released by Suzannah Evans, Linda Compton, Paul Jabara and the company of the musical Hair in October 1967 (SecondHandSongs). It was then released as a single by Three Dog Night in July 1969.

Starting with a vamp alternating between a conflicting C major and A major, the tune eventually settles into D major partway through the verse. At 1:33, the chorus begins in G major, shifting to A major at 1:44. The verse returns and the pattern continues from there, until the final chord shifts unexpectedly to B minor.

Toto | You Are the Flower

“Six high-caliber musicians came together to form their own band, as each of them was a session or live musician for some artists,” (The Rock Review). “It was in 1976 that Jeff Porcaro (drummer) and David Paich (keyboards, pianos, and vocals) decided to form Toto, recruiting Steve Lukather (guitar), Bobby Kimball (vocals), Steve Porcaro (synthesizers), and David Hungate (bass), each of them a prodigy in music.

Toto debuted with personality, combining various music genres, mainly rock and pop, resulting in an album that is very easy to digest, yet full of very remarkable musical technicalities when listened to attentively. A complex fusion of genres that is enjoyable for both knowledgeable ears and those who simply enjoy music without getting into details.” The band’s 1978 eponymous debut featured three hit singles (‘Hold the Line,’ ‘I’ll Supply the Love’ and ‘Georgy Porgy’), all of which cracked the US top 50 (Billboard).

Written by Toto’s first lead vocalist, Bobby Kimball, in honor of his newborn daughter (Herald de Paris) and featuring Jim Horn’s shape-shifting flute lines, the album track “You are the Flower” starts in a slightly de-tuned G minor. From 0:56 – 1:18, the chorus is heard for the first time, cycling through several two-measure phrases — none of which have much to do with G minor! After another verse and chorus, two instrumental choruses featuring the prodigious guitar work of Steve Lukather unwind over those same two-measure segments (2:08 – 2:51). It’s tough to nail down what tonalities this section represents, but G minor is clearly not on the list:

C ~ D/C

D ~ E/D

C#^o ~ F#

Bmin ~ E

The sequence then repeats a whole step higher:

D ~ E/D

E ~ F#/E

D#^o ~ G#

C#min ~ F#

Where the ear expects the cycle to repeat yet again, starting with an initial E major chord, we instead arrive back at a G minor verse via an unexpected half-step climb — but the harmonic territory of the extended guitar solo journey makes the original key feel new.

In other words, just another Toto track …

Alanis Morissette | Joining You

“Once you’ve scaled the heights of pop music, where else can you go? In Alanis Morissette’s case, the answer is trading altitude for depth — digging deeply into yourself, unearthing all manner of neuroses, questions and thorny realities in the process,” (Dallas Observer). “It’s saying something that Morissette followed up 1995’s seismic, multiplatinum Jagged Little Pill with a record even more psychologically and emotionally bracing, but she did just that with 1998’s Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.

… Robert Christgau offered backhanded praise in the Village Voice: ‘The mammoth riffs, diaristic self-analysis, and pretentious Middle Eastern sonorities of this music mark it as ‘rock,’ albeit rock with tunes. And in this context I suck it up, feeling privileged to listen along with all the young women whose struggles Morissette blows up to such a scale.'”

“Joining You,” a single from the 1998 album, wasn’t the same level of smash hit as “Thank You,” its predecessor from the same release. But it cracked the top twenty in Morissette’s native Canada and the US, as well as Italy and the Netherlands. Following a start in C minor, the chorus shifts to E minor (0:58 – 1:37) before reverting to the original key.

Styx | Too Much Time On My Hands

“Styx’s co-lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Tommy Shaw wrote ‘Too Much Time On My Hands’ from the image of a pub patron ‘sitting on this barstool, talking like a damn fool,’ and detailing the lack of any more attractive options,” (UDiscoverMusic). “The song turned out to be a good thematic fit for (1981’s) Paradise Theatre concept, which used the opening and closing of a classic Chicago theater to symbolize the rise and fall of the American dream, chronicling the lives of underdogs struggling for a better life.

Musically, ‘Too Much Time on My Hands’ was probably the most au courant track Styx had yet recorded. A Kraftwerk-worthy synth locks in with the bass line and lends the track a distinct synth-pop/New Wave vibe. And the fraternal rhythm section of Chuck and John Panozzo puts a dab of disco into the groove, making this the closest thing to a dance tune in the band’s repertoire at the time. All of the above helped ‘Too Much Time; climb into the Top 10, which didn’t hurt the album’s rise to triple-Platinum status. The endearingly goofy video boosted the cause too, alternating performance shots with images of the band camping it up at a funky gin joint.”

After starting in a slightly up-tuned A mixolydian for the intro, the first verse settles in at 0:36 in D mixolydian. At 1:39, the emphasis flips over into the relative B minor for the chorus, guitar solo, etc. There’s a return to D major for the next verse at 2:53; the pattern continues from there. And yes — as they rode the crest of the early-80s pop/rock wave that corresponded to the advent of MTV — the band consistently maintained a shamelessly hammy stage presence, as documented here …

Gentle Giant | Proclamation (fan version)

“The Power and the Glory (1974) is, like Three Friends before it, a concept album featuring intricately woven arrangements … ” (Progrography.com). “You’ll also find quite a few ‘classic’ Gentle Giant songs … (including ‘Proclamation’) … Alternating between soft and harsh sounds, it’s an album of dreams and nightmares.

At this stage, there’s no denying that the band’s music had become, if not formulaic, at least idiosyncratic. There are the dizzying arrangements, classical excursions, heady subject matter and heavy rock all intertwined into four- and six-minute musical puzzles that are unique to Gentle Giant. I’d recommend you start with Octopus and Three Friends first, as they arrived earlier and achieved the same (or higher) highs … As the years have shown, albums about corrupt, power-hungry politicians are never out of fashion for long.”

The tune is built in D dorian until 2:07, when a huge unprepared shift to a Ab major chord drops like an anvil. But it’s not until 2:16 that we settle properly into the new key of F dorian. A few more harmonic shifts follow, but are often dwarfed by unexpected changes in meter, sudden instrumental/textural changes, imposing walls of tightly clustered vocal parts (3:25, for example), etc. As the extensive end credits of the video show, it took scores of fans of the storied UK-based prog rock band to create a cover version (2020) of this densely complex track!

From the video’s description: “This video marks the first time in 40 years that all members of Gentle Giant appear on screen and play together in a ‘virtual reunion’. Some notable contributors also make an appearance such as Jakko Jakszyk of King Crimson, Billy Sherwood of Yes, E.L.O. bassist Lee Pomeroy, Dan Reed of the Dan Reed Network, Richard Hilton of Chic, and Mikey Heppner of Priestess.”

Frank Zappa | Dancin’ Fool

“The disco era that brought us Saturday Night Fever, spoons on chains, and satin everything spawned an unintentional subgenre: ‘disco sucks’ music,” (MixOnline). “Rockers laughed and cheered for Steve Dahl’s parody of Rod Stewart’s ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy’ (‘Do You Think I’m Disco?’ 1979), and for that brilliant iconoclast Frank Zappa’s first bonafide hit, the #45 song ‘Dancin’ Fool.’

‘Fool’ debuted in the artist’s live set in 1975 and was first captured as a concert recording, but the song didn’t appear on record until he reworked it in The Village Recorder with the help of his then-engineer, Joe Chiccarelli (1979). ‘The live basic tracks were recorded by Pete Henderson, who produced Breakfast in America for Supertramp—I think with the Record Plant Remote truck,’ Chiccarelli recalls. ‘Frank felt at the time that his band played great live, so he loved the feel of the drum tracks, but 80 to 90 percent of the work, including the mix, was done at The Village, mostly in Studio A.'”

Perhaps just as much as his one-of-a-kind compositions, blistering guitar work, and precision bandleading, Zappa is best known as having been an astute social commentator — and his editorial on the burgeoning disco scene of the late 70s was certainly no exception. The tune’s intro and verses are built in A major, but the choruses are in C# major (starting with the short pre-chorus, heard for the first time at 0:25; the chorus begins in earnest at 0:29). At 0:54, we return to the original key for the lead-in to the next verse via a boisterous unprepared modulation. The pattern continues from there. Zappa played a hilarious prank with this track: while the tune was moderately danceable overall, the “IMayBeTotallyWrongButI’mA” interjection (1:54 and 2:56) adds a full beat to each line of the chorus where it appears, providing more awkwardness than most dance floors ever asked for.

Ozzy Osbourne | Ordinary Man (feat. Elton John)

“Ozzy Osbourne … helped forge the sound that became known as heavy metal – and on top of that, the frontman practically invented the image of the wild rock star,” (BBC). “Ozzy’s band Black Sabbath made an indelible mark on music by pioneering heavy metal – and was hailed as a major influence by a range of artists who followed. With his wailing vocal style and ‘prince of darkness’ reputation, Ozzy led the band to become global stars – before he was fired, mainly because of his increasing dependency on drugs and alcohol. But he carved out a successful solo career before reuniting with the band, as well as becoming the unlikely star of a hit TV reality show which showcased his erratic domestic life.

He was born John Michael Osbourne in the Aston area of Birmingham (in) 1948. His father Jack was a toolmaker, while his mother Lillian worked at the Lucas factory, which made car components.” He seemed destined for a life at hard labor, starting his work life in a slaughterhouse. “What saved Ozzy was music: the sound of the Beatles singing ‘She Loves You’ out of a crackly transistor radio transformed his life. ‘It was such an incredible explosion of happiness and hope,’ he later told writer Bryan Appleyard. ‘I used to dream – wouldn’t it be great if Paul McCartney married my sister.'”

After layer upon layer of medical issues accumulated for Osbourne over the past few years, ” … he was determined to bow out of the public eye with a customary bang. He, (wife) Sharon, and his old Black Sabbath bandmates lined up a farewell concert at Villa Park football stadium, a stone’s throw from his childhood home, which took place just over two weeks ago. An array of fellow rock legends – including Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler – lined up to perform and pay homage to him and Sabbath’s influence. Osbourne himself performed seated because of his mobility problems, but managed to recapture his old magic – belting out his hits while clapping, waving his arms and pulling wild-eyed looks, just like old times. ‘I’m proud of what I’ve achieved with my life,’ he once told an interviewer. ‘You couldn’t have written my life story if you’d been the best writer in the world.'”

Osbourne’s 2020 release “Ordinary Man” found the artist looking back both fondly and wistfully a full five years before his death today at the age of 76. With an assist by Elton John on piano and vocals, the track also features Slash on guitar, Duff McKagan on bass (both of Guns N’ Roses), and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on drums. The tune was co-written by John Osbourne (Ozzy), Elton John, Andrew Watt (who also produced the track), Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, and Billy Walsh. This classic power ballad, lushly produced relative to Osbourne’s catalog overall, starts in E major. There’s a shift to B mixolydian for the chorus, first heard at 1:22 – 2:00. The pattern continues from there. Ozzy watches the compilation of photos and videos right along with us, making it a poignant experience for even the most casual of his fans.

Them | I Can Only Give You Everything

“It’s hard for some people to believe that the soulful romantic who wrote and crooned ‘Have I Told You Lately That I Love You’ was the same guy who had salaciously screamed out the letters ‘G-L-O-R-I-A,’ (DJ MJD’s Back Tracks). “Nevertheless, Van Morrison was indeed the singer and harmonica player in Them. The band — which took its name from a science fiction movie about gigantic irradiated ants — was from Belfast in Northern Ireland, but here in the U.S. they got lumped in as part of the “British Invasion.” And, like The Animals and The Rolling Stones, they did cover a lot of American blues and R&B standards. However, they also recorded several songs — including the aforementioned classic, ‘Gloria’ — that were templates for what would come to be known as ‘garage rock.’

‘I Can Only Give You Everything’ (1966) succinctly combines youthful exuberance and sarcastic arrogance. It also sounds like a twist on the old jazz/pop standard ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’ … writer Richie Unterberger describes (it) as ‘one of his [Morrison’s] toughest, most snarling vocals ever, and indeed one of the snottiest vocals of the entire British Invasion… an utterly convincing mixture of aggressive and desperate pursuit of affection’ … In the 60’s, it was recorded by numerous bands, most notably The MC5 (it was the group’s first single) … That fuzz tone guitar riff took on a life of its own in 1996, when Beck used it in the song ‘Devil’s Haircut.'”

Starting in G mixolydian, the track features an accompaniment that pretty much amounts to percussion and a bass line which jumps upwards up by fourths (spelling out the first, fourth, and and flatted seventh of each chord). At 1:41, the tune shifts up by a half step to Ab mixolydian.