Analysis of Radiohead's song: "Street Spirit (fade out)"
I have decided, for my first composition assignment,to be inspired by the song "Street Spirit (fade out)" of the band Radiohead.
I think that it is quite difficult to define the genre of this song because,although for most people it can perhaps be classified as "Pop",there is nothing,in my opinion,of the light feelings and sounds that the terminology "pop music" immediately recalls. As a matter of fact the lyrics are uncomfortable,with a melody composed mainly by legato notes spread out on an obsessive guitar arpeggio. The whole composition, based on a minor scale, evokes a very intimate,reflexive,dark and melancholic atmosphere,which,I believe,maybe would be better defined as "intimate music" than "popular music" , since the adjective "popular" reminds me exactly of the opposite of what the song is about. Some critics, indeed, tried to name this kind of music as "dreamy pop",but still,I think that the moment in which you decide to define something as "pop",inevitably you are going to sacrifice its unicity if the work of art taken in consideration was honestly conceived during a creative process which wasn't interested in making it "popular"at all.Anyway,set aside my own reflections, problems and provocations concerning this overused definition for many kinds of music that are not "classical",definition which tends to flatten out a vital complexion of shades,let's go ahead with the analysis of this song to underline with accuracy,which characteristics inspired me the most to compose my song.
The thing that struck me the most was the obsessive line of the guitar ,which I mentioned above,followed by the slow melody of the vocal.This harmony,as a matter of fact,is made by a continuous arpeggio that keeps on beating on semi quivers . On this arpeggio basis is gradually built up a more complex stratification of long,legato sounds that is developed bit by bit from the beginning till the end through the addition of different sounds of keyboards,bass,drums and new guitars,but on which the first guitar line always dominates. The first guitar line is certainly the centre of the song, as it carries everything, and it creates a sense of strong, overwhelming, and dark emotional state similar to that which one can perceive while being completely lost in desperate thoughts.
This arpeggio attracted me so much because its obstinacy joined with the feelings provoked by the progression of chords built on an A minor scale, brings to mind the same obstinacy of the sense of loss present in a state of melancholy.
In this case the lyrics evoke in fact a lack of internal space,freedom, a sense of oppression.The tension of them indeed grows increasingly with the addition of new sounds in the harmony till resolving eventually in three words taking all the space of the three chords of the chorus progression (C,Em,Am) and bringing, in this way,a big breath in which the sensation of the fading out of everything around is perfectly evoked.
The last verse of the song, "immerse your soul in love" seems to suggest the only thing which will permit to overcome the incomprehensibility of this mechanic cold world that surrounds the narrator. This imperative is repeated twice using two different melodies, the first which spills over a high register concluding the phrase in E an octave above the central C while the second resolves in A through a G sharp, leading thus to the conclusion of the song.
Analysis of the production:
-2 electric guitars start(one telecaster plus I think one strato) repeating the same central arpeggio on A minor.
-the bass enters when the chord of the arpeggio changes on E minor with a very little percussion on the beginning of the bar.the words "fade out" ,when the chords change and the bass enters.
-change of arpeggio chords for the first appearance of the Chorus line (fade out again) in C,Em,Am.
-2nd versus starts with a defined drums line in addition to the other instruments ,beating on semi quivers.
-this time with the 2nd entrance of the chorus (fade out) the line of the keyboards appears for the first time,sustaining the vocals with high legato notes holding the sam rhythm of the melody.
-instrumental tail of the chorus:change of drums rhythm,addition of backing vocals on the overall instrumental texture.
-The versus starts another time and a new guitar's line appears while all the other instruments remain except the keyboards,the drums playing the first rhythm which follows semi quivers.
-The chorus enters again introduced by the drums with changes again rhythm as before,the keyboards enter again in the same way as before,the new guitar line keeping on playing.
-instrumental chorus tail,backing vocals
-conclusion with the 2 new phrases with the same words "immerse your soul in love", the main guitar's line slows down with its arpeggio on A minor and concludes.
Innovation.
This song is innovative as everything that is unique is.
My song is called "Blondy tue".
I think that it is quite difficult to define the genre of this song because,although for most people it can perhaps be classified as "Pop",there is nothing,in my opinion,of the light feelings and sounds that the terminology "pop music" immediately recalls. As a matter of fact the lyrics are uncomfortable,with a melody composed mainly by legato notes spread out on an obsessive guitar arpeggio. The whole composition, based on a minor scale, evokes a very intimate,reflexive,dark and melancholic atmosphere,which,I believe,maybe would be better defined as "intimate music" than "popular music" , since the adjective "popular" reminds me exactly of the opposite of what the song is about. Some critics, indeed, tried to name this kind of music as "dreamy pop",but still,I think that the moment in which you decide to define something as "pop",inevitably you are going to sacrifice its unicity if the work of art taken in consideration was honestly conceived during a creative process which wasn't interested in making it "popular"at all.Anyway,set aside my own reflections, problems and provocations concerning this overused definition for many kinds of music that are not "classical",definition which tends to flatten out a vital complexion of shades,let's go ahead with the analysis of this song to underline with accuracy,which characteristics inspired me the most to compose my song.
The thing that struck me the most was the obsessive line of the guitar ,which I mentioned above,followed by the slow melody of the vocal.This harmony,as a matter of fact,is made by a continuous arpeggio that keeps on beating on semi quivers . On this arpeggio basis is gradually built up a more complex stratification of long,legato sounds that is developed bit by bit from the beginning till the end through the addition of different sounds of keyboards,bass,drums and new guitars,but on which the first guitar line always dominates. The first guitar line is certainly the centre of the song, as it carries everything, and it creates a sense of strong, overwhelming, and dark emotional state similar to that which one can perceive while being completely lost in desperate thoughts.
This arpeggio attracted me so much because its obstinacy joined with the feelings provoked by the progression of chords built on an A minor scale, brings to mind the same obstinacy of the sense of loss present in a state of melancholy.
In this case the lyrics evoke in fact a lack of internal space,freedom, a sense of oppression.The tension of them indeed grows increasingly with the addition of new sounds in the harmony till resolving eventually in three words taking all the space of the three chords of the chorus progression (C,Em,Am) and bringing, in this way,a big breath in which the sensation of the fading out of everything around is perfectly evoked.
The last verse of the song, "immerse your soul in love" seems to suggest the only thing which will permit to overcome the incomprehensibility of this mechanic cold world that surrounds the narrator. This imperative is repeated twice using two different melodies, the first which spills over a high register concluding the phrase in E an octave above the central C while the second resolves in A through a G sharp, leading thus to the conclusion of the song.
Analysis of the production:
-2 electric guitars start(one telecaster plus I think one strato) repeating the same central arpeggio on A minor.
-the bass enters when the chord of the arpeggio changes on E minor with a very little percussion on the beginning of the bar.the words "fade out" ,when the chords change and the bass enters.
-change of arpeggio chords for the first appearance of the Chorus line (fade out again) in C,Em,Am.
-2nd versus starts with a defined drums line in addition to the other instruments ,beating on semi quivers.
-this time with the 2nd entrance of the chorus (fade out) the line of the keyboards appears for the first time,sustaining the vocals with high legato notes holding the sam rhythm of the melody.
-instrumental tail of the chorus:change of drums rhythm,addition of backing vocals on the overall instrumental texture.
-The versus starts another time and a new guitar's line appears while all the other instruments remain except the keyboards,the drums playing the first rhythm which follows semi quivers.
-The chorus enters again introduced by the drums with changes again rhythm as before,the keyboards enter again in the same way as before,the new guitar line keeping on playing.
-instrumental chorus tail,backing vocals
-conclusion with the 2 new phrases with the same words "immerse your soul in love", the main guitar's line slows down with its arpeggio on A minor and concludes.
Innovation.
This song is innovative as everything that is unique is.
My song is called "Blondy tue".
Analysis of PJ Harvey's song "Catherine"
The second song that I have chosen is "Catherine" of Polly Jean Harvey.
I can say that this song is a real,intimate blues ,in the deepest sense of the word,from the lyrics to the rhythm,from the melody to the harmony ,the production and,above all,the tormented singing.
Differently from the Radiohead's song that I have analyzed above,what moves me the most here is the particular tone of each instrument. As a matter of fact the structure of the song is very simple and there are just a few instruments involved in the arrangement (percussion,telecaster guitar,keyboards); but the quality and the particularity of their sounds are unique and seem to be of the same substance of the singing voice.
Everything in this song seems to come from the innermost space of a tormented,lovesick,obsessed soul.
The singing is like the whisper of someone that either is near to crying or maybe is just recovering from it,a vocal line formed mostly by the notes of a beautiful blues scale,where the essentiality is everything.
There is no strength in this emotional state to make bigger vocalisms ,there is no space here ,no sense at all. This is a work about removing what is not essential rather than building on embellishments , in the attempt to recreate the desert of the heart from where this voice is rising.
I tried to compose a song where the blues scale dominates,using just a few instruments,especially an acoustic piano,willing to find one day a way to sing my own "blues".
My song is called "Be queen".
I can say that this song is a real,intimate blues ,in the deepest sense of the word,from the lyrics to the rhythm,from the melody to the harmony ,the production and,above all,the tormented singing.
Differently from the Radiohead's song that I have analyzed above,what moves me the most here is the particular tone of each instrument. As a matter of fact the structure of the song is very simple and there are just a few instruments involved in the arrangement (percussion,telecaster guitar,keyboards); but the quality and the particularity of their sounds are unique and seem to be of the same substance of the singing voice.
Everything in this song seems to come from the innermost space of a tormented,lovesick,obsessed soul.
The singing is like the whisper of someone that either is near to crying or maybe is just recovering from it,a vocal line formed mostly by the notes of a beautiful blues scale,where the essentiality is everything.
There is no strength in this emotional state to make bigger vocalisms ,there is no space here ,no sense at all. This is a work about removing what is not essential rather than building on embellishments , in the attempt to recreate the desert of the heart from where this voice is rising.
I tried to compose a song where the blues scale dominates,using just a few instruments,especially an acoustic piano,willing to find one day a way to sing my own "blues".
My song is called "Be queen".