Shyon Lewis-Steck is here to compare the pop star Miley Cyrus with prince of darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. As Alex said in the previous post, I can't just say the music is bad, but I must anylize it to determine WHY it's bad and must use no opinions
Miley Cyrus:
Party in the USA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M11SvDtPBhA
Okay this song starts with incredibly simple guitar playing the same riff over and over for the intro and verses. The drums for the entire song are extremely simple and repetative, they barely change for the entire song. Later during the Chorus, The guitar practicaly ceases, and is replaced by occasional electronicaly generated noises and a sort of static noise that has no sort of beat whatsoever. This is covered up by the vocals which are so obviously electronicaly altered it's scary. Even the electronicaly altered voice doesn't really manage to do good, as the vocals repeatedly sway from the lyrics. I will admit that the scaling of the vocals are also pretty good in how they manage to switch between octives quickly, but that is also surely covered up by the altering. The other thing about this song, is the vocals and guitar sound like about 3 other songs I've heard before. The Lyrics in the song are also incredibly random and have no real point to them. Sometimes it seems as if they couldn't come up with anything better, for example "Moving my hips like yeah" what the heck does "yeah" supposed do indicate? Just because it seems to go with the beat doesn't make it a good thing to use. As a songwriter, I can understand that. I'm also pretty sure Jay-Z and Brittany Spears payed her for the advertizing in this song.
Ozzy Osbourne:
Crazy Train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VorC_GHQnSc
This song begins with Ozzy yelling ALL ABOAAAARD!!! HAHAHAHA!!!! which is surely to bring you to your senses if you're not paying attention. After that, it goes into a deep bass riff and a vibroslap. The guitar soon opens up as Randy Rhodes slides his fingeres up the neck of the guitar. The bass continues as an amazing guitar riff goes on, then changes once again into the fast paced lyrics of the chorus. Ozzy's unique voice begins with good harmony and lyrics about "Learning how to love, and forgetting how to hate" These lyrics seem to be strange with such a metal artist and with such awesome guitar, but it harmonizes perfectly. The Drums, Guitars and Bass go through about 4 changes in the entire song. Ozzy's voice though strange manages to capture the lyrics wonderfully and the voice can harmonize with no alteration at all with whatever the guitar or bass at the time is. Using Crazy Train and Mentality as metaphors for what the world is like, while still actually saying the meaning straight up fits together, and you can understand what he's trying to say.
Overall Winner, Ozzy Osbourne:
Miley Cyrus may be popular now, and people may think that she's the best ever, but the reality is that her voice isn't even real and the music that goes along with it doesn't require much skill at all. How can people say that such a new artist is the best ever, OZZY'S BEEN THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS SINCE 1979!!!!!!! And he's still got it. How can Miley really "relate" with the people? What bad things have happened to her in her life?? Ozzy got kicked out of Black Sabbath for substance abuse. Overall, Ozzy is the winner
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Jonas Brothers vs slayer
Hello this Alex Hallberg here to talk about the Jonas Brothers. Countless people say they are the best band ever and are the best musicians in the world. I cannot refute the argument that they are the best band in the world, as that is a matter of opinion. However, I can refute the ludicrous claim that they are the best musicians in the world. I will compare them to Slayer, a famous metal band. I will take a song from both bands, give an in-depth analysis of each song, and compare them.
SLAYERS SONG: RAINING BLOOD
Song Summary : The song starts out with a few, long sustained guitar notes and an occasional double-tap from the tom-toms. This continues for about 30 seconds until the tempo abruptly changes. The lead and rhythm guitars switch off playing a variating up and down-scaling riff an then a rapid succession of straight-picked notes, while the other guitar provides a tremolo-picked line, with double-tap from the tom toms. The scale gets higher and higher and then the tempo changes again to an insane 250 bpm. The onslaught of machine-gun drumming kicks in and a brutal barrage of rapidly alternation guitar notes is played followed by a short upscaling riff. The bass line is rapidly tremolo picked as both guitars continue the same pattern. This rolling juggernaut of sound continues for about 30 seconds until the drum patter is changed to include the crash cymbal. 10 second pass until the rhythm changes. The guitars play a mind-boggling fast riff as the drummer rapidly hits and chokes the snare cymbal. The rhythm then changes again as the drummer plays quick bass-rolls and snare-hi hat patters while the guitars play a variation of the first pattern. 20 seconds pass and then the harsh aggressive vocals come in. Another variation of the earlier guitar pattern is played while a quick blast beat pattern involving rapid transition between the snare and bass drum is played. The guitar part plays a rapid riff while the drumming speeds up. Afterwards the vocals stop and the tempo changes. a a low pattern on the guitar and drum is played. The patter gets faster, slower, and then faster again. The guitar pattern played before the tempo change resumes while the vocals resume and a machine-gun drum pattern is played. Next, the quick alternation guitar part from the beginning is played this time with the vocals. This continues for 10 seconds until the tempo changes again to a much slower pace. It continues for 5 seconds until a fast guitar and drum beat is played. Next, the rhythm guitar continues this patter while the lead guitar plays a up and downscaling riff. This continues for about 10 seconds until the machine-gun drumming and guitar rushes back in while the vocals keep pounding. This continues for about 15 seconds until it abruptly stops, and then resumes. The music pauses for a spit-second, and then the guitar solo begins. The solo is a swirling vortex of sound, in which both guitars rapidly switch off playing confusion up and downscaling riffs while alternating between straight and tremolo picking, while fast finger tapping and whammy bar passages and arpeggios are played. The crazy solo continues while the drummer plays inhumanely fast bass and tom-tom rolls. The song finally ends after 3 and a half minutes of sheer sonic bombardment.
Instrument overview:
Guitar: the guitars in this song are insane. They play incredibly fast sweep-picking, straight picking, and tremolo picking passages with serious whammy bar abuse and finger-tapped passages.
Bass: the bass in this song play fast, alternating tremolo-picked passages that add the heaviness to the guitars. The bass lines are incredible dynamic and fast and really give the song its structure.
Drumming: the drumming in the song is nothing short of in-human. The drummer plays relentless machine-gun bass drum beats while playing complicating and demanding patters on the snare and cymbals, accompanied by insanely fast tom-tom rolls.
Overall:
Raining blood is one of the heaviest and fastest songs ever written, with abrupt tempo changes and odd time signatures. It is a complex and demanding song that takes immense skill and endurance to play.
JONAS BROTHERS SONG: S.O.S.
Song summary: The song opens with a slow staccato pattern of guitar notes played repeatedly. 5 seconds later the high-pitched vocals open as the same guitar pattern is played. This continues for about 20 seconds until the chorus plays. The chorus mainly has slow, repetitive drum beats while the guitars loop through the same 3 notes. This continues for about 30 seconds until the beginning guitar part is played accompanied by a basic and slow drum beat. This continues for 20 seconds until the chorus is played. After the chorus an electric drum beat is played that switches between 2 notes. This beat continues while a guitar note is played every 2 seconds. After that the chorus is played, and then the song fades out with a guitar note.
Instrument Overview:
Guitar: the guitar in this song is basic and undemanding. It mainly just cycles between the same 2 or 3 notes, and there is no variation in the playing style, just simple straight picking.
Bass: The bass is even more simple, with just an occasional note being played.
Drums: The drums are also very basic, the are simple in that they are just beginner level patterns with the snare hi-hat and bass drum.
Overall: S.O.S. is a simple song that reuses the same basic guitar and drum parts. There is little variation in song structure or playing style, and it seems incredibly repetitive. The song is at a beginner level in terms of instrumentation and takes next to no skill or endurance to play.
COMPARISON: RAINING BLOOD VS S.O.S.
song facts:
raining blood:
duration: 3:23
guitar notes: 3,147
S.O.S.
duration: 2:58
guitar notes: 491
Guitar comparison:
This one is no contest. raining blood involves extremely complex and intriguing rhythms, as well as multiple playing techniques and styles. S.O.S. uses basics and beginner level notes and playing styles.
Bass comparison:
no contest here either. raining blood uses fast and dynamic bass lines while S.O.S. uses simple and slow ones.
Drumming:
even less of a competition than the others. raining blood has inhumanely fast machine-gun beats and complicated snare and cymbal patterns. S.O.S. uses extremely basic hi-hat bass and snare patters that I could probably effortlessly play.
Song Structure Comparison:
raining blood has abrupt temp-changes, odd time signature, no main melody, and lots of different riff variations that make up the song structure. S.O.S. uses a consent tempo, a basic4/4 time signature, and it has only 3 different melodies that are constantly looping.
OVERALL WINNER: SLAYER
Its not even a competition. The jonas brothers are skill-lacking teenagers that everyone seems to love. They play basic music that I could probably play. People only like them due to their praise of christianity and there immature philanthropic nature. Slayer on the other hand, are a band that have been playing for 25 years, and are all highly competent and skilled musicians who have been playing their whole life. The members of Slayer are in their late 40's and continue to record albums and play exhausting live concerts.
Thanks for reading everyone, This is Alex Hallberg signing off.
Welcome
Welcome to the world of Anarchists, Athiests, Nerds, Geeks, Rock and Metal. A world where Vampires don't sparkle in the sun. A world where to be a music star, you have to have talent. A world unknown to the majority of modern America. In this blog we will trade off between weeks. Every Thursday you will hear a long rant on popular culture and why it makes the intelligent minds of Alex Hallberg and Shyon Lewis-Steck want to throw up. Because people need to learn to not to obsess over the shitty Stuff that Modern America throws in our faces, and they must recover from their mental disorder that makes them think Miley Cyrus can sing. This is Shyon Lewis-Steck with the welcome post for POPULARITY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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