Over the last two months, I listened to three different versions of Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" from Porgy & Bess for my Collection Audit project. A couple days after I listened to the Moody Blues' version (on The Magnificent Moodies), I realized something about the song; however, one of the sections I realized something about isn't in the Moody Blues' version. So when I listened to Brian Wilson's version (on the Reimagines Gershwin album) about a month ago, I was paying a bit more attention than I would have otherwise.
Some syllables in specific words are omitted so that words that wouldn't rhyme ordinarily do rhyme here. Liable is shortened to li'ble in order to rhyme with Bible in the lines "The things that you're li'ble / To read in the Bible," and possible is shortened to poss'ble in order to rhyme with Gospel in the line "I take that Gospel whenever it's poss'ble" in the bridge. The words that rhyme with Bible and Gospel are truncated, and doing that demonstrates exactly what the speaker/singer plainly says in the song: he takes the Bible "with a grain of salt." In the same way those words lack some syllables, the speaker/singer lacks complete faith.
In looking into this, I discovered that - of the four recordings I have of "It Ain't Necessarily So" - only one is complete: that by the Bethlehem Orchestra (apparently their 1956 recording of Porgy & Bess was only the second complete recording of the opera). Both Bobby Darin's version and the Moody Blues' version omit the the bridge ("To get into Heaven, don't snap for a seven..."), and Brian Wilson's version omits the verse about Methuselah. For what it's worth, in addition to the bridge, Darin's version also omits the verse about Moses, and the Moody Blues' version also omits the verse about Methuselah.
Looking at what version has what verses, it occurs to me that none of them have the verses in the order in which the people named in them are in the Bible. In chronological order, it would be Methuselah, Moses, David, and then Jonah. Except for the Moody Blues, who switch Jonah and Moses, the order is David, Jonah, Moses, and the Methuselah.
Showing posts with label Brian Wilson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian Wilson. Show all posts
Monday, September 19, 2016
Monday, December 14, 2015
The Beach Boys' "Blue Christmas"
A few days ago, I listened to a Beach Boys Christmas album, and I noticed something about their version of "Blue Christmas." At about 2:00, some brass instruments (I think French horns) quote a phrase from George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. I can't find a score of the Rhapsody in Blue in order to look up the notation, and the phrase is too complex for my novice notation skills, but in "Blue Christmas," the phrase is D, Eb, F, and then an F an octave lower. In the Rhapsody in Blue, it's G#, A, B, and then a B an octave lower. (In the recording of Rhapsody in Blue I have by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, it's at about 11:31.) It's the same phrase, just transposed down for "Blue Christmas." (For what it's worth, it's also the phrase that starts "Rhapsody in Blue (Reprise)" on Brian Wilson's Reimagines Gershwin album, although that's E, F, G, and then a G an octave lower).
I did some research and discovered (in the entry for 18 June 1964 in Keith Badman's The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio) that the Beach Boys' version of "Blue Christmas" was arranged by Dick Reynolds. While Wilson didn't arrange it himself, he probably had a hand in putting in that quotation because he's acknowledged Gershwin's influence and mentioned Rhapsody in Blue in particular. The Reimagines Gershwin album provides ample evidence.
Purely as a reference, it's also interesting because "blue" is in the title of both works (and in the lyrics of "Blue Christmas"). To some degree, quoting Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue gives more depth to "Blue Christmas." There's the feeling of "Blue Christmas" itself, but then - because of that quotation - there's an injection of the feeling of the Rhapsody in Blue too.
I transcribed "Blue Christmas" when I listened to the album a second time, and I found something interesting about the song itself, not just the Beach Boys' version. The lines in the first verse all have line-ending rhymes ("without you" rhymes with "about you," and "tree" rhymes with "me"), but that same structure isn't in the second verse. The first two lines rhyme ("certain" with "hurtin'"), but not "You'll be doin' alright with your Christmas of white / But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas." Instead of line-ending rhymes, there's internal rhyme in the third line ("alright" and "white") and no rhyme at all in the fourth line, either within the line itself or with any other line. That surfeit of rhyme in the third line and the lack of rhyme in the fourth poetically mirror the lyrics themselves. "You'll be doin' alright" with internal rhyme, "But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas" with no rhyme at all.
I did some research and discovered (in the entry for 18 June 1964 in Keith Badman's The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio) that the Beach Boys' version of "Blue Christmas" was arranged by Dick Reynolds. While Wilson didn't arrange it himself, he probably had a hand in putting in that quotation because he's acknowledged Gershwin's influence and mentioned Rhapsody in Blue in particular. The Reimagines Gershwin album provides ample evidence.
Purely as a reference, it's also interesting because "blue" is in the title of both works (and in the lyrics of "Blue Christmas"). To some degree, quoting Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue gives more depth to "Blue Christmas." There's the feeling of "Blue Christmas" itself, but then - because of that quotation - there's an injection of the feeling of the Rhapsody in Blue too.
I transcribed "Blue Christmas" when I listened to the album a second time, and I found something interesting about the song itself, not just the Beach Boys' version. The lines in the first verse all have line-ending rhymes ("without you" rhymes with "about you," and "tree" rhymes with "me"), but that same structure isn't in the second verse. The first two lines rhyme ("certain" with "hurtin'"), but not "You'll be doin' alright with your Christmas of white / But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas." Instead of line-ending rhymes, there's internal rhyme in the third line ("alright" and "white") and no rhyme at all in the fourth line, either within the line itself or with any other line. That surfeit of rhyme in the third line and the lack of rhyme in the fourth poetically mirror the lyrics themselves. "You'll be doin' alright" with internal rhyme, "But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas" with no rhyme at all.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Vestigial Traces of Vinyl
I remember reading somewhere that when artists were sequencing songs for albums, they used to put an up-tempo, energetic song at the beginning of the B-side. I suppose this was an attempt to make the B-side worth listening to - either at all or from the very beginning.
But I just realised that that decision in sequencing is still apparent even after those albums have been released on CD. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's Tarkus and Brain Salad Surgery both have clear distinctions between the sides. The A-side of Tarkus is the Tarkus medley, and the B-side of Brain Salad Surgery has (at least most of) the Karn Evil 9 impressions.
I think the difference is most clearly illustrated with Brian Wilson's SMiLE. The songs were written in 1966, but no versions of the album were official released until 2004. Yet despite its release as a CD, the 2004 release still has that dichotomy of sides. What would have been the B-side contains the suite of elements - earth ("Vega-tables"), wind ("Wind Chimes"), fire ("Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"), and water ("Blue Hawaii").
Since most albums aren't sequenced specifically for vinyl release anymore (and many aren't even released on vinyl), that dichotomy of sides has faded. The only way you can really see it now is if there is a collection of inter-connected songs. And since most of the music being released to-day seems to be stand-alone songs, there aren't many instances of either inter-connected songs or side-specific sequencing.
But I just realised that that decision in sequencing is still apparent even after those albums have been released on CD. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's Tarkus and Brain Salad Surgery both have clear distinctions between the sides. The A-side of Tarkus is the Tarkus medley, and the B-side of Brain Salad Surgery has (at least most of) the Karn Evil 9 impressions.
I think the difference is most clearly illustrated with Brian Wilson's SMiLE. The songs were written in 1966, but no versions of the album were official released until 2004. Yet despite its release as a CD, the 2004 release still has that dichotomy of sides. What would have been the B-side contains the suite of elements - earth ("Vega-tables"), wind ("Wind Chimes"), fire ("Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"), and water ("Blue Hawaii").
Since most albums aren't sequenced specifically for vinyl release anymore (and many aren't even released on vinyl), that dichotomy of sides has faded. The only way you can really see it now is if there is a collection of inter-connected songs. And since most of the music being released to-day seems to be stand-alone songs, there aren't many instances of either inter-connected songs or side-specific sequencing.
---&---
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Immersion
Over the past few years, I've noticed a lot of connexions between learning different instruments and learning foreign languages. In general, each instrument or language is the same; they produce particular notes or particular meanings. But each instrument and language does so in a particular way.
I'm sort of interested to see if immersion in particular music styles will have the same effect as immersion in a particular foreign language. I've experienced this in more haphazard ways; during the past two summers, I went on a skiffle kick and ended up writing a skiffle song for 50/90. But I haven't done it in a consistent way.
I've been listening to two albums every week this year - the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle and the Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed. But I think I'm going to add more in the same sort of style and have an album (or an album's equivalent) for each day of the week. And since one of my musical projects for 2013 is to increase the complexity of my arrangements, that's the central element I'm going to focus on.
Sunday - Brian Wilson's SMiLE
I was really behind the crowd in discovering SMiLE. Rumours about it have abounded since recording started on it in 1966; I didn't hear about it until the box set of those recordings was released in 2011. I found the 2004 version at Half Price Books back in January, and I think I've listened to it every week or every other week since then. I sort of think that SMiLE has unfairly eclipsed Pet Sounds for me just because I've listened to it so much more. Brian Wilson's productions are always interesting because they have complex instrumentation and complex vocal parts.
Monday - The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle
Naturally, I'm biased for this one. The Zombies have been my favourite band since the end of 2008. I heard their version of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me/Bring It on Home to Me" back to back with the Beatles' version of "You Really Got a Hold on Me," and there was no contest. Before I looked at the artist, I thought the Zombies' version was a live recording of the Beatles because their version is just so much more energetic than the Beatles' plodding.
Then I started going through their back catalogue, which consists basically of two albums. And since Odessey and Oracle is the one that they had the most control over, it's the better of the two. They have a lot of interesting harmonies and a fair amount of mellotron overdubs.
Tuesday - The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed
I had the idea to listen to this every Tuesday just because it's set on a Tuesday ("Tuesday Afternoon") and 2013 started on a Tuesday. But shortly before the year began, I decided to add Odessey and Oracle, and the two complement each other well, mostly because they both have a lot of mellotron parts.
Days of Future Passed is also significant in that it combines more traditionally symphonic elements with the rock band paradigm, which - granted - the Moody Blues are probably not the best example of, since they included keyboard instruments and flute.
Wednesday - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery
ELP are usually pretty broad in their scope, and I had to decide between this and Tarkus. I think I like some of the individual songs on Tarkus better, but the songs on Brain Salad Surgery seem more consistent. Also, the total running time of the different impressions of Karn Evil 9 is longer than the Tarkus medley. Not that length is a definitive indicator of quality, but since my goal is elaborate and consistent production, it's a useful metric in this instance.
Thursday - Delicious Pastries' Pretty Please and Will Dixon's This Upward Curve
Both of these are different from the other albums on the list because A) they're both shorter and B) they're indie releases. Pretty Please has some clear influence from the sort of baroque pop that I'm fond of, and it includes string arrangements along with electric guitar. And that bending of traditional instrumental corpora is a thing that I'm interested in. This Upward Curve also has that to some degree; the songs are more folky, but the instrumentation is more rock-based. It's like Simon & Garfunkel's electrified version of "The Sound of Silence" turned up a few degrees.
Friday - Argent's Nexus
Argent is becoming my new favourite band. It's the same kind of direction that the Zombies had (both were bands with Rod Argent, so that similarity is not a surprise), but the themes are beyond simple love songs and the musical scope is larger. On All Together Now, there's about six minutes of just Rod Argent's organ playing.
I had to choose between Ring of Hands and Nexus (those two are my favourites), and I chose Nexus mostly because of the instrumental songs based on Kohoutek ("The Coming of Kohoutek," "Once around the Sun," and "Infinite Wander"). Lately, all of the songs I've been writing have been instrumental, and for the time being, I don't see that changing much (I have an-other post about this in the works), so I felt that listening to instrumental rock songs would have a greater influence.
Saturday - The Alan Parsons Project's Eye in the Sky
The only reason I started listening to the Alan Parsons Project is that Colin Blunstone from the Zombies sang on a few of their tracks, including "Old and Wise" from Eye in the Sky. The production on Eye in the Sky is perhaps less aggressive than that on Brain Salad Surgery or Nexus, but it's still complex - the instrumental part in "Silence and I" in particular.
So I'm going to listen to these eight albums on these seven days of the week starting this week and continuing until the end of the year. Hopefully some of the complexity of the arrangements and/or the production will rub off on me.
If you'd like, you can see exactly what I'm listening to by following my music journal blog.
I'm sort of interested to see if immersion in particular music styles will have the same effect as immersion in a particular foreign language. I've experienced this in more haphazard ways; during the past two summers, I went on a skiffle kick and ended up writing a skiffle song for 50/90. But I haven't done it in a consistent way.
I've been listening to two albums every week this year - the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle and the Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed. But I think I'm going to add more in the same sort of style and have an album (or an album's equivalent) for each day of the week. And since one of my musical projects for 2013 is to increase the complexity of my arrangements, that's the central element I'm going to focus on.
---~---
Sunday - Brian Wilson's SMiLE
I was really behind the crowd in discovering SMiLE. Rumours about it have abounded since recording started on it in 1966; I didn't hear about it until the box set of those recordings was released in 2011. I found the 2004 version at Half Price Books back in January, and I think I've listened to it every week or every other week since then. I sort of think that SMiLE has unfairly eclipsed Pet Sounds for me just because I've listened to it so much more. Brian Wilson's productions are always interesting because they have complex instrumentation and complex vocal parts.
---~---
Monday - The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle
Naturally, I'm biased for this one. The Zombies have been my favourite band since the end of 2008. I heard their version of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me/Bring It on Home to Me" back to back with the Beatles' version of "You Really Got a Hold on Me," and there was no contest. Before I looked at the artist, I thought the Zombies' version was a live recording of the Beatles because their version is just so much more energetic than the Beatles' plodding.
Then I started going through their back catalogue, which consists basically of two albums. And since Odessey and Oracle is the one that they had the most control over, it's the better of the two. They have a lot of interesting harmonies and a fair amount of mellotron overdubs.
---~---
Tuesday - The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed
I had the idea to listen to this every Tuesday just because it's set on a Tuesday ("Tuesday Afternoon") and 2013 started on a Tuesday. But shortly before the year began, I decided to add Odessey and Oracle, and the two complement each other well, mostly because they both have a lot of mellotron parts.
Days of Future Passed is also significant in that it combines more traditionally symphonic elements with the rock band paradigm, which - granted - the Moody Blues are probably not the best example of, since they included keyboard instruments and flute.
---~---
Wednesday - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery
ELP are usually pretty broad in their scope, and I had to decide between this and Tarkus. I think I like some of the individual songs on Tarkus better, but the songs on Brain Salad Surgery seem more consistent. Also, the total running time of the different impressions of Karn Evil 9 is longer than the Tarkus medley. Not that length is a definitive indicator of quality, but since my goal is elaborate and consistent production, it's a useful metric in this instance.
---~---
Thursday - Delicious Pastries' Pretty Please and Will Dixon's This Upward Curve
Both of these are different from the other albums on the list because A) they're both shorter and B) they're indie releases. Pretty Please has some clear influence from the sort of baroque pop that I'm fond of, and it includes string arrangements along with electric guitar. And that bending of traditional instrumental corpora is a thing that I'm interested in. This Upward Curve also has that to some degree; the songs are more folky, but the instrumentation is more rock-based. It's like Simon & Garfunkel's electrified version of "The Sound of Silence" turned up a few degrees.
---~---
Friday - Argent's Nexus
Argent is becoming my new favourite band. It's the same kind of direction that the Zombies had (both were bands with Rod Argent, so that similarity is not a surprise), but the themes are beyond simple love songs and the musical scope is larger. On All Together Now, there's about six minutes of just Rod Argent's organ playing.
I had to choose between Ring of Hands and Nexus (those two are my favourites), and I chose Nexus mostly because of the instrumental songs based on Kohoutek ("The Coming of Kohoutek," "Once around the Sun," and "Infinite Wander"). Lately, all of the songs I've been writing have been instrumental, and for the time being, I don't see that changing much (I have an-other post about this in the works), so I felt that listening to instrumental rock songs would have a greater influence.
---~---
Saturday - The Alan Parsons Project's Eye in the Sky
The only reason I started listening to the Alan Parsons Project is that Colin Blunstone from the Zombies sang on a few of their tracks, including "Old and Wise" from Eye in the Sky. The production on Eye in the Sky is perhaps less aggressive than that on Brain Salad Surgery or Nexus, but it's still complex - the instrumental part in "Silence and I" in particular.
---~---
So I'm going to listen to these eight albums on these seven days of the week starting this week and continuing until the end of the year. Hopefully some of the complexity of the arrangements and/or the production will rub off on me.
If you'd like, you can see exactly what I'm listening to by following my music journal blog.
---&---
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