499. More Thin Lizzy

I've just spent some time watching/listening to this song. Wow. It's amazing to me how I could hear a song hundreds of times and never really listen to it. Listening to Classic Rock radio for years allows you to sing along to this song, but have you really heard it?

The first thing I noticed is that the chord pattern is really unusual. Also, the song has a unique rhythm, and the vocal kind of swerves around on top of it, like a car on a slippery highway. The singer shows a high level of comfort with losing his place and finding it again, telling a story about nothing in particular.

The words are really nothing much, which makes me think that this band is kind of a "party" band. I don't know any of their other material, so I wonder if they wrote music with any serious lyrical content. Not that the words aren't perfect for the song. Who cares what it's about when it rocks as hard as it does? The words really fit the "funness" of the song. When I watch and listen, it's clear that they are having a good time.

Watching their performances makes me think that they weren't a typical 1970's rock band. They have an edge, which perhaps shows an early metal or punk vibration. The crowds don't sit and sway in a drug-induced trance, but bounce up and down and slam up against the stage. The band doesn't bite its lips and roll its eyes back into their heads, reaching for ecstasy. They are right there, playing those instruments, singing those words, in your face, whatever.

I am now officially a fan. This is a great song. Way juicier than #500.

Music

499. The Boys Are Back in Town. Thin Lizzy

Well, what are you going to say about Thin Lizzy? I always regarded them as another classic rock band that I couldn't distinguish from Molly Hatchet. I don't think I ever really noticed this song, either. Of course, I know it. I can sing it. But who cares? I learned a lot about this band by doing a little research.

What did you find?

send kyger an invite

thats awesome

More Than a Feeling, Sonnet

Though style will ne'er convey a man to peace

I long to try my hand at perfect art

Perhaps a thousand hours of elbow grease

Will simulate the master's quiet heart

And thus alone I sculpt a wondrous beast

To dominate the common man's delight

So if a one moves westerly, or east

He cannot circumvent my line of sight

Adorning every traveler's décor

Will be the lovely Marianne's goodbye

As if he'd ever want for something more

Than this precision tour-de-force reply

The melody's a message that I send

To geniuses who cannot make a friend

More Than a Feeling, II

Okay. If you read about Boston on wikipedia, you learn a lot about this band. It's true that Tom was the total mastermind behind all the material. Sounds like the record company fought hard with them throughout their careers. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun was had.

As recently as 2008, this song was the subject of arguments among band members. Maybe there is a lot of feeling in this song. Get it?

Does it serve to have one person completely control the creative process within a group? Is it sustainable?

500. More Than a Feeling. Boston.

Ok. First thing is, I've heard this song 1000 times in my life. I asked my co-worker, Nick, a punk-rocker, how in the world this song became one of the most played songs on the radio? I mean, More Than a Feeling must earn as much in royalties as Stairway to Heaven just from classic rock radio in the US. Nick's answer was "because it's familiar and comfortable." I think there is something to that. This song has nothing challenging in it. It's technically kind of amazing, however. The guitar solos are really clinical -- it's clear Tom S. spent a lot of time working these solos out. But who cares? There is very little charisma in it, only a lot of careful planning. When I watch live footage of this band, it's clear to me that very little energy is carried by the vocalist, despite his extraordinary voice. He really has a beautiful, melodic classic rock style. And what a range! But the focus isn't on him to carry the energy of the band.

Nick and I agreed that it is easy to hear this song without listening to it. It doesn't challenge you to listen to it. I doesn't evoke any particular emotion except a brainy kind of appreciation. The song easily falls into the background, never demanding anything from the listener.

At the same time, the song is masterfully assembled. Boston is especially good at epic rock guitar breaks: all the instrumentation stops except for the guitar, which carries a rhythmic bottom which marks the song. It's fun in rock music to stop everything and encourage everyone to clap their hands together, and More Than a Feeling makes this possible.

I'm going to give it another listen, and see what emerges.

Wow. My assessment is much more positive now. The guitar work is really amazing. I especially love the screaming glissandos tearing into the beginning of the chorus. I love the way the drums are recorded -- you can hear everything really clearly, especially the ride cymbal. There is a really classic chord pattern, overlayed with a soaring melody which, despite the incomprehensible lyrics, is absolutely singable. How do they do that?

It's true, though, that it's very technical. Where is the heart? It's like a really beautiful and well-made piece of wooden furniture. What do you think?

Oh, yeah, and because it's school...

Teachers and grown-ups reserve the right to ask questions of the kids which they will need to think about and answer. That's the only ground-rule. I guess this should apply to grown-ups, too. So, here is our agreement: we express our opinions and are prepared to back them up with thoughtful reflections and evidence.

Go!

RS500Best

Ok, so I had an idea. I love music, that's for sure. I also help to run a homeschool collective with a bunch of kids. A few of them, being teenagers, are really into music. So I thought, why don't we encourage them to write and listen to the best music in the world. Hence, this blog. How about we listen to the best music ever -- as chosen by Rolling Stone magazine -- and write about it in this blog? We can debate why a song is on the list, learn a little about the history, etc., and at the same time rock out. What do you think?

Hm. So, number 500 is Touch by the Eurythmics. Wait a minute. How in the world did they choose the best 500 albums? I'm going to find out a bit more....be back in a second.

Geesh, there's a lot of debate about these choices on line. Appears that they asked 273 music industry people of various sorts to rate their fifty best and that some important statistics firm made a point system that seemed fair to them. Come to think of it, we could also listen to the top 500 songs -- that would be cheaper and more feasible, that's for sure. Who wants to try it with us?

If we go the song route (see the list here), we start with More Than a Feeling by Boston. Ho-hum. Well, let's give it a go. I'll go visit itunes for a sample. You?