From Ghost In The Machine, the 1981 album from The Police. The suitable atmospherics for the song provided by Sting's bass and synthesizer (for which both Sting and guitarist Andy Summers are credited), along with Stewart Copeland's distinctive drumming.
I went down the YouTube hole last night after following the recommendations in the sidebar.
First up was Phil Collins performing In The Air Tonight at Montreux in 2004. Terrific performance though I was wondering till the last second whether he'd make it to the drum kit on time.
Released in 1981, with its video a staple on the early MTV, In The Air Tonight remains a standard with its mysterious image-laden lyrics and, of course, the dramatic entrance of the drums in the third verse (and inspiration for generations of air drummers!). It's also a reminder of how good a drummer Collins is. To really appreciate his drumming listen to Genesis before Peter Gabriel left.
That prompted me to remember another version of the song by Phil. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Amnesty International ran two fundraising concerts in London called The Secret Policeman's Ball and The Secret Policeman's Other Ball, which became two albums and a movie. This was back when AI was a genuine human rights organization supporting those persecuted across the political spectrum and before it was taken over by the Leftists who now wear its skin as a suit and demand the same respect once accorded that organization.
In the 1981 concert, Phil does a solo version which is quite different but quite good. His voice was much more supple twenty years earlier.
Which then reminded me of Sting's performance at the same concert of Message In A Bottle. What a voice!
And finally, I recalled Pete Townshend's performance at the 1979 event. He does Pinball Wizard from Tommy, a lovely and sensitive version of Drowned from Quadrophenia, and Won't Get Fooled Again from Who's Next in a way you've never heard before.
Musician Rick Beato has maded a fascinating series called What Makes This Song Great? in which he breaks down the instrumentation and vocals on several popular hits. Below he discusses Steely Dan's Kid Charlemagne, their mid-70s rumination on the fate of a drug dealer who time has passed by. He spends nearly eight minutes on Larry Carlton's two classic guitar solos (which THC rated as his #2 Dan guitar solo favorite). You'll also hear about the sound layers, vocals and, at the end, a comparison of a drum machine sound used by Bruno Mars in one of his recent hits with the groove laid down by drummer Bernard Purdie on the Dan tune.
Here are links to two other enlightening Beato breakdowns. The first is Every Little Thing She Does Is Magicby The Police in which we learn about Lydian bass lines and the second Jeremy by Pearl Jam. With Jeremy he takes us through the dense layering that leads to the cacophony of sound (it even turns out there is a cello on the recording!) and the unusual pattern of Eddie Vedder's melody.
The one aspect Beato ignores that goes into creating a great song are the lyrics which contribute to making the saga of Kid Charlemagne work and are absolutely essential to the success of Jeremy, in which the distraught, disturbed words (I don't think there is another song with lyrics similar to "gnashed his teeth/and bit the recess lady's breast") are matched by the thunderous, and occasionally dissonant, music.
This popped up in my iPod Shuffle today. What a perfect piece of pop music by The Police from 1979. The lyrics are not what makes it work for me. It's the blend of melodic hooks and the musical interplay between Sting (bass), Stewart Copeland (drums) and Andy Summers (guitar). Pay close attention to the musical structure, particularly the rhythmic patterns and accents by Summers, the changing drum patterns, and how the bass twists itself around the guitar. And ignore watching the stupid video; just listen.
In October 1978 I returned to the U.S. after spending five months in Europe with no job and no place of my own so I was living with friends and searching for work. And somehow the Red Sox who were stomping the rest of the American League when I left in May didn't even win their division. I'd been very out of touch while in Europe so when I got back to Boston I kept asking people what had happened. No one wanted to talk about it.
Two brights spots that fall were hearing a couple of exciting new bands with their debut records. The first was Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits featuring Mark Knopfler's unique guitar style. Unusual sound and lyric and so breezy and cool. The second was Roxanne by The Police. Very catchy and employing what was to be their trademark on their first couple of albums - repeating over and over again the title of the song.
The power of music can overwhelm the literal meaning (as reflected by the lyrics) of a song despite the musician's intent. Sometimes it's just the music battling the words. Other times it's the music plus a key phrase blotting out the underlying meaning. So, is the "real" meaning what the writer intended or what the listener hears? Some examples that come quickly to mind below. Do you have any songs that fit the bill?
