Posted by KB on 5/8/2019 to
Opinions & Thoughts
Song Intros
What
I've noticed on albums is that (especially on opening numbers) there
are song intros being recorded, as separate songs, preceding the real
song that add nothing to the real song except to fill space. Put an
album/artist/songs on shuffle and these snippets will pop up and kill
continuity. Most of these intros are just the real song's beginning but
recorded as a song intro for some artistic reason, but I would bet that
listeners are skipping these intros to get to the real song. Anyway, if
an artist feels compelled to add an intro, just incorporate it into the
real song.
Short Songs of No Substance
Similar
to the above except these are listed as actual songs on a release.
These songs are plopped anywhere on an album as "Song XYZ" and are
basically; a) just filler to increase album girth, b) artist self
indulgence of some meaning that is beyond us peasant folk comprehending,
c) inside jokes or d) over thought "deep concepts" that are befuddling
and not worth figuring out. Many of these songs comprise of instrumental
noodling, sound effects, goof ball drug induced meanderings or my
favorite- the phone call/message. Basically they are not songs. Please,
do like the Beatles did; "Her Majesty" is 39 seconds but is an actual
song.
Muddled Vocals
I
must be missing something- because I can't understand why there is an
affinity to electronically over manipulate vocals? Straining to decipher
or decode the lyrics does eventually lead to "who the F cares what they
are saying". How someone thinks that singing into a blender, running it
through auto-tuner then out a megaphone adds to the artistic complexity
of a well written song baffles me. I'm not pissing on creativity but
if there is desire to alter the vocals, for all that is holy, please
make them understandable. Think of this artists- an ink blot is not a
poem.....
Expletive Overload
I'm
about as far from being a prude possible, but I'm taking issue with the
proliferation of F word. It used to be that on occasion a song would
utilize that word as emphasis, shock, emotional expression- it was used
for a specific purpose. Lately, across all genres, the F word is used as
a verb, noun and adjective. It's used so often that, in my opinion, it
has lost its cool factor and shows plain laziness by songwriters. There
is other vocabulary that can be inserted which would make their lyrics
more intelligent. Yes, some songs it sounds just fitting that it's
there, but I am talking about tunes where it feels that the writer has
no idea what to say. Lyricists, every time you go to type the word in
question, pause for one moment (maybe open a Thesaurus) and seek better
locution- unless the F word is absolutely the one, only and best option.1 Comments
Phil McCracken
Date
5/8/2019
The one driving me nuts is tied to your garbled lyrics. Whether its sloppy intentionally or by accident, there is a lot of really crappy sounding indie albums lately. I get that you don't want it to sound gussied up or auto-tuned, but there's nothing wrong with a good mix and clear separation of instruments. Harumph.
