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Music - John Miles

by Steven Wagenheim
3 replies
  • OFF TOPIC
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From the mid 70s, more or less, a little bit on the theatrical side, but heck,
it was still great music. Get it? Great "music".

Okay, that was bad.

But this is pretty good.


Enjoy!
  • Profile picture of the author ExRat
    Hi Steven,

    There are parts of this song that make me cringe (musically) so much that I have to turn it off. I don't listen to it that much consequently.

    BUT I remember hearing it as a child and deciding that the lyrics were the most profound I had heard, in the context that if I had been able to express myself as well as Milesey, I would have said exactly the same.

    'Music was my first love
    And it will be my last
    Music of the future
    And music of the past

    To live without my music
    Would be impossible to do
    In this world of troubles
    My music pulls me through'
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      Originally Posted by ExRat View Post

      Hi Steven,

      There are parts of this song that make me cringe (musically) so much that I have to turn it off. I don't listen to it that much consequently.

      BUT I remember hearing it as a child and deciding that the lyrics were the most profound I had heard, in the context that if I had been able to express myself as well as Milesey, I would have said exactly the same.

      'Music was my first love
      And it will be my last
      Music of the future
      And music of the past

      To live without my music
      Would be impossible to do
      In this world of troubles
      My music pulls me through'
      Hey Roger, as a musician, what parts of the song make you cringe? I know
      there are some sections that are a little schmaltzy and overdone by
      today's standards, but I'm curious as to where you've got your problems.

      If you can point out in time frames (2:54, 3:17, etc.) I am curious.
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      • Profile picture of the author ExRat
        Hi Steven,

        Hey Roger, as a musician, what parts of the song make you cringe? I know
        there are some sections that are a little schmaltzy and overdone by
        today's standards, but I'm curious as to where you've got your problems.

        If you can point out in time frames (2:54, 3:17, etc.) I am curious.
        I'm not sure if you mean 'as a musician' referring to yourself or me (I may have mentioned that I had done bits and bobs before?). I dabbled for a few years with a mate who had a home studio (like you do) just as MIDI was invented. We shared the duties, but I must admit I was more capable with a drum machine, sequencer & keyboard and being the 'recording technician' than anything that wasn't technology based.

        I've had a guitar in my posession for about 30 years and I have a bass too currently but a) I'm hopeless b) consequently, I just twang around for fun.

        I got hold of a great book about 15 years ago that taught me how to play melodic patterns across different scales. Unfortunately, I mastered five of them over one scale and have become absolutely brilliant at playing five melodic patterns over one scale....but nothing else!

        I did have a tenor sax for a while and found that I took to it reasonably intuitively for my standards. My greatest accomplishment was dueting with the dog. Whenever I played it, certain tones set off a deep rooted howling instinct in him and unfortunately, he sounded better than I did.

        Anyway, I presume the 'as a musician' thing referred to yourself, not that it matters!

        I noticed your 'theatrical' comment in the OP and that was a big part of what I was referring to.

        But here's a little breakdown -

        At 0.55 the main 'riff' kicks in which is just TOO 70's - like the theme to some awful American cop show from that era or something. My problem there is that I have been immersed in too much (well you can never have too much) overdriven guitar.

        I like quirky unusual sounds that guitars weren't supposed to make until some bright spark plugged one in. And I like 'unclean' guitar music - EG Nirvana, The Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins. The kind of music that upsets pensioners.

        But I do like the guitar solo that comes in around 1.15

        At 1.31 I don't like the theatrical strings stuff that sounds a bit like it was ripped from a Shirley Bassey backing track for a James Bond theme.

        At 2.59 is where I have to turn it off because it gets really theatrical.

        At about 4 minutes they start building on the ever-repeating strings riff with some kind of over dramatic drumming. It's too much!

        That's the bad stuff.

        What I absolutely love about it is that it totally breaks the mould in terms of structure. None of this verse/chorus/verse/chorus/middle 8/chorus to crescendo to fade 'song in a box' stuff.

        It has a rocking guitar solo after the first verse! To hell with convention!

        At about 2.22 I like the change of key (is that the right phrase?)

        I love the vocal track/melody/whatever...

        I think the ideal cover for me would be a smashing pumpkins version with screaming James Iha guitar work, and because I think many of their best songs utilise the contrast between quiet, tinkly piano bits interspersed with offensively loud guitar work that seems to come out of nowhere - and this song is pretty much the same, but with offensively loud synthesized strings instead of guitar
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        • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
          Originally Posted by ExRat View Post

          Hi Steven,

          I'm not sure if you mean 'as a musician' referring to yourself or me (I may have mentioned that I had done bits and bobs before?). I dabbled for a few years with a mate who had a home studio (like you do) just as MIDI was invented. We shared the duties, but I must admit I was more capable with a drum machine, sequencer & keyboard and being the 'recording technician' than anything that wasn't technology based.

          I've had a guitar in my posession for about 30 years and I have a bass too currently but a) I'm hopeless b) consequently, I just twang around for fun.

          I got hold of a great book about 15 years ago that taught me how to play melodic patterns across different scales. Unfortunately, I mastered five of them over one scale and have become absolutely brilliant at playing five melodic patterns over one scale....but nothing else!

          I did have a tenor sax for a while and found that I took to it reasonably intuitively for my standards. My greatest accomplishment was dueting with the dog. Whenever I played it, certain tones set off a deep rooted howling instinct in him and unfortunately, he sounded better than I did.

          Anyway, I presume the 'as a musician' thing referred to yourself, not that it matters!

          I noticed your 'theatrical' comment in the OP and that was a big part of what I was referring to.

          But here's a little breakdown -

          At 0.55 the main 'riff' kicks in which is just TOO 70's - like the theme to some awful American cop show from that era or something. My problem there is that I have been immersed in too much (well you can never have too much) overdriven guitar.

          I like quirky unusual sounds that guitars weren't supposed to make until some bright spark plugged one in. And I like 'unclean' guitar music - EG Nirvana, The Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins. The kind of music that upsets pensioners.

          But I do like the guitar solo that comes in around 1.15

          At 1.31 I don't like the theatrical strings stuff that sounds a bit like it was ripped from a Shirley Bassey backing track for a James Bond theme.

          At 2.59 is where I have to turn it off because it gets really theatrical.

          At about 4 minutes they start building on the ever-repeating strings riff with some kind of over dramatic drumming. It's too much!

          That's the bad stuff.

          What I absolutely love about it is that it totally breaks the mould in terms of structure. None of this verse/chorus/verse/chorus/middle 8/chorus to crescendo to fade 'song in a box' stuff.

          It has a rocking guitar solo after the first verse!

          At about 2.22 I like the change of key (is that the right phrase?)

          I love the vocal track/melody/whatever...

          I think the ideal cover for me would be a smashing pumpkins version with screaming James Iha guitar work, and because I think many of their best songs utilise the contrast between quiet, tinkly piano bits interspersed with offensively loud guitar work that seems to come out of nowhere - and this song is pretty much the same, but with offensively loud synthesized strings instead of guitar

          Roger, what a great review. Did you ever think of becoming a music critic?

          I'm serious. You'd be excellent at it.
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          • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
            Oh Roger, one other thing....You'd HATE my songs LOL.
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          • Profile picture of the author ExRat
            Hi Steven,

            Dang! You revealed my bad habit of editing extensively. I hope the edited version reads a little better.

            Hmmm. Thanks Steven.

            The first thing I ever wrote on the internet was a review of one my favourite band's first albums - a band that no one has ever heard of.

            They're called Sparklehorse and their first album had the fantastic title -

            VivaDixieSubmarineTransmissionPlot.

            Apparently their sound is what's known as 'lo-fi'. I don't really know what it means, but I do know that (like me) the guy who IS the band (Mark Linkous) is really into experimenting with weird sounds.

            I guess some would find the music a little sad sounding and the lyrics are totally open to interpretation.

            If you get a chance listen to 'homecoming queen' and 'spirit ditch' and 'saturday' off that album. And yes, I can do a very awkward sounding rendition of the guitar on those first two songs.

            I distinctly remember being really chuffed to see my review in real pixels on the internet on some Amazon type of site. It's still there last time I looked. So I guess this was an important part of what got me hooked on the internet.

            ....

            Just like my (lack of) guitar work, I've been a frustrated wannabe writer for about 25 years now. I don't know if you ever saw my post to Vegas Vince in off topic (on the old forum I think just before we moved) but I'm an avid music listener and I've always been drawn to reading and learning song lyrics.

            I listen to music a lot and I guess the above explains why I 'bit' on the lyrics in this song. It really was my first love and probably will be my last. Well they better play the songs I request at my funeral or I'll...um....haunt them.

            I think I'd be more inclined to write about music and lyrics on a personal blog than 'become a music critic.' It's actually been on my mind recently to get this started and you may have given me a helpful nudge - thanks.

            PS - do you think anyone would actually care to read my deep meaningful reviews of songs by Sparklehorse, Eels and Everlast? It's that kind of thought that's held me back, although I'm sure the guys who perform the songs would appreciate the attention...

            PS

            Oh Roger, one other thing....You'd HATE my songs LOL.
            Haha....not as much as you'd hate mine! The lyrics were cool but I cannot sing. I tried, but to no avail.
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            Roger Davis
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