ALL YOU WANTED- MICHELLE BRANCH I actually heard this songs years ago when my guitar teacher gave me the chords and I played it and stuff, but had barely ever listened to the original, just enough to get buy and learn the basis of the tune but `i recently downloaded it and I really love it! Michelle Branch ha a strong, powerful voice and she used it really effectively here! I mean, its quite basic in terms of the lyrics, chords, etc, you know, nothing extra-ordinary, but there's something about it? It managed to charm me....take a look...My rating is: 83%
Another song of hers that I really like is called EVERYWHERE...see what you think! I only just heard it so won't comment unknowledgably but I like it so see what you think...
Enjoy the good music!
- Caity xx
Monday 18 June 2012
Ok so that's an end to Golden Oldies, hope you enjoyed.... For now I'll have no theme for a bit...
I really like this new duo that I found called THE WRECKERS.... They quite country-ish and I wouldn't have said so myself but they actually formed as huge fans of michele branch and so she is essentially their biggest influence. Its just these two girls together but their voices blend so well together and they have added some clever instruments to re-inforce the beat, etc... MY OH MY I really like this and its my favourite song of theirs. It has a cute little intro of electric (i think) but focuses mainly on their voices...my only criticism is that at times especially in the verse, the base beat is a bit overpowering in contrast to the genre of the song but overall a lovely little song...have a listen! My rating is 84%.
Others of theirs that I like are TENNESSEE AND CIGARETTES Enjoy the good music... - Caity xx
Wednesday 13 June 2012
HAPPY TOGETHER - THE TURTLES
This is a happy cute little song about being in love but despite is relatively simple message, it is made into a much more complex, interesting song through the beautiful harmonies and background humming, singing, etc... The chorus is also a really catchy tune that you'll find yourself humming for hours after.... My rating: 78%
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER- THE BEE GEES
This takes us through a journey of disco in the 70s, and it was definitely a popular one. The song was actually written for the movie starring John Travolta (as far as I know) and is typical disco, you know, with synthesized background music, high voices but there's something about it that elevates it from the rest....take a listen....it has a really nice chorus, and is perfect for the ultimate golden oldies disco...
My Rating: 80%
I can't find a video that works so here is the link:
Ok so I know I already did the Beach Boys, but I left out one of my favourites and was only reminded of it now so this is BARBARA ANNE, it is really such a wonderful song that displays their beautiful harmonies and creative writing....love it! My rating: 95%
- Caity xx
My favourite song from the 70s is SWEET HOME ALABAMA by LYNYRD SKYNYRD... I just love it....! It has such a stunning beginning to the song and the same guitar riff continues throughout..its such a great song inn terms of the music. There is an amazing electric guitar solo in the middle or so, the same continuous slightly clanky sounding guitar as the main base, drums and occasionally an excitable little frill from the piano and mixed together they produce a beautiful and fun-listening song....
I really do love it so my rating is: 96%
- Caity xx
THREE DOG NIGHT: This is a nifty, cool little band from the 60s and 70s and I have only heard a few of their stuff but I have liked what I heard.... I don't even know how to explain why I like them, so see what you think....
ONE IS THE LONELINESS NUMBER: this has a really cool piano making a strong, bold base in the background and the whole song is quite contradictory because it's quite a cheerful tune, but the words are actually quite sad....I like it a lot and the singing is also good...I don't know, see what you think? My rating: 80% http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5ab8BOu4LE
JOY TO THE WORLD: no, this is not the traditional christmas carol, it is actually a really great song with a definite message of being joyful and just seizing every opportunity in life. Released in 1974, this (in my opinion) is one of Three Dog Night's best and so don't read past this, click play! My rating: 85%
NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN- FLEETWOOD MAC This song displays some absolutely stunning guitaring, it is pretty and has an underlying continuity that adds so much to the base and depth of the song....I love fleetwood mac, another favourite is LANDSLIDE, but I really think that the lead singer's voice for this song sounds so impressive and really beautiful. Glee do a respectable cover of it so check it out if you're interested, but really it is nothing in comparison to the original.... Listen to it and see what you think of the guitaring...
My second beautiful guitaring is STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN by LED ZEPPELIN... This guitaring is also so stunning, different, a lot more, "quiet/gentle" and lower on the neck but really still beautiful and it gradually moves up higher. I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of the rest of the song just because for some reason, I don't love how the lyrics fit into the music but still it is great and a favourite!
- Caity xx
AMERICAN PIE by DON MCLEAN This is such a stunning song, now not living in America, I don't actually know any of the references to American Pie but I think I get the just of the song.....and wow, they are powerful words.... I also like the tune and it is really an interesting piece, though long, it doesn't seem to bore me... Most people from the 70s will know this but if you don't yet, then see what you think... There's also something about the rawness of acoustic guitar and piano that is intriguing and unusually beautiful. It also contracts tempo a lot as it really speeds us in the chorus. My rating: 82%
- Caity xx
One of my all time favourites of the golden oldies is TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE by DAWN, it is just such a cute little song. It was released in 1976 and is truly a blast from the past. Throughout this week, you've heard me go on about how the lyrics back in the day were so great because they weren't complicated, they were simple, honest and at times completely random, but that's what I love... This little song is great, its motives are simple, I love you....do you love me? Really listen to the lyrics and allow yourself to be charmed by them and the beautiful music....
Just listened to it again...do yourself a favor and click play or go to YouTube cause its just wonderful.
Ok so lets end golden oldies with a bang! I've got some really great songs from the 60s and 70s coming soon soon.
- Caity
Sunday 10 June 2012
Have any of you heard COUSIN NORMAN BY MARMALADE (released in 1972) because I love it. Its just so happy and cheerful and its so funny because its not even really about anything, just reminiscing about long days in the sun and being with family and that sort of stuff but its just so refreshing compared to all the complication with songs about love and breaking up and all that now days. I love the beginning of the song, a really clever introduction. Also has some great harmonies and a nice beat but like I said, its the subject matter and the message that I like the best. I actually don't know anything else by Marmalade but I do like this song so if you know any other nice songs that they do, please let me know.
I love the Beach Boys, the honestly are so great and truly understand how voices should work together! They are famous for their absolutely stunning harmonies and trust me, when you hear them (if you haven't already) you will just understand immediately. They have really sweet and clever songs too but for me it's always their voices that make such an impression on me! The Beach Boys formed in 1961 but a lot of their best hits were produced a bit later. Ok so I promise I won't rant off giving you every song like I did for the Beatles, so just 3 for now...
WOULDN'T IT BE NICE: This is such a beautiful little song. I feel kind of like I have run out of adjectives after all these critiques but I honestly do find it very hard to dislike much of their music. This is probably one of their most famous but it is really one of the good ones, and worth a listen to hear their beautiful voices together.
GOOD VIBRATIONS: Starts so gently and with just a few instruments and then into the pre-chorus, they just sort of burst into a lively, harmonious rut....I also love the drumming in this song specifically. This is also one of their most popular and was released in 1966. Right at the end, about 2,30 minutes in, they have a really pretty quite verse just before the chorus again that really sounds so so good.
SURFING IN THE USA: this is a really sort of "summer jam" song, really easy listening and again a great display of their beautiful voices. It just makes me happy to listen, so do yourself a favor and click play, whether you have heard it or not, it will not disappoint.
Listen to the whole album if you like what you hear, it's called PET SOUNDS
Enjoy - Caity xx
Saturday 9 June 2012
HERE COMES THE SUN...This is a really pretty beautiful song, I really love it. It has some stunning guitar-ing and harmonies and overall just a simple, sweet song. It is worth a listen if you don't already know it...my rating: 95%
HEY JUDE....What a stunning song, it is just so gentle and really very beautiful...so the story that I heard behind it really warms my heart, i am not sure if it is 100% reliable but my mom told it to me when I heard it for the first time. She said that after John Lennon's divorce with his wife, McCartney went to visit her as an old friend. There he chatted to Julian (Jude) Lennon's daughter and right there, he wrote this song for him about the divorce and to just re-assure him that everything was going to be alright.... My rating: 97%
I WILL: this is also one of my top three favourites, I can't even really say why but I think it's got to do with how sweet and genuine the lyrics are and also some really interesting guitar frills in between....really so cute.... My rating: 95%
LADY MADONNA....I love this because it is so funny, it makes no sense to me cause I have no clue who its about (not Madonna as she was not a singer yet) but its got a bit of a jazzy piano feel and is a light fun listen.... My rating 88%
LOVE ME DO....so cute, a little love song, but has a fun melody and is easy listening. No surprise, a huge range of interesting sounds and instruments and brilliant harmonies. My rating: 94%
OCTUPUS' GARDEN: completes my top three, so wonderful, I mean who writes about an octopus' garden under the sea, I'll tell you one thing, only the Beatles so far, but anyway I am in love with the intro to this song, a cute little guitar riff but absolutely amazing and sets the tone of the song perfectly... My rating: 96%
WHEN I'M 64: so so cute, listen to the lyrics, they say it all....my rating: 94%
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE: also one of my favourites, love the chorus, I think that the verse is more of an acquired tune but nevertheless, still great and wonderful harmonies. My rating: 95%
TWIST AND SHOUT: This is such a great song and I absolutely love it because it is a different sound to most of the other songs because it is a lot more rock-y and Lennon's voice is really great and the main lead. This one is really worth listening to. My rating: 95%
Other songs that you songs that I haven't posted on but are a good listen are A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, HELP!, I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND, I'LL FOLLOW THE SUN, I'M ONLY SLEEPING, IN MY LIFE (beautiful piano riff), MAXWELL'S SILVER HAMMER, OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA, SHE LOVES YOU, SHE LOVES YOU.
Anyways, that concludes my Beatles intervention, sorry about the long post! - Caity xx
Ok....THE BEATLES:
Ok I am doing my favourite ones alphabetically just so its easier, not necessarily in the order of my favourite....
ALL MY LOVING....a really sweet song, yes, I sound a bit hypercritical now because I said all modern songs are about love however, even though this is, it is just so sweet and listen to the little guitar rifs in between and how great the composition of the piece is and usually they do harmonies but this is so nice with their voices in unison for the first bit....my rating: 88%
BLACKBIRD...I absolutely love this, so sweet and honestly the beautiful guitar-ing ever, I mean think how great you must be to come up with such a beautiful melody! I love it and the lyrics are so beautiful and again what a perfect example of doing a whole lot of different things, not just love, etc....Glee acutally do a good cover of it but I do prefer the beatles....the link is the Glee cover in case you want a listen....it was first released on their White album in 1968.
DON'T PASS ME BY.....this is a really different song cause it has some sort of processed organ type instrument in the background that repeats throughout the song and works so well....it is really a great song, I can't even properly communicate why I like it because the repetition makes t unusual....this is also an example of how the Beatles are not afraid of other instruments, there is a very enthusiastic violin/viola in the background too....take a listen...
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK: love love love this one, its so beautiful and happy! There are also some beautiful harmonies in the choruses and really its just makes you have to tap your foot....
My rating: 91%
FROM ME TO YOU: Ok, this is my favourite song by the Beatles, no doubt. I just love it, a simple, clear message, "if you need anything, I will send it along with love from me to you", a happy tune, amazing harmonies, not too long, a great variety of instruments like harmonia, electric guitar, amazing drumming and wow, just stunning...
CLICK PLAY NOW
My Rating: 97%
GIRL: a really plain, yet beautiful and sad touching song.....some people love it but my one criticism is that I am not actually a fan of the sort of sand sound that they do in the chorus (you'll know what I mean when you hear it) but I do understand that some people will like it.....also some great harmonies and clever background singing.....
GOOD DAY SUNSHINE.....also love this one, such a beautiful happy chorus, just a fun, playful and
cheerful song about being in love. Lovely harmonies and obviously they do everything else right, beautiful piano riff too.....
My rating: 92%
Ok, just ignore me if this is taking long and you don't like them but I am going to finish on one more post so just don't read it if it bothers you .....
- Caity xx
Ok so this morning I am going to brave the work of the Beatles. The reason I put it like that is because I am a MASSIVE fan and so it is going to be hard for me to limit my choices of what songs I post so just up ahead, a warning, this is a long post, also if I don't put your favourite song, please do comment and tell me and I'll happily post it....
The Beatles, if you didn't know, were a completely revolutionary band of the 60s consisting of John Lennon, Ringo Star, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. It is fair to say that they changed music forever, and were completely outrageous, people were not used to the wild, crazy, illogical yet stunning music of theirs and so many people were very resistant at first however they later grew to be one of the biggest and most popular bands in the world. I love them, they are truly musically brilliant and have some fun when playing.
You know I very often think about what music has come to today....can you right now, this second think of a song from after the year 2000 that isn't about love, breaking up, deserving better or "just being friends", your answer to this is most likely no, and if you do, I doubt you have many more...I mean, I guess thats fine, it is popular enough (hence it being called pop music) but back in the day people actually wrote music because it was fun, beautiful and it didn't always have to be sad or romantic (the theme of most pop songs today) it could be completely random. This post will show you how the Beatles did this. (side note: please don't get me wrong, I love a lot of the music of today and I listen to it more than anything else buuut, it does become a bit tedious at times.....)
I will use another post to post all my actual songs by the Beatles, so read up and find them, but for now check this out, it is a comic Australian band ripping off pop music and just listen to what they're doing because there is some truth in what they're saying.....
Ok so I counted around 40 songs all with the same chords!!
- Caity xx
Friday 8 June 2012
I really love an artists called Carole King who released a brilliant album called Tapestry. One of my favourite song on it is called Beautiful, released and recorded first in 1971. It is such a happy a song and every time I hear it, I just have to smile....
Its odd though cause while I love the chorus I am actually not a huge fan of the verses, I just don't like how the tune deviates however, the beautiful chorus and fun, playful interludes, etc bring it together.... have a listen, her voice is very powerful and I don't always like it but I really do in this song and it is really a great song.
Ok so goodbye to covers and welcome back to some of the 60s and 70s (and maybe 80s) most timeless and genius songs and musicians....for the next couple of days I will post some of these bands like the beatles, the rolling stones, billy joel, queen, abba and many more...
- Caity xx
Wednesday 6 June 2012
Another artists that I am loving at the moment is Jayme Dee....I don't know much about her (neither does google) but she seems to be a sort of YouTube rise to fame singer...and I love her voice and her bravery to take on some really tough songs and post some creative interpretations!
She is still quite young (don't know how old) but has a stunning, mature voice that she controls really well, she also backs up her musicality with a range of added instruments, etc.....
I have put her in cover week because she has hundreds of them on YouTube but she has also written some of her own stuff like one of her newish songs called- RULES. This song actually made it onto the Hunger Games soundtrack which is such a great achievement and I have no doubt that she will continue to be invited to record with great names and people.
So these are some of my favourite but really take a look yourself cause you wont be able to stop yourself when you see her cover of your favourite song...
This is Sunday Morning originally by Maroon 5
Cooler than Me originally by Mike Posner
Rolling in the deep originally by Adele
Hallelujah originally by Lenard Cohen
- Caity xx
Ok because it's a COVER VERSIONS theme, I feel like I should bring this song up again because if you weren't reading my blog earlier, you wouldn't have seen it and it is just magnificent! So here is my repeat comment on SKINNY LOVE- cover by BIRDY and original by Bon Iver....
This is truly beautiful and she was only 12 when you recorded it! Please rather just scroll down and find that review instead of me typing it again but there's song info about her and the original video and stuff so take a look....
My rating: 94%
- Caity xx
Tuesday 5 June 2012
This is so annoying, my videos never seem to work when I check them?? Here are the links instead
I have another Glee song...I am sure you all know it...
WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU (STRONGER) originally by Kelly Clarkson.
Glee pull this off really well and I have been listening to each version endlessly over the pass day or two and am still undecided which it better... I guess that I think the original is better because the fact that I can't decide means that the cover doesn't really add its own take on it but it doesn't matter, I love the message in the song....
Its quite pop-py again, a lot of synthesized rifts and stuff but I guess a relatively enjoyable listen. I think the reason why I actually like the song so much is because my best friend (you know one of those people who are just your other half, they always make you feel better, always say the right thing, etc yes, that's her, my amazing friend ) once told me the quote "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" to try to cheer me up ; this was before it became a song though and I always remembered it so when a song about it came out it was really cool.
Anyways my rating for the cover is 75%...so listen and enjoy!
Cover
Original
Chat soon
- Caity xx
Monday 4 June 2012
If you haven't heard of WALK OFF THE EARTH, you need to get on YouTube NOW! They are absolutely amazing!! They are a five person band and they really utilize every aspect of their instrument, voice and body to produce a truly enriching experience in music....really something different and to talk about.
So my first cover that they do is SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW by GOTYE...
It is so cool, all 5 players use 1 guitar!! really shows some musical techniques plus they all have incredible voices and they show how small detail adds so so much to a song...
The next cover by them that I love love love is FROM ME TO YOU originally y the Beatles. Now I do actually come from a fairly musical family and one thing I'll never forget is once when I was trying to decide on a set for a concert I was doing, I was considering Hey Jude and my dad (a great musician) advised me that one should almost never do any songs by really really huge bands because they were just so famous that for you to produce a pleasing cover that actually does any justice is unlikely just because people have become accustomed to hearing those versions and don't want to loose their memories or those songs and so any bands that EVERYONE will just know who you're talking about when you mention them, they are usually best to avoid....that is not set in stone though...
So basically what I am trying to get at is that this is a really bold move to do, also considering that it is such a different interpretation, its really beat-y, and a completely different beat pattern, they do it more on the off-beat rather than with the song which creates a really interesting version that I love. Also just check out what they're doing, each one is like using their hands to play each other's instruments, completely amazing! I absolutely love this song by the Beatles though, it is actually one of my favorites by them...so do yourself a favor and take a listen!
Oh my word, I wish I could write about every song of theirs, as you will have realized by now, I am a fan, but newly found, I mean half of their stuff I only found right now writing this post and trying to get some background info.... so I can't possibly write on all the others but I'll post their videos so you can (and have to) listen! Haha, you know what I mean , just click play.
MAGIC ORIGINALLY BY BoB
SOMEONE LIKE YOU originally by Adele
DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY originally by Bobby McFerrin
and so on, take a look at YouTube!
Also to acknowledge that these are all COVERS here are the links to the originals if you want to compare...
Ok so the first cover that I am going to do is by Glee....
HERE'S TO US....really a stunning song no matter who sings it but lets take a look...
The original is by Halestorm. Glee do it a bit faster with a bit more of a pop-py beat and more theatrical but i do think that this is really one of Glee's best covers because the singer (Lea Michele) really does sing it with a lot of passion....however in this case I think I am going to have to say that I do think the original is better because the intention and the genre (more rock/pop) is better for the song. I really do love the cover though....
