Category: Music

I Review Everything: Day 230 – No Headphones

Walking to work without music has got to be one the most depressing things ever. Of course every Sunday I don’t listen to any music, but that’s because I’m listening to Max.

But today, my headphones stopped. Well technically only one of them stopped. But I can’t listen to music through one ear. That would be even worse than not listening at all.

I tried to find music in the sounds around me. I listened to rhythm of pedestrians steps. I listened to the drone of buses and cars. I listened to the light flapping of birds wings.

I found music in these sounds. It just sucked. It was boring, repetitive, the structure was especially bad.

I would much rather listen to the over-produced sounds of recorded music. It allows me to think deeper, free from the distractions of the real world, and it’s boring ass music.

2/10

I Review Everything: Day 110 – Old Guitar Strings

I picked up the acoustic guitar in my room for the first time in a while today. I generally play electric through my PC, with no real need for the acoustic sound. So the guitar just sits there, waiting to be played. And I do play occasionally, but only to doodle. The action sits too high for me, and the lack of frets above the octave is rather off-putting. So only occasional doodling is what comes from that guitar. It looks like I left it too long this time though, as I placed my fingers over gunk ridden strings.

The guitar isn’t mine, it’s my girlfriends. It’s just that she doesn’t play. She keeps telling me she will, but she doesn’t. So it stays in my room. I recall that when she first brought it down I asked her when the strings were last changed, to which she replied “you’re supposed to change them?” Funny yes. But true? Also, unfortunately yes. They weren’t too bad at the time, they were still playable and the sound was nice. But no longer. The sound has become pungent, with all sense of twang diminished underneath the mess of filth. They feel gross beneath my fingertips as well, like stretched out lolly snakes that shift from the pressure of my fingers. Not a great feeling.

This means I should change them. Key word being should. While I hate the idea of a guitar dying from under use, I also hate the idea of spending time and money on something that won’t benefit me much. I just won’t play the guitar, I know it. I’m just too busy. Yes, I know. A pretty dumb excuse. But it’s the only one I’ve got. And it’s the only one I’ll use.

6/10
I swear the E string was kind of sticky.

I Review Everything: Day 63 – Rocksmith Goes to the Movies

Like most sane people, I try to listen to a range of music. While I do have a favourite genre, I find that limiting yourself to only one is quite boring. Not only does it lessen the ways you can interact with others through music, it also negatively affects the way you think about music. How music affects our thinking is personally one of the most interesting aspects of the art form to me. When you restrict yourself to only one genre, you most obviously become single-minded about music, and can become overly critical of others and what they listen to. I don’t want to be the kind of person that is blind to the joys of all kinds of music, only seeing quality and virtue in my favourite. I used to be like that, and sinced I escaped I’ve actually enjoyed music so much more than ever before.

One good way to broaden tasts is to play an instrument. I have been playing the bass guitar for roughly seven years now, and have become rather proficient in the humbkes of terms. Playing bass has seriously altered my listening, as I began to hear music differently once I understood the underlying factors. I do not doubt that progressive metal being my favourite genre comes from my desire to be as technically proficient as possible when I play.

About a year ago though I decided I wanted to play something else. I can tell you that no hobby has ever been as fulfilling for myself like music, and I wanted to go down that path again. So I convinced my girlfriend to bring her guitar down from Auckland for me to “borrow” so I could learn to play. While I did want to learn something drastically different from bass, I admit that guitar was the most accesible to me at the time, and due to my own busy schedule, learning an instrument similar to one I can already play was the best choice. To help myself learn and practise guitar, I use the video game ‘Rocksmith 2014.’ While not perfect, it is still a great tool for learning the basics of guitar, and an even better tool for practising regularly.

One thing I realised pretty quickly when I began to play, is that I wouldn’t be able to play the same stuff I had been playing on bass for years. I didn’t have to go back to the roots of guitar, but I did need to take a few steps back to make sure I was practsing efficiently. I began to play a broader range of genres, sometimes even finding new music to listen to entirely. One of my favourite packs of DLC released for Rocksmith 2014 were the two classical music packs, which brought famous classical pieces to the guitar, expanding my own idea of what I could play on both guitar and bass, opening my fingers to entirely new and unique finger patterns that I barely considered before.

Similar to those classical packs, the team behind Rocksmith released a pack called ‘Rocksmith Goes to the Movies’ this week. Clearly this pack is dedicated to film soundtracks. And honestly it is awesome. Film music is actually a genre I have liked fro a long time, due to my love of film. The pack includes five famous themes, including John Williams ‘Superman Theme’, and Danny Elfman’s ‘Batman Theme.’ Also included is the surprisingly hard (but shouldn’t be surprising) Back to the Future Theme’ by Alan Silvestri. Honestly the finger patterns in that make no sense. My two favourites though, are ‘A Knife in the Dark'(The Lord of the Rings) by Howard Shore, and the ‘Jurassic Park Theme’ again by John Williams. I am fan of The Lord of the Rings films, almost entirely for their brilliant scoring by Howard Shore. It was a great pleasure to see his mastery move through my fingers, and it felt so goddamn good to hear the Uruk-hai motif covered by a thick distortion tone. Jurassic Park may not be my favourite movie series, but there is no doubt that the music is absolutely brilliant, John Williams stuff always is. That melody is still as breathtaking today as ever, and I almost feel rude with my attempts to play it. At least I know that he will never hear it.

Rocksmith is now one of the only games from Ubisoft that I will admit that I play. And that’s because of the attention to musical education that they pay towards us all. By giving us packs such as ‘Rocksmith Goes to the Movies’ they expand our playing, as well as our listening, helping us appreciate genres that we may have never listened to. Although is does bother me that now I will be playing the Back to the Future theme every day until I can get it right. It’s going to take a while.

8/10
Music is brilliant.

I Review Everything: Day 55 – My Most Played Song

A quick look at my most played list on my music player today caused somewhat of a surprise, and yet again, no surprise at all. I listen to music quite often through the day, basically whenever i’m not gaming or watching something; music will be on. I have a few smart playlists set up for specific genres, and ones for star ratings, and I use these regularly. In particular though I tend to draw towards the ‘Top Progressive’ list, which features all of my music with a genre containing the word ‘progressive,’ and rating of at least four stars. This system allows ease of listening as I can hear the very best of particular genres, this one being progressive music.

Lately I have been paying very close attention to this smartlist, often listening to only the progressive list, and no other, for an entire day. This is evident in my most played list, which is filled with 17 out of 25 of the tracks being progressive.At the very top of the list sits the highly esteemed ‘Moon Above, Sun Below’ by Opeth. I absolutely love this song, so of course listen to it often. I just didn’t realise it had become my most played song. I was surprised when I saw it, but when I put any real thought into it, I realised that of course it is. Lately I have been going to this song first, before any other, as if it was the perfect song to start me off (it kind of is actually). Even as I listen to it now, while writing this very blog, I do not tire of it. It still amazes me every time, as I fantasize over the incredible melody/rhythm work, and the impartial playing of every member. This song is what I want music to be. It tells the very emotional story I crave in music, it explores elements of the musical world that tickle my fancy like no other. I will admit that at times it feels like the perfect song. Sometimes It really does.

My problem, is that the song came out in 2014. It hasn’t even been a full two years since its release. That makes me feel weird when I say that it is basically “perfect.” It makes me question the legitimacy of my thoughts, as I think back to how high I hold the level of replayability to a song. If a song doesn’t last, then it loses some respect from me. Wel, maybe no respect, but at least how much I value it. Songs that last a long time are to me a sign of the quality of the music. If I listen to a song regularly and eventually grow tired of it, and then never go back to it, I know that it was more of a phase inspired song, one that I only listened to during a phase. Of course listening to one song on repeat will always wear it out, I do know that. I refer more to songs that grow old and never come back. Songs that eventually disappear from my view.

There are songs that I have been listening to for years, that have never diminished in quality, songs that I can always go back to. Songs like ‘Holy Wars… The Punishment Due’ by Megadeth, or ‘Tom Sawyer’ by Rush. I have been listening to these since I was 14. That’s seven years that they have lasted. Sure I may not listen to them everyday, I may have even had periods where I barely listened at all, but when I go back, I always love them. That never changes. Some songs I lose my love for, the ones that don’t; represent the highest quality in music to me personally. That’s I question my love for ‘Moon Above, Sun Below.’ Is it really my favourite song of all time? Part of me wants to say yes, while the rest tells me to wait.

So I think it will be best to wait. I know that two years is already pretty good. But I still need more time. Maybe in another two I’ll wish that I never heard it. I mean I doubt it. But maybe.

I hope not though, that song is spectacular.

8.12/10.0

I Review Everything: Day 53 – A Pick from Between the Buried and Me

It was loud. Every note pierced my ears, screaming their intentions into my brain. I listened intently, I accepted the music, understood it. I knew the songs, but I had never heard them like this. They were the same, yet fresh. Familiar, yet distinctly unknown. And it was one of the best experiences of my life.

At the end of the concert, Dustie Waring flicked his pick into the crowd. I didn’t see where it went, I assumed it was lost. It wasn’t. It was right below me, waiting to be grasped again, ready to keep creating music. So I took it, brought it into my home, introduced it to my friends. It was a souvenir like no other. Sure the shirts I bought are awesome, I got a picture with Dustie, the memories will live on forever, but one of the members guitar picks is an unrivaled souvenir.

I’ve played with many picks since I started playing guitar, and of course primarily being a bassist made me reluctant to ever use one, so finding the right one has been difficult. Over my short time playing, I have learnt that I like thickness in my picks. I like my picks almost un-bendable, complete to the touch. I have also found that I like a pick that is somewhat smaller in size, likely due to my small hands, I like a pick that fits in snugly between my forefinger and thumb.

I have tried many different picks, and have always been surprised at how much they affect my playing. Floppy picks make it hard for me to play faster, large picks shift around in my hand,  there really is a specific type that I need.

The first time I used Dustie’s pick I was actually amazed. All my playing felt smoother, thicker, and more robust. I was playing the same as always, the sound was just simply better. The timbre of each crunch pleased my ears increasingly, as each pick pluck produced a tantalizingly satisfying sound. The pick is a tight .80mm, meaning I get the full thickness I desire. It is also relatively small, with just enough pick baring through my fingers, allowing me to squeeze out as many pinch harmonics as need be. The pick itself is also quite pleasing to look at, a quality I don’t often put much emphasis on, yet one that adds a bonus to the pick anyway. The curvature of the top boasts a rounder shape than usual, with the drop points beginning lower than my other picks. The tip at the bottom has also been slightly sharpened, aiding in the crunching sound the pick continues to boast.

Part of me doesn’t want to use the pick since it’s such a cool thing to own, yet every other part tells me that picks are meant to be played, especially beautiful picks such as this one.

10/10

I Review Everything: Day 30 -Astonished

Note: I will get around to writing a full review for the album soon which I will link here. This is a review of the experience of listening to the album for the first time.

Not long ago Dream Theater released the first single for their new album ‘The Astonishing.’ Titled ‘The Gift of Music,’ the song gave us our first look at the direction the band was taking, as well as some insight into the story they wanted to tell. You see, a little while before that single was released to the public, Dream Theater fans who subscribed to their newsletter were greeted with an email inviting them to join a new mailing list. Either as a member of ‘The Ravenskill Rebel Militia,’ or ‘The Great Northern Empire,’ fans would receive vague emails detailing the on-goings of either organisation. At this point it became clear to many that the new album would be conceptual, the first since ‘Metropolis Pt.2: Scenes From a Memory’ in 1999. As time went on Dream Theater soon announced the title of ‘The Astonshing,’ and confirmed that it would indeed be a concept album. This greatly excited me, as the conceptual elements of Dream Theater’s music was one of the main draws I first experienced when my ears were gifted their music.

Yet, when I first listened to ‘The Gift of Music,’ I was pretty disappointed. I found the song to lack much of the spontaneity and excitement that I loved of Dream Theater’s older music, and instead followed the trend of their last album – one I didn’t enjoy – with it’s straightforward direction, and simplistic musicality. Not long after, they released a second single titled ‘Moment of Betrayal,’ which while better, still left the same soured taste in my mouth. I knew I had to give them the benefit of the doubt though, I knew that the best way to hear these songs would be in the context of the album. I wanted, hoped even, that these songs were the worst of the lot (a common trait for singles of an album), that they were only a taste of literal lyrical story rather than musical story.

Dream-Theater-The-Astonishing

It turns out I was right. I was very very right. Once the overture began, I was able to see the potential. The collection of hooks and melodies that made up the overture were exciting, dynamic, beautiful, they were what I wanted. I was then greeted by the first lyrics of the album, under the song ‘The Gift of Music.’ The way the song flowed on from the overture left me ignorant that the song had even changed. The intro to song had a changed meaning, it was always meant to follow on from an instrumental extravaganza, and that’s were it shone. Overall I still didn’t enjoy the song too much, but it simply made sense. It was meant to go there. Both for lyrical storytelling, but also musical storytelling. I was captivated. I listened to the entire first disc, awe-inspired by the story being told musically. I neglected to read the lyrics the first time, rather listening for the story through music first. It still felt complete. It still worked perfectly, even though I had no story through lyrics, I had a story. Not a sequence of events or images, but rather a story of emotions. Emotions brought on by the musicality of Dream Theater, both as a band, and as individuals.

The thing is, that was only the first disc. The second? Now that was even better.

10/10
Will listen to this again and again. A new permanent among my library