Author: JP

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My Suggestions #4 [7/25/17‒8/7/17]

Here are a few songs for the heat of the summer:

Finally, this is an artist you should explore when you get the chance:

  • Buddy Rich  —  The greatest drummer of all time.  If you doubt it, ask the best drummers alive.  Serious drummers look to Buddy as the pinnacle of drumming.  If you ask them about Buddy Rich, they’ll all something along the lines of, “Buddy could do what I do but twice as fast and precisely.”  Buddy Rich belongs in the pantheon of all-time greatest musicians.

I release a new suggestions list every other Tuesday.  Please leave your suggestions in the comments.  If I pick your song, artist, or album, I’ll give you credit for it up above. 

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Lyrical Content

“There are basically three types of songs: loved songs, unloved songs, and transitional songs written by tired people in between the two.” – Ace Boggess

I often hear people say that all songs are about love.  It’s an exaggeration that points to something true about lyrical content.  Love is a common topic.  It’s not the only topic though.

Lyrical content depends on the genre and the time period.  The ancient Greeks and Romans sang poems of war, the gods, and nature.  Bach wrote music for “the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”  Progressive rock bands from the twentieth century wrote about travel, friendship, and famous works of fiction.

Love isn’t the only topic being covered in today’s culture either.  Pop songs cover depression, poverty, drug abuse, happiness, friendship, independence, ambition, and much more.  If you look past Billboard’s Top 100, you’ll find all kinds of new and original lyrical content are still being created.  Musicals, indie artists, and live shows are good sources for new content.

Still, it’s hard to ignore the plethora of love songs in existence.  Love is a universal emotion.  It is powerful and joyous.  It wants to be shared and communicated.  It desires an outlet, and music is a natural and obvious choice.  So it makes sense for love to be a common and popular subject.

Love is not the only subject though, nor should it be.  There is so much material about which to write, to play, to sing.  We should not limit ourselves to one subject in music any more than we should limit ourselves to one type of food or one style of book.  If we do, we’ll find our souls malnourished and wanting more.

Listen to all kinds of lyrics.  If love songs refresh your spirit, then listen to them.  If they weary you, don’t be afraid to find new content.  Love is great.  Variety is great too.

Let me know what you think.  What kind of lyrical content do you like best?  If you’re an aspiring musician, what kind of things do you like to write about?  I’m looking forward to your responses!

Thanks for reading!

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Top 5 Rush Albums

Rush is one of the most iconic rock bands of all time.  Over the past 40 years, they’ve released 19 studio albums.  After listening to each album several times this past year, here are my top 5 Rush albums in order:

  1. Vapor Trails  —  It was my first Rush album, and I think it’s one of the best albums of all time.  Neil Peart’s drumming skills had peaked, and more importantly, he was dealing with the deaths of his daughter and wife.  While I wish that tragedy on no one, the combination of raw emotion and expert musicianship created an exceptional album.
  2. Test for Echo  —  This to me is the unofficial prequel to Vapor Trails.  It’s so close to exceptional, yet it’s just shy of what would come.  It contains some of their best songs including their very best, “Driven.”  It was also their best arranged album to date.  Not quite a masterpiece, but still worth hearing.
  3. Moving Pictures  —  This album was a landmark for Rush.  Almost every song became a hit on its own, especially “Tom Sawyer,” and every song is incredible.  However, I see it as a compilation of great songs by a band that had more skill to gain.  I think it lacks that conceptual glue and masterful skill needed for an exceptional album.
  4. Grace Under Pressure  —  This album is underrated and underplayed.  Granted, not even I liked it the first time.  The sound was different from anything else they had done.  Looking at it now, it sounds like it belongs later in their discography, maybe right behind Presto or Counterparts.  It has good music, interesting lyrics, and themes worth exploring.
  5. Presto  —  This was a tough pick between Roll the Bones and Presto.  Both were great concept albums made around the same time.  It’s really a matter of taste.  Presto’s songs are catchier but the songs from RTB are better made.  I think that RTB has too many unmemorable songs.  However, the first three songs are better than anything from Presto.

Honorable mentions: Roll the Bones, Counterparts, Fly By Night

I release a new ranking list every other Tuesday. Let me know your favorite Rush albums and what other rankings you’d like me to do!

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