Walter's MUSC-1020 Blog

    "Anarchy in the U.K." is the debut single by the English punk rock band the Sex Pistols, released in 1976.     As the name of the song implies, there are many references to anarchism in this song's lyrics. Anarchism is the logical conclusion of a society in which nobody has anybody to answer to, making anarchism the perfect theme for a punk rock song, as defying authority and distaste for the establishment in general is integral to the punk rock aesthetic. Anarchism is also a potential result of civil unrest -- the birth of punk rock as a genre was the result of some rock fans feeling a similar sense of unrest due to a perception of stagnation with rock as a genre, which may have also inspired the lyrics of this song.     Like most punk rock music, "Anarchy in the U.K." seems to be pretty simple in its musical construction, especially in terms of its harmony / chord progression. However, it makes up for this simplicity with its sense of energy. The drum...

     The song "Oye Como Va" was originally written by Tito Puente in 1962 and achieved global popularity in 1970 when it was covered by the band Santana.      "Oye Como Va" is a quite simple song lyrically. Its lyrics, when translated into English, read "Flavor! / Listen how it goes, my rhythm / It's good to enjoy, mulata," with 'mulata' in this context referring to a blending of ethnic styles. Like its lyrics imply, "Oye Como Va" is a rhythmically driven song. The main guitar riff of the song has a catchy and enjoyable rhythm that gets stuck in the listener's head, and the song's percussion backing is like a showcase of really interesting Latin percussion instruments, such as the guiro, which is a ridged wooden instrument played by scraping it.     I love the sound that Santana managed to pull off when they covered this song. It reminds me of partying with friends on a summer evening that's slightly too hot, but not enoug...

 "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles was released in 1966. Despite the song's popularity, today was the first time I had ever heard the song and listened to it critically. I really enjoyed how unique this song is in its instrumentation. I immediately noticed a lack of percussion instruments, which is odd for popular music (or at the very least the types of popular music I gravitate towards). I believe that "Eleanor Rigby" has a string quartet instrumentation, which works very nicely for this song -- every voice plays an important role in this track and is enjoyable to listen to both on its own and in the context of the song. The rhythm with which each chord is played vaguely reminds me of baroque string quartet music, which I found quite interesting. The harmonies used in the song seemed unique to me as well, leading me to believe that this song may utilize church modes rather than the diatonic scales most of us are used to, though I'm not as confident in that an...

The piece "Ornithology" is a highly energetic jazz standard written by saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Benny Harris and first recorded in 1946. The piece features a driving percussion section as well as virtuosic sax, trumpet, and keyboard solos. For stretches in between these solos, the brass and sax sections play in unison or in harmony with each other. Like many jazz pieces, “Ornithology” features a good deal of syncopation, giving the piece a lot of rhythmic color. The name “Ornithology” is quite fitting for this piece, as the word “ornithology” refers to the scientific study of birds. Birds, much like this piece, give a carefree and energetic impression as they soar through the sky. I can’t help but think of birds taking flight and floating through the sky when I listen to this piece. When I was reading about the history of this piece, I learned that its name is a reference to Parker’s nickname “Bird.” I also learned that this piece is a contrafact, meaning ...

The song “Waiting for a Train” by Jimmie Rodgers is a blues song that came out in 1929. In this song, the singer laments about an unfortunate situation he has found himself in – on a rainy night, he is stranded in Frisco, Texas, waiting for a train he can take to return to his home in Dixieland. Unfortunately, he has no money, and has had no luck convincing a railroad worker to let him ride for free. The song ends with the powerful lyrics “I’m a thousand miles away from home just waiting for a train.” Musically, the song is as sad as its lyrics. The singer is accompanied by a muted horn and an acoustic guitar, which gives the song a uniquely somber quality. Because this song came out approximately when the great depression started, it is quite likely that its lyrics resonated deeply with its listeners – many people during this time period suffered from great financial hardships and poor mental health. The line “Nobody seems to want me or lend me a helping hand” must have been relat...

The song "I Got Rhythm" by George and Ira Gershwin is a jazz standard that is effective in evoking feelings of gratitude in its listener. This is accomplished throughout the song both musically and lyrically. The music that first accompanies the singer has a very reflective quality to it – this is accomplished by omitting the percussion section and utilizing slow, sighing winds. The rest of the song is very energetic and dance-like, featuring blaring winds and upbeat drums and cymbals. Though the song is titled “I Got Rhythm,” the line that is repeated most in the song is “Who could ask for anything more?” – this line is reference to the singer’s partner, as well as simple pleasures in life such as daisies, starlight, and sweet dreams. This is a statement that we as people should take more time to think and admire how much there is to be grateful for in life and not take people or small wonders for granted. Another repeated line is “Old man trouble, I don’t mind him, You won’...