Me-You, You-Me... It's All Related

A large part of telling a good story, I've always believed, is to include subtle relations that tie everything together. If everything is on the surface, one easily digests the material, and that's that. No need to revisit... you've gotten everything you can out of the situation; it would just be a waste of time. Layering a story gives it a deeper meaning, a reason to come back and visit. It makes the story less easily digestible, and forces the listener to be actively thinking. These subtle relations should not be haphazard and random; rather, they should be part of a larger motif that holds the story together.

Some of the smartest television shows were/are written as stories. They contain several layers of subtlety that are all connected and intertwined, holding the story together; it all makes sense in the end. Take, for example, Arrested Development, the show that Fox so smartly decided to cancel after three seasons (although they wanted to kill it after 2). Arrested Development is one of those shows that gets better the more times you watch it. You start to catch all the nuances, and all of the little things that you wouldn't have necessarily paid attention to at first start standing out. The more times you revisit, the more you learn. The idea of not putting it all out there at the beginning; making the listener earn the story.

Pearl Jam's 'Daughter' (from 1993's Vs.) is one such story. You can take it at its face value and walk away, or you can delve into it and see what is hiding under the surface. The lyrics speak of an adolescent whose parents mistake her learning disability for stupidity and refusal to behave. As a consequence of the error in understanding, they abuse her, thinking she'll somehow snap out of it, all the while not looking below the surface to see what could be the problem. The song, broadly speaking, gives off the vibe of a country song. Country music has long been associated with the less-that-glamorous aspects of life (sorrow, pain, trials and tribulations). Pearl Jam, then, follows a musically accurate protocol in telling the story.

The song is in the key of G major. The only other chord in the song is E minor - the relative minor of G major. G major and E minor share the same key signature, and songs in one will almost always explore the other. The story is, then, told in two moods: G major and E minor. One is related to the other, and this relation of musical key keeps the story intact; the listener understands (on some level) that what happens in one key is related to what happens in the other key.

Lyrically, the story is split into two main components: one expresses the feelings and emotions of the child, and the other refers to the thoughts and actions of the parents. The lyrics pertaining to the child are almost entirely sung over G major, and the lyrics about the parents in E minor. Here, Pearl Jam is breaking down the relationship between parents and child, and giving each a mood. The child's bright-eyed innocence and good intentions are in the (musically coded as positive) key of G major. She appears to be the protagonist, uplifting emotions and representing good. On the other side, the parents are characterized in E minor (musically coded as negative).

Below is a breakdown of the lyrics in the two keys; the text in green is in the key of G major, and they text in red is in the key of E minor. As mentioned before, the lyrics based in G major represent the protagonist, and the idea and hope that she will overcome her difficulties, and those in red (E minor) deal with the antagonists (the parents) and their cruelties towards their child.

Alone, listless; breakfast table in an otherwise empty room

Young girl; violins; center of her own attention

The mother reads aloud, child tries to understand it

Tries to make her proud

The shades go down into her head, painted room; can't deny there's something wrong

Don't call me daughter, not fit to; the pictures kept will remind me

Don't call me daughter, not fit to; the pictures kept will remind me

Don't call me

She holds the hand that holds her down; she will rise above

Don't call me daughter, not fit to; the pictures kept will remind me

Don't call me daughter, not fit to; the pictures kept will remind me

Don't call me daughter, not fit to; the pictures kept will remind me

Don't call me daughter, not fit to; the pictures kept will remind me

The shades go down..

Fight To Get It Back Again

Today, Pearl Jam unveiled their newest single - "The Fixer" - from their upcoming album, Backspacer, which will be their first studio album since 2006's self-titled album. This is a highly anticipated release among may circles; Pearl Jam has been around for nearly 20 years. Even those who aren't diehard fans of the band are interested to hear the record, if for nothing else, to compare this to everything else Pearl Jam has released thus far. If "The Fixer" is any indication of how the record will turn out, suffice it to say, Backspacer won't sound much like Ten at all. Nor should it. The Pearl Jam that wrote and recorded Ten was in a very different place than the Pearl Jam that just finished up their ninth studio album.

"The Fixer" is sure to please to diehards, as it contains many signature Pearl Jam aspects. Singer Eddie Vedder's voice is, as always, unmistakable. As in the last album, his harmonies with drummer Matt Cameron are tastefully done. Matt Cameron's drumming is reassuringly metronomic. He holds down the backbeat of the tune while the melodic instruments (guitars, keyboard, vocals) employ several syncopations and rhythm shifts. It reminds me of "Severed Hand" from the last album - Cameron's drumming is intense at times, clearly involved in the song, and at other times, he sits back and lets the others do the talking. Jeff, Stone and Mike are always there to provide the melodic and rhythmic steadiness that has come to define this band for so long. Underneath the rock, there's a simple pop song that is shyly peeking out, waving hello.

Vedder's public persona (and, perhaps his private one, too) has always been a somber and morose one. The rest of the band, unsurprisingly, is the same way. They observe more wrong than right. They see more bad than good. They sing and feel more hurt than joy. It is precisely this mentality that has continuously driven them to write such songs as "Alive,", "Jeremy," "Rearview Mirror," "Do The Evolution," and "World Wide Suicide." None of these songs are positive. In each, the subject of the song is living through some tough times. Thematically, Pearl Jam's historical trail isn't exactly rainbows and butterflies. That is precisely why "The Fixer" is worthy of considering. With the exception of "I Am Mine" (from Riot Act, 2001), almost no Pearl Jam song (let alone a single) is underlined with a message of hope and security. Vedder recently said that he had always tried to make his lyrics more positive; with this record, the process was a little easier. Throughout the lyrics, one can see the constant display of problem-solution. That a solution is offered is cautiously good news that, perhaps, now, Pearl Jam is finally on the road to a place with less harmful associations.

So, then... what does this "The Fixer" - a representation of a larger body of work - say about Pearl Jam? For one thing, it shows the band's creative juices are still flowing. While this song is nothing groundbreaking, working with the same people for 20 years can take its toll, I assume. This song gets directly to the point, and allows the listener to sink into the material instantly (contrasted with, say a song like "Sleight of Hand" from 2000's Binaural). The band has also shown its gradual maturity from almost-suicidal depression and disgust with life, to putting it all behind them. In a strange - and what I can only assume coincidental - full-circle, a line from "Rearview Mirror" from 1993's Vs. echoes throughout this song: "Saw things so much clearer once you were in my rearview mirror." I don't consider it a coincidence that Pearl Jam started expressing hope for the idea of a brighter future at the same time as Barack Obama's rise to the presidency. Throughout his campaign, Obama's message was focused on the better days of tomorrow instead of the troubles of the past. Well, it seems as if Eddie, Mike, Jeff, Stone and Matt were listening.

On the Pearl Jam official website message board, one comment is suspicious that this song refers to President Obama. It certainly is an interesting idea. We report. You decide. "The Fixer" - the protagonist in this song - can be seen as a symbol of "the audacity of hope," if you will. Perhaps even the "dreams of our fathers." Here's a sample:

When something's dark, let me shed a little light on it

When something's cold, let me put a little fire on it

If something's old, I wanna put a bit of shine on it

When something's gone, I wanna fight to get it back again

When something's broke, I wanna put a bit of fixin' on it

When something's bored, I wanna put a little excited on it

When something's low, I wanna put a little high on it

When something's lost, I wanna fight to get it back again

Buy Albums, Not Individual Songs

(Originally published in The Davidsonian)

Much popular music these days is packaged and presented to have a very limited impact. Songs are created to be instant hits, only to be forgotten the following week. Countless charts are fluidly welcoming say goodbye to songs all the time. Think of some of the most popular songs today. Some of you have probably purchased them off of iTunes. Each song is most probably part of a larger record. Have you heard any of the other songs off the record? If you’re like most people in today’s society, the ever-decreasing attention span to all things entertainment has prevented you from doing so. I contend that the idea of a record, or an album, has lost importance in American popular music.

Often, it seems as if albums are compiled in order to satisfy a quota. The formula seems to be such: write a song that will hopefully become a temporary hit, and then write some other mediocre (at best) songs in order to sell something that is overpriced as well as an incomplete product.

Gone are the days when musicians would put out albums that were greater than the sum of their parts. I believe that records are put together the way they are for a reason. That is part of the enjoyment I get out of listening to a musician’s work. Why did the artist choose to include these particular songs on this album? Why are these songs in this particular order? What is the importance of the cover art?

In my experience, the “hit song” is rarely my favorite song on the album. I like the artist to challenge me and make me think about the song to which I am listening. The aforementioned “hit song” suffices for those who prefer instant gratification, but I like to be a little more mentally stimulated. The real gems of the album are those tracks that get better each time you listen to them.

The next time you’re listening to a song or artist you really like, take some time and listen to the entire album from which that one song comes. If the artist has taken the time to create a complete album, with multiple well-written songs – and not a disc with one hit and nine terrible songs – ask yourself the questions I posed above. I hope that if you do so, your time spent listening to the album will be a little more worthwhile. In case you’re having trouble finding good albums, start among these: “August and Everything After” by Counting Crows, “Octavarium” by Dream Theater, “There Is Nothing Left To Lose” by Foo Fighters, “Ten” by Pearl Jam and “Deadwing” by Porcupine Tree. 

Obama and Beethoven

(Originally published in The Davidsonian)

Every so often, someone comes along who has the ability to transcend generations. These people can be athletes, scientists or authors. They have the ability to speak to an audience broader than most. Frequently, people are inspired not just by what they have accomplished, but the manner in which they did so. In today’s confusing and often frightening society, it would behoove us to look at such past and present figures for encouragement. They overcame insurmountable obstacles; perhaps their life stories can be a catalyst for the rest of ours.

During the early-nineteenth century, Ludwig van Beethoven was making his living as an organist and composer. His childhood was filled with tragedy; his mother died while he was a teenager, and his father was negligent, abusive and alcoholic. As if adolescence wasn’t tough enough, Beethoven had to fend for himself as well has his siblings.

Before long, Beethoven started having trouble hearing. He was (rightly) confused and frustrated; as a musician and composer, why did God take away the one thing he needed the most? He started using an ear-trumpet in order to hear what others were saying. Towards the end of his life, his hearing had turned so bad that the ear-trumpet wasn’t cutting it anymore. He turned to keeping conversation books; he would literally have conversations through the written word. What dedication and love for humanity and music! Beethoven, for whom giving up would have been so easy, took painful steps to keep communicating with his fellow man and writing music.

He appeared reclusive, angry, perpetually aggravated at everyone and everything around him. He was unable to hear; yet he had the drive to create music. His music thrives to this day. One can find works by Ludwig van Beethoven in concert halls, film scores and commercials. His name is everywhere, including a film starring a dog. People all over the world were – and continue to be – inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven’s story of conquering slim odds to achieve great success in his field.

President Barack Obama is another such figure. One need not involve politics at all in order to appreciate his life story. His father was an immigrant from Kenya, and his mother was a white woman from Kansas. Both of his parents died relatively early, so his grandmother started taking care of him. He lived off of food stamps for a part of his life. Cut to several years later, and he is the junior Senator from llinois. Today, he is President of the United States. That story itself is miraculous; the American dream truly is alive. Obama’s presidency teaches us that if we work hard enough, we can realistically achieve our dreams.

On top of that, consider the fact that he is African-American. Although they have not been completely broken, Obama’s victory in the 2008 presidential election showed that racial barriers are quickly coming down. His message of hope and change inspired millions. People participated in the political process in unprecedented numbers. Leaders all over the world have a new-found enthusiasm for their relationship with the United States. I am confident that for a long time, Obama’s and presidency will not only be remembered for the policies, but the underlying story as well.

These two individuals deserve accolades for creating something out of nothing. Even with odds stacked against them, they found a way to succeed in such a way that people will look to them for years to come. As Lou Reed once said, nothing is everything. And if nothing is everything, I’ll have it all.

The Merits of Modernism

Modernist music is a complicated genre; modernists felt the need to challenge the norms that existed during the tonality era of concert hall music. They did this by confronting tonality as well as rhythm, meter, timbre and such.  John Cage is a very experimental figure in Modernist music; no one doubts that. His ideas on what constitutes music certainly are worthy of much discussion. One should distinguish, however, between a genius composer and someone who merely speculates on music.

One of John Cage’s experimental pieces is titled 4’33” – it refers to the amount of time the piece should take to play. 4’33” consists of three movements, all of which are tacet. The musician approaches the piano, closes the lid and sits in silence for the previously mentioned amount of time. According to Cage, the ambient sound in the hall is supposed to be the music. Every concert, then, would be different. Cage wanted to draw attention to sounds that we would otherwise dismiss as background noise.

For a minute, put yourself in that concert hall. The pianist comes forth, sits down, and proceeds to remain silent for four minutes and 33 seconds. She then stands up, takes a bow, as if she had just played a difficult sonata, expecting applause. Were this a philosophy roundtable, such a display would be readily accepted. But in the realm of music composition, this is downright unacceptable. Writing a piece of music that requires nothing but silence is an easy cop-out. 

            Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, arguably the most influential (and famous) Classical and Romantic composers, were so highly regarded precisely because of their superb composition skills. They took their knowledge of music theory and wrote very good music with it. We don’t study John Cage in music theory classes. There’s a reason that Mozart and Beethoven continue to dominate concert halls today. The fact that their music vocabulary impresses us today says something about their talent.

            I’m not saying that atonality and arrhythmic composition is bad; on the contrary, composers such as Claude Debussy make good use out of both. The idea that nothing is something, however, just does not flow over into music. Cage wants us to pay attention to what we don’t hear. Imagine how ridiculous I would look if I turned in 15 pages of blank paper to a professor, asking him or her to pay attention to what I didn’t say.

            Don’t get me wrong; Cage’s philosophy is certainly a very interesting one, and his boldness deserves credit. But that’s where we should draw the line with Cage: let’s reward him for having innovative ideas, and recognize that he was a mediocre composer.