It’s time for week 17 of my playlist and the breakdown of each track for you. I hope you’re getting as much out of this as I am.
If you’re learning anything at all, make sure to leave a comment down below and let me know!
Now, without further ado, here’s the breakdown of Stephen’s Selects #17: January 20th – 26th 2020…
(Please note that the tracks listed above are part of a live playlist and are updated weekly. They might not match the information below!)
- Led Zeppelin – ‘Rock and Roll’
– 12 bar blues in A. It’s a simple structure but very effective
– This song came about when John Bonham was frustrated with playing ‘Four Sticks’ and blasted out something completely different based on Little Richard’s ‘Keep a Knockin”
– The song is full of energy so it makes sense that it was a Led Zeppelin “opener” on tour
– The vocals have a lot of depth and presence due to the reverb and delay effects added
– The drum pattern is a two-handed shuffle, playing sixteenth notes, so it’s nowhere near as simple as it sounds
– Double-tracking is used very effectively on the guitar solo – each part is panned separately for effect and variance
– As with most of Led Zeppelin’s work, this is a “warts and all” recording – any mistakes are left in - The Beatles – ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’
– A George Harrison masterpiece
– Straight away you can hear the drums are panned hard right and the piano/guitar are on the left… very interesting choices!
– From 0:33 onwards, the introduction of the castanets gives a hip hop feel to the track
– Each section consists of sixteen bars, divided into four phrases
– Eric Clapton overdubbed some lead guitar but is not credited - Aimée Allen – ‘Soul Cargo’
– What an amazing double bass intro!
– Subtle reverb on the vocals creates a lovely sense of space
– The drums and piano are mixed so beautifully that they blend in and out seamlessly
– A great example of a mix where piano and vocals occupy the same space but do not compete at all - Jay Z – ‘F*ckwithmeyouknowigotit’
– Your attention is captured straight away with the intro bass and vocal sound design
– This song was originally created by Vinylz from a YouTube speech and he then wrote the rest of the music in 5 minutes
– The rest of the beat was created by Boi-1da, Timbaland and J-Roc
– Nice reverse reverb effect introduction to Jay-Z’s otherwise dry vocals
– As the track builds, so do the rhythms – the hi-hats are perfectly mixed in and out
– The movement in the bass line is a particular highlight for me… our mixes don’t need to be static! - Michael Kiwanuka – ‘I’ve Been Dazed’
– Another dramatic introduction!
– Lovely spacey phaser effect on the guitar
– Very nice distortion used on the drums
– Call and answer with the gospel choir is amazing! The lead vocals never suffer and sit nicely on top throughout
– “Time is a healer”… what a huge message - King Princess – ‘Prophet’
– So much attitude in the vocals… they’re complimented by synthesized stab versions of the lead vocal on the sides
– There’s a vintage sound to this track but it’s also very modern and polished
– Guitar riffs are implemented tastefully and interspersed throughout the song
– Hook after hook after hook… hooks = £/$/€
– The kick drum is kept very up front in the mix but it’s not over the top and is a hook in itself - Halsey – ‘You should be sad’
– This is another country pop song
– The main guitar part is played beautifully… as is the slide guitar
– While the lyrics and vocals are personal and heartfelt, it’s the backing vocals that really pull everything together for me
– The chorus has a lot of pop qualities with the big introduction and big backing vocals but it keeps the country vibe
– The effects on the electric guitar are quite interesting… they work effectively but they push it very far back in the mix and make the part feel full of tension - Nesby Phips – ‘Walk Alone’
– Proof that good songs don’t need to be very long!
– The mix is quite dark
– The drums are more prominent than the sung vocals but the rap vocals are very up front
– Nice panning effects used on the guitar chords - Emancipator – ‘Greenland’
– The delay and panning on the wood block is a real hook
– Distortion and delay on the ‘Hey’ vocals really pull you in
– Great blend of clap and snare, combined with distortion
– Very nice guitar riffs
– This track builds slowly over time with elements coming and going… it’s a sign of very nice production - Kavinsky – ‘Nightcall’
– If you’ve seen ‘Drive’, then you’ll know how perfect this track is for the movie
– This song is produced by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
– The wide panned chunky guitars are very effective
– There is some side chain compression used on the kick to duck everything else (except the vocals) to add more impact
– The “cleaner” vocals belong to CSS’ lead singer, Lovefoxxx
– Those vocals are treated with a lot of delay and a morphoder effect
– While it’s a simple song, this is real art!
Take some of these notes away, make your own and implement what you’ve learned when you’re making your own music. I have no doubt that they will help you.
So, that’s week seventeen of Stephen’s Selects.Click here to listen to the full playlist on Spotify!
Remember that if you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on Spotify and follow the playlist!
Now, I’d love to know…
What did you like about this week’s playlist? What have you learned?
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