Bob Dylan and "Bringing It All Back Home"

To be blunt, Bob Dylan’s voice is utterly revolting. He croons about and doesn’t really hit any real harmonies. At some points throughout his album I feel that a sick little kid screeching would sound better. Whenever he tries to actually attain range, it doesn’t turn out well. It really pains me to listen to his album. I know that there are many Bob Dylan fans out there (I have no idea why but there is) but for some reason his vocals do not resonate with me (no pun intended). I don’t even want to play back any of his songs in order to analyze them further because I’m afraid my ears will bleed. Maybe I am missing a cultural aspect of the time that really changed listening desires. I know that when many adults listen to current pop music, they can’t stand it. Some turn off a song before I can even hear the first lyric. So, despite my personal biases, I can see how different people and different generations are able to perceive music differently. His music was probably just unique enough to satisfy the need for change in that society.

 

Additionally, in the sixties, this music was main stream. It was economically and artistically viable. In comparison, if this was released now, nobody would care. But during his time, Dylan was a revolutionary in the lyrical world and hip hop roots where he tried attacking hard subjects such as society and religion. No other artists at this time were even coming close to what Dylan was doing. The Beatles merely sung about girls and pointless subjects until they were influenced by Dylan. Another reason why Dylan completely altered the music industry was that he was the first massively successfully artist that really couldn’t sing. This obviously impacted music because, as of current day, vocal ability is not really highly valued (cough, Nicki Minaj, cough, Carly Rae Jepsen, cough, Rebecca Black)

I also find it interesting how artists in this time period, particularly Bob Dylan, are able to so easily switch back and forth their genre and styles. Nowadays, nobody is able to implement this well. Many artists find their stride and don’t take any risks to try and widen their horizons. I have mixed feelings about this, because this enables artists to discover other genres and please the audience in other ways. I think it would be interesting if successful bands such as Coldplay or Maroon Five attempted another genre. On the other hand, it might feel out of place or strange because they are not able to adapt to changing styles of music. This is where artists of early rock and roll succeed in their adaptability, which is lost today. While some current artists have tried this, like Snoop Dogg switching between rap, country and reggae, it never actually works. Bob Dylan, while I HIGHLY dislike his voice and music, is definitely versatile and creative. His versatility shows through with his ability to pull off a successful album like Bringing It All Back Home where he implements folk music in a country-rock style. His creativity shows through his unique and in-depth lyrical poem that he creates. He is able to impact society through his songs by pushing his opinions. While I believe most art is the result of cultural changes of the time, Bob Dylan’s music is the one of a few exceptions. Bob Dylan created music that pushed on issues about society, religion, and more!

The reason why he is so impactful was because of his obtuse lyrics that were so starkly different than the Stone or the Beatles. They make me think about issues that other bands could never do. Sometimes an artist will be able to compose one song that really blows my mind with the pure lyrics. Even when this does happen, though, it is a blue moon; rarely repeated by the same artist/band. Even in the “golden age” of rock with the Beatles, the Stones, and the Who; I feel that songs are more directed towards straight rebellion or bubbly topics. In sharp contrast to this, Bob Dylan consistently throughout this album, and others, challenges the listener to take on a new outlook. While not all of his lyrics make sense to me, they definitely have a deeper meaning. Looking at the lyrics of the album all on a single webpage to cite an example supporting this point is too easy. I could literally close my eyes and point at a random part of a song and it would be chock full of meaning. Here I’ll try it: “The lamppost stands with folded arms. Its iron claws attached.” I don’t even know what this means but my mind is blown. I am shocked by his pure ability to conjure a message.

That’s really the reason why I’m even giving Bob Dylan the time of day on my blog. As a vocalist he is far under mediocre. His melodies are alright, his style is not completely satisfactory, and his voice is horrible. But when it comes to being a musician and song-writer, and the lyrical poem he creates through his songs: I would rival any one of his creations against even the deepest of poems. While I don’t necessarily like his singing and music, I still possess a lot of respect for Bob Dylan in the fact that he was a revolutionary in the art of song-writing.

Gangnam Style - How Internet Affects Music

You’re peacefully browsing the Internet looking for something to do because you’re bored (like always). YouTube looks fun so you type it into the URL box, mess up, and then correct it. Internet Explorer finally loads (because you STILL haven’t upgraded to Google Chrome) and… BAM!

YouTube is blowing up with images of some wild Korean guy in a suit and sunglasses. The sidebars advertise some guy named Psy and this interesting dance move called Gangnam Style. What is this madness?

If you haven’t heard about the music video sensation Gangnam Style, you haven’t lived. It fits right into a common trend of YouTube where videos spike to popularity and dominate the web. Gangnam Style is a fresh, catchy music video that is twisted with goofy Korean humor that sustains throughout the entire world. It obviously has some magic ingredient that has sparked the web into frenzy.

Released in mid-July of this year, Gangnam Style has gotten over 415 million views on YouTube and has soared on the charts of countries around the world. This K-Pop, electro-rap song combines the perfect combination of techo sounds and humorous interpretation; not to mention the insanely funny accompanying dance. It doesn’t matter that the lyrics are in Korean because the humor transfers so well and the cheesy dance itself can be utilized in any song (in my opinion).

Dancing and humor aside which have shot Gangnam Style and Korean rapper Psy to worldwide popularity, the music in this song is really catchy just by itself.

I love this song! While I will analyze the more serious topic of Internet influence on music later, I want to write about this song first. There is a driving beat with various electronic/dubstep sounds similar to Skrillex screeching. While it is mostly composed of electronically produced noises, this song works for me because that energy is transferred to the listener. The insane, yet steady, “instrumentals” make up the major counter melody and beat while Psy takes on the main vocals. Despite lack of variation, I feel satisfied because of the spices added into the song every once in a while, like a drop mid-way through the song. The counter melody actually repeats its self over and over again but the variations in the lyrics also make the song sound fresh and different after each part. Additionally, this song would seriously be lacking in my book if it was not accompanied with a music video. The video carries the entire song for me. It serves a purpose of providing the storyline for the song; making the Korean lyrics make sense, even though the majority of people would normally be lost. Because of the story associated with the music along with the driving counter melody of dubstep sounds, the music sounds epic. Check it out here:

Another very important aspect of this song is the pure choreography. In my opinion, this makes the song. Psy is seen in various places such as a sauna, a party bus, a deserted highway, a horse barn and around the city doing a very simplistic dance that mimics riding a horse. He starts out dancing by himself and actors are seen dancing one at a time. For some reason, Psy does not look awkward doing the dance like so many other people; he actually looks cool. Then as he is dancing throughout the song, he gains more and more dancers as new characters are introduced, until he has an entire arena full of people doing his insanely funny dance. I feel that the dance itself is the main meat of this music video and is more important to the success of the song than even the music.

Want to impress your friends? Learn how to do Gangnam Style with Psy on the Ellen Show:

All humor aside, I’d also like to briefly talk about how I think YouTube and the Internet has affected our listening habits. In one of my previous blog posts, I talked about how singles have evolved from album listening. Building off of this, I think that Gangnam Style provides a good example of how the Internet is able to drastically impact how we listen to music. People no longer have to wait days or even weeks to buy the newest album or song by their favorite artists. As soon as songs are released, the web and media explode them out to the world. Everybody can instantly listen to songs. I feel that this is a great way to be exposed to a variety of music. I am no longer limited to just what is in my CD case at home. I am able to instantly find a song from a known title, artist, even a major lyric. The rate of which that YouTube and other online media sources are able to fan out music astounds me.

Additionally, with the increasing popularity of music videos on YouTube, I think that the entertainer (not the pure musician) has risen to higher popularity. People start to care more if an artist is able to entertain, astound, or surprise them more than their pure musical capabilities, harmonies, and skill set. While I think that this is problematic on some levels, and doesn’t give respect to the really talented people in the industry, I also think that this is refreshing at times. While I highly value artists’ talent in vocals, instrumentals, and song-writing, when I’m doing average things during the day, I don’t necessarily care about these things. I just want something I can dance to and/or laugh at. I think that this is what most people feel too. They like good, solid music, yet have a vice for something different and bold. That is definitely what Gangname Style brings to the music industry. While Psy is not necessarily the best vocalist (I mean he is a rapper) and his song doesn’t possess skill in instrumental performance, it is catchy and wild.

And that’s all it needs to be.

Burn It Down - Linkin Park

I feel that I haven’t analyzed a single in a while so I picked a really good one today. Linkin Park was a band formed around the same time I was born. I’ve grown up in the era of this band yet never seemed to notice them until their latest song: “Burn it Down”. I don’t listen to much Linkin Park but after this song I felt an urge for more. Some people may disagree, but this song really resonated with me the first time I heard it. Linkin Park sounds like a mix between Bass Nectar, Maroon Five, and Alex Clare with a little bit of original flare. They make several things work by fusing together sick rock rhythms, electronic melodies, passionate vocals along with meaningful lyrics. All these unite under “Burn It Down” to create a real piece of art. Before I give you my opinions check it out yourself below and see what you think:

Let’s start at the beginning (seems logical). When you hit that PLAY button, Linkin Park instantly returns by hitting you with something that sounds like an electrified organ. That’s the best I can describe it because I have no idea what it is! Then it slowly builds upon itself with vibrating horn-like sounds as percussion and drums enter with a bang. All of this builds so much intensity and suspense, I feel a rush of anxiety similar to that before a race. Then after about 45 seconds of this, and you are all pumped up and are waiting for an epic drop… they soothe back down to a mild singing. Playing with our emotions much?? Because of this, I think I appreciate the introduction that much more because of its pure “instrumental” rock at the beginning (even though half of it is probably computer-generated).

Then the singing hits. I didn’t think that the song could get any more epic coming off of an insane introduction. But it does. Unlike a majority of electronica songs, Linkin Park possesses another dimension through powerful singing. I correlate Linkin Park to the similar powerful vocals of Alex Clare in “Too Close” (if you’re wondering what this sounds like, scroll down to my earlier blog posts and read about it!). Both of these men are able to pick out the good qualities of dubstep, yet couple it with ACTUALLY TALENTED singing! In the softer part of the verse, I feel the pure passion bleeding out of lead vocalist, Chester Bennington’s voice.

Speaking of vocals, I feel that if Bennington were asked to perform a solo at a choir concert, it would sound horrible (then again, I don’t think a majority of current singers could fit that task either). Fortunately for him, he will probably never have to do that, and his raspier voice fits right into the powerful and loud music he performs and the harsh lyrics written throughout the song (more on that a little later). His gruff vocals at the main chorus such as the title lyrics “Burn it down!” emphasize the great incorporation of vocals and melody. I also like the versatility of the vocals. They are able to distinguish the chorus and the rest of the song merely by the style of singing. At the same time, it all fits right in. I have only heard a little bit of the Beatles’  Revolver album, but I feel that they incorporate this similarly. Making a comparison to the Beatles is always a shaky proposition for Beatles die-hards, but I believe that certain aspects are shared between the bands. Both the Beatles and Linkin Park were able to experiment with fresh new sounds of the time. The Beatles played with original pop roots, while Linkin Park utilizes electronic sounds that have revolutionized modern music. Additionally, these two bands are extremely multi-faceted and are also able to actually sing.

While I’ve been talking a lot about the pure music, I absolutely love these lyrics. They are full of ambiguity, yet are chock full of imagery and description. Unlike a lot of current music that put across the message rather bluntly, this song is a quilt of complexity. I rather dislike that a lot of current songs don’t challenge the listener in interpreting their meaning. In my opinion when a band is able to do that, it adds another dimension to the song that is lacking in music without this lyrical poem. While many record companies can now mask the poor singing of a lot of musicians with intense beats, epic guitar chords, and wicked dubstep sounds, they will never be able to mask whether or not songwriters can create, not just sounds, but ART. While I don’t always pay attention to the lyrics of a song in everyday activities, whenever I deeply listen or analyze a song, I appreciate when an artist has the capability of expressing himself through words and making a lyrical poem. That is exactly what this song is able to do. It not only makes me want to whip my head up and down to the beat and release my inner wild side, it also depicts a scene in my head that is not entirely clear to me, yet sparks my imagination.

Beatles Take a Turn with Help

So… Say you’ve been transported back to 1965 (which would be pretty awesome by the way). Anyhow, despite being so excited that you invented time travel what else would you be instantly thrilled about? The Beatles of course! They have finally come out of Jamaica for eight months and are releasing a new album called Help! People would be wondering What’s it going to sound like? Are their perfect harmonies going to stay? I hope they weren’t influenced too much by Bob Dylan because his music sounds like a crooning cat. Nobody knows what the Beatles will bring, in a time where the Who and the Stones are emerging competitors. Well, nobody but you because you would’ve read this blog before going back in time.

And then, boom. The people of the time are hit with a fresh new Beatles. It is mind-blowing how they are able to pull off such large changes in music. They totally revolutionized their style, melodies, and even genre of music yet still maintained a level of popularity unprecedented! I am quite stunned actually. This album as a whole I did NOT enjoy the first time I listened to it. I was so utterly shocked by the instant change, coming off of Beatles for Sale, that I didn’t know how to respond. All of a sudden, the Beatles shifted from pop-like love songs with a distinct harmony and rock rhythm to a strange mix of country jazz. As I listen to individual songs again, it starts to grow on me again, though. I can feel the energy being released from the Beatles as they hit their first note in Help! The thing to remember about comparing what I’ll refer to as “Old Beatles” and “New Beatles” is that it happened over a period of time where music was revolutionizing at an exponential rate. The times were rapidly changing, and the Beatles (masters of the art) were able to adapt to the changing environment.

Another reason that I think this album was so refreshing and still kept its fans from the “Old Beatles” age was that their basic harmonies and vocals were still all there. While some songs, such as “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” and “Act Naturally”, sound repulsive to me (more on that a little later), other songs incorporate the standard Beatles harmonies into other forms of music. This tested the capacity of each of their voices and challenged them to increase their horizons. Ultimately, I think that allowed them to have such a positive reaction. Additionally, they evolved slowly into a different type of band over time instead of other bands that childishly and indecisively skip around as they test the waters. The first two songs of this album were like a welcomed splash in the face with cold water. The Beatles basically screamed to the world “We’re back and you better get used to it!” Like I said earlier, I felt the vibrancy ooze out of “Help” and “The Night Before”. It showed what a good vacation could do that’s for sure! While a different beat and rhythm were thrown into the mix, these songs, to put it bluntly, rocked. Check them out. I think you’ll agree:

Oh, and another thing… The lyrics of the Beatles’ songs now seem more advanced and deep. If you listen closely to “Help” again you’ll see that it never once mentions the word love or girl. If you are an huge Beatles fan, you kind of just instantly infer they are talking about girls but not necessarily. This first song marks a change that is seen throughout other albums down the line as well, like Rubber Soul and Revolver.

Now to the bad side of the album. By now you must be wondering how I could have possibly called two of the BEATLES’ songs repulsive. I mean they are the Beatles right? They can do no wrong. You know what I have to say to that: False. Every musician has falters and this is the first time I have seen it noticeably in the Beatles’ music. I’m not talking about missing a note; a few songs just did not resonate with me. Before I address the repulsive songs, though, I would like to comment overall on the album. I’m not a huge fan of country or even some jazz. So when the Beatles shifted towards a more country-rock sort of style, I was saddened. I miss music from the “Old Beatles”. But, I can adjust to that. Something I cannot adjust to are bad songs.

Let’s start with the better of the two worst: “Act Naturally”. No matter how cool I think it is that the drummer of this band can sing, I can never connect with songs that Ringo sings. His voice is just so uncharacteristic of the Beatles as a whole and does not match the classic harmonies. He sounds more like Brad Paisley than a Beatles singer (maybe a bit exaggeration there). Thus I felt this song stuck out like a sore thumb. But this song was tolerable compared to “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” by John Lennon. This song had Bob Dylan written all over it. The lyrics themselves sound typical of a Beatles song and would fit right in if it were a poetry book. But when you add Lennon’s gruff crooning voice it turns the song bad as a month-old apple. Who knows, maybe you like classic Bob Dylan and can’t stand the perfect harmonies of other Beatles songs? Judge for yourself:

While it may have had some downfalls, this album served its purpose; to get the Beatles back in the spotlight again.

The Who: Making a Name for Themselves

I’ll be honest. I just sat in front of my computer screen for at least five minutes trying to come up with some clever pun about The Who’s name. Maybe my creative side is a little slacking today or maybe I am just so stunned by this rock group’s sheer strength in the music realm. Before a couple of days ago, I had never listened to a single song performed by The Who. People would talk about The Who and I would just be like “Who?” (Got my pun in… I knew I could do it!). But once I listened to their first album, they made several impressions upon me.

First of all, I think the musicians in this band should get a round of applause. Each one of them possesses abnormal strength in each of their respective instruments. While maybe not as versatile as the beloved Beatles, The Who definitely mastered the art. The Who sound a lot like an epic blend of the Beatles and the Stones. While I kind of insulted the Stones last week, they did possess some good qualities, particularly a more bluesy, country, and raspy sound that I think is incorporated well with their music. Likewise, throughout The Who’s first album, My Generation, they incorporate great guitar solos, swing-like beats, and Beatles-like harmonies that carry the melody.

Speaking of the guitar… WOW. There is not a better way of describing this. Consistently throughout the album, Pete Townshend destroys with his wicked chords and contrast to perfect harmonies, sorrowful songs, or raspy sounds. I noticed that it really didn’t matter what the song was, the guitar had a constant and respected presence! In my notes, I literally just have “Guitar sound = freaking amazing”. You have to also remember that The Who only had one guitarist. Only someone with Townshend’s level of musical ability could pull that off! One of my favorite parts of the album was the insane electric guitar introduction in “The Good’s Gone”. This song also has some nice raspy and rough sounding vocals that tie together the attitude of the piece. Do yourself a favor and listen to this video:

While the lyrical capabilities and song-writing somewhat lacks in my book (primarily when compared to the Beatles), I feel that The Who still leave me satisfied with a majority of their music, as they take me on a journey through harmonies and melodies. I was also rather surprised when it came to their harmonies. In some songs, I felt that I was listening to an all-men’s choir performance accompanied by an insane Keith Moon and rockin’ Pete Townshend. I had never heard such an innocent sounding harmony before in a classic rock song. Despite this, other songs made me have wild flashbacks to the Beatles. Once again, while the actual lyrical poem wasn’t there, the harmonies so closely matched the Beatles, that I literally feel that songs like “Much Too Much” and “La La La Lies” could have been inserted into a Beatles album and I would never have even noticed! They were obviously getting their fair share of Beatles music/influence! Check out these two songs below and see what I mean:

While I was generally impressed by this album, The Who, in my opinion, had some downfalls. Only one song sticks out like a sore thumb in my mind when I listened to it and that would be “The Ox”. I felt like my ears were getting bombarded by randomness and chaos. That is the only word I can use to describe this song: chaos. I felt little organization in this all-instrumental song. I didn’t dislike this song because it lacked lyrics; I felt that it lacked everything. I feel that Keith Moon was just set free to explode his drum set and mess around, and the others just blindly followed toward a complete disaster. This was the one and only pitfall, though, in a generally great album. Luckily, “The Ox” wasn’t the first Who song I listened to because I probably would’ve been turned off of them instantly. This sounded like an early form of dubstep! Actually, dubstep has nothing on this song! They were able to make that horrible of a sound without synthesized instruments.

Overall, though, I think The Who really altered the stage for rock. They made an impact on the scene and affected other artists. In later Beatles songs, I hear influences from The Who and the Rolling Stones sneaking their way into the music. Additionally, The Who expressed such versatility through their album that they always had me guessing. I never knew what the next song would sound like, and the surprise of it all made the listening experience rather enjoyable. I hope that I get to listen to more of The Who because they are rocking awesome.

Oh and by the way, I think Keith Moon probably would’ve liked Jerry Lee Lewis a lot!

Albums or Singles? The Ultimate Choice

Unfortunately, I haven’t been very inspired by any current songs lately so I cannot enlighten you today by analzying a particular song I find thrilling, passionate or powerful.

But, this week I want to talk about a very interesting topic: albums versus singles. Throughout early music, we’ve seen a variety of different albums produced among thousands of bands through any genre imaginable: from country to jazz to rock. As society has progressed, though, I think that we have lost a little bit of the magic behind producing an entire album and have shifted towards pure singles.

This is definitely a direct result from how our listening habits have changed. I’ll be honest, when I post a blog about the latest song that has enamored my ears, I don’t always sit there and listen to the whole album. Even artists I love, like Alex Clare, cannot seem to draw me in for an entire 30+ minutes of pure song. I mean, who has the time? That’s actually the key issue. Time. Time. Time.

EVERYTHING is based on time. If something isn’t quick, efficient, or convenient enough for the user, we as an audience get bored. Let’s admit it: If a page takes longer than about fifteen seconds to load, you start to rapidly attack the refresh button. If an answer to a question in Google doesn’t instantly appear, you NEVER go to the second page. Likewise, if artists take too long, you lose interest. The way our society operates today is all about how much you can do in how little time. This is why albums have been engulfed by short and efficient singles.

And can you blame us? We’re (well most of us) are busy people. Most people listen to music while doing something else. And at heart, we all have a pretty limited attention span. While I and some other music lovers enjoy sitting down and bathing in an entire album, most people get bored with the same style/artist. That’s why things like iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, and the shuffle feature on iPods came about. It is to serve the craving people have for music without the negativity of getting bored. And when people do get bored, which they are inevitably going to do, they can move on to the next artist with a simple click of a button.

Because of this craving for instantaneous music, singles have dominated the music industry. While artists may release songs as part of an album, radio stations see potential in a single song and rip it apart from its family and throw it onto the big stage. It is overplayed and shoved down the public’s throats, until the song is whipped and beaten. But before that happens, many singles are enjoyed, loved, and cherished by the masses. Singles allow people to get a variety of different music. They enable exposure to other artists, new genres, and fresh styles of music never seen before. Singles are almost like a taster at an ice cream shop before you buy the whole cup.

While I personally enjoy both albums and singles, I can see how individuals could go either way. Albums tell a story through the songs that is lacking in singles. I see well-done albums as a fantastic, magical mural full of detail and intricacy. I see singles as if the mural was cut into fourteen different pieces. While the one piece could still possess all the great qualities of the art (with all the infinite brush strokes and shadings), it still lacks the bigger picture encompassed by and only seen through the entire mural. On the other hand, if pieces of several murals were pushed together, something new and artistic could potentially take shape.

So the next time you turn on your radio or pull out your iPhone to listen to music, think about this: “Do I feel like I want more of this particular song, or does it stand strong all by itself?”

You decide for yourself: Albums or Singles?

The Stones: A Near Miss for Me

If you’re a Rolling Stones fan, I’m going to apologize up front. I have never before listened to the Rolling Stones and I am probably not very well-versed in all of their singles and albums. But… there is no changing my opinion that at least their first album, “England’s Newest Hit Makers” was nothing more than a jamboree of random instrumentals and jumbled, overpowered vocals. I personally don’t even understand how the Rolling Stones can be said in the same sentence as the Beatles. To me, there is absolutely no comparison on any level; vocals, instrumentals, OR songwriting. On a vocal level, the Beatles are capable of hitting incredible harmonies while I feel Mick Jagger’s voice was very weak and had a lack of presence throughout basically the entire album. He sounded overpowered by the band and was too afraid of his own shadow to burst out into a prominent melody! Next were instrumentals. I thought of the instrumentals as a much more jumbled mess. There is no arguing that they had musical talent; but a) I felt a lack of organization and b) they nowhere near compared to the versatile skills of the Beatles and others of their time. Lastly, their songwriting was almost not even there. What was it? Oh yeah that’s right, that ONE song that they ACTUALLY came up with. Real creative minded people I guess. I might just have been in a bad mood when listened to them, but the Rolling Stones were definitely slacking on a variety of fronts.

I feel that the Rolling Stones released their first album too early. I feel that they needed a little more practice for their strengths to meld into a great album. Because of all the anticipation and hype that I’ve heard from hard-core Stones fans, I figured I was going to be blown away by their sheer talent and awesomeness. Because of all this suspense, I think I felt a little let down or something. To me, the Stones threw in a bunch of great aspects (such as a variety of instrumentals, melodies, and catchy rhythm) and, instead of getting something perfect, they just got a conglomeration of aspects. It’s kind of like making a smoothie. You can have a bunch of great tasting fruit, but if you don’t mix it long enough, you end up with a goopy, nasty, sometimes chunky mess.

I almost laughed aloud at their precocious and pretentious title of their first album. I mean, who actually names their first album “England’s Newest Hit Makers”? That’s like introducing yourself at a party by saying, “Yeah I’m famous, cool, awesome, handsome, dashing, funny, lovely, cute, athletic, strong, and fast. It’s nice to meet you.” This just struck me as strange because they had never been exposed to the industry yet and they were already self proclaiming greatness. While it eventually came, this initial act seems kind of interesting and gives some insight to their personalities.

While the whole album didn’t really work for me, especially with repeated use of the annoying harmonica in EVERY SONG, there were some oases in this drought called an album. One of these oases, was a very upbeat song called “Carol”. Throughout the whole album, I think I was secretly waiting for the Stones to hit their stride. I felt they finally did through this song. It had a very upbeat rhythm and melody. It severely contrasted the other bluesy songs that preceded it in the album. Before this song, I felt like I was listening to a Country album. This song reminded me of the good old classic rock songs! It had wild guitar and instrumentals that worked well with the strong beat and the melody seemed to come straight from rock’s roots. This was probably because they covered Chuck Berry, but I think they did it well. I really enjoyed this song mainly because it was one of the few songs without a harmonica! Check it out:

So while I rip on the Stones a lot, I still feel like there may be some room for them to slowly grow on me as I listen to more and more of their later music.