Hey Everyone! Someone on here graciously notified me that I have forgotten to post some of my most recent Painted from Memory covers in my year long series. I hope you all enjoy this one! I'll post my version of Tears At The Birthday Party here tomorrow and my version of Such Unlikely Lovers will be released later this month.
Looking for pop artists/songs with hooks that get stuck in your head and belie their complex structure (e.g. changes in key or time signature; syncopation; unconventional chords, harmonies, arrangements; etc.)
Examples:
Beach Boys -Wouldnβt It Be Nice -God Only Knows -Good Vibrations
Bacharach -Walk on By -I Say a Little Prayer for You -What the World Needs Now is Love
We all know that key changes in pop music are often the overt, stark breed where we shift directly and obviously from one key to another (often up a semitone, or tone). But Burt Bacharach had a real knack for creating super subtle, tasteful modulations. He would shift to closely related keys in a seamless fashion, creating a sense of the harmony breathing and expanding... much like classical composers did. I've analysed a few examples of these smooth key changes in my latest video https://youtu.be/iTrkALm2JNE
If you can think of any other examples, Bacharach or otherwise, I'd love to hear about them! Thank you
https://i.postimg.cc/htHw0qRb/avalanches-WWALY.png
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" ?
https://www.pastpri.me/home/elvis-costello-painted-from-memory Wanted to share this essay (review) that (full disclosure) my friend wrote. I love Elvis but his discography is so huge that I had almost forgotten this album. I quite liked the essay (and the illustration) and returned to the album for the first time in years.
What are people's thoughts here on "Painted from Memory"?
https://preview.redd.it/jjfp7hc1tuh61.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c42d4a61312b6b4404884340c7eab2dfedf8ea64
While "Heartlight" is among my least favorite Neil Diamond albums I found this https://www.pastpri.me/home/neil-diamond-heartlight interesting in how it looks back at what led to it and to what came after it.
On paper, it feels like Burt Bacharach and Neil Diamond should have worked. But it didn't. I think there are several very good songs on the album but the keyboards and Bacharach's very Lite approach just didn't fit Neil's voice or style. At least, I think so.
Any other thoughts or feelings on "Heartlight"?
https://preview.redd.it/vr6jwcnrx0l61.jpg?width=1400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d50adc424fce68dddb951384e55f0fb3f2fd2160
maybe looking for his girlfriend who has run of with somebody else - and that's again, to a 17 year old is very important stuff"
From: Ray Davies - The World From My Window (2003).
I saw a Grimey's shirt at the beginning of this home concert. One of the musicians is Nashville based. His message is a good one, and the tunes are real nice.
Still sealed, limited pressing (i think 2000 were pressed)
$75 plus $4 shipping
Let me know if you're interested! I have too many sealed in my collection I wont get to.
Thanks!
I haven't heard it mentioned but with certain later songs, I hear a Burt Bacharach-influence, e.g. "A Passing Feeling" and "Strung Out Again", coincidentally Elliott mentions "Walk On By" as a great song at the Henry Fonda Theatre-concert in 2003, so maybe.. what do you think?
