Peer Comment Week 4 Entry

Hello Music History blog fans. I reviewed another one of my peer's work. As always, I have links for you to view their page. His name is Dustin Breeden and he's pretty alright. Here is the post I reviewed. And here is his entire blog.

Without further ado:


Hello Dustin,

I really enjoyed your blog about Dr. Dre. I was actually considering Dr. Dre as the topic for my blog post, but switched to Knaye West at the last minute. I liked the fact that you have a lot of dates and specific information listed about Dr. Dre. That shows that you really did your research and know your facts. Recently, I learned that Dr. Dre was the number one earner last year for the Forbes’ hip-hop charts. He earned over one hundred million dollars thanks to his lucrative venture into the Dre Beats audio company last year. That goes right along with what you were talking about with his overall net worth. They probably haven’t done all the work to make a final figure for his new net worth thanks to his highly successful business.  I’m sure it  touches many hearts that you are so immensely inspired by Dr. Dre. That type of motivation can take you far. Keep up the good work. The only thing I could find wrong was the grammar in your blog. A quick spell-check or second person looking over your post could easily fix those minor errors, though. Keep on swimming and doing such a great job!

Thanks,

Donnell.

Podcast 2: Kanye West, the innovator

Independent Research - Kanye West entry

            The road to success isn’t always a straight path. There are detours, roadblocks, and countless people that you meet along the way. Sometimes you have to take a longer path that seemingly veers way off course in order to reach your desired destination. Some of the people you meet are friends and some turn out to be foes. Some people never make it to their destination and some do. Sometimes people stop on the way because they’ve reached a much better place at only half the distance. The legendary musician Kanye West knows about this journey all too well. From being a mediocre beat-maker who people never gave a chance, to a platinum-selling hip-hop artist whose productions are desired by the best musicians on the charts.

            Kanye West grew up in Chicago and became an aspiring rapper at a very young age. People told him he wasn’t good at rapping and wouldn’t give him instrumental hip-hop music to rap to. Facing this problem, he decided he would begin making his own productions. He did everything himself. From the instrumentation to the lyrics, Kanye became a one-man band. He quickly ran into a new problem with this plan: he needed money to support his desired career. He decided he would start selling the hip-hop instrumentals that he was creating in an effort to gain some extra funds. He believed he was good enough to create instrumental productions that people would buy because, in his mind, “You can accidentally make a good beat; you can’t accidentally write a good rap.” This became a lucrative business for Kanye West. After years of producing for local acts, major artist began to notice his unique productions. He began producing for chart-topping hip-hop acts such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson. Although this would be terrific news for most people, Kanye West was not satisfied because it was not benefiting his rap career, which was his true passion. He was only reluctantly given a chance after he consistently bothered one of the labels that was a frequent client for an opportunity. They decided to give him one chance because they had nothing to lose and it’d help them maintain a healthy relationship with one of their favorite producers.

            Kanye West quickly became an innovator in many ways. First, his productions were soulful and unique. They constantly sampled old songs and reinterpreted them in a creative new way. One of the most popular examples is his hit song “Through the Wire”, which sampled Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire”. He made the song about his mouth being wired shut after a horrific car accident. He influenced the majority of hip-hop musicians to go in a more soulful direction with their productions. Kanye West constantly samples music that other people would be reluctant to even listen to. A great example of this is his song “Dark Fantasy” which contains a sample from Mike Oldfield “In High Places”, which I have a hard time even pin-pointing the genre of. Kanye West is constantly referred to as a musical genius. Further along the Kanye West spectrum, lies Kanye’s innovation upon lyrics in rap. Kanye West approached rap in a way that wasn’t popular among virtually every major artist on the billboard charts. He spoke of conscious topics such as struggling to make it through college without a career plan, people of his culture selling an enormous amount of drugs because of their struggle between morality and poverty, and wondering why life even has a struggle between morality and poverty because they are two things that are seemingly worlds away. His raps about struggles that anyone can relate to helped elevate his career to an extremely high level. Other artists rapidly began to follow suit in a great attempt to make their raps more real and relatable to a broader audience.

            As a listener, I enjoy listening to Kanye West more than the majority of other popular artists in today’s music. He is a relieving breath of fresh air that I can relate to and enjoy his clever ideas and lyrics. As a professional, I believe Kanye West is an amazing musician. People should strive to have the passion, drive, and creativity that Kanye West does. He is a true innovator of this day and age. If everybody were as passionate about his or her work as Kanye West is about his, the world would be a better place.

Peer Comment Week 3 Entry

Here is another Blog post that I reviewed. You can view the post that I reviewed HERE

And you can read Patric Flynn's entire Music History Blog HERE  (It's great!)

Without further ado, here is my review of Patric's post:

Hello Patric,

I really enjoyed reading this blog. Before reading this, I wasn’t very acquainted with Brian Eno and his work. You seem to be very influenced by him and, in this blog post, display an extensive knowledge. I would have liked for you to write a brief description of the “no way” genre that you spoke of. It sounds interesting. Other than the information, your grammar was definitely one of the highlights. The only problem is that, towards the end, your grammar started to stray away from the previous quality. I noticed a type when you typed “the se of music” and you accidentally typed the same word twice in the second to last paragraph. Also, in the last two paragraphs, there are some commas that you missed. These are all simple things that’d be noticed with an extra spell-check. They are all minor errors that aren’t easily seen, but I didn’t have any other suggestions for you because you did such a great job. Keep up the good work.

Electronic Music Innovations Entry

Run DMC is arguably one of the most successful hip-hop groups in history. Not only did they make good music, but they also broke barriers and built bridges within their genre as well as between others. The group consisted of two MC’s and a D.J. They went by the names Run, DMC, And Jam Master Jay. Although many people many not be aware of it, Run DMC actually contributed a lot to electronic music.

One of their most popular songs is Sucker MC’s. This song actually begins with a sequenced storm from the Oberheim DMX drum machine. This marked a new era in hip-hop. Hip-hop was founded upon the premise of sampling music and adding a lyrical rap to it. Run DMC was definitely going against the grain with this release. This sent an open invitation to all hip-hop artists to sequence their own drums as well as other instruments and make them sound as if they were actually being played. This is especially significant because the year Sucker MC’s was released is the same year MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) was created and available for public use. By using electronic musical devices that were also used heavily in the electronic music genre, Run DMC helped to open a door for hip-hop artists to work hand in hand with electronic music artists. From sequencing to recording, hip-hop and electronic music could be nearly synonymous in some cases. Today’s meshes between hip-hop and dub-step or any other prominent electronic sub-genre owe a lot to Run DMC and their early innovations.

As a listener, I hear Run DMC and appreciate the raw hip-hop elements that undoubtedly paved the way for modern hip-hop. The flavor that Run DMC brought to hip-hop provided a unique recipe that artists are still using today. As a professional, I better understand the impact of Run DMC on music as a whole. They were able to incorporate elements of music from every genre and create something very genuine and true to themselves.

Electronic Music - Kraftwerk Entry

Kraftwerk is an electronic music group formed in 1970 by Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter. In the viewpoint of many people, these two were the foundation of Kraftwerk and any other musicians that became part of the group were just hired help. The album Autobahn was released in 1974 and was Kraftwerk’s first international success. The concept of this album was road travel. This changed a lot about Kraftwerk. They quickly became a group that performed in suits and released concept albums with creative subject matter. They primarily performed and recorded their music in German, which was something very few musicians in Germany were doing because it was considered inappropriate.

As previously stated, the release of Autobahn marked Kraftwerk’s first international success in 1974. This album was heavily inspired by The Beach Boys and could easily appeal to American audiences. Strangely enough, the concept of the album was road travel. This can be credited to the desire of Kraftwerk to stay true to the German culture and lifestyle. In 1975, Kraftwerk released Radio-Activity. This was another concept album with very creative ideas. This album was about nuclear activity and the radio. This album wasn’t as successful in the U.S., but went gold in France and was successful in Europe as a whole. Trans-Europe Express was the next release for Kraftwerk in 1977. This was another concept album, but this time with a theme of train travel. The percussion for the title track was actually inspired by the sound of a train travelling along a track. This album didn’t have as much of a commercial success as the previous two albums when it was released. In 1978, Kraftwerk released an album that was truly revolutionary. The album was called The Man-Machine and was the first time Kraftwerk hooked a drum machine up to a sequencer. This was truly innovative and a large influence on other musicians. After a three year hiatus, Kraftwerk released Computer World in 1981. The track “The Model” from this album is Kraftwerk’s most successful record in the UK. When Kraftwerk went on tour for this album, they packaged their whole studio up so they would be able to perform the album with all of the effects originally used in the recording. This, in itself, was a great innovation that the band spent a lot of time working to make happen.

There are many reasons that Kraftwerk has earned the position of the biggest influence on electronic music. The most obvious reason would probably be the concepts of the albums they released. Kraftwerk consistently released music with a unified theme that was extremely creative. Another reason is because of the value of Kraftwerk’s live performances. To fathom the fact that Kraftwerk actually went as far as finding a way to take their studio on tour with them is enough to leave anyone in awe. They experimented with technology and were constantly looking for innovations to take their music to the next level.

As a listener, Kraftwerk seems a little strange to me. Their music is outside the box and isn’t what I’m typically used to listening to, even today. Their creativity is impossible to overlook. As a professional, I can definitely see why Kraftwerk is such a large influence on electronic music. Their creativity, innovations, hard work, and dedication are things that every musician should inspire to be on par with and dare to exceed. 

Podcast 1: Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

Peer Comment Week 2 entry

Hello blog readers,

I wanted to share a review that I wrote of one of my peers. He does a great job with his music history blog. You can view it here: Adrian Ensor's Music History Blog

Here is my review of his blog thus far:

Hello Adrian Ensor,

I really enjoy reading your blog. All of your posts up to this point are phenomenal. I immediately noticed that you have pictures of the albums for each review. I did something similar with my music history blog. Have you seen mine? Perhaps you borrowed my great idea. That’s terrific; I love to share. Your writing for all of these blogs is well thought out and detailed. I could see you writing for an important magazine someday. Do you have some type of training or education in professional writings? However, I want to mainly focus on only one of your posts today.

Your post about Marvin Gaye’s album, What’s Going On, is magnificent. I see you focused mainly on the song of the same name. Your detail is impeccable and leaves little to be desired. The only things I can say you should work on is punctuation, spelling, and sentence fluency. Most of this could be taken care of with a spell-check and proofreader, so it’s not too big of a deal. Overall, I would definitely give you an A+.

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On entry

Before the recording of What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye was thought to be a very different artist. His image was drastically different also. He wrote great love songs and had a successful career because of it. He also because a predominant sex symbol of the ‘60s and ‘70s. He wasn’t thought to be a tough guy or fighter; he was a lover. What’s Going On was a contradiction to his whole career. The song was definitely a risk that would have been hard for the average artist to pull off.

The song, What’s Going On, was actually influenced by many social and national concerns and issues. Renaldo Benson is the person who gave Marvin Gaye the song after he was inspired to write it because he witnessed horrible police brutality in San Francisco. After Marvin Gaye received the song, he added the pain of his brother’s time spent fighting in war, the shooting deaths of political leaders, and more violence and injustice throughout the world.

It wasn’t easy for Marvin Gaye to get What’s Going On recorded and released. There were extensive processes that the song had to go through for both things to happen. When Marvin Gaye got to the point of actually recording the song, he was so excited that he called Berry Gordy to tell him the news. Berry Gordy immediately shot him down and told Marvin to stick to making love songs. Everyone working on the song thought it might not happen because they may not get away with it. They eventually recorded the song, but once Berry Gordy listened to it, he called it the worst thing he’s ever heard in his life. Berry Gordy refused to ever release the record, so Marvin Gaye refused to do any work for the label until he changed his mind. Eventually, Harry Balk heard the record and liked it so much that he issued it without Berry Gordy’s knowledge. Berry Gordy would have tried his best to pull the record from the shelves if it had not been so successful.

What’s Going On is different from other soul recordings of the 1960s and ‘70s in many ways. What’s Going On is even set apart from the other recordings that were being made on Marvin Gaye’s own label, Motown. No one on Motown was making songs that addressed serious issues that were going on in the world. With the exception of some seriously controversial artists, such as Bob Dylan, there weren’t many artists in that era that would venture into that territory for fear of their career being hurt. On the album, What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye was daring enough to cover social issues in his songs. Another characteristic that sets the What’s Going On apart from other soul recordings of the mid 1960s and ‘70s is the fact that it’s a concept album and he is the first soul singer to create one.  After this, many artists took note and decided they would create concept albums also.

Personally, What’s Going On hits home for me as both a listener and industry professional. As a listener, it touches my soul to hear a singer make music about issues that are so serious. It uses their voice to bring recognition to a greater amount of people. I love to hear it because it lets me know that there are other people who really care. As a professional, I admire the fact that an artist had the courage to do this. It’s not easy to make music that has a meaning as opposed to just making music that you know will earn money and get airplay on the radio.

The Velvet Underground & Nico entry

The music and image of The Velvet Underground and Nico was perfect for their time. Andy Warhol described the group as the combination of music, art, and film. They were the group that was thought to say whatever they want and not care what anyone thought of them. They were supposed to be viewed as truly free and experimental. Their music was about issues they cared about and had a poetic feel to it. The instrumentation was dirty. They had noisy amps and a drummer with no prior experience, but it worked.

The primary songwriters in the group were Lou Reed and John Cale. In addition to writing songs, Lou Reed was also a guitarist and vocalist. He co-founded The Velvet Underground in 1965 with John Cale. John Cale came to America on the Bernstein Scholarship in 1963. Writing lyrics for The Velvet Underground wasn’t his only job either; John Cale played viola, bass guitar, and piano for the group, as well as doing vocal work.

Andy Warhol is the person who supported, promoted, and produced The Velvet Underground. His credits as producer only go so far in the real world because the group didn’t follow his musical direction. Lou Reed and John Cale were the ones who really created The Velvet Underground’s sound, but they were both influenced greatly by Andy Warhol and the company he kept.

 There were many characteristics that set The Velvet Underground & Nico apart from other popular recordings of the mid 1960s. A major characteristic is the fact that Lou Reed wrote about personal experiences such as his sexuality and drug use. This hadn’t been openly explored in rock and roll before Lou Reed decided to incorporate the themes. Another characteristic that sets the album apart is the instrumentation and arrangements. They were an unorthodox group of musicians. They played to a simple drum beat that served as the backbone for the songs. The lyrics are what drove the song, but the drums were always there in case someone ventured off. Meaningful lyrics with a simple drum beat accompanied by more developed guitars was out of the ordinary for rock groups of this age.

As a listener, I can appreciate the lyrics on these songs. In my opinion, the lyrics save the songs. Other than the lyrics, the rest of the music sounds typical. As a professional, I know that isn’t true. I admire the creativity and experimentation of the group. The instruments aren’t as clear or pristine as people like music to be nowadays, but the vocals are genius and really reflect the intellect of the person who wrote them.

The Beatles - Revolver entry

       
Prior to the recording of Revolver, The Beatles image was a group of heartthrobs. They only sung girl songs about relationships. They were very clean and basic. You could easily categorize them into being a good group consisting of two guitars, a bass, drums, and a vocal. All of this changed with 
the release of Revolver. The Beatles undoubtedly expanded their material among many other things.

        The music and lyrical content of revolver were, ironically, influences by many non-musical interests. A large interest that influenced the entire group was drug usage. The group members used a lot of different drugs, but a major drug they used was LSD. That influences them a lot. John Lennon was actually influenced by a book based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

       The Beatles were innovators in the fact that they actually used the studio as an instrument while creating the Revolver album. Bands didn’t usually record music in the studio that they couldn’t perform live in a verbatim manner. Some of the effects they used involved vocal doubling, compression, and many unorthodox or spur of the moment ideas. They changed the sound of everything from instruments to vocals in ways that can only be done in the studio. They weren’t able to recreate these live, but they recorded them anyways, which made for a great studio album that actually used the studio as it’s own instrument.

        Two innovations used on Revolver were compression and ADT. The Beatles used compression on the drums, vocals, and guitars to create a more “in your face” sound. This was actually one of the ways that they used the studio as an instrument. Another technique was ADT. ADT is known as either automatic double-tracking or artificial double-tracking. It is used to make a vocal sound like it was recorded twice without actually recording it twice. It is accomplished by using analog tape and copying a vocal to another track. The copied vocal is then delayed to emulate the sound of a vocal being dubbed.  The Beatles also used this technique on various instruments throughout the record.

        As a listener, when I hear Revolver, I gain an appreciation for great music. I hear the music and I recognize the creativity and am taken away with The Beatles. I understand how deep some of the lyrics go and it really makes me thing. As a professional, I am dumbfounded by the creativity of The Beatles. They were able to think of new ideas and innovations in recording technology. As an engineer, I know how hard this is. It’s extremely difficult to look at all the tools that you’re given and use them in a new way that no one has successfully done before. It gives me the chills. Recording owes a lot to the Beatles.

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds entry

      The music and image of the beach boys prior to recording Pet Sounds can be described as surfer-friendly, fun, irresponsible, and spontaneous. Pet Sounds changed that a lot for the band. 
In some ways, you can say that their image was completely reversed for this album.

      Brian Wilson did everything for the beach boys. He is the one who started the band and he produced and wrote most of the songs for the band. His admiration for harmonies was a great influence on the beach boys and is a major reason for their sound. He was essentially working alone and, in my opinion,
the band might as well have been hired help or walk-ons.

      Brian Wilson had many influences that helped him write and record Pet Sounds. His major influences were the competition of The Beatles, pressure by the label due to the label favoring The Beatles, and wanting to find a new sound using instruments that other groups weren’t using on major releases. He also experimented with smoking pot and used LSD a couple times with some associates. He eventually had a breakdown and took a break from touring. After being in the studio for so long, he started working on material that was outside of his comfort zone. Doing this resulted in the amazing Pet Sounds album.

      Pet Sounds has many characteristics that set it apart from other popular recordings of the 1960’s. There was a tragic love song on the album, which wasn’t very normal in the 60’s. Most songs were happy and fun during that experimental time, but Brian wrote one of the saddest most tragic loves songs ever. The arrangements on Pet Sounds were also spectacular. There were accordions, various percussion, and several basses on one song at some times. This was a new explosion of flavor that rock and roll had never seen.

          As a listener, the impression that Pet Sounds has on me is emotional. This is very surprising due the The Beach Boys being thought of as a more fun-loving band prior to this release. I feel the pain in the songs that are sad and the lyrics really take me on a ride. I am captivated and captured by the emotions in the songs. As a professional, I have to recognize the influence that the Beatles had on this album. At the same time, I admire Brian’s flavor. He has such a wide variety of instruments and the lyrics are so far ahead of his time, it leaves me in awe. This album is ageless and I’d love to produce something equal to this.