"The Fray" - The Fray Album Review

            The Fray’s second studio album, The Fray, was released on February 3, 2009 and quickly made its way up the charts. Despite the varied ratings and reviews, it has since been certified gold in three countries: Australia, Canada, and the United States. Some critics believed that the album was too similar to The Fray’s first album, How to Save a Life, while others thought there was nothing wrong with their album.

            From The Fray came four singles, including a cover of Kanye West’s “Heartless”. The first single, “You Found Me” appears to be a song depicting the life of the lead singer, Isaac Slade and received positive reviews. It is a song about feeling down in one’s life and doubting God when in a time of need and let-downs: “Where were you when everything was falling apart?” The other two singles, “Syndicate” and “Never Say Never”, also performed fairly well on the charts.

            On the album, there appears to be a more personal song for Isaac Slade. “Enough For Now” seems to be a song about his mother’s childhood and relationship with her father. It is slow-paced and dramatic. Slade sings, “The century before you never could turn twenty-one. Years and years he waited, just watching for a son. For someone to go ahead and take the name he said. Years and years he waited and daughter came instead.” It seems that his grandfather wanted a son and held a grudge against his daughter because of it. He talks about his grandfather as not being able to love his daughter or even his own wife.

            Songs such as “Absolute” and “Say When” are somewhat repetitive and similar in sound. Adversely, “Ungodly Hour” and “We Build Then We Break” are very different than most songs on the album. “Ungodly Hour” is slow and contains soothing vocals. “We Build Then We Break” is haunting and the fast chorus contrasts against its slow verses. “Happiness” literally talks about happiness and the good and bad things that come with it: “Happiness feels a lot like sorrow. Let it be, you can’t make it come or go.”

            As a whole, The Fray is an enjoyable, relaxing album. There is variety in the types of songs and the lyrics. The vibe is typical of The Fray and similar to that of their first album. Slade’s vocals are honest, soothing, and provide a pleasant listening experience. I would highly recommend the album for anyone wanting to listen to softer take on contemporary rock music.

"Up On the Ridge" - Dierks Bentley Album Review

          Commercially, Dierks Bentley’s fifth studio album, Up on the Ridge, could be considered a flop. Critically, however, Bentley was praised for his new takes on bluegrass music. His album was released on June 8, 2010 and produced two singles; the title track on April 12, 2010 and “Draw Me a Map” on August 23, 2010. Each single proved to be two of the lowest charting singles Bentley has seen with “Draw Me a Map” being the lowest.

            Despite the low commercial success, the critics praise his album and applaud his many, genius collaborations. The Punch Brothers, a rising bluegrass band, appear on three of the twelve songs on the album. They, along with Del McCoury, assist Bentley on his cover of U2’s popular “Pride (In the Name of Love)”. They also appear on Bentley’s “Rovin’ Gambler” and his cover of Bob Dylan’s “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)”. Also collaborating with Bentley is country star Miranda Lambert on the track, “Bad Angel”. She provides listeners with a country style, while Alison Krauss and her background vocals throughout the album provide a bluegrass style.  While, his collaborations are good, they are not the standout songs of his album.

            The title track off the album and his song “Fallin’ for You” each contain haunting vocals, but each song presents them differently. “Up on the Ridge” talks about running away with a girl for a night of fun: “Won’t you come with me tonight as the moonlight drifts into your eyes. I just want one little kiss when we get high up on the ridge”. Bentley’s lyrics in “Fallin’ for You” talk about his inability of overcoming his feelings toward a woman. Each song is sung in a haunting way, but takes common themes of his country music background and applies them to his new take on bluegrass music.

            Other standout songs include the playful track, “Fiddlin’ Around”: “Can’t you hear the music in the wind and see our shadows on the ground? Won’t you come on down? We gonna do a little fiddling’ around”. Also standing out, is his love song, “Draw Me a Map”. He uses distinct wordplay in order to get his feelings across: “You’re my destiny and destination, so understand my desperation”.

            As a whole, Bentley’s Up on the Ridge is a unique country-bluegrass album that probably appeals more to the bluegrass audience, as his singles failed to chart highly on the country charts. Critically, it holds an amazing array of collaborations and differentiating song themes. I would recommend this album for any country-lover who is looking for a new take on country music with bluegrass inspirations. 

Song Narrative ("Trying To Stop Your Leaving" - Dierks Bentley)

            She called him and asked if he wanted to meet her in the park around three o’clock that afternoon. He said that going to the park sounded like a great idea. It was mid-spring and the day was mild. The air was crisp; a great day to go to the park. He threw an old, worn Frisbee into his red backpack along with his camera and a few other things. It was the perfect day to take pictures and hang out with his girlfriend outside.

            As he drove through the gravel and dirt parking lot, he spotted his girlfriend’s black SUV a few parking spaces away. She was waiting for him, and by the look on her face, he knew that something wasn’t right. Noticing this, he reluctantly decided not to grab his backpack from the backseat of his Jeep Wrangler; he figured whatever it was that she was upset about would soon pass, but decided to leave the Frisbee and camera behind. He knew that she would rather talk.

            He met up with her in the parking lot and they strolled together through the park. Silence surrounded her and the only audible noise was of the sound of their feet walking through the soft, green grass. They came to a clearing by a flowing creek with small stones and pebbles scattered at its bottom. After a few, quiet minutes, she spoke up. She released the feelings and emotions that she had felt for some time, but was scared to reveal to him. They flowed out of her uncontrollably, like the water running next her in the creek. Her feelings were all new to him. He thought that their relationship was fine; nothing seemed to be going wrong. He was happy. She was happy; at least he thought she was. She told him that she was no longer in love. Angry, confused, and hurt, he left. He didn’t know what else to do. She tried stopping him and told him that she was sorry, but he didn’t want to hear what she was saying. He wanted to stop her from leaving.

            Driving back to his apartment, he was left confused. He sat on his couch when he got home and attempted to figure out what went wrong. Did he do something? Did she love someone else? As the anger start to take over, he knew he couldn’t stay in his small apartment any longer; everything in there was beginning to remind him of her. He had to get out.

Tired and distressed, he decided to go for a walk. Naturally, he took his guitar. It seems that he never went anywhere without it. He walked through the woods until he stumbled upon railroad tracks. Stepping on them, he felt a sense of calmness. There was no movement in the woods; all was still. However, he was lonesome. A few moments later, he heard the distant sound of a train whistle. The train was coming. It would be there before too long. He couldn’t stop it from coming and the echo of its whistle and the rumbling of the tracks disturbed the serenity of the woods. The train seemed to come from nowhere. His guitar or a song could not stop the train, but still, having it with him made him feel better; it was his security blanket. Because the peace of the woods was stripped away from the oncoming train, he left to search for a new spot of peacefulness.

            On in his expedition he came to a river in the woods. The shore was lined with pebbles and rocks, much like the ones blanketing the creek in the park. He grabbed one off of the ground and picked it up. He tried to skip it across the river, but his attempt failed. He picked another pebble off of the bank and threw it into the water, this time with force. The river keeps running and does not even know that he was around. His frustration was growing. Even if he threw a million more into the river, it would not stop flowing. It was a lost cause. He could not change what he could not control.

He would do anything if he thought it might change her mind or stop her. But, she didn’t love him anymore. Realizing this and being at the river gave him the sense solitude and peace he was searching for. He had to accept what was beyond his control. If not, he would never be content or find the strength to move on in his life. However, like the train coming in the woods and river running next to him, the pain came over him and tears started running down the sides of his face. He couldn’t stop the train or the river. He couldn’t stop the pain or the tears. They flowed out of him, like the emotions of his girlfriend, like the creek in the park, and like the river in front of him. They were beyond his control. 

And yet, he accepted it.

Song Analysis #2 "One Day You Will" - Lady Antebellum

               Ironically, a member of Lady Antebellum, Hillary Scott, auditioned for the television show, American Idol, twice and was rejected both times. She is now a part of Lady Antebellum with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood. They formed together in 2006. Family connections in the music industry helped launch their now extremely successful career. Hillary Scott’s mother, Linda Davis, is a famous country singer and Charles Kelley’s brother, Josh Kelley, is a prominent figure in the music industry. Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood began as childhood friends. They met Scott through Kelley’s Myspace page. Their debut album, Lady Antebellum, now certified two-times platinum, featured an array of different song styles within the country genre. A particular song, “One Day You Will”, is slower than most of the songs on their album. It’s uplifting lyrics and meaning provide hope for the future during rough times. Lady Antebellum uses an extensive amount of poetic devices in their song, “One Day You Will”, to symbolize the process of overcoming conflicts in one’s life and how unfortunate events will not likely be permanent.

                To achieve the mood and meaning of the song, Lady Antebellum uses multiple clichés. For example, “Like you’re slippin’ through the cracks” is one cliché used. Many people use this expression to describe the feeling of falling apart emotionally. Another cliché used is: “In every cloud there’s a silver lining”. This cliché is used when describing that an unwanted or unfortunate event will get better. It is well-known, which allows it to have a universal meaning. Lady Antebellum says, “You’re just barely hanging by a thread”, which is a third cliché. This is often used to describe the feeling that one is just about to fall apart emotionally. These clichés are common; they allow universal meaning and can be relatable to most. Their use also contributes to the overall theme of overcoming conflict.

                Other poetic devices used in Lady Antebellum’s song include symbolism and objectification. In the chorus they say, “But down the road the sun is shining”. Saying “down the road” is a symbolic way of mentioning the future. Then, the assurance that the future will be better is symbolized when they say that “the sun is shining”. Objectification takes on a slightly different role from the symbolism. The objectification takes on the role of describing some of the conflicts that the symbolism suppresses and heals. They say, “With the weight of all those disappointments/ Whispering in your ear”. The disappointments are being objectified. First, they are mentioned as if they are a concrete item because they are said to have weight. Second, the disappointments are given the capability of whispering. Disappointments neither have weight, nor can they whisper. This objectifying helps present the disappointments, or conflicts, in one’s life in a more dramatic way. The symbolism and objectification work together to help provide the deeper meaning of the song.

                “One Day You Will” by Lady Antebellum is a highly uplifting song filled with poetic devices. The clichés are used in an effective way; they allow universal connections and interpretations to the lyrics. Symbolism and objectification are used to show conflict and the ability to overcome them. Contributing to the theme of resolving conflict is the tone of the song. The chorus’s tone is extremely uplifting and encouraging. It provides a sense of happiness, or hope for overcoming conflict. These poetic devices, along with the tone, work together seamlessly to create the overall uplifting and encouraging mood of the song that provides hope for the future as one makes their way through hardships.

"One Day You Will" - Lady Antebellum

You feel like you’re falling backwards
Like you’re slippin’ through the cracks
Like no one would even notice
If you left this town and never came back
You walk outside and all you see is rain
You look inside and all you feel is pain
And you can’t see it now

Chorus
But down the road the sun is shining
In every cloud there’s a silver lining
Just keep holding on (just keep holding on)
And every heartache makes you stronger
But it won’t be much longer
You’ll find love, you’ll find peace
And the you you’re meant to be
I know right now that’s not the way you feel
But one day you will

You wake up every morning and ask yourself
What am I doing here anyway
With the weight of all those disappointments
Whispering in your ear
You’re just barely hanging by a thread
You wanna scream but you’re down to your last breath
And you don’t know it yet

Repeat Chorus

Find the strength to rise above
You will Find just what you’re made of, you’re made of

Repeat Chorus

One day you will Oh one day you will

Legend and Myth in Music

#1

Johnson died at a young age of twenty seven and recorded only 29 songs. Despite the amount of songs he recorded and his young death, Robert Johnson is labeled as one of the greatest blues musicians of all time. However, there is controversy over how he achieved his talent. Some believe that Johnson sold his soul to the devil one night at a crossroad. They believe that in return for his soul, the devil granted him to be the greatest blues musician of all time. With no proof to this myth, the more logical explanation is that he developed his talent by practicing with other great blues artists.

"Official Robert Johnson Web Site, MS Delta Blues Singer Legend, Foundation." Robert

Johnson Blues Foundation Official Website, MS Delta Blues Singer Legend, Blues Festival May 8, 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://www.robertjohnsonbluesfoundation.org/Bio.html>.

#2

Apparently, Ozzy Osbourne has a liking towards the taste of living animals. His first taste of live animals came in 1981. After a meeting with record-company executives, he bit the head off of a live dove. Later that year, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off of a bat during a concert. A seventeen year old threw the bat onto stage in response to Ozzy throwing meat into the audience throughout his performances. It is unknown whether the bat was alive or not. Some say the bat was alive and only stunned by the bright lights on stage. Others say that the bat had been dead for two weeks. Regardless, he received medical treatment later to prevent any diseases.

"Ozzy Left His Mark | The Des Moines Register | DesMoinesRegister.com." The Des

Moines Register | Des Moines News, Community, Entertainment, Yellow Pages and Classifieds. Serving Des Moines, Iowa | DesMoinesRegister.com. 19 Dec. 2007. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/ENT/502270318>.

Sullivan, James. "Ozzy Bites Head Off Bat." Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2004.

Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://web.archive.org/web/20080822012126/www.rollingstone.com/Mythozzy>

.

#3

There is an ongoing conspiracy that Paul McCartney, a member of The Beatles, is

actually dead. People believe that he died in a car crash in 1966. The cover of The Beatles’ album, Abbey Road, supposedly contains many clues that prove his death. John Lennon is wearing a white suit (preacher), Ringo Starr is wearing a black suit (mourner), Paul McCartney is barefoot (corpse/death), and George Harrison is wearing denim (gravedigger). The members together are thought to represent a funeral procession. There are also other “clues” on the front cover. For example, the license plate on a car in the background says “28IF”. This is thought to mean that Paul McCartney would be twenty eight if he were still living. However, The Beatles have disregarded people’s beliefs and reassured everyone that he is in fact still alive.

Harbidge, Michael. "Officially Pronounced Dead? - The Great Beatle Death

Conspiracy." Officially Pronounced Dead? Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://homepages.tesco.net/harbfamily/opd/albumabbey.html>. 

#4

            Bob Dylan is known for his folk music on acoustic guitars and other instruments. Never in folk music, however, was there use of an electric guitar. This changed on July 25, 1965 when Bob Dylan performed at the Newport Folk Festival using an electric guitar. The audience was shocked, some were offended, and they booed him throughout his performances. Never had a folk artist used an electric guitar before; the electric guitar was a symbol of rock music, not folk. After completing his set filled with silence from the audience, the crowd eventually cheered for him. Some later accepted his change, but others still shunned him for his switch.

Vaughan, Andrew. "This Day in Music Spotlight – Bob Dylan Goes ‘Electric’." Gibson

Guitar: Electric, Acoustic and Bass Guitars, Baldwin Pianos. 25 July 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/spotlight-0725/>.

#5

            Kurt Cobain was the lead singer of Nirvana. He died on April 8, 1994. Allegedly, he committed suicide; however, there is evidence that points in a direction of murder. Police and investigators believed he committed suicide because of his past drug and alcohol abuse and his depression. In the toxicology reports, there is an extremely high level of heroin in Cobain’s body after his death. Apparently, these levels were so high that it would make it next to impossible for Cobain to steady a gun and kill himself. There were no fingerprints on the suicide note he left. He was not wearing gloves which would mean that there would have to be fingerprints somewhere on the note. Some think his wife may have played a role in his death, but there has been no further investigation and the cause of his death remains a mystery today.

Lastine, Joshua. "Was Kurt Cobain Murdered? - Psychology & Law." Psychological

Science Blog. 7 Mar. 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://www.psychologicalscience.com/psylaw/2010/03/was-kurt-cobain-murdered.html>.

#6

Three individuals that I am familiar with in the Sgt. Pepper cover are Bob Dylan, Edgar Allan Poe, and Marilyn Monroe. Bob Dylan is one of the most famous artists and songwriters of all time. He is a mainly folk artist that has written a vast amount of songs. Many of his songs are famous for being protest songs or songs about his current generations. Edgar Allan Poe is a well-known poet famous for poems such as “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Marilyn Monroe was an extremely famous actress and singer in the 1950s and 60s.

Three individuals that I am ignorant of are Terry Southern, Fred Astaire, and Tony Curtis. Terry Southern was a famous writer mainly during the 1960s. He wrote many books and screenplays. He even rewrote some of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories when he was younger. Fred Astaire was a famous dancer of his time. He starred in a number of stage shows and motion pictures. He was in many comedy films with Ginger Rogers. Tony Curtis was a famous actor during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s who was married to the famous actress Janet Leigh. His daughter is the famous actress Jaime Lee Curtis.

Southern, Nile. "Biography." Terry Southern Writer. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.

<http://www.terrysouthern.com/bio.html>.

Encyclopedia Britannica. "Fred Astaire Biography." Biography.com. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.

<http://www.biography.com/articles/Fred-Astaire-9190991>.

A&E Television Networks. "Tony Curtis Biography." Biography.com. Web. 22 Mar.

2011. <http://www.biography.com/articles/Tony-Curtis-9263844>.

Song Analysis #1 "How to Save a Life" - The Fray

            The Fray formed in 2002 by Isaac Slade and Joseph King. They are an American rock band originating from Colorado. The Fray’s debut album, How to Save a Life, has been certified two times Multi-Platinum in the United States. The title track off the album is currently tied for the seventh longest charting single on Billboard’s Hot 100 and is one of the band’s most popular songs on the radio. Isaac Slade, the lead singer, has been quoted saying that “How to Save a Life” was written about a teenage boy he met at a camp for troubled teens. Many attempts were made by the boy’s parents and friends to help him, but their efforts seemed to be ineffective; nothing seemed to be getting through to the boy. Regardless of the actual meaning of the song, the songwriters, Isaac Slade and Joseph King, wrote the song ambiguously. This has allowed many listeners to make their own interpretations of the song and relate to it in their own way. In the song “How to Save a Life”, Isaac Slade and Joseph King use point of view and ambiguity to create a vague storyline, open to many interpretations, which speaks about general conflict between two individuals.

            Slade and King’s usage of the third person subjective point of view sets the framework of an ambiguous storyline. This storyline includes two nameless people in some state of conflict. Slade says, “Step one, you say, ‘We need to talk’/ He walks, you say, ‘Sit down, it's just a talk’”. He tells the story of these two people as is if he completely removed from the situation. There is a conflict between these two characters that Slade purposely neglects to mention so as to present a situation that is relatable to almost any person. Slade switches his point of view to the first person narrative, for the chorus alone, and says, “Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend”. Without getting too personal, Slade connects the conflict to his life, which allows the listener to do the same. The points of view allow the listener to hear a story of general conflict and then relate it to their own experiences.

The use of ambiguity in “How to Save a Life” further clouds the literal meaning of the song. The specific details of the conflict are never mentioned. Slade states that the two characters seem to be figuratively going in different directions: “As he goes left and you stay right”. His statement and its ambiguity allows the listener to develop their own interpretation. In two instances Slade presents efforts taken by one character to help the other. First, he says, “Drive until you lose the road / Or break with the ones you've followed”. Second, he says, “Lay down a list of what is wrong / The things you've told him all along / And pray to God he hears you”. In each of these statements, Slade tells how one character is making attempts at helping the other. However, in these attempts, there is little detail described. The lack of detail contributes to the ambiguous conflict existing in the song. The most significant line that proves the ambiguity is stated towards the end of the song. Slade says, “He will admit to everything”. The line is simple and vague. It leaves the listener with questions: Who is he? What does he need to admit to? What is everything? Any person could relate this line directly to their life in some way. Its simplicity allows one to do this. The ambiguity used in the song leads to multiple variations in meaning that one can relate to in their own way.

Slade and King’s usage of both point of view and ambiguity about a conflict between two individuals directs the listener to a multitude of interpretations. The main point of view (third person subjective) provides a vague plot and the secondary point of view (first person narrative) allows the listener to then make their own interpretations based off of Slade’s connections. The vast amount of ambiguity further provides the vague storyline that almost any person is able to relate to in some way. The simplicity of the lyrics provided by Slade and King are expertly written in such a way to be relatable to every listener in an infinite number of ways.