Best Ever Albums

Re: Reflektor !

bonafini — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 15:24:45 GMT

Author: bonafini

Posted: 09/15/2013 19:24

It's too much of a copy of 80's bowie. The refrain is nice, but they're much better than this.

Re: Reflektor !

AlexZangari — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 14:16:01 GMT

Author: AlexZangari

Posted: 09/14/2013 18:16

Shadow23 wrote:

Reflektor. 5:00.

You have to be absolutely clueless to think that's rapping. I wouldn't be so smug if I were you.

Re: Reflektor !

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 12:30:37 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/14/2013 16:30

tekin wrote:

I don't think that was the case either, at least before Wagner which was also the golden age of classical music (and it isn't like his music is good because of rare progressions, that would be pretty accessible); who among the titans was experimenting with chord progressions? Bach? All of his stuff are maneuvers among diatonic triads. Is he boring then? To call a chord progression boring because it's overused is like calling an equation ugly because it doesn't have too much variables, i.e. nonsense.

Context context context I guess. Like I can only speak for my own experience, but there are times where the simplicity of a song bothers me (say it makes the song seem commonplace or lazily written), but it depends on so many other (largely personal) factors that I can't pair it down to something as simple as "this is a boring chord progression". It depends how I interpret everything else the musician is doing. I don't really disagree with you nor do I disagree with shadow, if that is possible.

Shadow23 wrote:

The descending chromatic is off course pretty straight forward, but not used mich in pop songs

I dunno, descending things like that show up a noticeable amount of popular music, not as often as your standard pop progression, but often enough.

Re: Reflektor !

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 11:54:30 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/14/2013 15:54

Shadow23 wrote:

No, what you just said there is nonsense. The true beauty of mathematics is simplicity, while one the parameters that creates the true beauty of music is complexity.

Ah then, Mr. Arsetotale, when did you discover that? Go find simplicity in this: http://www.research.ibm.com/people/h/hirzel/papers/canon00-goedel.pdf.

Re: Reflektor !

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 11:43:27 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/14/2013 15:43

Shadow23 wrote:

The true beauty of mathematics is simplicity, while one the parameters that creates the true beauty of music is complexity.

I think a lot of people would disagree with you on that latter point. Minimalism is very common in music.

Re: Reflektor !

Shadow23 — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 11:39:48 GMT

Author: Shadow23

Posted: 09/14/2013 15:39

tekin wrote:

To call a chord progression boring because it's overused is like calling an equation ugly because it doesn't have too much variables, i.e. nonsense.

No, what you just said there is nonsense. The true beauty of mathematics is simplicity, while one the parameters that creates the true beauty of music is complexity.

Re: Reflektor !

Shadow23 — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 11:35:08 GMT

Author: Shadow23

Posted: 09/14/2013 15:35

yourself wrote:

I agree in some ways with what your saying (different/interesting chord progressions can make a song better or a musician more creative, I do wish more pop musicians tried to be creative this way). However wild harmonic innovation isn't usually where creativity in normal pop/rock music comes from anyways, at least compared to the stuff that goes on in jazz and classical. Its about context (arrangement, melody, structure, vocal delivery) and what your trying to do with the musical language you choose to use (sometimes simple means are the best for achieving certain moods). Also you can use less than 4 chords and still be "interesting", what if you use odd chords? dissonance? or teeter between things in a way that doesn't resolve properly?

Based on what you wrote I don't see how the songs you mentioned are less standard than the arcade fire song (pink floyd is doing a descending chromatic thing people have done for hundreds of years, david bowie just sounds like minor key i-iv-v).

on the thread topic: the new Arcade Fire song is very dull.

I will be very clear on the fact that chord progressions cannot be the only thing making a song interesting or boring. It's the combinqtion of everything: progressions, instruments, lyrics, etc etc.

As to your question "Also you can use less than 4 chords and still be "interesting", what if you use odd chords? dissonance? or teeter between things in a way that doesn't resolve properly?", my point is that songs with 4 or less chords are generally boring in their chord progressions. Of course there are exceptions. Talking Heads are famous for writing entire songs with only 2 chords: other things make them interesting.

The descending chromatic is off course pretty straight forward, but not used mich in pop songs; the progression on the Bowie song surprises me because it goes back to Am where you'd expect Dm, not because it goes from Dm to Gm. And small, simple variations can easily sound complex and be fairly simple.

Jazz and classical is another league when it comes to complexity.[/i]

Re: Reflektor !

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 11:24:12 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/14/2013 15:24

yourself wrote:

However wild harmonic innovation isn't usually where creativity in normal pop/rock music comes from anyways, at least compared to the stuff that goes on in jazz and classical
Based on what you wrote I don't see how the songs you mentioned are less standard than the arcade fire song (pink floyd is doing a descending chromatic thing people have done for hundreds of years, david bowie just sounds like minor key i-iv-v).

Re: Reflektor !

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 10:37:33 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/14/2013 14:37

Shadow23 wrote:

I think it is. Classic chord progressions include E - B - C#m - A, E - A - D - A and A - F#m - D - E, and they sound very good, but there are just no surprises. A chord progression is - as I see it - boring if it contains no surprises.

An example of a great chord progression is the one in The Beatles' I Want To Hold Your Hand, which includes a very surprising change from Em to B7. Another one is Pink Floyd's Wot's... Uh The Deal which goes G - Gmaj7 - G7 - G6 - G+ and creates a fantastic atmosphere. David Bowie's Velvet Goldmine uses a pretty cool trick in the chorus: after going from Dm to Am twice, there's a surprising change to Gm and going back to Am instead of Dm, which would have been natural, is just brilliant.

Also, if a song only contains four chords or less, it is almost certainly a boring progression (but not necessarily a boring song).

Re: Reflektor !

Shadow23 — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 09:24:53 GMT

Author: Shadow23

Posted: 09/14/2013 13:24

tekin wrote:

I think Chord Progression is maybe one of those things that doesn't take "boring" as an adjective.

Re: Reflektor !

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 05:26:53 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/14/2013 09:26

I think Chord Progression is maybe one of those things that doesn't take "boring" as an adjective.

Re: Reflektor !

Shadow23 — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 03:28:25 GMT

Author: Shadow23

Posted: 09/14/2013 07:28

Jhereko wrote:

When on earth have Arcade Fire ever been complex 😕 Their biggest appeal is their universality which comes from having fairly simple chord progressions and even simpler rhythms and chanting over them.

On Neon Bible, especially Ocean Of Noise. Notice the transitions.

But yeah, their chord progressions are generally boring

Re: Reflektor !

Shadow23 — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 03:27:22 GMT

Author: Shadow23

Posted: 09/14/2013 07:27

AlexZangari wrote:

You really sound like you know what you're talking about :roll:

Reflektor. 5:00.

Re: Reflektor !

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 21:27:49 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/14/2013 01:27

Shadow23 wrote:

I miss the complexity Arcade Fire had once. This is just a somewhat boring attempt to copy the sound of 80s disco pop. I think it sounds an awfully lot like this:

Re: Reflektor !

AlexZangari — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 19:19:55 GMT

Author: AlexZangari

Posted: 09/13/2013 23:19

Puncture Repair wrote:

Sorry guys, but after a few listens - this is really bad. Listen to Tunnels now, feel that gradual build up? The sense of wonderment, nostalgia and youth? Now listen to this song. It's got no idea what it wants to be or where it's going, it's not long because it has too many ideas, it's long because it doesn't have any ideas.

I feel like if anyone else had released this song, it would get little to no attention.

For the record: compared to the rest of the song, I don't see anything wrong with the French bit.

Well comparing almost anything to Tunnels makes it look bad.

Re: Reflektor !

paladisiac — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 15:30:32 GMT

Author: paladisiac

Posted: 09/13/2013 19:30

after a few listens, the song definitely sounds like the cross between arcade fire and lcd soundsystem i was expecting, for all the good and bad that entails. But for now, i'm really digging it anticipating the full-length.

Re: Reflektor !

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 14:22:26 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/13/2013 18:22

Puncture Repair wrote:

I feel like if anyone else had released this song, it would get little to no attention.

For the record: compared to the rest of the song, I don't see anything wrong with the French bit.

Secont.

Re: Reflektor !

alelsupreme — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 13:51:39 GMT

Author: alelsupreme

Posted: 09/13/2013 17:51

It's alright I guess. Nothing more, nothing less.

Re: Reflektor !

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 13:36:41 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 09/13/2013 17:36

Sorry guys, but after a few listens - this is really bad. Listen to Tunnels now, feel that gradual build up? The sense of wonderment, nostalgia and youth? Now listen to this song. It's got no idea what it wants to be or where it's going, it's not long because it has too many ideas, it's long because it doesn't have any ideas.

I feel like if anyone else had released this song, it would get little to no attention.

For the record: compared to the rest of the song, I don't see anything wrong with the French bit.

Re: Reflektor !

AlexZangari — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 13:22:04 GMT

Author: AlexZangari

Posted: 09/13/2013 17:22

Shadow23 wrote:

Both have bit of English, a bit of French, some rap, a drum machine, a synthesized background and no variation in the chord processions.

You really sound like you know what you're talking about 🙄