Foo Fighters, songwriting, and the climax of a song
Jun 9, 2008 Music
I have noticed something recently while listening to music. Some songs, rather than just being “verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus” will have a little something extra added to it. That something is sort of a “climax” to the song. When this climax is written in, it takes the song to a whole new level.
Think about working out. Towards the end of a good walk or run, you will really push the lat few minutes of it. That final “push” is what I’m talking about musically. It’s sort of what the entire song is building towards.
This “climax” can come in many forms in a song, but I think the best way to get my point across is through an actual example. The band Foo Fighters are notorious for writing climaxes into their music. They are one of my favorite bands, partly because of their songwriting technique. For example, let’s take the song “Hey Johnny Park!”. Here is part of it with my commentary so you can get the picture (click the little “play” button):
There you have it. Simply put, it’s the heaviest part of the song. Most of the time, you won’t find this in a song, but when you do, it really stands out. Here are some other songs in their entirety. See if you can find the climax of each one!:
Tags: climax, foo fighters, Music, songwriting, writing
Video Vednesday - Everlong
Here is my cover of the Foo Fighters’ song “Everlong”. This is actually one of my favorite songs of all time. Enjoy!
Tags: dave grohl, everlong, foo fighters, nirvana
Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl For President!
Mar 25, 2008 Current Events, Music
Foo Fighters front man and ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl throws his hat into the ring to run for President of the United States. This is a pretty humorous read. FTA:
On what will bring America together: “I think that what the country needs now is a good, smoky barbecue—family style, at least once a week, winter months included. It’s important that people bring it back to cooking over the fire as a family unit. You know what I do when I sit around a grill with my family? I talk. We talk. It’s something about that hickory smoke that brings my family together—and friends. And that’s where I really get to share and learn with my family and fellow Americans. It’s around that grill. It’s two beers, it’s three beers, it’s four beers, it’s 10 beers. This is what America needs—beer, and barbecue. It’s the red, white and barbecue.”
Tags: america, dave grohl, foo fighters, nirvana
New Feature: The Friday Five
Jan 25, 2008 Grab Bag, Music, Thoughts
You have probably seen this on other blogs, but every Friday (that I remember to do it), I will post a list of 5 “somethings”. Not nessessarily a top-5 list, but there will be 5 of whatever I post. So here we go…
Friday 5: The 5 cd’s I would want with me if stranded on an island (with a cd player and batteries)
1. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife 
The Decemberists are a band like few others I have heard. One song will be 4 minutes, and the next will be 16 minutes. That actually happens a few times on this cd, but it never gets old. The longer songs seem broken up into a couple of songs, just tied together under the same name. Style-wise, they have a folk-rock sound, often using a mandolin right next to the acoustic guitars. They sometimes sound Irish, although they are from the US.
2. Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace
I have been a foon (get it, as in “foo” and “fan”? I just made it up, and you can use it too) since the first cd back in 1995 or so. I was in 9th grade when I heard it, and that was all it took. Now, 12 years later, ESPG came out, and I have not been able to get enough of it. It rocks as hard as any FF cd ever has, but not at the expense of good music.
3. Alice in Chains - Unplugged
This is an old one, but good grief, it is good. It is amazing how a band can have 2 singers that have such similar voices. They do most of their hits during this concert, and their musicianship really shines though in the acoustic arrangements of some of the songs. My favorite song is Nutshell hands down. Wow.
4. Andrew Osenga - Letters to the Editor vol. 1
At only 6 songs, this EP show what happens when a true singer/songwriter sits down to record some songs with a list of rules for the project (as in, none of the songs can incorporate the use of a guitar pick). It keeps it interesting. Each song is just Andy and his guitar, and one of the best Andy O songs I have ever heard came from it (Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates). This is inspirational as a musician.
5. Third Day - Third Day
Of any CD I own, this one is my favorite. I have been a Third Day fan since 1993, and I have managed to see them in concert 33 times over the years. This cd was their breakthrough cd into the CCM market, and to this day, I think it is their best one.
So there it is. Hopefully, if I ever get stranded on an island, I will have these supplies. I mean hey, something has to distract me from a smoke monster or the “Others”, right?
Tags: alice in chans, andy osenga, cd's, decemberists, foo fighters, lost, Music, third day
