Songs and Production

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

What draws you more into a track you enjoy? The song - the melody, words - or what's done to it - hooky noises, production tricks, disruptions? And where does the performance fit in?

This may seem like a really unsupportable binary but it's one which has a certain amount of traction in the word outside Poptimists and maybe even some within it.

For instance many reviews of the Britney album seem generally to be treating it as - for better or worse - a record which stands and falls on its production rather than the songs or performance (and are explicitly making that distinction). And the reason *I* like the Britney album I think is the way the production seems to be making war on the songs, never totally winning but never letting them get out unscathed either.

For another example of what I'm fumbling towards, look at the two latest Girls Aloud singles. "Call The Shots" and "Sexy! No No No..." seem to work in quite different ways - the former resting on its melody and 'songcraft', the latter on the impact of its production. (You may of course completely disagree).

I feel this entry is very clumsy - sorry - but I think there's a conversation worth having here!

Comments

Re: this is me doing a research proposal

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I've not heard all the Kylie album yet. From what I have heard, I think it's a mixed bag, and actually a slightly uncertain approach to production might be one of the problems. (Like, I can hear what they're TRYING to do on "Nu-Di-Ty" but I think it's a total mess - maybe it'll resolve itself for me).

Re: this is me doing a research proposal

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Mmm, yeah, Nu-Di-Ty and all thereafter is actually crap but that's only the last three tracks, most of the rest of it works, although it is all a bit 90s indie on a few levels. [nb: I wouldn't have actually thought that myself except people keep whinging about indieness]

Re: this is me doing a research proposal

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Ah, well I don't know where on the album any of the tracks I have come - having completely failed (so far) to get a promo off EMI I resorted to downloading tracks off a gay disco DJ on slsk who had the record but in alphabetical order. Some of the tracks are definitely good, I like the one with the Gainsbourg sample.

I have had an issue with Kylie's voice since 1988 though, and it's not really abating.