9.15.11 Adam News and Info

So MANY to chose from, (ALL of Adam's), but, Reggae has always been special to me. Sooooooo, I would please like to nominate this one

Was just watching some of Nikka's more recent "boxes" and thought I'd post this. It's been awhile since I've seen it.

Holy cow! This should be an interesting scandal...

I just finished listening to Angelina's new program on Outlaws of Love. She has done an exceptional job. This is a two-hour long, in-depth examination of the song and performance. Angelina starts by briefly talking about being at the concert and hearing it live. Then, she does an analysis in detail of how he sings the song and infuses it with emotion. She points out specific techniques and turns that most people don't consciously notice (if not highly trained as singers), but which add so much to the interpretation.

Her first guest is Elizabeth.... sorry, don't remember the last name. She is an academically trained, expert musician who talks about how the song is structured musically. To be honest, I am not sure how accessible her information is if you don't have a music theory background. I would be interested in hearing what others think. But, for me, it was fascinating!!! The song works, musically in so many ways. The type of harmonies and scales it incorporates, the arrangement of the guitar accompaniment which is almost like a duet, the harkening back to the musical troubadours of Europe, the way the melody moves down when you think it would move up, .... oh, well, you just have to listen for yourself. That simple little song works so well because it is very well structured, musically. Do I think that Adam intentionally and consciously said, "Let's keep this in the minor pentatonic scale" or "Let's start each subsequent section of the song up a minor third from the previous"? No, of course not. He crafted the song to reflect his experience and his emotions, and found what "sounded right". Still, I believe it sounded right to him because of its fit, musically. Because of all the things Elizabeth discerns in it.

Next, juniemoon reads her blog. Kudos, junie! A beautiful piece of writing. So glad that you participated. I love your image of it being a "cathedral" song.

After that, Angelina and I chat about my initial reaction to the song, her initial reaction to the song, and why we think it had such an impact on us and others. We talk about how Adam has grown as a singer and an artist, and touch on one of our favorite "hot" topics: that Adam's voice IS his instrument. One honed over years of hard work and practice.

Finally, Phillipa, who has a PhD in English and who did such a great job talking about the lyrics to Broken Open and Aftermath, reads the lyrics and discusses how and why they are, at once, very short and simple, and at the same time, profound and effective because of the simplicity. She talks about how Adam uses rhyme and chooses the lyrics based not only on meaning, but on the sound of the words together. Angelina and Phillipa talk about the way Adam delivers the bitter lyrics tenderly and with grace, "refusing to meet hatred with hatred." Here again, I am not saying that Adam intentionally and consciously says, "Let's repeatedly use this vowel sound in subsequent words on this phrase" or "If I choose the word 'rot' instead of 'burn' it will imply the hopelessness of redemption." I imagine his process is much more organic and spontaneous. He likes the way something sounds or feels. But, again, it is effective because it hits the mark in terms of structure and poetry.

This is not a program that you click on and have in the background while you do the dishes or fix dinner. It is dense with information and analysis. But, that simple little song is very complex vocally, musically and lyrically. and, IMO, deserves examination at this level. It was a treat to listen and reflect on all the facets that can be experienced in the song. Isn't that what makes something a "work of art?"

So, if you want to dive into the deep end for a bit, carve out two hours of your time to ponder OOL with Angelina and her guests.

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