1 The Sound of Muzak musical talent, and the concept of an By Kris Kielich album as an art form. Lyrics are a lost art form in Music is in a state of decline. It themselves. Great, meaningful lyrics are seems like dime-a-dozen music is being hard to find nowadays. They may hide in listened to nonstop. The list is endless, the guise of a Taylor Swift song pandering and is too large to name here, but to 17-year-old girls about relationship everyday processed music and vocals, issues and how your heart was broken, or with shallow lyrics and repetitive beats are how you found love. That's all well and glorified on MTV and are churned out of good, but there must be something more. recording studios at a startling pace. But Sometimes you need to dig a little deeper there is hope. There are indeed many into lyrics. To me, the lyrics are the most bands and musicians taking a stand important part of the song. Lyrics are against the shallow and mundane music great when they analyze the world you that has plagued us for too long a time. It see around you in your life, but in an began in the nineties, with some of the introspective way. By looking inside most important music out there coming oneself and analyzing the world around right out of kid's bedrooms, at the start of oneself as well, lyrics are both beautiful the alternative music movement. and true. Feelings and emotion combine However, even that went into decline, as with facts and observations to create a hip hop and pop became the fashion. most magnificent and euphoric blend. Today, some of the greatest bands out That blend is what the best lyrics in the there are many no one has heard of. world are made of. These are the groups and musicians that Musical talent is also obviously aren't afraid to experiment and try new important in making music, but it's genres or sounds, and not stick with the something that we have forgotten is cookie cutter format. These are the necessary. Nowadays, you can go into a groups and musicians that play with time, studio, sing, (or attempt to, doesn't really rhythm, ambiance, and tone. These are matter) lyrics about whatever the groups and musicians that have both (coughfridayscough), auto tune it, put a musical talent, and some of the most simple beat on it and poof: you have a deeply insightful lyrics I have ever read. catchy pop song with no talent, barely any There are three main components of meaning, and that somehow everyone music in particular that have been lost in wants to listen to. Great musicianship is the new generation of pop music: lyrics, 2 characterized by those who aren't afraid to that they simply listen to 30 second push the boundaries in experimentation samples and if it doesn't suit their taste and melody. Those who have the immediately then...ERASE. Simple as capability to change time, rhythm, that. Great music in album form is meant harmony, and tone are the ones who truly to be listened to as a whole, because it are great musicians, not those who waltz doesn't just tell a story, but because it into a studio, choose a repetitive beat, rap takes the listener on a journey into or sing about going to the club and getting another plane, perhaps fictional, or drunk or some shallow love interest, auto perhaps their own. Today's world of radio tune it, process it and gloss it up aren't the singles just doesn't seem to cut it for me. real musicians here. It's those who break Now, to finish, I'll say this: Pop out of the shell of routine and formulaic music is not bad, nor is it not okay to listen ways. They are the ones who are to. I have European dance music on my remembered. iPod, and yes, it has shallow lyrics, a The last piece of the puzzle lost is generic beat, and auto tune. However, the idea of album as an art form. The that's not the point of this article. The point whole concept of the album was simply to was, just to show what exactly we've lost package together a collection of singles. here. It's okay to listen to pop or hip hop, But it evolved into something more. The or country, or metal, or whatever. If it album became a way of telling a story makes you happy, then listen, and I have through music, and was meant to be no right to say otherwise. But this article listened to as a whole. Great albums like was simply written in the hope that people Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, or the might expand their horizons and look at Who's Quadrophenia, or Radiohead's Ok certain things they may not have before. Computer, are remembered because they This was written for the simple fact that tell musical stories through their one of the wonders of our world: musicianship and lyrics. In today's day beautiful, meaningful music, is getting and age of download culture, if someone forever lost in the endless churn and rattle hears about Pink Floyd and looks them of the mainstream machine. And as of up, they can simply download their whole now, not many people really seem to care. discography online. This in itself is not a bad thing, the real tragedy is when that same person is so used to the instant gratification of today's mainstream music, 3 However If you wish “expand” Radiohead – They started in the some horizons, here a list of my top five 90's with great alt rock, and never bands/musicians that I have found stopped expanding from there. meaningful in my life: Porcupine Tree/Blackfield/Steven Wilson – Life changing for me. Steven Wilson, the mastermind behind all of these projects, not only writes the most beautiful lyrics and music I have ever heard in my Considered one of the most iconic life, but also does it all himself. He bands of all time, Radiohead is a self taught guitar player, and a combines ambiguously beautiful lyrics with a blend of rock that is unlike any other art rock group out there. Incorporating styles like jazz, electronic, dub step, rock, multi-instrumentalist, and it shows. and ambiance, they truly are Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, and perhaps some of the most talented Steven Wilson's solo work really musicians of the new era. use the album as art form concept Phil Collins / Peter Gabriel / to the max. Their breathtaking Genesis- Yes, yes I know. But soundscapes form a blend of looking at an honest viewpoint metal, acoustic soft rock, ambient, here, starting with Phil. Phil's work progressive rock and drone. Many may revolve around love songs, of their albums, especially but they are some of the most Porcupine Tree, have a theme. heartfelt love songs I have ever Their “Fear of a Blank Planet” heard. A great voice and a great album literally changed my life. There is too much more I could say about them, but just listen for yourselves, and see if the lyrics in that album and their others affect you. 4 songwriter. Gabriel is a fantastic incorporate MELODY. Yes folks art rock writer and singer, and his you heard me. He can sing quite music is also beautiful and very beautifully, often uses gorgeous creative. Genesis, the parent band soft passages of acoustic tones of both men, started out as and sweet vocals amidst the Gabriel's prog rock group, with grinding riffs and growls. The lyrics fantastic and complex songs. After are both fantastical and haunting, Phil took over, they still maintained and this is a metal band not to be their greatness, but just in a missed. different way. Phil's Genesis John Denver - As far as folk focused on more soft rock, but oh music goes, I'm usually not one for what wonderful soft rock it is. listening to too much of it. Opeth – If metal is your fancy, However, I grew up with John then never fear. Opeth combines Denver, and his music truly speaks extreme musical talent with that to me. It really is beautiful and classic metal sound. They often mix unexpected elements into their music, like classical guitar, atmospheric sounds, and other little surprises. I, being a metal fan myself, find Opeth very refreshing meaningful in a way that we have forgotten in this day in age. It speaks of nature and childlike innocence and imagination and freedom. Those gorgeous themes mixed with John's incredible voice make for a truly euphoric listening experience. not just because Mikael Akerfeldt has the best growls I've heard so far, but because they actually 5 The World Needs Clowns villagers to death. When brought to trial, (Hahaha--oh s#@t he was talking about the judge and jury were highly amused, me!) By Mark Mandych and he was released immediately on the grounds that he “was really quite creative What are clowns for? Have you and original and charming.” Truly, during ever really considered that question? I less fortunate times many modern tried to, and as a result I slept two hours comedians would have been last night. Not because of the espresso I disemboweled by a furious mob but for consumed, but rather due to the their comic nature (although some still multifaceted nature of this problem.