May I also suggest linking the youtube video for the song.
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Holy shit. It was pioneering synthesizer music!!!
MY BUTT IS HURT!!!
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Thought I did, but it was just a pic. Fixed I think
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In 9th place
This sounds like an 80s song—it’s meant to. It’s actually a pretty conventional song structurally, which may sound strange for a song that’s written in the first person from the perspective of an old arcade video game. Conventional is fine, but I didn’t really care for the guy’s voice. The electronic aspect was pretty prevalent, with some bleeps and bloops. The riff from 0:10 to 0:20 gives you a good idea of how the whole song goes.
The overall conceit was a little gimmicky and campy and confusing (“I’m half human and half machine”—wait, how are you half human?). The song wasn’t musically strong enough to overcome the gimmicky aspect. On first listen I was momentarily enthralled by the computer/arcade sounds, but it doesn’t hold up to repeated listening. I wouldn’t listen to it again. I did find the delivery on these lines amusing at 2:44:
I'm happy for years and years
And only eating the occasional maintenance man
Only driving a few kids to madness
Maybe they were predisposed to madness, who knows?
Overall, after several listens, it was a clear nodium for me. Sorry.
4 Likes
“Baba O’Riley”'s backing track was derived from the Lifehouse concept, where Townshend wanted to input the vital signs and personality of Meher Baba into a synthesiser, which would then generate music based on that data. When this idea fell through, Townshend instead recorded a Lowrey Berkshire Deluxe TBO-1 organ using its marimba repeat feature as the backing track.[12] This modal approach was inspired by the work of minimalist composer Terry Riley.
Hmm…still electronic. Butt still hurts.
If it makes you feel better, it did pain me to put it last…
;_;
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Not really. Me last place and Nano 9th place. This house is not happy!!!
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Ok, I’ve calmed down and accepted things. Nano is still furious.
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Even her avatar is crying.
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Is it too early to suggest mediation?
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I’m not saying anyone is threatening anything, but Nano is saying crash-face and punching her hand over and over.
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In 8th place:
The Knife Pass This On
I had never heard of this band. The song starts with a little reggae vibe which I found interesting. I assume that’s supposed to sound like steel drums? Lyrically I was laughing at the very first two lines.
I'm in love with your brother
What's his name
I thought I'd come by
To see him again
When you to dance
Oh what a dance
Not sure if this was supposed to be funny but it was to me. The beat throughout the song with the reggae flourish is pretty catchy and matches the off-kilter lyrics.
Does he know what I do and
You'll pass this on, won't you
The initial vocals in the song reminded me a little of Nico (with Velvet Underground), or maybe someone else I can’t put my finger on. The effect of the vocals is hypnotic and creates a good vibe. The weirdo higher-pitched vocals starting at 2:00 didn’t really do it for me. This was arresting enough on first listen, but don’t think I’d go back to this song in the future.
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Survived the nodium! I won’t light the fireworks just yet.
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Looks like I’m the last surviving member of the “no nodium” club.
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From now on I will think of you like you are one of the guys across the lake in a summer camp movie who have their designer pullovers casually hanging over their shoulders over their salmon colored polo shirts.
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In 7th place: Bowie Little Wonder
I like Bowie. He’s a weirdo and he’s willing to try different stuff. I like some things about this song stylistically, but as a song I don’t think I will return to it much. Scratchy industrial sounds right out of the gate in the first five seconds. Skittery drum beat. Lyrically I can’t really tell what’s going on.
Stinky weather, fat shaky hands
Dopey morning Doc, grumpy gnomes
Little wonder then, little wonder
You little wonder, little wonder you
If I am being honest the song is not that exciting, and it sounds like he just pasted some techno type sounds over a somewhat weak song. He name-checks the seven dwarfs for some reason. The chorus and the last half of the song sound kind of conventional. I feel he is experimenting with some sounds he likes, but he doesn’t quite know how to incorporate them into songwriting. I probably would not revisit.
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And it looks like I just barely survived retaining my “no nodium” membership.
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Nine Inch Nails vibes.
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In 6th place
The Presets - Kicking and Screaming
Submitter comments: “I listen to quite a range within Electronic Music, but the examples you provided included singing, so I went for this banger. I can’t dance to save myself, but damned if this track doesn’t make me wish otherwise.”
This is clearly a dance song. No worries about it not being electronic enough. The lyrics were kind of nonsensical, which is fine, but they didn’t evoke any feeling or special mood for me.
When I was young
I collected my heroes
When I was young
I was a star amongst zeroes
But then I grew up
And now I'm heading up river
I'm gonna cover myself in mud, mud
Yeah I'm a deliver (?)
Never can believe how much fun we're having
Can't believe how much fun we're having
Never can believe how much fun we're having
The chorus is sung in almost a falsetto. The musical joke at 2:10 (“and then I sank”) is nice. At 3:15 there appear to be wolves, which I dug. At 4:00 they take it down a notch, and the buildup back to crescendo at 4:40 is effective. On the whole to me this sounds a little generic, but I admit I don’t listen to stuff like this much, so I don’t know how it fits in with other dance/throb music. It does represent squarely the preconceived notion I had of “electronica” before this Walrus. If I had some drugs in me I’d possibly get out on the dance floor.
5 Likes