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Switched on Pop Return of the Guitar

 I chose to write my switched on pop blog about the Return of Guitar episode. At the beginning of the episode they play three songs by one by Khalid, Halsey, and Juice Wrld. They suggest that all of these songs have these melancholy guitar based intros and how this is really different than years past. They did a study of all the top 100 songs and found that there is much more guitar than in years past. This lead them to believe that this came from more country music in the top 100 because country music is known to always have a guitar. They found this however to not be true. Pop music which is usually made synthetically now has more guitar than in the years past. One thing that I learned from listening to this podcast is that really the electric guitar can be traced back to Hawaii. That famous Hawaii sound that is often heard when Hawaii is shown actually comes from the electric guitar. At this point the podcast had an advertisement which I did not appreciate because I already pay ...
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Gone Country by Alan Jackson

 This week I chose to write about the song "Gone Country" by Alan Jackson. Alan Jackson is very comparable to George Strait. These two country artists were the faces of country music in the 80's and 90's and their songs are still played today. Both of these artists were very traditional in their country style. The song "Gone Country" was actually written by Bob McDill. It was released way back in 1984. This song basically tells the stories of multiple people who are unsatisfied with their current lifestyles. These people then make the choice to change their lifestyles for a simpler country lifestyle. The main chorus of the song says                                 "He's (one chorus it says she's) gone country, look at them boots,                                                ...
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Thriller by Micheal Jackson

 This week I chose to write on Thriller by Michael Jackson.  Michael Jackson is such a well known artist. He was born in nineteen fifty eight and died tragically back in two thousand nine. He has a very iconic high pitched voice and was often known as the king of pop.  This is such a fun and classic song. It came out way back in nineteen eighty two. Even though it is quite old it is still quite popular. Many people have created covers of this song and it is often played around Halloween. The song is a great Halloween song and has a creepy vibe at the beginning. This song is very upbeat and easy to listen to. The whole song tells a horror story of being followed by zombies and other nightly creatures. It portrays this story in such a fun way. One cool part of the song is the organ that is heard in the background this adds extra creepy elements to the song because organs are often associated with villains. The song also has an ominous voice which also begins telling the sto...
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Blues Eyes Crying in the Rain by Willie Nelson

 This week I chose to write on Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain by Willie Nelson. This song tells the sad story of a man who lost his true love. From the lyrics I believe that the woman whom he love dies, because he says "Some day when we meet up yonder, We'll stroll hand in hand again". His true love has blue eyes and he sings of his memories of her crying in the rain. He sings about how he knew they would never meet again because she was about to die. This song shows how little country music has changed to this point in time. The tune and message of the song is very easily compared to the likes of Hank Williams and earlier country singers. Willie Nelson's voice matches the old country style as well. The main instruments throughout this song are the acoustic guitar and the bass. No other instruments are heard throughout the song except for the occasional sound of a harmonica like instrument. The song has a very slow beat. The song itself is very short with not many lyric...
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Thank God I'm a Country Boy by John Denver

 This week I chose to write on Thank God I'm a Country Boy by John Denver. This song is very upbeat and sounds like a typical small town song. The beat at the beginning is kept by a simple stomp clap rhythm. The song has many instruments that are typical for a country song. The most distinguishable of course is the fiddle it is the main instrument and has many highlights through out the song. Other notable instruments are the guitar and banjo which can be heard in the background. The song mostly sings about the lifestyle which the author desires. The whole song is about how thankful that he is because he grew up on a farm and learned that lifestyle. He starts off the song by saying "Well life on the farm is kinda laid back" throughout the song he sings about how he enjoys the laid back easy going lifestyle of living in the country. He also sings about how he does not want money or jewels but would rather have his farm and tools. He also sings about how he gained this appr...
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Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix

 This week I chose Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix. This song no matter where you listen to it at it makes you feel like you are at a rock concert. I have always heard the name Jimi Hendrix but I do not think I have ever listened to very many songs of his until now. I love the guitar in this song. I love the intro to the song where it begins with just the single guitar and then the percussion joins. This song seems like its designed to just make the electric guitar sound cool which it does a pretty good job of. I love all of the different notes and sounds they are able to make with the guitar in this song. The lyrics add character to the song but from what I can tell they are the sideshow compared to the guitar because they seem quite meaningless. This song seams like it is a self hype song. Kind of like AC-DC where it is a rock song about how cool they are. The drum set in the background also adds so much to this song. It gives the song's beat much more emphasis as well as it has its ...
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Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles

 This week I chose to listen to Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles. I love the fast paced beat of this song. I also really like how they utilize orchestra instruments in this song. This song is interesting because the lyrics are actually quite depressing however the fast paced beat and sound of the string instruments create a sense of urgency that does not allow you to feel sad or depressed. The whole song is about lonely people. In particular Eleanor Rigby and Father Mckenzie. It first describes Eleanor Rigby as living in a dream and waiting by the window. It then describes Father Mckenzie and how he writes sermons that no will hear and that no one comes to listen to him. It also states how he fixes his socks even though no one will see them. The song then asks the question "What does he care". Why does Father Rigby do all these things if no one cares or listens to him. The last part of the song says that Eleanor Rigby dies and no one came to her funeral but Father Mckenzie who al...
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