tynor%prism@GATECH.EDU (Steve Tynor) (02/06/90)
-=> ROCK/JAZZ METER SURVEY <=-
While most rock and jazz tunes use common time (4/4), I'm compiling a
list of exceptions. You'd think that genres like rock and jazz which
are (supposedly) so strongly influenced by African drumming would
display more variety in their meters. I'm looking for songs that use
strange time signatures (even 3/4 seems rare enough to count as
strange in the rock genre!). Obvious 'art rock' bands (Yes, Genesis,
King Crimson, etc.) appear to be the most likely candidates for
using odd times, but I'm sure there are more.
Listen closely to your favorite tunes - some are likely to be written
in odd times! It's surprising how natural an odd time can sound - even
though I've been listening for this kind of thing for some time, I've
often been hit by a sense of revelation when I realize some song I've
been listening to is in some strange time. Even if only part of the
tune is in an odd time (an oddly timed intro or bridge), send it in!
Put your submissions in the following format:
<band> <album> <song> <timing>
as shown in the following table. Here is my meager list to date (note:
all timings are derived from listening, not by perusing a score - they
may be inaccurate - corrections are welcome):
BAND ALBUM SONG TIMING
--------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- --------------
? ? Mission Impossible 5/4
Beatles Magical Mystery Tour All You Need is Love 7/8
Brubeck, Dave Time Out [all of 'em] 5/4, 9/8, 6/4
Bush, Kate The Dreaming Sat in your Lap 12/8, 8/8
Collins, Phil Face Value Droned 9/8
Gabriel, Peter PG I Solsbury Hill 7/8
Genesis Selling England... Cinema Show 7/8
Genesis Lamb Lies Down... Back in N.Y.C. 7/8
Genesis Trick of a Tail Dance On a Volcano 7/8
Genesis Duke Turn It On 13/8
Jethro Tull Living in the Past Living in the Past 5/4
Kansas Point of Know Return Point of Know Return 7/8
Kansas Point of Know Return Paradox 6/8, 8/8
Kansas Point of Know Return The Spider 15/8, and G*d
knows what
else...
King Crimson Three of a Perfect Pair Three of a Perfect Pair 6/8, 7/8
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy Over the Hills...(intro) ? HELP PLEASE!
Rush Moving Pictures YYZ (intro) 10/4
Yes The Yes Album Perpetual Change 5/4, 6/4, 4/4
(perpetually
changing!)
I'm sure that some of these bands have other tracks with wierd meter
and there must be other bands experimenting in offbeat (groan)
meters... [Let's not get into a flame war w.r.t what is and is not
'rock' or 'jazz'. If you can find it in the 'rock' or 'jazz' section
of your favorite record store, it's eligible for this list (so I guess
'new age' counts, though I'd be _very_ surprised if you can find any
odd meters there :-))]
So dig into you record (CD?) collection and help me compile the list.
PLEASE EMAIL ALL RESPONSES TO ME (tynor@prism.gatech.edu) - I've
cross-posted this note and don't follow all these groups regularly;
I'LL SUMMARIZE TO THE NET. Thanks!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Try not to have a good time... This is supposed to be educational.
Steve Tynor
Artificial Intelligence Branch
Georgia Tech Research Institute
tynor@prism.gatech.eduds68+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU (David Mark Svoboda) (02/11/90)
Don't forget Kate Bush Never For Ever Blow Away ?? Pete Townshend All the best Cowboys have Chinese Eyes Face Dance Part II 5/4 I should also point out that most Cocteau Twins songs are in 3/4 or some trinary rhythm, and also most of the songs off The Dreaming throw in an extra beat here&there (There goes a Tennor,Pull Out the Pin, Leave It Open) (What's fun is watching all the students in Eurythmics II walking in 2, clapping in 3, and counting in 5!) | David Svoboda | ds68@andrew.cmu.edu | | Pianist From Hell | Carnegie-Mellon University | | "I want to be stereotyped. I want to be classified." |