Tag Archives: down

#728: Radiohead – Let Down

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Ah, ‘Let Down’. A firm fan favourite from OK Computer for many a Radiohead follower. A running joke on the band’s subreddit is calling the track ‘underrated’ even though there are so many posts that declare a huge love for it. It’s a sad song with really uplifting music, which brings many listeners to wonder whether it’s meant to be happy or truly depressing. Truly, it is a track that conveys conflicting emotions. For many years, the band didn’t play it live because they found it difficult to play and then suddenly around the time A Moon Shaped Pool was out in 2016, they played it for the first time in ten years at Madison Square Garden.

I was convinced that I had heard ‘Let Down’ somewhere at some time when listening to the album for the very first time…. Was it used in an advert/commercial for something? That’s a question I’ve been wondering for ten years now. If not it’s probably just a testament to how great the melodies within the song are, because it was like I’d known that song for years I was already singing the chorus before the track fully ended. Thom Yorke, double tracked with the two vocals in your left and right ear, sings about feeling distant and despondent in a world that is failing to impress him. When he dreams of growing wings and being able to fly away from it all, he realises that that too is just a large fantasy, becoming disappointed in the process. But this is all surrounded by a twinkling glockenspiel and a wall of arpeggiated guitars – one of those which play in 5/4 time for the majority of the track.

The track also contains one of the most beloved moments in the Radiohead discography where one of Yorke’s vocals overlap one another during the climactic part of the track. I, myself, think that part is very nice – I’ve never given it much thought even if I always at least try and sing along with it. I’ve actually found Colin Greenwood’s bass on here the most overlooked component of the whole ordeal. If you pay attention to it, you’ll see it’s the melodic ground that anchors everything together.

#704: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Knock Me Down

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Released in 1989 as the second single from Mother’s Milk, ‘Knock Me Down’ was written as a tribute to Hillel Slovak – the original guitarist and founding member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers – who died from a heroin overdose in June 1988. Lead singer Anthony Kiedis was greatly affected by the loss of his friend and, after plenty experience of drug use himself, became determined to get clean. The track explores the damning effects drugs can have on your life. I’m sure that the lyrics shouldn’t be taken literally though if you were to Kiedis is bluntly saying “if you see me with some heavy stuff, slap that shit out of my hand because this life is all we have”. It’s also about not being afraid to tell your friends when you need help and being able to accept it when they give you the time of day.

I heard this song for the first time when its video played on the TV years ago. I had heard plenty Chili songs before then, and I remember thinking “That’s not how that guy’s voice usually sounds?” Well, during the song’s mixing, John Frusciante’s lead vocal was “accidentally” raised higher than Anthony Kiedis’ and as a result Frusciante’s voice is the main vocal you hear. I put “accidentally” in quotes because there is a mix of the track where Kiedis’ vocal is louder and….. his voice doesn’t sound too great on there. I think whoever mixed the song knew what they were doing. I also think they made the right decision.

I really like it. It might not be regarded as one of the band’s most notable tracks. I’ve always appreciated the strong melody that goes on throughout. It’s probably one of their most melodic songs. And it’s a very forward-looking and charging track. Very powerful guitar chords and Flea’s signature bass grooves and slaps that keep the momentum going. And then there’s that female singer who comes in with the killer vocalisations at the end. It’s good stuff. They haven’t played it live for a very long time though. Maybe there’ll be a day.

My iPod #530: Pavement – Hit the Plane Down

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“Hit the Plane Down” is the track that doesn’t get much attention from a lot of listeners. The penultimate offering on Pavement’s second album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain does suffer from being the odd one out amongst the other eleven that accompany it. Being the only one on there written by the band’s second guitarist Scott Kannberg AKA Spiral Stairs, it doesn’t have the same quality in terms of lyrics and musicality compared to the songs of Stephen Malkmus. However, its stomping drum pattern and messy guitars make it the heaviest-sounding song on the album, and makes for a good change from the slacker melodies that come before it.

Starting off with an emphatic drum roll from Steve West, the song proceeds to be led by a dissonant bassline made up of two notes while guitars blare out distorted chords and notes to create a disorderly mesh of noise. Kannberg sings through a filter to make him sound like his microphone isn’t working properly, and the track overall switches between the few verses and choruses it has before abruptly switching to a low quality recording of the band working on the track to bring it all to a close.

It is a mess. It doesn’t really go anywhere. But it is strangely entrancing to listen to.

My iPod #298: Blink-182 – Down

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Hi WordPress people, and the dedicated Blogger followers.

This is my new home now. Looks good so far.

For anyone new, how are you doing? I’m Jamie. This is my blog where I comment on the songs I have on…. my iPod. Been doing it for a year and a few months now as you can see, and I actually do plan on finishing it however long it takes.

Have fun reading the previous ones. Look forward to the ones that come too.

Here’s “Down”, a track from Blink-182’s self-titled album from 2003. It came on one time on MTV2 in the UK, and I thought “ooh, a new Blink-182 song”. That was probably in 2005 or something. I didn’t know the song existed before then. Sounds bad, I know. But when the video is never shown on the television, how could I?

I like “Down”. It’s really depressing though and a bit of a downer to listen to. There’s not much else I can say about it. It’s not my favourite Blink song, but it’s still decent.

My iPod #292: The Beatles – Don’t Let Me Down

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Let me make it clear that this is the “Naked” version of “Don’t Let Me Down” that I’ll be talking about. Why is this? Because I much prefer it to the original released back in 1969.

Both recordings were made during a period when the four members barely wanted to be in a room together. The thing is you can really tell this when listening to the original. The performance is slow, lethargic and so loose that it sounds like it could collapse at any moment. Paul’s a bit full on with his harmony, and it’s not John’s greatest vocal either. Maybe that’s why Phil Spector dropped it from “Let It Be”, although it would have been a better option than “Dig It” and “Maggie Mae” for sure. I can’t get into it – it lacks that tight-knit delivery and closeness that we all associate The Beatles with.

But the “Naked” version…….. Ah. It’s beautiful. If only the technology of 2003 existed back in the 70s. “Let It Be…. Naked” was Paul McCartney’s vision of what the album should have been had Phil Spector not put on his choirs and various orchestras into some of the tracks. “Maggie Mae” and “Dig It” were taken off and replaced with this wonderful version of “Don’t Let Me Down”, made up of two performances of the song the band did during the infamous rooftop concert.

The track is given a lift by a subtle change in tempo and a higher key, but what makes it so much better than its 1969 counterpart is how brighter it sounds. You can sense that the atmosphere whilst performing this version was a lot less tense. George’s lower harmony vocal in the chorus is a nice little addition, the instrumentation is tighter, the singing is terrific…… Everything sounds better.

Oh, and that bass playing by Paul after the final iteration of the title until the end of the song. Absolutely glorious. I’m very sure John looks at him as if to say “Damn…..” in appreciation, but he can’t because he’s still singing. Oh well.

Watch them perform it, by clicking on thiiiiiiiiiis.