Tag Archives: my ipod

#1184: They Might Be Giants – Shape Shifter

Leave a reply

In preparation for the release of They Might Be Giants’s BOOK album in 2021 – or because it had just been released, I can’t quite recall – I went ahead and listened through the band’s whole discography via Spotify. Missing out the children’s albums in the process, though. Now, TMBG’s one of my favourite ever groups, there are so many posts on here for songs by the band that back that up, so a lot of their albums I knew front to back already. But that wasn’t the case when it came to their 2016 album, Phone Power. That was the one record of theirs that I had never heard in full before. 2021 was the year to change this.

Back in 2015, TMBG revived their Dial-a-Song project – which initially existed in the ’80s as a literal thing where you could dial a number and new/old/in-the-works They Might Be Giants song would play through the phone speaker. But now this was the 21st century. But now there was a website and phone apps where you could easily access the stuff, and the band announced that a new song would be released every week throughout the year. ‘Shape Shifter’ arrived as the 52nd and last song in the “new” service, being provided to the masses on the 28th December 2015. The majority of the tracks were then compiled into three albums, Glean, Why?, and the aforementioned Phone Power, where ‘Shape Shifter’ can be found as the 15th track. The album isn’t a favourite of mine, by any means. It does sort of feel like a compilation rather than an album that was properly thought out. But ‘Shape Shifter’ was a hit to me from the jump.

The track has this grand showtune atmosphere about it, introduced by these processed John Linnell harmonies leading into the verses where he then adopts this more loungey, crooning tone to his vocal. The track concerns a person witnessing people and objects changing all around them. It may be a whole big metaphor about not being able to keep up with the times while people, technology, nature, whatever is constantly evolving. Or it’s literally about a man disturbed by his clarinet turning into a purple tentacle. It’s all entertaining stuff. I think the only irk I have about the track is that it could sound so much larger than it does. The horns that come in near the end are clearly synthesized. And I feel like the use of an actual brass section would have been amazing. And those Linnell harmonies I mentioned before could sound so much wider, have more of a booming presence. But hey, what do I know? The way it is, I’ll take it any day of the week.

#1183: Wu-Tang Clan – Shame on a Nigga

Leave a reply

A representative from one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Shame – no pun intended – that this will probably be the only track from Enter the Wu Tang that I cover on here. But my appreciation for the LP goes a long way. 2013 was the 20th anniversary of the album’s release, and around the same time was when I first heard the thing in full. It’s a wonder how Wu-Tang is even a thing that continues to this day. You’d think a group of nine strong-minded individuals, all with their respective wants, styles, etc, would come to blows and wouldn’t remain stable for any length of time. But, bonded by family, the borough of Staten Island, an interest in martial arts films, and an obvious appreciation for hip-hop, the Wu gave us their debut and shot to legendary status almost immediately.

You might have already heard this song if you were intrigued by the post I made a couple of days ago. But if not, well, here it is. Before it was covered by System of a Down some years later under the name ‘Shame’, ‘Shame on a Nigga’ was released, appearing as the second song on Wu-Tang Clan’s 1993 debut album. Though if you were offended by the ‘rude’ language, a radio version of the track was also made entitled, ‘Shame on a Nuh’. Over a beat that features samples from Syl Johnson to Thelonius Monk, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man and Raekwon the Chef deliver respective verses in which they more or less tell the listener why people will fail if ever they step up to them, either in an aggressive way or when it comes to rap. When it comes to rap, they’ll lose because of their lack of skill. If things get violent, they’ll get shit. And that’s how it goes. As the song progresses, a new rapper’s brought into the frame just to add their own distinct voice to the mix. Makes the song that more engaging to listen to. And Ol’ Dirty closes the track off with the longest verse in which he again tells us why he isn’t the one to pick a duel with while referencing that old film The Warriors and telling us that he had gonorrhea sometime in the past. It’s a funny verse.

It’s a good, good song. Much different from how System of a Down provided it, for very obvious reasons. And even though that cover was the iteration of the track I heard before hearing the original, I’d say I’ve liked both on an equal level for a while at this point. You may ask why this song will be the only song from 36 Chambers that I’ll write about on here. I said that in the first paragraph. Well, ‘Clan in da Front’ was one I added when I think I’d already all the ‘C’ songs. And the obvious ones like ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ and ‘Method Man’ I got tired of due to my old iPhone seemingly playing those two nearly every day, even when I had all my songs on shuffle. I know those two are classics, but I could go a long while without hearing them again. But I’ll always have a lot of love for Wu-Tang. It’s for the children, as that old saying goes. The group’s music’s one thing. When you bring all the respective members’ solo material into it, it’s a different ballgame altogether. So, you know, if you never knew Wu-Tang before, the time to get to know them is now.

#1182: System of a Down ft. RZA – Shame

Leave a reply

So this may actually be one of the greatest covers of all time. But when I first heard it many moons ago, I didn’t realise it was one. The song was on the old computer somehow. Maybe my sister downloaded it, or it was sent to her by a friend through MSN. I’m not sure. But it was there. Now, I definitely wasn’t expecting the N-word to be repeated as much as it was. The young me knew that it was a word that usually shouldn’t be said because music videos usually censored it out. But there was Serj Tankian rapping it, saying it freely with reckless abandon. It didn’t make sense to me ’cause, you know… he’s white. But then after finding out it was a cover of the original Wu-Tang classic, which – heads up – will be the next song featured on here, everything made a lot more sense.

The track is the first one on the Loud Rocks compilation from 2000, which consists of remixes, covers and collaborations between rock and hip hop music artists. I’ve never heard it myself. I’ve just copied what it says on Wikipedia. But being released in the time when nu-metal was probably at its peak in relevancy, I can imagine this album being somewhat popular at the time. System of a Down at this point only had their self-titled debut to their name. Wu-Tang Clan’s third album was on the way. How this cover and collaboration even came to be, I’m not sure. But I’m glad that it did. And what better way to get a seal of approval than for it to feature an original verse by the RZA, the mastermind behind the Wu, who also helps out with the ad libs throughout.

Thinking about this specific cover too, I think it’s meant to be a tribute to fellow Wu-Tang member Ol’ Dirty Bastard in some way. Sometime in 2000, the rapper was incarcerated for a reason or a few, and with the way System arrange the cover, Serj raps both of Ol’ Dirty’s verses from the original. A few lines from Method Man’s verse are missed out, and Raekwon’s verse is omitted altogether to make way for RZA’s new verse. When Serj isn’t rapping, his singing relies on a melodic scale that I can only assume is influenced by their Armenian heritage, made all the much more heavier when those downtuned guitars come in for the massive choruses. Honestly, when Tankian yells “Let’s get together!” before that first one, makes me wanna cannonball into a swimming pool or something. Just immediate screw-facing and headbanging happens with those choruses.

#1181: R.E.M. – Shaking Through

Leave a reply

The “How I Came to Know and Love Murmur” story is one I’ve told many a time in the past. It’s probably written in every post for the songs I’ve talked about from there so far. Written one way or another, the point remains the same. It’s the trouble when an album and nearly all the tracks click with you immediately. If you’re gonna write a blog about them like me, the origin stories between songs aren’t going to vary by any wide margin. So “I heard the album in one go and it was immediately a favourite” is the best you can get out of me. It’ll be the same for ‘Sitting Still’ when that comes around, which will be sooner than you think.

I’m very sure the album’s tenth song, ‘Shaking Through’, was another one that I understood – in terms of feeling, gauging the lyrics not so much – on the first try. The track is tremendously upbeat and carries on a musical theme on the album that consists of holding back on providing the chorus, just for a little while to get another verse in, so that when it eventually hits it comes as this cathartic release. And that release is matched by the belted-out melody of the chorus lyric. “Shaking through/Opportune”. Not sure what it means. This whole period of R.E.M. was Michael Stipe coming up with anything on the spot, whether it made sense or not. But kinda just looking over them, I’ve come to see the track as a celebration of good things to come. One of hope, optimism and opportunity. I just get that sense about it.

Well, I guess that’s all I’ve got to say about the track, really. I guess I’ll just list a few things about the track that perk my ears. Bill Berry switches from striking the hi-hat to striking the ride cymbal during the choruses. That’s something. Usually drummers would just decide to stick to one or the other. Not him, though. The “in my life” bridge where Stipe’s then joined in by a bunch of overlapping vocals is goosebump-inducing. Everyone likes a key change, especially when it’s done right, and it is done so for the song’s final-final chorus. And just when you think it’s over, there’s an unrelated looping instrumental that brings the song to a proper close. The band always liked instrumentals on their albums, didn’t they? ‘Shaking Through’ was recorded for the Chronic Town EP that preceded Murmur in 1982, but left off. The ‘lyrics’ aren’t as fleshed out. I don’t think it’s as good as how it eventually turned out. But the feeling is still all there.

#1180: Pavement – Shady Lane

1 Reply

Ah, the second song I ever heard by Pavement. I can sort of remember hearing it for the first time. I may have been flicking through the channels as I was wont to do in the day, found myself going back to MTV2, and when the channel popped up on the screen, there was the video for ‘Shady Lane’ playing. The chyron came up near the song’s end showing the band and song name, “PAVEMENT”, “SHADY LANE”, just like that, and I immediately recognised them as the people that did that ‘Cut Your Hair’ song, which I also saw on MTV2 sometime before and immediately took a shine towards. So now I knew two Pavement songs, and both of them sounded pretty cool.

A couple more times I saw that video on the same channel, and after those instances it was a guaranteed ‘liked’ song in my head. Seeing the video didn’t answer the question as to who the lead singer in the band was. No one visibly lip-syncs in the ‘Cut Your Hair’ video, and Stephen Malkmus’s head is missing in the shot where the band’s performing in ‘Shady Lane’. So I was still puzzled on that front. ‘Stereo’ fixed that, but that’s a story for another day. I got an iPod Nano from an “uncle” of mine when I was 12, “uncle” as in “male family friend”, and ‘Shady Lane’ was an instant add on there. Been a mainstay in any music library of mine ever since.

‘Shady Lane’ is the second song on Pavement’s Brighten the Corners album from 1997. Also released as the second single from it too, hence the video. That album is very much about turning 30 years of age, a point I’ve said before in another post for a song from that album, and the pressures that come along with it. ‘Shady Lane’ handles the topic of getting into a steady relationship, settling down and having the kids, the pets, the white picket fences. That’s the ‘shady lane’ in question. Malkmus wants that going for him, he straight up says so. And he brings it round to us all, saying that everybody wants one. And needs one too. But of course, Malkmus doesn’t spell those things out, writing about them in the quasi-cryptic but earnest manner that only he can. There are some brilliant lyrics in this tune. Possesses a fine riff. There’s a fake-out ending halfway through. It’s a great singalong. I much prefer the album version to the single edit, which was sped up a bit and has a higher pitch as a result, but I edited it so it ends before the ‘J vs. S’ instrumental. Always thought it took the momentum out of things.