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Keep It Simple

Van Morrison

Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008

Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008

Another Country

Tift Merritt

Be Your Own Pet

Get Awkward

Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)

Juno – Music from the Motion Picture

Various Artists

Yes - Their Definitive Story

Day and Night Driving

Seven Mary Three

InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY

Words

The Bee Gees

Charted: #15 in February 1968

To my knowledge, never has a singer so effectively employed tremolo in his voice as Barry Gibb does on “Words.” His vocal cords tremble from beginning to end, which lends a brilliant effect to both the theme and the rhythm of the song. Thematically, the quaver in his voice makes him sound as though he is forever on the brink of tears. Rhythmically, it establishes a sixteenth-note pulse that keeps the song from sinking into a sea of mush. This effect certainly wasn’t lost on the producer, who also mixed the song in a unique manner. The voice is way out front and center while the orchestral accompaniment is reduced to a hush. Even when the band is at its loudest, the sound of Gibb’s breathing is clearly audible, making this as close to an a cappella performance as one could get without dismissing the musical accompaniment entirely.

The melding of words and melody, as well as the manner in which the words fit rhythmically within the melody, is faultless. Except for Gibb’s emotional slurs and judiciously bent notes, the melody carries exactly one note per syllable from beginning to end. This is a sign of astute workmanship and clever songwriting. It also explains why the tremolo is so important as a source of rhythm. It is probably no accident that a song called “Words” was executed so deliberately, and what better reason is there to prominently feature a well-sung vocal line than to highlight the well-written “Words?”