Thursday, March 4, 2021

Blues Music

23 comments:

  1. https://youtu.be/NdgrQoZHnNY

    “Death Letter Blues” by Son House doesn’t sound like the “typical blues song” to me. Since the video I watched only had him and his guitar playing, the song gave me more of a country impression. However, Son House’s voice, playing style, and actions while singing made me see the blues. Through the entirety of Son House playing, he taps out the beat of the song with one of his feet and his head rocks back and forth to the music. On top of this, he plays the guitar rather eccentrically and with much enthusiasm. When he sings, he doesn’t sing perfectly on beat, which is something I associate with blues or honky tonk songs. Finally, the lyrics of the song is about a man who finds out a woman he loves has died. Throughout the song, however, Son House addresses the Lord for help and guidance; something that is seen in many blues songs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiRoNuw5x4M

    I chose the song “Me and My Chauffeur Blues” by Memphis Minnie. “Me and My Chauffeur Blues” was a really slow song, however Minnie’s raspy voice kept you intrigued. This song is about a woman who wants her chauffeur all to herself and for him to show her the world, rather than spending his time with other woman. I found this song interesting because the singer was willing to go to great lengths to prevent her chauffeur from seeing other women, by buying him a specific car that only has one passenger seat, which is for her. It was really nice to be able to hear the guitar in the background, but it was not overpowering the vocals. The tone of this song was kind of bold and demanding, by the intensity of Minnie’s voice you could tell that she was the boss of this relationship.

    ReplyDelete
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ_ZSj7SmBE

    When I first listened to Blind Willie Johnson’s “‘Aint Nobody’s Fault but Mine” the unhinged twang of his guitar in a simple riff was first to greet me, almost like he was replicating the sorrowful sounds of his own heart strings through his music. His raspy, guttural vocal performance sufficiently portrays the anguish and remorse he’s feeling when repenting to God for his sins; if absent of musical accompaniment the song would instead take the form of a melodic cry for help, a mere imploration to God and to himself to gain redemption from his wrongdoings. Unlike other genres I’ve listened to, it isn’t always necessary for me to know the context behind Blues music because I feel the artist’s emotions vicariously through their music.

    ReplyDelete
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sBIwZXMHLA

    I chose the song “Stone Pony Blues” by Charley Patton. The song starts off with the sound of either a banjo or a guitar, but either way the tone was upbeat. Patton then joins in with the melody and seems to be almost shouting instead of singing. Patton’s voice is very deep and somewhat raspy giving the song a bit of a rustic vibe. There is minimal instrumental accompaniment so his voice is really the star of the song. Based on listening to the song alone, I could not clearly understand every word that was said. He really stretched out the vowel sounds. When I searched up the lyrics they seemed to be simple, but I don’t know who the song is supposed to be meant for. He sings about finding a woman to be a rider for his horse. If that is supposed to be a metaphor for something I do not know. Overall though, I enjoyed the song and know why he is such an inspirational blues singer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuICVsaxJxc

    In the article “A Light Went On And He Sang”, it goes in depth about Charley’s Patton’s songs and his history through music. A song I chose is “Down the Dirt Road Blues” which includes the typical blues instrument, sound and melody. This song relates to walking away from all the problems and somewhat expresses his anger towards the people he sees. A step out of reality, it can be seen as a happy melody when really, it contains some sorrowful moments. This song was a hit as it has a very catching phrase, melody along with the instrument that is being played with. There are a lot of repetition about how he is going to leave and how he is going away from the problems. Emotions are seen throughout which then makes it a blues.

    ReplyDelete
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyIquE0izAg

    I decided to choose the song “A Spoonful Blues” by Charley Patton. Listening to the song, there is that banjo playing in the background, a typical instrument used when singing the blues. The song itself is pretty catchy and you can hear the tempo of the song. However, while looking at the lyrics, Patton never finishes his sentences in the song. It is like a sense of you want to know what he’s talking about and what he means. The opening sentence of the song, “I’m about to go to jail this spoonful,” shows that this song is being sung by the narrator who is going to jail for a crime. What Patton is trying to do with this song, in my eyes, is telling a story. He’s telling the story of a man and a wife and the man is singing about either death or going away. It kind of seems like a darker piece of music which makes it intriguing. You want to know what is going to happen next.

    ReplyDelete
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=336dDZsU1Eg\

    “High Water Everywhere” by Charlie Patton is a song about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 which fueled the great migration of African-American workers north. Charlie would have lived through this disaster or at least knew people who had, having lived until 1934, and you can see it in the way he sings as well as in the lyrics. The singing is raw and hard to hear at times and it forces you to listen to it multiple times to understand. However, once you listen to it multiple times you can put together what he means and you see that what he’s saying is completely from the heart. The lyrics include specific allusions to real places near mississippi as well as to the great migration such as the line “ I'm going over to Greenville, bought our tickets, good bye” which alludes to a port where Patton suggests going to so that they could escape north.

    ReplyDelete
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHdY-NHHArk

    I chose the song “34 Blues” by Charley Patton. Patton uses a guitar throughout the song which was a common instrument Blues musicians used during the time. Blues music is a lot about emotions that you can really feel from the artist and I think this Charley Patton song really expresses that. This song is a pretty slow but catchy song and I also liked how Patton makes certain lines and words louder or softer. Looking at the lyrics, Patton sings about depression and how it has affected him. One line that shows this is when he sings, “And it may bring sorrow, Lord, it may bring tears.” I haven’t listened to a lot of Blues music but from what I’ve heard, I think that Patton’s singing is very different in the way that he sings the lyrics.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I chose the song “Down the Dirt Road Blues” by Charley Patton. Patton plays the guitar throughout the entire song and it adds the certain aspect of blues that is key. It allows for the song to become more alive and show more emotions. Blues music depicts lots of emotions and Patton clearly displays emotions. Due to the quality and his pronunciation of the words, it can be hard to understand what he is saying, but the beat is good. This song is basically about Patton’s decision to leave for Native American Territory in Illinois. The lyrics are very repetitive and it may be to emphasize each part of the song. The lyrics, “I been to the Nation, Lord, but I couldn’t stay there,” depicts Patton’s background and the “Nation” was the reservation. Because he was mixed Native American and African, the reservation would not accept him fully. Due to those reasons, he left.

    ReplyDelete
  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_o4omd8T5c

    I decided to listen to the song “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” by Blind Willie Johnson. The song opens with a short guitar solo that immediately caught my ear. You could tell by the sound of the notes that it was a mix of sharp plucks and strums. The same beat on the guitar is played throughout the entire song. Another thing about the song that peaked my intrest was Willie Johnsons singing voice. It wasn’t quite what I am used to hearing but you could definelty tell there was a lot of passion and emotions behind that voice. His voice is a little on the deeper side and some of the notes he sing sound almost as if he has a sore throat. Most of the delivery is in a very unique sounding voice that sounds like its coming from deep within his chest. Some of the notes are a little smoother and flatter. It was a little hard for me to understand all off the words he was saying but i could make out a few like “Bible in my arm” or “nobody’s fault but mine”. After looking at the lyrics of the song it was clear to me that this song was more on the religious side. The song talks about him learning to read from the Bible and his mother and throughout the song he repeats “Nobody’s fault but mine” and “If i dont read my souls be lost”

    ReplyDelete
  11. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O8hqGu-leFc

    I chose to listen to “Sweet Home Chicago” by Robert Johnson. It is a nice song with vocals that are not too harsh, with a nice guitar playing in the background and that is it. It keeps it nice and simple, and it is something that is just really smooth and easy to listen to. When listened to it I was able to kind of put it on and just have it play in the background without being disturbed, but still knowing that something was playing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was also talking about going home, and that kind of reminds me of just having a long day and being ready to just head home and unwind. Just wanting to get back to your place of peace and just let loose. Let all of the stress go.

      Delete
  12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_o4omd8T5c

    I chose to listen to to the song “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” by Willie Johnson. Although not much is known about Willie his songs were able to influence many singers. Willie had a unique way of playing his guitar it was mostly plucking rather than strumming. The way he almost made his guitar seem alive because of the way he was plucking to make it sound like it was singing the lyrics itself. This song also seemed like it was influenced a little by country music by the way the melody sounded. But what really stood out throughout the song was his singing. Willie had a raw sound to his voice especially at times during the song he made is voice rough as if he were roaring. Then he would end it with his voice back to normal which to me was a nice mix. But what I really like about his voice when it’s rough is that you can almost hear what he’s feeling when he says, “nobody’s fault but mine.”

    ReplyDelete
  13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sBIwZXMHLA

    I choose the song “Stone Pony Blues”, By Charley Patton. Throughout the song you can hear Charley Patton shouts and I think this is why it is hard to understand some of the lyrics and it sounds really muffled. But somehow throughout all the shouting Patton is still able to feel his emotion and the upbeat of the blues. Right after the he says “And I can’t Feel welcome rider nowhere I go” there is nothing but picking from the guitar and his shouting voice. This part really built of tension in his voice and let out relief. I thought that even though Charley Patton’s voice was so raw I could hear the emotion in his singing and it was all really controlled and soothing. Overall, I thought that the song felt like the relief and could see how the song could get rid of the blues.

    ReplyDelete
  14. https://youtu.be/kpC69qIe02E

    I chose the song “The Thrill Is Gone” by the great B.B. King. B.B. King transitions from soloing on his electric guitar to singing multiple times in this song. The lyrics aren’t complex, and the same lines repeat themselves. This song is a good example of how looking at the lyrics of the blues isn’t the same as listening to the blues. B.B. King sings the line “the thrill is gone” three times in a row, but each time it sounds different and he puts a twist on it, whether it be doing a run or adding a little extra of his soul into it. King’s voice holds a lot of power and is very moving, not to mention his guitar playing. His pure talent playing the blues on the guitar compliments his vocals to create a dynamic duo of musical talent yet all within the same person

    ReplyDelete
  15. https://youtu.be/JvbSXVc451Q

    I chose to listen to “Hound Dog” by Big Mama Thornton. When I first saw the title and listened to the song I realized this was a different version of Elvis’ “Hound Dog”. When I conducted further research I realized, Big Mama Thornton was the first to record and release “Hound Dog” in 1953, years before Elvis. Her version being soulful and full of rasp and anger, it feels so much more of a personal song, its hard to think of why it was forgotten and overlooked so easily. The lack of recognition that Big Mama Thornton got compared to Elvis Presley shows the favoritism in the industry not only for men but for white people. The story of a woman’s reaction to an ungrateful man is portrayed well through Big Mama’s unique and talented singing, conveying a whole different message than Presley’s version. Both are unique in their own right, but I do think Big Mama Thornton deserves more recognition

    ReplyDelete
  16. The song I chose was “Pony Blues” by Charley Patton. Patton’s voice is so distinct and unique, its something you cannot ignore. Listening to this song helped me to understand the major impact Patton had on American and blues music. His guitar in the background had a fast pace which helped give the song energy but the chords he was using were low and gave a sad, somber element to the song which matched his voice and lyrics. His voice was raspy yet very powerful. The song itself talks about a man trying to get the affections of a woman using analogies about ponies all throughout. “Brownskin woman like somethin' fit to eat. But a jet black woman, don't put your hands on me” this line intrigued me because he focuses on the color of the woman which I thought was interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoHDrzw-RPg

    Searching for Big Mama Thornton, her song “Hound Dog” was one of the most popular. Listening to the first line, I recognized this to be Elvis’ song. Hound Dog was actually written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for Big Mama to sing. Big Mama has a distinct style that brings in a bit of rock and roll along with a stronger sense of the blues. Her rough, tough, and raspy growl and howl seriously packs a punch. Her many shouts and iconic snarl she delivers makes this song a more uplifting and danceable tune compared to general blues songs. You can feel her passion and anger at some points. Despite the rather loud and coarse personalities of her voice, she sang this song in a way that would get anybody up off their feet and electrify a dance floor. With the word “blues” in the title, I expected a slower and soothing voice. Contrary to what I expected, I got a full blast of her rough and tough voice which definitely put a smile on my face. The guitar and bass give this a rock and roll aspect while the blues is in the lyrics. It blends to the two genres which also could blend white and black societies together. I replayed the ending of the song which ends with her and her group howling which I found more soothing than strange but definitely both. I wonder why she decided to howl at the end. Maybe it’s to close the song off in a blues tone.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I chose “The Soul of a Man” by Willie Johnson. Despite lasting about three minutes, this song does not have many lyrics. Instead, Johnson tells the story through a slow, earnest melody accompanied primarily by minor chords. Johnson’s musical interpretation compliments the verses very well, as he questions how one might understand the content of a man’s soul. I particularly liked when he references the idea that a man’s worth is determined by what’s in his mind and offers the counterargument that Christ “was showing the doctors and the lawyers, how to raise a body from the grave.” The pensive mood and religious undertones that characterize “The Soul of a Man” offer insight into Blind Willie and the blues he sang.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The song I chose was “spoonful blues” by Charley Partton. Charley was known as the father of the delta blues, so I decided to choose one of his songs. The depth of charleys voice added an element of almost emotion to the song as well as the words. This song is about drug addiction. He talks about how the women are going crazy over just a spoonful of their fix and how he would fight and kill for just a spoonful. This idea was interesting to me because drugs are a large part of rap music today but to have it in a different genre and in a different time period shows the prevalence of drugs in all time periods and how that has always been a problem that people struggle with and a substance that people would kill for. Seeing that parallel with song topics today was just very intriguing to me seeing as this song was popular and there were many remakes of it and songs made based on it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYKRnWSJT10
    I chose the song, “Prayer of Death,” by Charlie Patton- released in 1929. In this song, Charlie sings about God. He sings about how the wages of sin are death, and how God is a shelter in a storm. It’s interesting how the first line and song title is “prayer of death.” I think he’s talking about how he thinks he’s sinned so badly that he deserves death. It seems like he feels that way at first, in the intro of the song, but then as the song goes on, he refirms his faith in God
    The opening chords/fingerpicking to this song include a lot of minor notes, which give off a more melancholy tone in music. He also does a lot of hammer ons and slides, which creates a somewhat dragging sound, which also gives a downer tone.
    Looking at how the musical notes and lyrics come together with pace , I think it is a unique mix. The pace of this song was not slow, which one would think a sadder song should be slow, but this song proves that it doesn’t need to be.

    ReplyDelete
  21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vypSOetzlQo

    I listened to “Ball and Chain” by Big Mama Thornton. I was surprised from the beginning, because I thought it was going to sound slower like other blues songs. It starts out with a blues beat and background, but driven by an electric guitar riff. Then she starts singing: “Sitting by my window, and I was looking out at the rain.” Her voice mixes with the guitar, piano, drums and trombone and it sounds like each instrument is a unique voice and they’re having a conversation together. talking to each other. Halfway through the song she yells “Listen” five times, getting louder and louder. She’s commanding the listener to pay attention, because what she has to say is important. People did listen to her, but at least in the case of Elvis Presley, still did not fully appreciate her.

    ReplyDelete
  22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ip7U-aAMTc

    The song that I listened to was “Poor me” by Charley Patton. It is a pretty slow song and it is just him singing and playing his guitar. The guitar is somewhat faint and it is not the main focus of the song. The main focus should be on the singing itself and the lyrics, which I have to admit are extremely hard to understand, but there is a tone that he is outputting with his voice that allows for you to feel the emotion even if you can’t understand what he is saying.

    ReplyDelete