The Mighty Musical Observations Thread

[matedog]

In recent years, I've come to the opinion that The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is a damn near perfect song. I did a deep dive on it and was pretty annoyed to find out that Carole King was maybe 18 when she co-wrote the song. That's like finding out that Carl Wilson was like 19 when he sang God Only Knows. Fucking kids doing shit of tremendous grandeur.

On further review though, I found that the song was not terribly complex. That's not to discount the incredible talent and skill required to write such great melodies. More that I had not fully appreciated the production and performance aspects of The Shirelles version. I listened to a few covers that were quite good, but never quite great. Even someone of prodigious talent as Amy Winehouse can't come close to The Shirelles version.

So that is my rambling "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" musical observation(s).

For the longest time, the conventional history of rock shit on the girl group golden era. It was Elvis and Chuck Berry and Little Richard and then they went away and it was an awful dead zone or vacuum until the Beatles revived everything. Which, you know, rock music is guys (and mostly white guys). The idea of women as producers of music not just consumers, and of turning the studio into something more than a place to bang out a recording as quickly and cheaply as possible, that was completely devalued. It mostly took feminist scholars to assert that girl groups were damned important to the history of modern popular music and for inspiring young women. So a song like "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" broaches the issue of teen sex and a girl's reputation—that's pretty significant stuff in a pop song, and resonated with female listeners (and more so than with guys). In short, that stuff is as significant as the rock n roll that preceded it.

I had not considered that but that is spot on. And the song came out in 60 and the “dead zone” was what? 58-64?

[Dr. Medulla]

In recent years, I've come to the opinion that The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is a damn near perfect song. I did a deep dive on it and was pretty annoyed to find out that Carole King was maybe 18 when she co-wrote the song. That's like finding out that Carl Wilson was like 19 when he sang God Only Knows. Fucking kids doing shit of tremendous grandeur.

On further review though, I found that the song was not terribly complex. That's not to discount the incredible talent and skill required to write such great melodies. More that I had not fully appreciated the production and performance aspects of The Shirelles version. I listened to a few covers that were quite good, but never quite great. Even someone of prodigious talent as Amy Winehouse can't come close to The Shirelles version.

So that is my rambling "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" musical observation(s).

For the longest time, the conventional history of rock shit on the girl group golden era. It was Elvis and Chuck Berry and Little Richard and then they went away and it was an awful dead zone or vacuum until the Beatles revived everything. Which, you know, rock music is guys (and mostly white guys). The idea of women as producers of music not just consumers, and of turning the studio into something more than a place to bang out a recording as quickly and cheaply as possible, that was completely devalued. It mostly took feminist scholars to assert that girl groups were damned important to the history of modern popular music and for inspiring young women. So a song like "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" broaches the issue of teen sex and a girl's reputation—that's pretty significant stuff in a pop song, and resonated with female listeners (and more so than with guys). In short, that stuff is as significant as the rock n roll that preceded it.

I had not considered that but that is spot on. And the song came out in 60 and the “dead zone” was what? 58-64?

Basically Elvis goes into the army to Beatles on Sullivan. Apart from girl groups, that dead zone also includes the origins of surf music.

[revbob]

My friend is trying to get me to go see Bon Iver. I dont know what they sound like but I sort of suspect I wont like them...

Melancholy meets celestial woe.

Yeah probably not revbob’s thing but I’ve grown to really enjoy Justin Vernon in general. He started off as sad folly dude and then did a total turn by doing all this weird distorted vocal synthy stuff. There is some abrasive stuff that might be revbobs thing but it’s a smaller subset of his recent stuff.

Thanks Matey. Good thing is it's a few months away so maybe it sells out and I cant make it or I might have to wash my hair that night.

Haha, fingers crossed!

I did see them a couple years ago. It was a good show but they were at the new Warriors arena and we were too far away. I’ve seen some really great footage of them but this wasn’t as transcendent as I had hoped.

Apparently its pronounced:
"Bone-ee-VARE". I always read it as Bon I Ver

[Heston]

In recent years, I've come to the opinion that The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is a damn near perfect song. I did a deep dive on it and was pretty annoyed to find out that Carole King was maybe 18 when she co-wrote the song. That's like finding out that Carl Wilson was like 19 when he sang God Only Knows. Fucking kids doing shit of tremendous grandeur.

On further review though, I found that the song was not terribly complex. That's not to discount the incredible talent and skill required to write such great melodies. More that I had not fully appreciated the production and performance aspects of The Shirelles version. I listened to a few covers that were quite good, but never quite great. Even someone of prodigious talent as Amy Winehouse can't come close to The Shirelles version.

So that is my rambling "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" musical observation(s).

Ramble away. What a great song and I've enjoyed just hearing it again.

[matedog]

Melancholy meets celestial woe.

Yeah probably not revbob’s thing but I’ve grown to really enjoy Justin Vernon in general. He started off as sad folly dude and then did a total turn by doing all this weird distorted vocal synthy stuff. There is some abrasive stuff that might be revbobs thing but it’s a smaller subset of his recent stuff.

Thanks Matey. Good thing is it's a few months away so maybe it sells out and I cant make it or I might have to wash my hair that night.

Haha, fingers crossed!

I did see them a couple years ago. It was a good show but they were at the new Warriors arena and we were too far away. I’ve seen some really great footage of them but this wasn’t as transcendent as I had hoped.

Apparently its pronounced:
"Bone-ee-VARE". I always read it as Bon I Ver

Yeah I feel like a douche saying it the right way and usually just say it the wrong way.

[Marky Dread]

In recent years, I've come to the opinion that The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is a damn near perfect song. I did a deep dive on it and was pretty annoyed to find out that Carole King was maybe 18 when she co-wrote the song. That's like finding out that Carl Wilson was like 19 when he sang God Only Knows. Fucking kids doing shit of tremendous grandeur.

On further review though, I found that the song was not terribly complex. That's not to discount the incredible talent and skill required to write such great melodies. More that I had not fully appreciated the production and performance aspects of The Shirelles version. I listened to a few covers that were quite good, but never quite great. Even someone of prodigious talent as Amy Winehouse can't come close to The Shirelles version.

So that is my rambling "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" musical observation(s).

Ramble away. What a great song and I've enjoyed just hearing it again.

Sorry good music didn't exist before 1964.

[revbob]

In recent years, I've come to the opinion that The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is a damn near perfect song. I did a deep dive on it and was pretty annoyed to find out that Carole King was maybe 18 when she co-wrote the song. That's like finding out that Carl Wilson was like 19 when he sang God Only Knows. Fucking kids doing shit of tremendous grandeur.

On further review though, I found that the song was not terribly complex. That's not to discount the incredible talent and skill required to write such great melodies. More that I had not fully appreciated the production and performance aspects of The Shirelles version. I listened to a few covers that were quite good, but never quite great. Even someone of prodigious talent as Amy Winehouse can't come close to The Shirelles version.

So that is my rambling "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" musical observation(s).

Ramble away. What a great song and I've enjoyed just hearing it again.

Sorry good music didn't exist before 1964.

In scientific circles its known as Heston's Paradox.

[Marky Dread]

In recent years, I've come to the opinion that The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is a damn near perfect song. I did a deep dive on it and was pretty annoyed to find out that Carole King was maybe 18 when she co-wrote the song. That's like finding out that Carl Wilson was like 19 when he sang God Only Knows. Fucking kids doing shit of tremendous grandeur.

On further review though, I found that the song was not terribly complex. That's not to discount the incredible talent and skill required to write such great melodies. More that I had not fully appreciated the production and performance aspects of The Shirelles version. I listened to a few covers that were quite good, but never quite great. Even someone of prodigious talent as Amy Winehouse can't come close to The Shirelles version.

So that is my rambling "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" musical observation(s).

Ramble away. What a great song and I've enjoyed just hearing it again.

Sorry good music didn't exist before 1964.

In scientific circles its known as Heston's Paradox.

I'm not so sure about the science but a paradox for sure.

[Dr. Medulla]

In recent years, I've come to the opinion that The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is a damn near perfect song. I did a deep dive on it and was pretty annoyed to find out that Carole King was maybe 18 when she co-wrote the song. That's like finding out that Carl Wilson was like 19 when he sang God Only Knows. Fucking kids doing shit of tremendous grandeur.

On further review though, I found that the song was not terribly complex. That's not to discount the incredible talent and skill required to write such great melodies. More that I had not fully appreciated the production and performance aspects of The Shirelles version. I listened to a few covers that were quite good, but never quite great. Even someone of prodigious talent as Amy Winehouse can't come close to The Shirelles version.

So that is my rambling "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" musical observation(s).

Ramble away. What a great song and I've enjoyed just hearing it again.

Sorry good music didn't exist before 1964.

In scientific circles its known as Heston's Paradox.

Race for the cure!

[Kory]

In recent years, I've come to the opinion that The Shirelles "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is a damn near perfect song. I did a deep dive on it and was pretty annoyed to find out that Carole King was maybe 18 when she co-wrote the song. That's like finding out that Carl Wilson was like 19 when he sang God Only Knows. Fucking kids doing shit of tremendous grandeur.

On further review though, I found that the song was not terribly complex. That's not to discount the incredible talent and skill required to write such great melodies. More that I had not fully appreciated the production and performance aspects of The Shirelles version. I listened to a few covers that were quite good, but never quite great. Even someone of prodigious talent as Amy Winehouse can't come close to The Shirelles version.

So that is my rambling "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" musical observation(s).

That whole era/genre had such cool chord changes too. It was a really nice and inspiring upgrade from the constant and mostly unchanging I-IV-V blues progressions of the basic rock 'n' roll era. Even though the song it question has some of that, it builds and expands on it.

[Dr. Medulla]

Yikes, Matt Johnson almost died this summer of a throat infection: https://www.thethe.com/the-lowdown-lockdown/

[Kory]

Yikes, Matt Johnson almost died this summer of a throat infection: https://www.thethe.com/the-lowdown-lockdown/

I really need to check out TT. I've been meaning to for years. Does one just go chronologically?

[Dr. Medulla]

Yikes, Matt Johnson almost died this summer of a throat infection: https://www.thethe.com/the-lowdown-lockdown/

I really need to check out TT. I've been meaning to for years. Does one just go chronologically?

Soul Mining and Infected are similar in sound (v. 80s midi kind of stuff), as are Mind Bomb and Dusk (a more traditional band structure, w/ Johnny Marr on guitar). Those four are the key records, I'd say. Burning Blue Soul is a bit patchy to me, as is, to a lesser degree, Nakedself. Hanky Panky is an all-Hank Williams Sr. cover album that got ripped at the time, but has improved with age for me.

[Kory]

Yikes, Matt Johnson almost died this summer of a throat infection: https://www.thethe.com/the-lowdown-lockdown/

I really need to check out TT. I've been meaning to for years. Does one just go chronologically?

Soul Mining and Infected are similar in sound (v. 80s midi kind of stuff), as are Mind Bomb and Dusk (a more traditional band structure, w/ Johnny Marr on guitar). Those four are the key records, I'd say. Burning Blue Soul is a bit patchy to me, as is, to a lesser degree, Nakedself. Hanky Panky is an all-Hank Williams Sr. cover album that got ripped at the time, but has improved with age for me.

I'll take a look, thanks!

[Dr. Medulla]

Yikes, Matt Johnson almost died this summer of a throat infection: https://www.thethe.com/the-lowdown-lockdown/

I really need to check out TT. I've been meaning to for years. Does one just go chronologically?

Soul Mining and Infected are similar in sound (v. 80s midi kind of stuff), as are Mind Bomb and Dusk (a more traditional band structure, w/ Johnny Marr on guitar). Those four are the key records, I'd say. Burning Blue Soul is a bit patchy to me, as is, to a lesser degree, Nakedself. Hanky Panky is an all-Hank Williams Sr. cover album that got ripped at the time, but has improved with age for me.

I'll take a look, thanks!

Extra neatness about Infected: There's a video for every song. It was one of the first (maybe the first) records that was also released as a video album.