Blog #5

Before reading this post, please watch the video for the song "Ass Back Home" by Gym Class Heroes as well as the video for the song "Back Home" by Tiffany Alvord (a cover of "Ass Back Home").

LISTENING FRAMEWORK

(VERY SIMPLIFIED)

Ass Back Home

Gym Class Heroes:

·      LISTENING PHASE 1

-       Tempo

§  Medium

                       

-       Source

§  The rhythm is coming from the Drums and Bass guitar.

-       Groove

§  It has an R&B feel as well as a pop feel to it. 

·      LISTENING PHASE 2

-       Instrumentation

§  Drums, Bass guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, and electric Guitar

-       Structure/Organization

§  C-V1-C-V2-C-B1-B2-C

-       Emotional Architecture

§  This song builds continuously as the song progresses. 

·      LISTENING PHASE 3

-       Balance

§  Height

·      Low

§  Width

·      The instruments drop out from left to right

·      The cymbal roll in the chorus Crescendos from right to left.

§  Depth [layers of instruments - via loudness]

·      After the instruments all enter, the song is loud and has multiple layers throughout the rest of the song.

LISTENING FRAMEWORK

(VERY SIMPLIFIED)

Back Home

Tiffany Alvord:

·      LISTENING PHASE 1

o   Tempo

§  medium

o   Source

§  Acoustic Guitar

o   Groove

§  This song has more of a pop/punk groove to it.

·      LISTENING PHASE 2

o   Instrumentation

§  Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Drums, Bass Guitar, and Electric Guitar

o   Structure/Organization

§  C-V1-C-V2-C-B1-B2-C

o   Emotional Architecture

§  The song continually builds all the way to the bridge.  It then drops out and builds again through the end.

·      LISTENING PHASE 3 (Sound Quality)

o   Balance

§  Height [high and low of frequency]

·      high

§  Width [stereo panning left/right]

·      None

§  Depth [layers of instruments - via loudness]

·      As the song progresses, multiple layers are added making the song very loud.

ESSAY

            As is expected, these two versions of this song seem to be very similar.  The words used in each song are nearly exactly the same as one another.  The tempo of the two songs was remarkably close.  I believe that these songs were right around 120 beats per minute.  Both of these songs contain similar organization, instrumentation, and emotions expressed throughout each song.  Both songs showed the same organization of verses and choruses, they both used the same instruments of guitars drums and vocals, and they both built up all the way to the end of the song.  However, Tiffany Alvord’s version dropped down low during the bridge then built itself back up again through the end of the song.  These two songs also have similar if the not the exact same depth with multiple instruments being added in throughout, making these songs fairly loud.

            This being said, there are also many things that were different between the two songs.  However, these things are much harder to spot than the things that were similar between the two.  One thing that is different is the source of the drive in the two songs.  In the original song, the rhythm section is driving the song all the way through.  However, in the remake, we see the Acoustic guitar driving the song to the end.   Another thing that was different in these songs is the groove.  The original song has a sort of hip hop groove while the remake has a pop feel to it.  The width is one last thing that is different between these two songs.  The original song had some width while the remake had none.

            In my opinion, Tiffany Alvord’s version is better than the original version by Gym Class Heroes.  I am not a huge fan of the Hip Hop genre of music to begin with.  Not only that but I am amazed at what Tiffany Alvord did to make this song her own.  It never ceases to amaze me what artists can do to one persons work and completely change the feel of the song itself.