Saturday night fever

This song can be regarded as the classic rock ballad. There are a number of ways to identify its genre. It has a simple structure which enables the listener to easily listen to it without having to concentrate too hard. By using the 6/8 time signature the band is able to let the song ‘sway’ like two people dancing to a slow tune. The song uses no complicated rhythms or instrument set-up. The guitar arpeggiates the main chords and is supported by a piano and simple bass line.

The drums are quit throughout the verses, using the rim instead of the snare drum and are then accentuated for the choruses.

Like a lot of rock ballads ‘Everybody Hurts’ utilises a string section to romanticise the song. It adds a sense of passion and feeling to the song. In terms of social function, this song doesn’t really break any boundaries, but is another classic that will be remembered for many years to come.

Incidentally, this song is consistently voted high up in any ‘top songs of all time’ list. CW1 – Review 2 – Eminem – Lose Yourself This song is from the recent hit movie ‘8 mile’ starring the artist. The film is about an aspiring performer trying to break through the barriers of inner city society.

The song reflects this and is one of the reasons why it was chosen as the film’s main track. The song is clearly of the Hip-Hop and Rap genres with identifying features including the spoken vocal style and simple but effective bass line.

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The lyrics common in Rap tunes consistently use rhyme, with the ‘AB’ rhyme pattern spread over whole verses. The vocal line also uses the snare drum to emphasise this. Lose Yourself has a tense, urgent sound. Eminem’s rap is, as usual, technically strong. He evokes the tension of the performer trying to take advantage of his “one shot” with a breathless, agitated delivery.

Jeff Bass’ threatening, repeated guitar line and a stiff, basic beat emphasises the song’s edgy feel. The song has a very significant social function in that the artist – Eminem is a controversial figure. He is constantly in the news because of his anti-social behaviour. Whether he acts like this because he feels he has to, or whether it is due to the influence of the culture is a question only he really knows the answer to; but he is a very influential figure himself. The youth of today are always looking for chances to rebel and the explicit lyrics of the artist are one of these outlets.

It is interesting to note that this song recently won an Oscar for ‘Best Song on a motion picture Soundtrack’ CW1 – Review 3 – Bon Jovi – Livin’ on a Prayer This song is definitely a classic. It has all the hallmarks of a ‘textbook’ rock tune. It starts with a groovy bass line and affected backing vocals. The drums are typically ’80’s’ with the high-hat playing only the beat notes. The electric guitars gradually increase in volume as the song progresses. The chorus is very easy to remember which ultimately leads to the song being regarded as a classic rock anthem.

The structure of the song is simple, with an intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, instrumental and then a chorus fade out – simple and easy. In terms of its social function the song is really quite self-explanatory. Everybody that listens to this song can relate to it – everybody wants to ‘live the dream’. There’s no political slant or other ambiguous meanings – the song simply aims to make people feel good. It could be said that this song is such an anthem that everybody is born with the lyrics already in their head! CW1 – Review 4 – Bee Gees – Staying Alive This song is one of the best known disco tracks.

It is from the soundtrack to the hit movie ‘Saturday Night Fever’. The soundtrack is regarded by many to be the definitive document of the disco era. The song uses all the techniques found in typical Disco music; however this track was the first to be recorded using a looped drum part. The loop that was used was from the song ‘Night Fever’, also by the Bee Gees. The vocals are typical of the bands style – harmonious backing vocals and a bright lead vocal. One of the reasons for the song’s longevity was the success of the film, which was released at the height of the disco era.

It starred John Travolta who went on to make other big movies such as Grease. The song is used throughout the world especially in era related theme nights, that is to say, disco nights or ’70’s nights. The dance moves were seminal, portrayed in the film by Travolta and learned by anyone who has ever heard the song. CW2 – Research 1 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Rock ‘n’ Roll is one of the broadest terms in musical culture. It is derived from many different areas of music, including jazz, ‘country and western’ and even gospel.