2/9/2015

16 Responses to “Music by Patterico, With a Little Help from Jay Semko of The Northern Pikes: Part 2: Was It Really You?”

1. Ding.

   Patterico (9c670f) — 2/9/2015 @ 5:50 pm

   
   

2. Well, in advance of any musical criticism, I think it is lovely.

   Simon Jester (c8876d) — 2/9/2015 @ 5:56 pm

   
   

3. A very bittersweet ballad. Jays performance is heartfelt – I almost think he wrote it himself.

   felipe (56556d) — 2/9/2015 @ 6:06 pm

   
   

4. felipe,

   As you’ll hear when you listen to my original on Wednesday, he changed a couple of aspects of the song. As before, the main issue is the inability of a solo artist to render background vocals at the same time as the main line. Here, Jay solved that problem by extending the “chorus” (such as it is) by a couple of lines, to sing what was originally a background line as a main melody. I like the solution and I love his performance, as I love all three of the performances he did for me.

   Patterico (9c670f) — 2/9/2015 @ 6:15 pm

   
   

5. I sensed that, and am glad you gave me the lo-down. I didn’t want to bore anyone with my analysis. But, yeah, the “wrote it himself” part was in reference to his artistic changes.

   felipe (56556d) — 2/9/2015 @ 6:19 pm

   
   

6. Bore away. I would enjoy the analysis.

   Patterico (9c670f) — 2/9/2015 @ 6:42 pm

   
   

7. I removed a comment I wrote that said you and I are the only ones reading the thread anyway, because that was surly and untrue — people have been largely pretty kind so far about this project.

   I understand it’s not necessarily of interest to all, but I have been pleased by much of the reaction to date.

   Patterico (9c670f) — 2/9/2015 @ 6:43 pm

   
   

8. Hmmm.

   Simon Jester (d853ba) — 2/9/2015 @ 7:31 pm

   
   

9. It’s a lovely song, at least musically. I can only pick up some of the lyrics. Personally, I would prefer having the lyrics accompany your songs when they are debuted. I like to connect the words to the music from the get-go as it’s obviously a more complete picture that’s being painted. It also gives the audience the full Patterico. Will check back tomorrow.

   Dana (8e74ce) — 2/9/2015 @ 7:59 pm

   
   

10. I am looking forward to your posting your own recording of this tomorrow along with the lyrics, Patterico. I admit I could not pick up all the words, but from what I did get the song seems to express a plaintive, needy confusion over the demise of a very young love and an innocent worry that “the one” might just have gotten away. If this interpretation is somewhat correct then I thought Jay’s voice was much too heavy and mature sounding and overwrought to do the song justice. For me, the singing had a strange Johnny Cash vibe to it, and at least on my speakers he sounded flat in quite a few places. I am almost sure I’m going to like your own version better just as I did on the Creation song.

    elissa (469386) — 2/9/2015 @ 8:59 pm

    
    

11. Hmmm.

    Well, right. See? You had obviously already left a comment, and now others have.

    I actually meant it as a joke, but it came off surly so I got rid of it. Enough about that.

    Patterico (9c670f) — 2/9/2015 @ 9:19 pm

    
    

12. It’s a lovely song, at least musically. I can only pick up some of the lyrics. Personally, I would prefer having the lyrics accompany your songs when they are debuted. I like to connect the words to the music from the get-go as it’s obviously a more complete picture that’s being painted. It also gives the audience the full Patterico. Will check back tomorrow.

    It was a deliberate choice; I didn’t want all the comments to be immediately about the lyrics. I want people to listen to the songs as music first, and then dive into the lyrics. This probably reflects my bias towards music and away from lyrics. Learning the chords and melody of a song are easy for me. Learning the words is always the hardest part by far; I just don’t care about them as much.

    Patterico (9c670f) — 2/9/2015 @ 9:21 pm

    
    

13. I am looking forward to your posting your own recording of this tomorrow along with the lyrics, Patterico. I admit I could not pick up all the words, but from what I did get the song seems to express a plaintive, needy confusion over the demise of a very young love and an innocent worry that “the one” might just have gotten away.

    That’s it. I was 23 (maybe younger), remember. I’ll be reminding you of that even more forcefully on the third song.

    If this interpretation is somewhat correct then I thought Jay’s voice was much too heavy and mature sounding and overwrought to do the song justice. For me, the singing had a strange Johnny Cash vibe to it, and at least on my speakers he sounded flat in quite a few places. I am almost sure I’m going to like your own version better just as I did on the Creation song.

    I love his voice on it, but I always love his voice.

    Patterico (9c670f) — 2/9/2015 @ 9:22 pm

    
    

14. Oh. I won’t post my own recording until Wednesday.

    Draw it out, I always say!

    Patterico (9c670f) — 2/9/2015 @ 9:24 pm

    
    

15. I shouldn’t say “that’s it” so definitively. Sammy says I should explain the lyrics, so . . .

    It’s more like this:

    It expresses a plaintive, needy (what song about a breakup is anything but plaintive and needy?) confusion over whether the singer (who has experienced the demise of a very young love) has seen “the one” get away — or whether, instead, he was fooled by a woman who posed as his perfect woman, without really being her.

    Patterico (9c670f) — 2/9/2015 @ 9:33 pm

    
    

16. so, what are you going to do next year when Kayne West storms up on stage with you at the Grammys?

    😎

    redc1c4 (cf3b04) — 2/9/2015 @ 10:08 pm