Wednesday, September 14, 2011

40 Noises That Built Pop

Posted in Word Magazine by Rhodri Marsden on 9 July 2011 - 8:51am.

"Modern technology has made it incredibly easy to emulate the sound of a rock band. Plug the right guitar into the right amplifier and you're already on your way to sounding like Kurt Cobain. In fact, you don't even need the amplifier. Just plug the guitar into a computer and choose the "Kurt Cobain" setting on your favourite music software. Almost every sound in rock and pop history that's caused your ears to prick up, or your eyebrows to raise, has been sampled or digitally reconstructed for our music-making convenience. But these sounds all started somewhere; a musician or a producer made a noise - often by mistake - and someone in the studio piped up and said, "Hey! Actually, that sounds quite good!" And so the palette of rock and pop music was formed - a series of happy accidents, developed, refined and combined, mixed down and presented to us. Here are some of the most distinctive and, in no particular order, the records that best showcase them."

1) Piano Glissando - Jerry Lee Lewis: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (1957)



2) Power Chord - The Kinks: You Really Got Me (1964)



3) Hammond Organ & Leslie Speaker - Booker T & the MGs: Hip Hug-Her (1967)



4) Fretless Bass - Japan: Talking Drum (1981) 



5) Theremin - The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations (1966)



6) Guitar Feedback - Gang Of Four: Anthrax (1981) 



7) Mellotron Flute - The Beatles: Strawberry Fields Forever (1967)



8) Palm Mute Guitar - Billy Bragg: A New England (1983)



9) Reverse Tape - Yes: Roundabout (1971)



10) Slap Bass - Stanley Clarke: Lopsy Lu (1974)



Look here for descriptions of these techniques & recordings in addition to the other 30 noises.

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