Watching a Rockdoc last night and the band

[redgunamo]

touched on the thorny issue of Lyrics v Melody and which was more important.

Essentially, the singer and occasional lyricist, said he reserved the right to change any melody as he saw fit, depending on the drama of the song or the occasion. Whereas the songwriter and rhythm-sectionist said basically the singer ought to just stick to singing the damn song he's been given and stop being a show-off as nobody understood or cared about his stupid lyrics anyway; the song, the melody is the thing, in his opinion, as these were what would catch everyone's attention in the first place.

[Peter]

touched on the thorny issue of Lyrics v Melody and which was more important.

Essentially, the singer and occasional lyricist, said he reserved the right to change any melody as he saw fit, depending on the drama of the song or the occasion. Whereas the songwriter and rhythm-sectionist said basically the singer ought to just stick to singing the damn song he's been given and stop being a show-off as nobody understood or cared about his stupid lyrics anyway; the song, the melody is the thing, in his opinion, as these were what would catch everyone's attention in the first place.

They are both wrong

Who was it?

[redgunamo]

They are both wrong

Who was it?

Iron Maiden, of course; The Making Of AMOLAD. Dickinson and Harris.

[Peter]

Iron Maiden, of course; The Making Of AMOLAD. Dickinson and Harris.

It all depends on the band. Each band finds their own dynamic.

The Eagles, for instance. Other band members came up with great song ideas but it was Henley and Frey who knew how to turn those ideas into songs.

Guns n Roses- their songwriting in the first instance was all about how it translated in the studio, and there Izzy Stradlin was the key to filling out the sound and overlaying the guitars. By the second albums, all the best songs are written by Axl and the production has shifted to something bigger.

Separating lyrics from melody is like separating butter from toast. The two things make a song.

This is why the great songwriters work alone- Dylan, Cohen, Simon, Springsteen.........

[redgunamo]

It all depends on the band. Each band finds their own dynamic.

The Eagles, for instance. Other band members came up with great song ideas but it was Henley and Frey who knew how to turn those ideas into songs.

Guns n Roses- their songwriting in the first instance was all about how it translated in the studio, and there Izzy Stradlin was the key to filling out the sound and overlaying the guitars. By the second albums, all the best songs are written by Axl and the production has shifted to something bigger.

Separating lyrics from melody is like separating butter from toast. The two things make a song.

This is why the great songwriters work alone- Dylan, Cohen, Simon, Springsteen.........

Thing is though, the people in a band are in a band because they want to be in a band. They want to collaborate together.

The solution Maiden seem to have arrived at is Dickinson does lots of solo work with his own band of acolytes.

But then, so does Harris

[Peter]

Thing is though, the people in a band are in a band because they want to be in a band. They want to collaborate together.

The solution Maiden seem to have arrived at is Dickinson does lots of solo work with his own band of acolytes.

But then, so does Harris

Maybe the failure to reconcile where the power lies in the band is the reason they are so ****?

[WES]

It all depends on the band. Each band finds their own dynamic.

The Eagles, for instance. Other band members came up with great song ideas but it was Henley and Frey who knew how to turn those ideas into songs.

Guns n Roses- their songwriting in the first instance was all about how it translated in the studio, and there Izzy Stradlin was the key to filling out the sound and overlaying the guitars. By the second albums, all the best songs are written by Axl and the production has shifted to something bigger.

Separating lyrics from melody is like separating butter from toast. The two things make a song.

This is why the great songwriters work alone- Dylan, Cohen, Simon, Springsteen.........

I always found the Elton John/Bernie Taupin thing very weird, or maybe backward is a better word.

He writes the lyrics, gives them to Elton who then puts them to music.

Weird.

[IUFG]

This is why the great songwriters work alone- Dylan, Cohen, Simon, Springsteen.........

David Byrne would be a weird one to add in there.

Great songwriter, pissed on the rest of the bands' chips, yet most of his best work was actually with TH and then Brian Eno and St Vincent. (I won't count the Xpress-2 one).

I would imagine all the great singer songwriters are a massive ball-pain to work with.

[Peter]

I always found the Elton John/Bernie Taupin thing very weird, or maybe backward is a better word.

He writes the lyrics, gives them to Elton who then puts them to music.

Weird.

Agreed. You'd think it would be more collaborative than that. And maybe it is...

[Peter]

David Byrne would be a weird one to add in there.

Great songwriter, pissed on the rest of the bands' chips, yet most of his best work was actually with TH and then Brian Eno and St Vincent. (I won't count the Xpress-2 one).

I would imagine all the great singer songwriters are a massive ball-pain to work with.

Which is what makes them great....

You don't tell Joe Root how to bat.....

[IUFG]

Agreed. You'd think it would be more collaborative than that. And maybe it is...

Could you imagine..?

Spending more than 10 minutes in the company of Reg Dwight?

The pompous queen would do your ****ing head in after 5

[redgunamo]

I would imagine all the great singer songwriters are a massive ball-pain to work with.

Yeah, Sting would be another one.

[Peter]

Yeah, Sting would be another one.

He said the great ones......

[IUFG]

He said the great ones......

And another one bites.......

[redgunamo]

He said the great ones......

Stewart Copeland's Youtube channel is great entertainment.