Riprodotto

  • Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote so many great songs over the years that it was impossible to pick a single one for Strong Songs. So, why not do two?

    Kirk dives into a pair of classics by the storied songwriting duo, talking about Elton's chameleon-like voice, his love of pedal tones and embrace of the circle of fourths, the fascinating relationship between lyricist and songwriter, and what it means for a song to sound "piano-y."

    Both songs by: Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin

    Album 1: Madman Across the Water, 1971

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    Album 2: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    "I'm Still Standing," "Your Song," and "Grey Seal," all by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. "I Want Love" by John/Taupin, as performed in the 2019 movie Rocketman.

    NEW THEME MUSIC!

    Strong Songs has a new theme song! It'll evolve a bit over the next few episodes as Kirk adds a couple more musicians to the mix, so that should be fun. Hope you dig it.

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    The new theme music was a result of the Strong Songs Patreon hitting its first goal of 150 backers. It's juuuuust about to break the next goal of 200, too. At 250, Kirk will do a bonus interview episode with an interesting musician or educator.

    Find out how you can support the creation of this show over at the Strong Songs Patreon: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    A huge thank you to all of the show's backers this first month, in particular those who've signed up for the Half- and Whole-Note tiers.

    WHOLE-NOTE BACKERS:

    Caleb Rotach Chad Barnard Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Sara Walsh

    HALF-NOTE BACKERS:

    Andre Bremer Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Chas Lednicky Earl Lozada Emily Williams Fishbones Forrest Chang Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jasmine Fellows Jeff Dixon John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Kyle Simons Max Schechter Michael Blackwell Shane DeLeon Tom Lauer

    Thanks, everyone. You're making it possible to put in the extra time and work to make episodes like this one shine.

  • A toast to the groom! To the bride! To knowing you'll always regret the sacrifice you made for your sister!

    Kirk takes an overdue dive into Lin-Manuel Miranda's epic Broadway musical Hamilton, focusing on Renée Elise Goldsberry's first act showstopper, "Satisfied."

    Regret tinges an otherwise joyous day as Angelica Schuyler remembers the night she met Alexander Hamilton, fell in love with him, and quickly realized they could never be together. It's a heady mix of complex rhyme schemes, powerhouse vocals, and musical character motifs so densely interwoven that it's hard to keep track of them all.

    (UPDATE 6/30/2020: This episode's audio file has been updated since it originally ran on May 1, 2019. It includes a new intro and outro, a couple of small editing tweaks, the show's current theme music, a new aside about Angelica's introduction to Alexander, and some added mentions of Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton's fabulous musical director.)

    Artist: Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lin-Manuel Miranda

    Album: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording), 2015

    Composed by: Lin-Manuel Miranda

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    Tracks from The Hamilton Instrumentals, 2017

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    OUTRO SOLOIST: Rob Reich

    This episode's outro soloist is the wonderful bay area pianist/accordionist Rob Reich. Rob performs all over the place with a bunch of different groups, and is a total pleasure to see play. He's got a bunch of albums you can check out and contributes to an array of interesting projects (Live silent-film scores! Circus music!) and experiments. Find more at his website, http://www.robreich.com/.

    'GRAM BY 'GRAM

    If you're interested in occasional music and Portland-related photos and videos, as well as teases for upcoming Strong Songs episodes, follow Kirk on Instagram @kirk_hamilton. https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    STRONG PLAYLISTS

    Kirk has condensed his Strong Songs picks into a single new list, which you can find on Spotify, Apple Music, and thanks to listener L.B., it's now on Google Play.

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    Thank you to all of Strong Songs's Patreon patrons! You all make this show happen. For more information on how to become a patron, go here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

  • Today's forecast calls for blue skies, and today's Strong Songs calls for an in-depth analysis of Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky."

    NOW ON PATREON

    Strong Songs now has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs

    BLUE SKIES

    It's time to welcome all our pretty faces to the human race, thanks to ELO's most enduring concert-rock classic. Kirk goes for a sunny stroll on a beautiful musical day full of layered vocals, fire extinguisher drumming, time-tested chords, Les Paul solos, vocoders, and... unexpected saxophone interludes?

    Band/Artist: Electric Light Orchestra

    Album: Out Of The Blue, 1977

    Composed by: Jeff Lynne

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    "Yesterday" by Paul McCartney from Help!, 1965

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    --

    "Confirmation" by Charlie Parker, 1946, included on In Person

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ————————————

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

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  • Dust off your head charts and brush up your best licks, cause it's time to wade into the warm, welcoming waters of jazz.

    NOW ON PATREON

    Strong Songs now has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs

    MOANIN'

    This episode's Strong Song is Bobby Timmons' gospel-tinged "Moanin'," from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' 1959 album of the same name. Kirk zooms out a bit more than usual to talk about jazz small-group arranging, how a great solo is constructed, how jazz song-form works, and how (hopefully) to have a better appreciation for what's going on on a given jazz recording, even if you don't play. He also talks about anime.

    Band/Artist: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

    Album: Moanin', 1959 (recorded in 1958)

    Composed by: Bobby Timmons

    Personnel: Lee Morgan, trumpet; Benny Golson, tenor sax; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jymie Merritt, bass; Art Blakey, drums

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    "Freddie Freeloader" by Miles Davis from Kind of Blue, 1959

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    --

    "Giant Steps" by John Coltrane from Giant Steps, 1960

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    --

    "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder from Songs in the Key of Life, 1976

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ("I Wish" was also featured on a 2018 episode of Strong Songs)

    --

    "Jordu" by Duke Jordan from Clifford Brown and Max Roach, 1954

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    --

    "Cherokee" by Ray Noble as performed by Clifford Brown on Study in Brown, 1955

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    --

    "Tank!" by Yoko Kanno from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack

    --

    The wonderful anime Kids on the Slope, streamable on Hulu and Crunchyroll.

    ————————————

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

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  • The Strong Songs mailbag is overflowing, so it's time to dive in and answer some listener questions.

    NOW ON PATREON

    Strong Songs now has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs

    LISTENER Q&A

    Kirk digs into creative subdivision, syncopated melodies, major 9th chords, famous drum fills, chiptunes, "bad" singing that's actually good, jazz chords, Indian drum languages, and how to be a better music listener.

    Update 12/23/2020: Kirk has traveled back in time to correct this episode's erroneous diagnosis of a strange sound on Led Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You."

    SHOW NOTES/LINKS

    ————————————

    "The Four Chords" as performed by The Axis of Awesome on YouTube

    ————————————

    A cool breakdown of the "Amen Break" drum fill

    ————————————

    "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Irving Berlin, performed by Ella Fitzgerald

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ————————————

    "First Tube" by Phish from Farmhouse, 2000

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ————————————

    "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" by Anne Bredon, recorded by Led Zeppelin on their self-titled debut, 1969

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ————————————

    "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd from their amazingly titled album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), 1974

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ————————————

    "Just a Friend" by Biz Markie from The Biz Never Sleeps, 1989

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ————————————

    "Liquid Dance" by AR Rahman, Palakkad Sriram and Madhumitha from the Slumdog Millionare soundtrack, 2008

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    A cool demonstration of Konnakol performed live by Umamahesh, Umashankar, and Selvaganesh

    ————————————

    "Prom Night" by Anamanaguchi, 2014

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "Spectra" by Chipzel from Spectra, 2013

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "Strike the Earth!" by Jake Kaufman from the Shovel Knight soundtrack, 1989

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ————————————

    "Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michael's Mount" by Aphex Twin from Drukqs, 2001

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ————————————

    "Well You Needn't" by Thelonious Monk from Misterioso (Live), 1965

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ————————————

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

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  • What happens when you put a straight-up power ballad in the middle of a Disney movie? "Let it Go" happens, that's what.

    STRONG SONGS ON PATREON

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    LET IT GO

    On this episode, Kirk climbs to the top of a snowy peak and summons all his magical powers to figure out why Elsa of Arendelle's self-coronation song rocks as hard as it does, and what it says about the evolution of Disney musical numbers over the past 30 years.

    Band/Artist: Idina Menzel

    Album: Frozen Original Soundtrack, 2013

    Composed by: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey from Escape, 1981

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "Part of Your World" by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman from The Little Mermaid, 1989

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "A Whole New World" by Alan Menken and Tim Rice from Aladdin, 1992

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "When Will My Life Begin?" by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater from Tangled, 2010

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "Defying Gravity" by Stephen Schwartz from Wicked, 2003

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "How Far I'll Go" by Lin-Manuel Miranda from Moana, 2016

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

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  • Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Well, either way, this is definitely an episode of Strong Songs about Queen's genre-blending rock saga "Bohemian Rhapsody."

    STRONG SONGS ON PATREON

    Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs

    MAMA, JUST KILLED A MAN

    Kirk dives into Freddie Mercury's operatic opus and learns a lot about vocal technique, piano motifs, harmonic easter eggs, studio production, Strategic Brian May Deployment™, and all the ways doubling a track can make your voice sound cool in the studio.

    Band/Artist: Queen

    Album: A Night At The Opera, 1975

    Composed by: Freddie Mercury

    Produced by: Roy Thomas Baker

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    "Don't Stop Me Now" by Freddie Mercury from Jazz, 1978

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "We Will Rock You" by Brian May from News of the World, 1977

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "Somebody to Love" by Freddie Mercury from A Day at the Races, 1976

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "Bohemian Rhapsody" a cappella cover by Pentatonix from PTX Vol. IV: Classics

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

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    ------

    SPOTIFY PLAYLIST!

    You can now follow a Spotify playlist with all the songs from this show, as well as everything featured as one of Kirk's music picks on his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen.

    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

  • It's time to get lost in the bittersweet beats of ABBA's 1976 hit "Dancing Queen."

    STRONG SONGS ON PATREON

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    YOU CAN DANCE, YOU CAN JIVE

    On this longer-than-usual episode, Kirk tries to tease out some of the things that make this song so iconic and enduring, from its lush arrangement to its clever harmonies, repeating melodic motifs, and maximalist audio production.

    Band/Artist: ABBA

    Album: Arrival, 1976

    Composed by: Benny Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson

    Produced by: Stig Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

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    STRONG MERCH!

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  • Ever wish you could just be a kid again? Stevie does.

    STRONG SONGS ON PATREON

    Strong Songs has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs

    THE JOY THE DAY WOULD BRING

    Kirk breaks out the bass and digs into what makes Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" swing like it does, then looks back to some earlier Wonder tunes to guess at why his funkiest stuff tended to be in E-flat.

    Band/Artist: Stevie Wonder

    Album: Songs in the Key of Life, 1976

    Composed by: Stevie Wonder

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder, from Talking Book, 1972

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder, from Innervisions, 1973

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    "Wild Wild West" by Will Smith, Moe Dewese, Rob Fusari, and Stevie Wonder, from Willennium, 1999

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    Classic Albums: Songs in the Key of Life: Amazon

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

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  • On this episode, Kirk dives into one of the greatest pop songs of all time.

    STRONG SONGS ON PATREON

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    UP IN THE CLUB

    Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is arguably the defining song of the last decade, but it's far from your average pop tune. With its unusual tensions and unstoppable groove, it defies safe harmony and resolution, and its composers were more than happy to flip the beat and leave their audience searching for the downbeat.

    Band/Artist: Beyoncé

    Album: I Am... Sasha Fierce, 2008

    Composed by: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash, Thaddis Harrell

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

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  • Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to? To the rock? To the river? To the sea? Well, wherever you run, you'll still be starring in a Strong Songs analysis of one of Nina Simone's greatest recordings.

    Yes, it's time for Strong Songs' first-ever analysis of a live recording, as Kirk digs in to legendary pianist/vocalist Nina Simone's 1965 interpretation of the traditional spiritual song "Sinnerman." It's time for some syncopated piano, popless grooves, band crash-landings, hand-clap breakdowns, hip hop samples, and one spectacular vocal cadenza.

    Artist: Nina Simone

    Album: Pastel Blues (1965)

    Written by: Traditional, arr. Nina Simone

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    ------

    ALSO FEATURED:

    "I Put a Spell On You" and "Feeling Good" as performed by Nina Simone on I Put a Spell On You, 1965 "Strange Fruit" as performed by Simone on Pastel Blues, 1965 "Sinner Man" arranged by Les Baxter for his orchestra "Oh, Timbaland" by Timbaland from Shock Value, 2007 "Get By" by Talib Kweli from Quality, 2002 Audio from John McTiernan's underrated 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair Audio from Liz Garbus' excellent 2015 documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?

    OUTRO SOLOIST: Rob Reich

    This episode's outro soloist is the wonderful bay area pianist/accordionist Rob Reich. Rob performs all over the place with a bunch of different groups, and is a total pleasure to see play. He's got a bunch of albums you can check out and contributes to an array of interesting projects (Live silent-film scores! Circus music!) and experiments. Find more at his website, http://www.robreich.com/.

    'GRAM BY 'GRAM

    If you're interested in occasional music and Portland-related photos and videos, as well as teases for upcoming Strong Songs episodes, follow Kirk on Instagram @kirk_hamilton. https://www.instagram.com/kirk_hamilton/

    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

    Visit the Strong Songs merch store for some very cool t-shirts, mugs, totes, and more: store.strongsongspodcast.com

    STRONG PLAYLISTS

    You can find playlists containing every Strong Song as well as all of Kirk's weekly music picks from his other podcast, Kotaku Splitscreen, on both Spotify and Apple Music.

    SUPPORT STRONG SONGS ON PATREON!

    A huge thank-you to all of Strong Songs's Patreon patrons! If you want to support Kirk making the show, do so here: https://Patreon.com/StrongSongs

    MARCH 2020 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

    AccessViolation andrew walters CALEB ROTACH Chad Barnard Craig J Covell Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Glenn Jared Norris Mark Schechter Merlin Mann Ryan Torvik

    MARCH 2020 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

    AJ Schuster Alex Singer Alexander Polson Amanda Furlotti Andre Bremer Andrew Baker Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Bill Thornton brant brantphillip Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Brooke Wilford Chas Lednicky Chris Brown Christer Lindqvist Cyrus N. White Darryl Stewart David Stroud Earl Lozada Eero Wahlstedt Elliot Jay O'Neill Emily Williams FlSHBONES Forrest Chang Gavin Doig Jacob Dye Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jeffrey Olson Jennifer Bush Jeremy Dawson John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Juan Carlos Montemayor Elosua Jules Bailey Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kate Albury Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Leigh Sales Mark Steen Markus Koester Matt Gaskell Max Schechter Melanie Stivers Michael Blackwell Miriam Juskowicz Mueller Nate from Kalamazoo Nicholas Schechter Richard Toller Robbie Ferrero Sam Fenn samuel gardner Shane DeLeon SP Tanner Morton Tom Clewer Tom Lauer Toni Isaacson

  • This week, Kirk breaks down one of his favorite songs from one of his favorite albums.

    STRONG SONGS ON PATREON

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    IF YOU'LL BE MY BODYGUARD

    Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" was a single from his incredible 1986 album Graceland, and its music video introduced a generation to the wonders of goofy lip-synching and fretless bass solos. It's a harmonically simple tune with a cleverly dense arrangement, and brilliantly uses musical layering.

    Band/Artist: Paul Simon

    Album: Graceland, 1986

    Composed by: Paul Simon

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

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  • On the first episode of Strong Songs, Kirk breaks down Toto's hit song "Africa," a single so good that it still lights up the Internet today.

    Band/Artist: Toto

    Album: Toto IV, 1982

    Composed by: David Paich and Jeff Porcaro

    Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify

    STRONG SONGS ON PATREON

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    NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST

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    STRONG MERCH!

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