I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”. Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like. No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key. I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me. I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key). “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea. Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness]
This month on Minor Key Monday I visit another aging, yet still relevant (and hot), pop queen:
Honestly, I don’t know a lot about Kylie Minogue. For a long time all I knew was that she was some pop singer that got some “legit music” cred for doing that one song with Nick Cave. Then, my friend Shena (who is responsible for many of my more questionable non-black metal music choices) burned me a copy of her album X. And honestly, it was pretty good! I liked a little more than half the songs anyway, which isn’t bad as these things go.
Still, enjoying “Speakerphone” left me completely unprepared for the level of epic minor key pop brilliance that is today’s song. Two weeks ago, Shena decides to play X‘s follow-up, 2010’s Aphrodite, for me. It was fine and all, but overall I was mildly unimpressed. Unimpressed that is until “Closer” came on. I was all “WHOA. What. Is. This???” Shena was all “Yeah, I thought you might like this one.” Then she tried to play me “Illusion.” I was like “No! MOAR HARPSICHORDS!”
The totally badass pedal point harpsichord line absolutely KILLS. Then the vocals somehow up the melancholically epic ante with their brilliant melodic phrasing (how awesome is the “in us” part of “Love…in us”?) This song is a perfect storm of everything I love in music, and I’ll send a super surprize prize to anyone who can find me a pop song more epic than this one (not counting Madonna’s “Hung Up”/”Sorry” double punch of course).
How much do I like this song? I kept kind wanting to listen to it again instead of Iron Maiden’s Somewhere in Time while I was pulling the clips for yesterday’s Mid-month Metal Masterpiece post. But don’t tell anyone I said that…
6 Comments
This is almost too easy.
For my prize, you can just mail me your copy of Somewhere in Time, since you won’t be needing it anymore.
In what world is “Enjoy the Silence” more epic than “Closer”? I said more melancholically epic, not more thoughtfully composed. You’re gonna have to go way cheesier than that if you want to get my unappreciated copy of Somewhere in Time (nice burn btw).
(Still, good song…I should feature Depeche Mode on here sometime)
I didn’t want to do it, but your brazen dismissal of “Enjoy the Silence” leaves me with little choice. I’m gonna have to bring out the big guns.
Haha, like, yes, this is my favorite Cure album (obv), but I’m not sure if you are trolling now. Good minor key song. Not epic. Come on, I want something that sounds like Castlevania, or like that song about Kanye getting his money right (or that Eminem one from 8 Mile). I’m telling you, go cheesier, no more of this Cure proving they are real songwriters stuff…
http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/18783771.jpg
Hehehe…well, one of us doesn’t know what it means anyway…