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Post by thatbluething on Oct 16, 2010 3:10:58 GMT -5
So we all know that TMBG have a fondness for many different types of musical instruments. This is just one of the things on a list of things to love about them. However, can anyone here listen to a song and pick out what instruments are being played? It's relatively easy to pick out guitars, drums, accordion, and horns (though I personally can't distinguish between types of horns), but what about the more unusual instruments (or, if not unusual, less recognizable)? I'm curious as to what instruments are being played in particular songs, and what everyone's favorites are. So many of their songs have such complex, catchy, wonderful melodies and musical arrangements that work in a seemingly effortless way to create pleasing tunes. (I think Kelly says it best here) -- my-name-is-blue-canary.blogspot.com/2010/08/15-melody-fidelity-quantity.htmlWhat are everyone's favorite musical instruments in TMBG songs? Favorite unusual instruments? And are there any particular songs you care to musically dissect here for me? I've thought about this topic several times while listening to different TMBG songs in the past, but the thing that sparked this as a Forum topic was whether or not there is a harmonica making those incredibly high-pitched notes in "32 Footsteps". Any thoughts? (Sorry this is so long...I wrote far more than I had intended, as usual.)
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Post by bluecanary on Oct 16, 2010 7:52:34 GMT -5
Ooo, excellent topic, to which I shall reply with more detail later. But in the meantime I wanted to steer you towards the Credits pages on TMBW (which I think you may not have discovered yet). There is a link at the bottom of each Song Page to the credits page which usually has a complete listing of all the instruments that appear in that song. For example: tmbw.net/wiki/Credits:32_Footsteps(So yes, harmonica.) I find myself picking out instruments a lot more that I used to because I did a lot of the credits work on the wiki for the last two kids albums (and some of ABCs too I guess). It was a lot of hours of listening to songs over and over very closely and it did change how I hear things a little. But I am not very good at recognizing the more unusual instruments without a little guidance.
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Post by a generic reality on Oct 16, 2010 10:31:47 GMT -5
The credits are fun to do; I did most of Back to Skull
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Post by thatbluething on Oct 17, 2010 0:00:50 GMT -5
Oh, wow! I had not, in fact, seen that sort of page on the wiki yet. I've gone to many lyrics pages and song pages and I thought I'd seen all the links at the bottom of them but I guess I missed one! Very cool feature. You Wikians think of everything. I'm still interested in hearing everyone's favorites and other discussion on this topic, of course.
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Post by admiralpants on Oct 17, 2010 17:12:11 GMT -5
I personally adore songs that have clarinet (and bass clarinet, especially). But it's the cowbell in Take Out the Trash that absolutely kills me. Genius. (That was only partially sarcastic.) And I am greatly amused by the flex-a-tone in Stalk of Wheat. There are certainly other, more notable instances of obscure(/d) instruments being fantastic, but I cannot think of them right now.
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Post by fouroftwo on Oct 17, 2010 23:47:23 GMT -5
I loooove the cowbell in Take Out The Trash. I know I say this whenever the subject comes up, but the first time I saw it live I wasn't really expecting it, and then all of a sudden I looked over at the keyboard and Linnell had procured a cowbell from nowhere and was WAILING on it and I laughed for like ten minutes.
I'm fond of the clarinet, too, mostly because of the silly faces Linnell makes while he's playing it. And I will probably come back to answer this more in-depth when I am not exhausted.
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Post by thatbluething on Nov 15, 2010 15:45:11 GMT -5
Hmm, I realized I hadn't quite responded to this topic I started. I seem to do that kind of often. Though I still don't know all of my answers and this may be cheating since it's so quintessentially TMBG and not exactly "obscure" in that sense (though I still think it is in rock music in general so I say it counts) *gasp for breath*: Accordion. Probably my number one favorite odd instrument that TMBG utilizes.
I'll add more later, I'm sure. Just wanted to to let it be known. :}
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Post by a generic reality on Nov 15, 2010 18:58:40 GMT -5
I <3 Nonagon's electronic drums
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Post by thatbluething on Dec 8, 2010 18:48:20 GMT -5
Yay Nonagon! Does anyone know what that lovely instrument in Sleepwalkers is? Unless it's keyboard, it's not listed in the credits on the Wiki. It sounds like maybe some sort of xylophone or wooden blocks?? I don't know.
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Post by a generic reality on Dec 8, 2010 19:00:09 GMT -5
I believe it is keyboard. I actually haven't listened to the No! version for a while. The ABCs version has guitar, and it is awesome.
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Post by thatbluething on Dec 8, 2010 19:06:49 GMT -5
I guess it probably is keyboard, but it's surely not on a regular "piano" setting. I love the video on the ABCs DVD!! I like the guitar version, but I love the original.
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Post by a generic reality on Dec 8, 2010 20:51:15 GMT -5
I like the original original.
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Post by bluecanary on Dec 9, 2010 0:43:08 GMT -5
It's some kind of wooden xylophone, though whether it is a real xylophone or one synthetically created on a keyboard, I can't tell. Wiki says keyboard. But wiki is not always correct. I probably would have said real. Who knows?
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Post by thatbluething on Dec 9, 2010 1:19:43 GMT -5
I like the original original. haha, I knew you were going to say that at some point. :] I like "What Is Everyone Staring At?", too, but my favorite version of the song is the No! album version of "Sleepwalkers", hands down. I adore it. I think I like WIESA in a way almost incomparable to Sleepwalkers because the lyrics are so differently-themed. The melody is almost the same, and the melody is beautiful in all versions, but I can't really put the lyrics into the same category and say I like one over another.
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Post by thatbluething on Dec 9, 2010 1:24:27 GMT -5
It's some kind of wooden xylophone, though whether it is a real xylophone or one synthetically created on a keyboard, I can't tell. Wiki says keyboard. But wiki is not always correct. I probably would have said real. Who knows? Only a couple of Johns, Dans, and a Marty, I suppose. Oh well. :]
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