Week 8 Blog
This week I chose "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder. To start off lets just talk about the bassline. There are not very many basslines in the world that are more iconic to this day than that starting bassline. There is something about its simplicity that just has that ability to get stuck in our heads for days after listening to the song. The brass backgrounds are also a very iconic part of this song. The saxophones and the trumpets give the music such a fun feel and keeps you interested in the very simple lyrics. I think the running theme for this song and for Stevie Wonder in general is his simplicity. He uses these simple rhythms and melodies to get everything stuck in your head with not just Superstition but songs like "Higher Ground". Using these simple rhythms he can literally make the melodies from his music stay with you forever. You can think you are finally free of the melody playing in your head but then something in life will trigger it back again without even having to hear the song.
I think that you make a great point about that bassline! This song does a great job of getting stuck in our heads and I really like that point that fact out. I agree that he does have this underlying simplicity is what gives this song such power and stick. Great analysis!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this song and couldn't agree more about the iconic bassline, just from reading this article i got the song stuck in my head and i don't think you can say that about very many songs.
ReplyDeleteYeah, like the other commenters, I gotta bring up the bassline too. My favorite part is how although it's electronic, it sounds like a real instrument. There's a wacka-wacka sound between the notes that sounds like strumming a guitar quickly and I think that it's awesome.
ReplyDeleteThank you Matt for your comments about this song! It is a great song with a very popular tune and lyrics. It is extremely impressive how much can be done with the simplicity that you have referred to. Stevie Wonder is most definitely very impressive with this talent. Great pick for the week!
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