By: The Bicycle Thief
http://www.amazon.com/You-Come-Like-Pop-Song/dp/B00001SICO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1264655963&sr=8-5
Thursday, January 28, 2010
You Come And Go Like A Pop Song
By: The Bicycle Thief
http://www.amazon.com/You-Come-Like-Pop-Song/dp/B00001SICO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1264655963&sr=8-5
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Empyrean
Today is January 20th, 2010, the one year anniversary of John Frusciante's album 'The Empyrean'. Since that day last year, our world has seen many consistences, as well as drastic changes. We have seen a historic presidential inauguration, advances in technology, and been introduced to great new artists. We have also dealt with less appealing news, including major disasters, economic downfalls, and recently, the news that Mr. Frusciante himself has quit his band the Red Hot Chili Peppers for the second time. However, one thing has remained very constant throughout this past year, and that is the album itself.
The Empyrean was recorded over a two year period, and every song reflects the amount of time and effort put into them. The album as a whole is built around a concept, that of the highest point of heaven, or the "Empyrean". The character travels throughout his life and experiences ups and lows, which are displayed beautifully through the songs. As all of Mr. Frusciante's work is, The Empyrean is a deeply personal look into the life and mind of Frusciante, and his musical talent. It is widely agreed upon that The Empyrean features some of the best vocal work on any of Frusciante's 10 studio albums, as well as great amount of work done on mixing and mastering the album and a stellar display of synthesizer and modular effects. If his work in the Chili Peppers is any indication of Frusciante's mastering of the guitar, then The Empyrean is as clear an example of his skills as an electronic musician as well. John applies modular synth effects on the guitars, vocals, even drums, to create a very wide open and spacy feel to the album, while still holding onto the feeling of something that is personal and small enough to be played amongst a few friends. Upon the release of the album, Mr. Frusciante was quoted as saying the album is best fi to be played in the "dark, at full volume". He goes on to explain that he mostly creates music that he would want to listen to himself, or play amongst friends late at night. By experience, I have found this to be incredibly true, and from a technical and a spiritual standpoint, his statement makes total sense. The recording was done in Frusciante's home, and there are many instruments, voices, and effects that were recorded at a lower volume than usual. The mastering of the album is rather quiet in comparison to a typical rock album, and that is because when turned up loud, one can hear the details of exactly what the song was intended to sound like when written and recorded. It is truly breathtaking to experience this album in a relaxed state of mind, and at full volume. The songs are nothing short of as close to perfection as music comes, and the beauty of certain verses will reinstate the belief that Mr. Frusciante has truly earned his right as one of the most talented song writer, musician, singer, producer, and human beings in our lifetime.
The Empyrean was recorded over a two year period, and every song reflects the amount of time and effort put into them. The album as a whole is built around a concept, that of the highest point of heaven, or the "Empyrean". The character travels throughout his life and experiences ups and lows, which are displayed beautifully through the songs. As all of Mr. Frusciante's work is, The Empyrean is a deeply personal look into the life and mind of Frusciante, and his musical talent. It is widely agreed upon that The Empyrean features some of the best vocal work on any of Frusciante's 10 studio albums, as well as great amount of work done on mixing and mastering the album and a stellar display of synthesizer and modular effects. If his work in the Chili Peppers is any indication of Frusciante's mastering of the guitar, then The Empyrean is as clear an example of his skills as an electronic musician as well. John applies modular synth effects on the guitars, vocals, even drums, to create a very wide open and spacy feel to the album, while still holding onto the feeling of something that is personal and small enough to be played amongst a few friends. Upon the release of the album, Mr. Frusciante was quoted as saying the album is best fi to be played in the "dark, at full volume". He goes on to explain that he mostly creates music that he would want to listen to himself, or play amongst friends late at night. By experience, I have found this to be incredibly true, and from a technical and a spiritual standpoint, his statement makes total sense. The recording was done in Frusciante's home, and there are many instruments, voices, and effects that were recorded at a lower volume than usual. The mastering of the album is rather quiet in comparison to a typical rock album, and that is because when turned up loud, one can hear the details of exactly what the song was intended to sound like when written and recorded. It is truly breathtaking to experience this album in a relaxed state of mind, and at full volume. The songs are nothing short of as close to perfection as music comes, and the beauty of certain verses will reinstate the belief that Mr. Frusciante has truly earned his right as one of the most talented song writer, musician, singer, producer, and human beings in our lifetime.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
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