Wednesday, April 09, 2008

why we love modern stuff: 1

Episode 1: youtube



This video of "I Don't Know What It Is" by Rufus Wainwright is just brilliant.

I'll tell you why:
  • It really captures the atmosphere at Glastonbury. Look at that clear blue sky at the beginning (well it can happen) and there are some choice cutaway crowd shots later on.
  • You can hear lots of backing parts which don't come through on the proper recording like the wah-wah guitar when the drums kick in at 0:38 (Is that a hot-air balloon fading off into the distance?)
  • 1:03. The backing vocals are sublime (is that too strong a word?) all through. Again, you can't hear them on the CD. (I think that's Sister Martha hiding behind the sunglassed guitarist.)
  • 1:31. Hear that new guitar part?
  • 1:39. The bloke in the straw hat is having such a good time.
  • 1:44. "Is there anyone else?" Those backing vocals really take off now. Sing it (mainly) girls, but also boys...
  • 2:36. You can hardly hear the trumpets (and they're normally really loud right?) but it doesn't matter cos Martha and her mate are still going for it.
  • 3:10. Caught up in the emotion of the moment, paralysis sets in in Rufus's left hand but it's OK cos you can hear the trumpets now.
  • 3:40. No! What's that member of the stage crew doing with those tangled leads? He's totally spoiling the mood.
  • 3:47. OK this is the big moment. Three backing vocal phrases over "I don't know what it is to get me over" x2, "I don't know what it is..."
  • 3:58. ...puts the tin lid on it for me.
  • 4:02. The music just takes off... (bit like that balloon just now)
  • 4:27. Not the most musical of endings maybe, but it's about a train, see, and it's pulling into the station.

..and Old Rufus can really belt it out.

Did I mention that this is a great song too?

Well I think so.

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