Music Education - Class 3

I know I have been somewhat inconsistent with the timing of my classes. I do hope that 'madness, gallivanting and laziness' offer my students adequate chronological explanation for my failings!

Today's choice of song is Orion by Metallica off their 3rd album - Master of Puppets. The obvious choice of track from any one of Metallica's first 3 albums is usually the title track off Master, but in light of the fact that I'm hoping to educate those unused to blatant screaming, I use Orion.

Orion is one of the best metal instrumentals that I know of - up there with Transylvania (Iron Maiden), Call of Ktulu (Metallica) and the endless list of Steve Vai's guitar solos or even some of Dream Theater's stuff (although I know a lot less about the last). One of the great shames of the commercialisation / mainstream-isation of metal is that you no longer hear 8 and a half minute epics like Orion. Iron Maiden is one of the few bands which continues to write longer songs. I always feel that its a huge challenge to write a 7, 8, 9 minute song which keeps the listener interested. That becomes all the more difficult when you don't say anything through lyrics and its why good metal instrumentals are so rare.

Listen to Orion. When you're done, I'd advise listening to Call of Ktulu. Even my most soft-hearted (and soft-eared) readers will appreciate these.

By way of a history lesson, Metallica blew open the metal stage in the early 80's. They were basically nothing more than a bunch of kids jamming in a garage. No costumes (no spandex on stage!), no big pyrotechnics (not until later, anyhow) and lots of alcohol. There'a a great deal of debate on this, but I've always felt that their first 3 albums (Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets) showcase their best as a band - true metal. If you have decent speakers / earphones - pay attention to the bass in Orion and how Cliff Burton, the bassist (who died after the first 3 albums) dictates the movements in the song to a large extent. That is conspicously missing in their later work. It also gives you a feel of how critical bass is to metal / hard rock.

As an exercise in scientific research - try and find a poor recording of an Iron Maiden concert where the bass is overpowering (or in the case of all you lucky ones, turn your mind back to their gigs). Compare that version to the studio version and you will see how much work Steve Harris actually does and how he dictates the melody patterns. If you don't know which song to look at - Run to the Hills is a good place to start. I'll try and do the needful if I can myself and post the links.

Until the next class...

Shocking...

The past couple of days have been odd. First, in view my stagnating skills, I had my first real session trying to learn to actually play the guitar again without much luck. As it turns out, the electrician in charge of wiring our beloved house, amongst various other eccentricities, also had an aversion to earthing lines. As a result, my guitar provided me with periodic surges of current whenever my hands brushed the bridge. Thankfully, news of Kiddo's latest foray into the musical world made up for that, even if she hasn't been regular with her blogging.

Second, I visited one of those overpriced movie theatres (again) to watch a Hindi movie for the second time this year. For fear of public ridicule, I shall not openly name either of the movies. Suffice it to say that whereas I survived one courtesy of consistent sarcastic comments between us, I survived the other thanks to amusing cameo roles, the odd well-portrayed minor character and above all, Bombay nostalgia.

Third, not for the first time in the life of the Sridhar boys, I have decided to try and catalogue our books. God bless my soon-to-be-asthmatic lung.

Of age and relative youth

You know you're getting old when:

1. Kids you call...well, 'kids', are worrying about employment rather than petty politics
2. Your idea of a good time is an hour on Marine Drive with good, bad or even no company
3. A drinking session with someone you call 'Sir' isn't that alarming
4. You've lost touch with that idealistic streak and have taken to a daily tallying of your finances and predicting your financials over the next year instead
5. A large proportion of conversations with people your age revolve around the date of, planning of or lack of a future marriage
6. You dive for cover everytime you see someone you need to make PC with, no matter how important the person can be to you
7. A relationship is just the same as one of those ridiculous figures like 1000 degrees centigrade or 1 million light years. You'd much rather curl up with a book and music rather than see what it really means
8. People ask you what you're up to now, rather than what your career plans are
9. You think about giving real money to College
10. As long as you have something useful to do during the day, 4 hours of sleep is enough

Au revoir Bombay...may I never feel the need to change my location on this blog.