Post by coolbarn on Apr 26, 2015 17:24:48 GMT -5
Apr 26, 2015 14:52:07 GMT -5 @-- said:
Reggae doesn't need to sound like Marley, UB40 or any other 'traditional' sounding Reggae artist.I think it does to be honest, otherwise it isn't really Reggae and instead might more accurately be described as Ska, Rocksteady, Mento, Calypso, Jazz, or Rhythm & Blues for example. It needs to have a sound that as soon as you hear it, you go "Cool - Reggae". Bob Marley had it. UB40 had it. Love Voodoo doesn't have it.
Apr 26, 2015 14:52:07 GMT -5 @-- said:
What actually defines Reggae anyway?Good question. First of all you need a strong bassline that leads the song. Reggae is all about the bass mon! And yes, Love Voodoo does qualify in that regard.
Then percussion. Reggae is generally in 4/4 time just like rock. Some Reggae songs use the rock standard bass drum on 1 and 3 and snare hit on 2 and 4, like Could You Be Loved for example. Being a pop/rock song Love Voodoo falls into this category. But this wasn't often the case for Bob Marley, where Carlton Barrett primarily used a one drop rhythm. Reggae uses a lot of cross-stick, so you have to be quite a versatile drummer and extremely strong on the hi-hat.
Guitar - Possibly the most obvious hint to Reggae, especially to the non-muso, is the guitar chords (sometimes played on keyboards). The guitar in Reggae plays on the off-beat of the rhythm. So if you're counting in 4/4 time and counting 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, the guitarist would play a downstroke on the "and" part of the beat. This is the main area where Love Voodoo does not qualify as Reggae. There is no off-beat Reggae chords in the song, only funk chords.
Warren Cuccurullo never played classic Reggae chords; no Duran Duran guitarist ever has. Every Duran Duran guitarist has had to play funk, which suits me fine as I LOVE funk music and funky guitar chords (in fact I prefer Funk to Reggae to be honest). Now funk guitar is related closer to Reggae than rock guitar is, but they're still separate beasts. And it is primarily because of the guitar on Love Voodoo that it cannot possibly qualify as Reggae.
Apr 26, 2015 14:52:07 GMT -5 @-- said:
I can order a Reggae compilation CD on line and there would be artists on there including the likes of Chaka Demus and Pliers or Ini Kamoze. Now, to me songs like 'tease me' or 'hot stepper' are not what I would call 'traditional' Reggae songs, but they clearly are a form of Reggae.All that means is that the person who compiled the CD has a totally different idea to what Reggae is, and probably just used it as a buzzword to try and attract a certain market. In my opinion Tease Me and Hot Stepper are not Reggae, closer to RnB or hip-hop or simply pop. Like Love Voodoo they show hints of Reggae in the bassline, but that's about it. Chains from Astronaut is another song that shows a hint of Reggae in the bassline. And I think if Bob Marley were alive he'd love all of those songs, but he wouldn't classify them as Reggae either (all hypothetical of course). My band would certainly not have played any of those songs though.
Apr 26, 2015 14:52:07 GMT -5 @-- said:
I'm sure SLB wouldn't compare the sound of 'Love Voodoo' with the 'classical Reggae' sound of something like 'One Love' or something, if he answered my question in a more detailed fashion.No, I don't think so either. But I can only go on what you originally typed, which was "Because it's Reggae and we've never done that before". Simon didn't say "Reggae-sounding" or "Reggae-influenced" which at least I could understand, he said he liked the song because it was Reggae. And I just said Love Voodoo is NOT Reggae, which it isn't. The only song on Thank You which was Reggae was Elvis Costello's Watching The Detectives, and even with this Duran watered it down somewhat and made it more rock/pop with just some Reggae keyboard chords in the verse.
Apr 26, 2015 14:52:07 GMT -5 @-- said:
i think we will have to respect our own passionate opinions about 'Love Voodoo' because I do feel it's one of the strongest tracks on TWA.Of course my friend, I always value your passionate opinions! And you're opinion of Love Voodoo is just as valid as mine, just happens to be different! I don't think any more or less of any Duran Duran fan just because they have different likes and dislikes to me, how boring would this board be if we all virtually thought the same. Rest assured I still love you just as much as always big fella!
Apr 26, 2015 14:52:07 GMT -5 @-- said:
Funny really because I seem to love anything that they try for the first tine. I Also really enjoy Duran's effort at hip hop, with 'Hothead'! SLB can sure rap boy rap! I know you're joking about Hothead because I've heard you mention it before, and being critical about Simon's rapping. On most worst Duran song ever polls it always features quite heavily, so not too many fans love it.
But I'm a weirdo. I like Hothead. I don't know whether it's the carefree bassline, or because I'm a sucker for a wah pedal, but I have always liked it. Sure it may get me kicked out of most Duran Duran fan clubs, but I have to call it as I see it