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May 31, 2007
Word Association: Check the bassline out, uh-huh
Those of you who have been temporarily blind for the past two weeks have missed the introduction of a new feature here at M.S. The premise is simpler than a game of schoolyard tag: Every week one member of the crew lays down a musical query to another contributor, calling him or her out by name (i.e. "tag Jeff, you're 'IT'"). This poor, put-upon Swankster then has roughly a week to raise his or her fists and respond to the challenge. And, after fighting back with the very best answer to the question at hand, he or she can essentially "tag," "tackle," or "pants" someone else with a word association of his or her own. Ah yes, see how the abused becomes the abuser?
Last week, Dave Klein posed the following challenge to me, which I in turn outsourced to Spinto Band guitarist Jon Eaton.
To Koren Jon Eaton: Would Have Made a Great Instrumental
"If you could leave the chorus of orphans in, Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life" could make for the kind of instrumental you'd hum during eight hours of any workday. It's nice to have a big old bassoon of a rapper hovering over a bunch of orphans, but the young ones steal the song. Hook, line and sinker, I've been laying sod all day and humming along.
It reminds me of the rap song that all the kids in your high school used to play way too often, and like a lot of Red Hot Chili Pepper songs, everyone would be real sick of it. But then, if you haven't listened for a couple of years and then tune in, you end up nodding your head too..." (J.E.)
Although it takes a pretty secure "gangsta gangsta" to hoist a sample from a Broadway musical--and a very secure man to compare himself to an 11-year-old girl with a cherry-red perm and a heart-shaped locket--I have to agree with my sod-laying friend. Here are some of the more unfortunate rhymes and word choices in this School of Hard Knocks:
1. "Sip the Cris and get pissy-pissy."
2. "If you with me ma I rub on your tits."
3. "I flow for chicks wishin' they ain't have to strip to pay tuition."
(On second thought, I take that back. Even John Keats would be pissed he never thought of number three.)
** Should you disagree with Jon's choice, Spinto Band plays NYC's Mercury Lounge on Saturday, June 9th, where you can dispute him in person. Here's a link for tickets.
Jay-Z - Instrumental Hard Knock Life
To Monty: Favorite Song Inspired By a Work of Literature
Previously:
Word Association: Truth Hits Everybody, the Police Were Overrated.
Word Association: Explanation and Inauguration.
Posted by Koren Zailckas at May 31, 2007 09:15 AM
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Comments
Bringing in an ace musician ringer gets you off the hook briefly Ms. Z, but don't think you can dodge the bullet forever...
Posted by: Jeff K at May 31, 2007 09:47 AM
Also, Jon, doesn't the fact that there is an instrumental negate the "would have" part of the question?
Posted by: Jeff K at May 31, 2007 12:36 PM
That's my fault. Jon told me it would've made a great instrumental. I, in turn, then found that one existed already...I guess that's just the kind of glitch that comes with outsourcing. And a case for your "Coalition to Keep Jobs Local."
That said, please don't pick on my workforce.
Posted by: Koren Zailckas at May 31, 2007 01:09 PM
This is turning into a debacle.
Posted by: skysby at May 31, 2007 01:29 PM
They took o'ur jobs!
Posted by: Sebastian at May 31, 2007 06:06 PM
