I didn't expect to neglect this blog for so many months but I've been busy trying to sort my life out and am regularly daunted by the mountain of stuff I still have to watch and review. Maybe I'll just draw a line under it seeing we have new music to get into. Here's Avicii's new song Lay Me Down with Adam on vocals and Nile Rodgers on Guitar:
There's no messing around here; a thumping four on the floor start with some signature Nile Rodgers funk guitar licks make the intro to this tune instantly recognisable.
Highly distorted vocals are gradually introduced, so mangled they could belong to anything from me singing whilst drunk to a hamster on helium. Then the bassline... wow. The wicked wicked bassline. It's irresistibly fast and funky with rapid changes that whoop your arse into gear.
A pause in the beat with a delightfully cheeky lick lays down the foundation for Adam's vocals to come in. No hamsters here and very little meddling. Breathy, laid back, echoey, deep and punctuated by a delicious amount of coarseness in places like “life” and “damn”, it's an absolute joy. The style is different to what we've been accustomed, but the departure is a welcome one. His voice is the soul of the tune, confiding in the verses, then big and belty when needed to lift it to euphoric levels for the dancefloor.
The chorus has layers of backing vocals and an unapologetically cheesy organ-synth, the sound of which I find whiny and annoying. Another niggle is when Adam crams lots of words into a small space a la Aftermath: “Anytime anybody” but here it's “Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one”. I guess I just feel inadequate when I can't keep up with the singing. The lyrics aren't particularly deep, basically saying "Fuck it! And fuck me!" which is fine by me as it's a song for good times. The end of the tune is a little surprising with Adam going softly up to his falsetto and an abrupt end.
Despite the negatives, I do rate this song, it's so addictive and never fails to get me moving. The combination of Adam's voice, the bass and the funk really hit the spot. I love love love the guitar solo parts, which are made of absolute win. Adam and Nile should just write shit together all the time and I would buy it, dance to it and worship it.
Here are the lyrics as far as I can make out:
I've been weak
Things get tough
Sometimes my knees can barely hold me up
I'm no fool
But it's said
You gotta walk a mile to get outta my head
Going In
Tasty luck
Take a little bit and baby don't you give up
Get your life
Give a damn
You gotta make a move to show me where we can stand
Lay me down in darkness
Tell me what you see
Love is where the heart is
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
Come on
Lay me down in darkness
Tell me what you see
Love is where the heart is
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
Come on
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
I got the time it'll be alright yeah
I got the time that you need yeah
We all bleed
Bleed the same
If you get the picture leave it out of the frame
In the now
Take a chance
Make a mess and don't forget that life is a dance
Going in
Tasty luck
Take a little bit and baby don't you give up
Get your life
Give a damn
You gotta make a move to show me where we can stand
Lay me down in darkness
Tell me what you see
Love is where the heart is
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
Come on
Lay me down in darkness
Tell me what you see
Love is where the heart is
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
Show me I'm the one tell me I'm the one that you need
Show me baby baby tell me that you need yeah
I got the time it'll be alright yeah
I got the time that you need
I'm really impressed with this album. It's quite different and riskier than what I was expecting, the songs loosely divided into upbeat dance and emotional ballads, flowing fairly well and all threaded through with Adam's vocals and an electronic edge to the production. There are references, elements and effects that span multiple songs to aid continuity. Adam uses his voice creatively like never before, not just singing but using it as an instrument for effect. He stretches the boundaries of its versatility in the harmonies, layers, textures, nuances, phrasing, timbres and pitches used and it's an absolute joy to listen to. He's come such a long way since FYE and this feels like an honest statement about where he is at the moment. It's an accomplished second album and one which he should be proud of because I know I am.
My favourites so far are Trespassing, Shady, Pop That Lock, Broken English, Underneath and Chokehold. But that might change on subsequent listens. What are your favourites? The lyrics and my comments are below.
1. TRESPASSING
Writers: Adam Lambert, Pharrell Williams
Producer: Pharrell for the Neptunes
“Trespassing is a song that I wrote with Pharrell Williams It's basically a song about being an outsider, about somebody or a group of people telling you "Keep out, you're not allowed in here" and you saying "You know what? I don't care, I'm going to go in there anyway" and do what I'm going to do and be who I want to be.”
This is funky with a top-notch modern production and for the first time I actually prefer this to the live versions. The irresistible staccato bassline will get you nodding away if you're not already up and shaking it, clapping along. Adam's voice is there in all its splendour, mainly in its hard form. On the live versions I couldn't hear the electronic synths and driving bass beats at the bridge, along with the guitar licks at the end which really add to the impact. This is very well written with smart lyrics and a sassy rebellious attitude that shines through. Love it.
Well, I was walkin' for some time
When I came across this sign
Sayin' who are you and where are you from?
We don't like when visitors come
No Trespassing that's what it said
At least that's what I could read
No trespassers yeah, my ass!
Wait 'til ya get a load of me
Yeah, c'mon! Ah!
One day I was trippin'
And that's when I could see
That the ether that I tapped into
Could be reality
It was great
That's when I climbed that optimistic vine
Once I hit that mountain peak
I began to lose my mind
I don't need no sympathy
I won't cry and whine
Life's my light and liberty
And I shine when I wanna shine, yeah
Make their faces crack
There's no turning back
Let's go!
Well, I was walkin' for some time
When I came across this sign
Sayin' who are you and where are you from?
We don't like when visitors come
No Trespassing that's what it said
At least that's what I could read
No trespassers yeah, my ass!
Wait 'til ya get a load of me
Hey, whoa yay
I ain't got B.S. in my bag
That's the one thing you can believe, yeah
My heart is gold my body is glass
Come on baby can't you see?
I don't need no GPS to show me where to go
But I can turn into the North Pole
And show you what is cold, ooh!
I don't need no sympathy
I won't cry and whine
Life's my light and liberty
And I shine when I wanna shine, yeah
Make their faces crack, crack!
There's no turning back
Let's go!
Well, I was walkin' for some time
When I came across this sign
Sayin' who are you and where are you from?
We don't like when visitors come
No Trespassing that's what it said
At least that's what I could read
No trespassers yeah, my ass!
Wait 'til ya get a load of me
Wait 'til ya get a load of me
I said, wait 'til ya get a load of me
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!
I ain't stayin' at home
I got places to roam
I ain't stayin' at home, no no!
Hey hey hey heyay yay ya-a-ay!
I don't need no sympathy
I won't cry and whine
Life's my light and liberty
And I shine when I wanna shine, yeah
Let's go!
Well, I was walkin' for some time
When I came across this sign
Sayin' who are you and where are you from?
We don't like when visitors come
No Trespassing that's what it said
At least that's what I could read
No trespassers yeah, my ass!
Wait 'til ya get a load of me
2. CUCKOO
Writers: Adam Lambert, Oliver Goldstein, Bonnie McKee, Josh Abraham, Anne Preven
Producers: Josh Abraham, Oligee
“Cuckoo is really just about that moment where you realise that maybe you're a little crazy. I certainly have realised that in the last couple of years, that I've got a couple of screws loose but it's really fun and it's owning that and hopefully inspiring people to want to feel crazy. You know if been working all week or you've had a stressful day, you just want to go out with friends and get crazy.”
The production on this is very different to what I expected after seeing the Jimmy Kimmel performance. I thought we'd get some 70s disco funk with a splash of rock and a modern twist. It's slower than I expected, much more electronic and the way his voice is distorted in the effects reminds me a bit of the Aftermath remix. I like the overall melody and vibe in the verses but think the 80s-sounding chorus lets it down a little, along with effects overkill in parts. I assume it's the intended effect of a busy brain going mad but I can't help thinking the production tries to do too much. The lyrics are playful and humorous, and anyone who takes liberties with English to coin "thingses" gets the thumbs up from me. I like it a lot, but not as much as I expected. Still gets me up dancing though.
Feel like I'm having a meltdown
F-feel like I'm losing control
They tell me I'm a danger to myself
Now the crazy train is ready to roll, oh
Walk that walk like you don't give a fuck
You've got a right to turn it up and get down
Electric shock, no I can't get enough
'Cause tonight we're takin' over the town, eh
I wanna lose my mind, like a maniac
And cross the line, never lookin' back
We're on the loose, getting crazy and we've gone cuckoo
Gonna party 'til they take us away
I'm swinging off of my hinges
I'm cocked and I'm ready to go
Go on and pack up your thingses
The crazy train is ready to roll, oh
Walk that walk like you don't give a fuck
You've got a right to turn it up and get down, yeah
Electric shock, no I can't get enough
'Cause tonight we're takin' over the town, eh
I wanna lose my mind, like a maniac
And cross the line, never lookin' back
We're on the loose, getting crazy and we've gone cuckoo
Gonna party 'til they take us away
Lose my mind
I'm gonna lose my mind
Gotta get out of this straitjacket woah, cuckoo!
Gotta get out of this straitjacket woah, yay!
I wanna lose my mind, like a maniac
And cross the line, never lookin' back
We're on the loose, getting crazy and we've gone cuckoo
Gonna party 'til they take us away
Lose my mind
Gonna lose my mind
I'm gonna lose my mind
Gonna party 'til they take us away
Lose my mind
Gonna lose my mind
Yeah
Gonna party 'til they take us away
3. SHADY
Writers: Adam Lambert, Lester Mendez, Sam Sparro
Producer: Lester Mendez
“Shady is a song that I wrote with Sam Sparro and Lester Mendez. Basically, it's just saying "I kind of feel nasty tonight, and I want to get into some trouble, some good kind of trouble". Kind of being so wrong that it's right.”
Fucking hell! I'm hooked right from the start with this sticky pulsating bassline and beat, which sounds like a dark nasty version of Stevie Wonder's Superstition. Love it love it love it! It's so different to anything Adam's done before, funky as fuck and so so sexy. The vocals aren't bombastic but understated. Conspiratorial. And sexy. The harmonies are great, as are the guest vocals and Nile's guitar. It has shades of Prince in it, which is always good. The song is about cruising for sex, confrontational, bold and uncompromising. It's very well written, dark twisted sleazy fun. And did I mention how much I love it? And how sexy it is?
Baby I'm on the hunt
Baby I got my target on you
Trouble, that's what I want
And I'm gonna do just what I have to
Get your ass down to the front
Go on and roll it out, I dare you
Sorry I'm kinda drunk
But did you just say your game was brand new?
No I ain't broken, but I, I need a fix
That satisfaction when I, I get my kicks
I'm up all night
I'm outta sight
Don't turn on the light
'Cause I'm feeling so shady lately
Come on and take me underground
Deep under the street
Come on and take me, take me down
Where freaks like us can meet
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, turn it way up
Don't stop the beat
Come on and turn me, turn me out
'Cause I'm feeling so shady lately
Oh! Oh!
Gonna go and get me a shot
Gonna knock it back, forget all my blues
Yeah, that really hits the spot
I'm feeling pretty fierce in my dancin' shoes, yeah
No I ain't broken, but I need a fix
That satisfaction when I get my kicks
I'm up all night
I'm outta sight
Don't turn on the light
'Cause I'm feeling so shady lately
Come on and take me underground
Deep under the street
Come on and take me, take me down
Where freaks like us can meet
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, turn it way up
Don't stop the beat
Come on and turn me, turn me out
'Cause I'm feeling so shady lately
I throw more shade than a cloudy day
The brakes don't work, I'm just a runaway train
Somebody come and help me out, all I wanna be is free
I was tryin' to get down, now I can't get out
I'm shady lately
Come on and take me underground
Deep under the street
Come on and take me, take me down
Where freaks like us can meet
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, turn it way up
Don't stop the beat
Come on and turn me, turn me out
'Cause I'm feeling so shady lately
Shady lately, that's how I play
They say maybe it's just a phase
Shady lately, runaway train
Blame the game, quit blaming the gays
'Cause I'm feeling so shady lately
4. NEVER CLOSE OUR EYES
Writers: Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Lukasz Gottwald, Henry Walter
Pruducers: Dr. Luke & Cirkut for Prescription Songs, The Smeezingtons
“Never Close Our Eyes is an amazing song written about Bruno Mars. It's a beautiful powerful melody about "We can sleep when we're dead. Let's make the most of this moment and be in the now and connect and live". It's a little bit hedonistic but it's very uplifting and very positive with a great dance beat.”
I wish that this night
Would never be over
There's plenty of time to sleep
When we die
So let's just stay awake
Until we grow older
If I had my way
We'd never close our eyes
Our eyes
Never
I don't want to let a minute get away
'Cause we got no time to lose
None of us are promised to see tomorrow
And what we do is ours to choose
Forget about the sunrise
Fight the sleep in your eyes
I don't want to miss a second with you
Let's stay this way forever
It's only getting better
If we want it to
You know that I wish that this night
Would never be over
There's plenty of time to sleep
When we die
So let's just stay awake
Until we grow older
If I had my way
We'd never close our eyes
Our eyes
Never
It's so hard to think this could fade away
But what goes up must come down
Why can't we just live life with no consequence
And always live in the now
Forget about the sunrise
Fight the sleep in your eyes
I don't want to miss a second with you
Let's stay this way forever
It's only getting better
If we want it to
You know that I wish that this night
Would never be over
There's plenty of time to sleep
When we die
So let's just stay awake
Until we grow older
If I had my way
We'd never close our eyes
Our eyes
Never (never never)
Ooh
Yeah
Ooh
Yeah
You know that I wish that this night
Would never be over
There's plenty of time to sleep
When we die
So let's just stay awake
Until we grow older
If I had my way
We'd never close our eyes
Our eyes
Oh
Never
5. KICKIN' IN
Writers: Adam Lambert, Pharrell Williams
Producer: Pharrell for the Neptunes
“Kickin' in is a song that was created with Pharrell and basically it's a about a girl at a club who is just kind of going for it. She is drinking and partying and I'm just observing. And I'm like "Are you alright? Are you good? Don't fall down!” I think everybody can relate to that girl at the club that's either had to much or you're the friend that's watching her back. And by her, boys, you know that we call each other that. She drunk!
After a long intro of trancey ascending and descending electronic bleeps and voice samples, it's quite a surprising moment when it finally kicks in. It's like coming to a moment of clarity. On the verses, Adam's voice is fresh, breathy and backed with a falsetto vocal. With the bassline, it immediately recalls Michael Jackson's Off the Wall. Then it gets a bit strange at the chorus, as he sings to the second person, with all that hypnotic repetition like a skipping CD. The song tells of and addresses a mate determined to get demolished into oblivion, so it does sound like the pounding that arrives when all the substances take hold. It's the imaginary persistent echoing music that follows from an altered state of consciousness when you're still pumping. I'm sure I used to get stoned to this. It's an aggressive tune to dance to and although I'm liking it, I'm just not sure about the amount of repetition.
She wants to be up there
In the air
Where the clouds live
The sweetest seeds
Make the best treats
Thirty thousand feet
She can smile there
And now, she puts her shot glass down
She asks for another round
She wants to hit the clouds
Honey, are you up there?
Now she puts her shot glass down
She asks for another round
Girl, don't you hit the ground
Is it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Honey, are you up there?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Honey, are you up there?
She wants to introduce me
To her friend Eddie
What is she trying to do to me?
He got words that rhyme
He got a dirty mind
Persuasive
Am I about to do a three?
And now, she puts her shot glass down
She asks for another round
She wants to hit the clouds
Honey, are you up there?
Now she puts her shot glass down
She asks for another round
Girl, don't you hit the ground
Is it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Honey, are you up there?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Honey, are you up there?
And now, she puts her shot glass down
She asks for another round
She wants to hit the clouds
Honey, are you up there?
Now she puts her shot glass down
She asks for another round
Girl, don't you hit the ground
Is it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Do you feel it kickin' in?
Honey, are you up there? ... ... ... ... ... ...
6. NAKED LOVE
Writers: Benjamin Levin, Ammar Malik, Dan Omelio, Oliver Goldstein, Josh Abraham
Producers: Josh Abraham, Oligee
“Naked Love is a really fun upbeat positive anthem about no frills. It's asking somebody to just love you without all the bells and whistles, without all the hub bub. I don't need flowers and I don't need a fancy dinner, I don't need you to make a big deal out of it, I just need the real thing. Stripped back, naked, pure.”
I wasn't that keen on this song after seeing the live performance. My comments were:
Do you know those perennially chirpy people with boundless positivity and happy smug faces? Well this song is their equivalent. I want to give them a good slap for being so annoying. It says more about me being a cranky old git than anything else. It's a light frivolous pop song. I don't like happy fluffy pop. I like things to have a bit of a nasty edge. It feels like a cross between a JLS song and an 80s pop-by-numbers Stock Aitken and Waterman production so much so that I think I might be being Rickrolled. Maybe that means it'll be a huge hit.
I'm afraid to say that my opinion hasn't really shifted. It sounds a little more modern and less 80s but still a bit generic. Adam's voice is delicious though.
Oh whoa yeah yeah yeah
Oh whoa yeah yeah yeah
Lose control
Collision course
With you my love
Call 911
So roll the dice
Get lucky tonight
I know you're holding back
No more hesitation, no
Just come on
I want your naked love
So don't you dress it up tonight
Yeah come on
You know your naked love
Is what I'm dreamin' of tonight
Oh whoa yeah yeah yeah
Oh whoa yeah yeah yeah
Take it off
And try me on
The hottest threads
You ever worn
So roll the dice
Get lucky tonight yeah
I know you're holding back
No more hesitation
Just come on
I want your naked love
So don't you dress it up tonight
Yeah come on
You know your naked love
Is what I'm dreamin' of tonight
Oh whoa yeah yeah yeah
Oh whoa yeah yeah yeah
Just come on
I want your naked love
So don't you dress it up tonight
Yeah come on
You know your naked love
Is what I'm dreamin' of tonight
7. POP THAT LOCK
Writers: Adam Lambert, Josh Crosby, Lesley Roy, Robert Marvin, Nate Campany
Producers: Robert Marvin for Kustom Thrills, Josh Crosby for My Kid Brother Music
“Pop That Lock is a song about just being who you are, letting it all hang out and letting down your guard. Pop that lock, unlock it, open the door, just be, let it go. We're all victims at one time or another of being trapped by our own fears or limitations, or we think people want from us, and this song is a really cool electro-dance song about just letting go.”
The intro sounds rather industrial and it's a throbbing start with Adam's voice on top of the beat. It's a simple stompy rhythm that I generally don't like but it works here. The thumping chorus is sharp and I absolutely love love love that dirty scratchy electro breakdown with its dark heavy beats and Adam's throaty banshee wail. It sounds much more experimental than anything I'd dared hope for. It's another song about liberating oneself and letting go, like Cuckoo, which also references this. Adam bosses us around with punchy lyrics and low rich vocals. Another one I love.
Left, right, step up to the spotlight
Why're you acting up tight?
I'm takin' you to school, thats right
High, low, don't tell me you don't know
How to ever let go
I'm takin' you to school, that's right
Tonight we burn it all
Get high, get tall
Yeah, we're lighter than air
You got the key to your release
So pop that lock until you're lighter than air
If you wanna be it
You've got to dream
If you got the key then baby
Pop that lock
If you wanna free it
You have got to scream
If you got the key then baby
Pop that lock
Banshee boys and dancey girls get down
Work, bitch, you don't gotta
Stress this
Got 'em feeling restless
Show 'em how it's done, alright
Secret, don't care if you don't keep it
Don't care if you leak it
Show 'em how it's done alright
Tonight we burn it all
Get high, get tall
Yeah, we're lighter than air
You got the key to your release
So pop that lock until you're lighter than air
If you wanna be it
You've got to dream
If you got the key then baby
Pop that lock
If you wanna free it
You have got to scream
If you got the key then baby
Pop that lock
Banshee boys and dancey girls get down
Get down
Work work work alright
Work work work alright
Banshee boys and dancey girls get down
You better pop that lock
If you wanna be it
You got to dream
If you got the key then baby
Pop that lock
If you wanna free it
You have got to scream
If you got the key then baby
Pop that lock
Get down yeah
Baby pop that lock, get down
Get down
Pop that lock get down
8. BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF
Writers: Lukasz Gottwald, Joshua Coleman, Claude Kelly, Henry Walter
Producers: Dr. Luke, Cirkut & Ammo for Prescription Songs
“Better Than I Know Myself is a song that I think anybody who has been in or is in a relationship can relate to. Sometimes you screw up ir you say something that hurts your partner's feelings or you haven't been supportive. This song basically owns that, says, "Look, I'm sorry that sometimes I'm not perfect but without you, I wouldn't know what I would do with myself. I need you because you are the only person that knows me better than I know myself."”
Cold as ice
And more bitter than a December
Winter night
That's how I treated you
And I know that I
I sometimes tend to lose my temper
And I cross the line
Yeah that's the truth
I know it gets hard sometimes
But I could never
Leave your side
No matter what I say
'Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now
But I really need you near me to
Keep my mind off the edge
If I wanted to leave I would have left by now
But you're, you're the only one that knows me
Better than I know myself
All along
I tried to pretend it didn't matter
If I was alone
But deep down I know
If you were gone
For even a day I wouldn't know
Which way to turn
Cause I'm lost without you
I know it gets hard sometimes
But I could never
Leave your side
No matter what I say
'Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now
But I really need you near me to
Keep my mind off the edge
If I wanted to leave I would have left by now
But you're, you're the only one that knows me
Better than I know myself
I get kind of dark
Let it go too far
I can be obnoxious at times
But try and see my heart
Cause I need you now
So don't let me down
You're the only thing in this world
I would die without
'Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now
But I really need you near me to
Keep my mind off the edge
If I wanted to leave I would have left by now
But you're, you're the only one that knows me
Better than I know myself
'Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now
But I really need you near me to
Keep my mind off the edge
If I wanted to leave I would have left by now
But you're, you're the only one that knows me
Better than I know myself
9. BROKEN ENGLISH
Writers: Adam Lambert, Lester Mendez, Sam Sparro
Producer: Lester Mendez
“Broken English is kind of a sexy song about communication and there are so many different ways to communicate. You can communicate with words and then sometimes it's not about the words at all, it's about, maybe body language. I think that there can be some challenges that some from not being able to communicate verbally, and then there's also a lot of beauty in that disconnect, and that's what Broken English is about.”
The intro is a surprisingly delicate ambient one and once the reverberating beat comes in, it reminds me of Ultravox's Vienna. It's a song about the inability to communicate in a relationship, causing misunderstandings. My original thoughts after Jimmy Kimmel were:
I'm loving it so far. It's an atmospheric sexy slow burn with a moody melody. It has a big swelling dramatic production which I can hear as a climactic soundtrack. The vocal is striking and powerful... The bridge is something else though, as Adam lends a beautiful haunting ghostly wail over frantic drumming.
That still stands but I just want to add how much I love Adam's voice on this. What he does with his voice on the bridge is just sublime and otherworldly. It's a mournful howl of a siren call, its ethereality accentuated by the heaviness of the instrumentals. Just beautiful.
Tower of Babel has fallen down again
Information disarray
I don't know who I should believe in
Everybody's an authority
Fragments don't count
They always end up fallin' through the cracks
Don't think out loud
'Cause once it's out your mouth can't take it back
Can't say all the little things
That I wanna tell you right now
I know you won't understand
But I gotta tell you somehow
And on and on and on I go
Connect the neck to what's below, I know
Now your body language is broken, broken english
Lost inside communication breakdown
Better just to read my lips
Comin' in clearer when we get down
Iceberg just the tip
My words get lost
Can you read the look that's on my face
Wires get crossed
In communion with the human race
Can't say all the little things
That I wanna tell you right now
I know you won't understand
But I gotta tell you some how
And on and on and on I go
Connect the neck to what's below, I know
Now your body language is broken, broken english
Can't say all the little things
That I wanna tell you right now
I know you won't understand
But I gotta tell you some how
And on and on and on I go
Connect the neck to what's below, I know
Now your body language is broken, broken english
10. UNDERNEATH
Writers: Josh Crosby, Catt Gravitt, Tom Shapiro, Adam Lambert
Producers: Josh Crosby for Mu Kid Brother Music, Robert Marvin for Kustom Thrills
“Underneath is a pretty personal song. I think this one is the most revealing on the album. Even someone like myself, who's been given this great opportunity and has seemingly a great life, I have moments where things aren't always totally happy, you know we all go through that, so hopefully the listener at home can relate to that feeling, that struggle and that turmoil that sometimes takes over your being.”
The start of this is bare, just the stirring sound of a piano. Adam's voice is so close, so fragile, so vulnerable. It strengthens as we head to the chorus and the depth of emotion channelled through it defies belief. It must be so difficult to sing live. We can hear so many different textures to his voice complemented by a balance of classic and electronic instrumentals. The second verse is less minimal, building to a desperate cry at the crescendo. Inviting us into his private world with hard-hitting lyrics containing powerful imagery, it's extremely moving. It delves into such a personal and intimate realm it actually makes me feel uncomfortable listening to such anguish pouring out of that voice. It's so intense I can only handle it in small doses and find myself drained after listening to it. Time to take a deep breath. An evocative masterpiece.
Strip away the flesh and bone
Look beyond the lies you've known
Everybody wants to talk about a freak
No one wants to dig that deep
Let me take you underneath
Baby, better watch your step
Never mind what's on the left
You're gonna see things you might not wanna see
Still not that easy for me
Underneath
A red river of screams underneath
Tears in my eyes underneath
Stars in my black and blue sky
And underneath under my skin
Underneath the depths of my sin
Look at me
Now do you see?
Welcome to my world of truth
I don't wanna hide any part of me from you
I'm standing here with no apologies
Such a beautiful release
You inside of me
A red river of screams underneath
Tears in my eyes underneath
Stars in my black and blue sky
And underneath under my skin
Underneath the depths of my sin
Look at me
Now do you see?
A red river of screams underneath
Tears in my eyes underneath
Stars in my black and blue sky
And underneath under my skin
Underneath the depths of my sin
Look at me
Now do you see?
Underneath underneath underneath
Look at me
Do you see?
Look at me
Do you see?
Welcome to my world of truth
I don't wanna hide any part of me from you
11. CHOKEHOLD
Writers: Adam Lambert, Oliver Goldstein, Bonnie McKee, Josh Abraham
Producers: Josh Abraham, Oligee
“Chokehold is a song that I wrote with Bonnie Mckee. It's about a relationship that's not good for you. It's about being into somebody or obsessed with somebody that isn't emotionally healthy. I think everybody at some time or another has chased after the wrong person and sometimes if they're bad or wrong for you, it feels really good and we keep going back for more.”
The intro to this song about being addicted to a destructive relationship is a dark and menacing one. When Adam's voice kicks in for the verses, it's contrastingly light and breathy. The choruses feel like an anthemic rock song with a big production. The delicate moaning at the bridge is a thing of beauty and I love the tinkly electronic sounds over the synths near the end. It's well written and Adam's expressive voice emotes both resignation and exasperation in this beautifully stirring song.
Starin' at the ceiling in the dark
Sheets are in a knot
My heart is like a rock, hey
Pictures flashing by inside my head
I'm hanging by a thread
But I'd do it all again, hey
I keep running away
Running away
Running away from you but I
Can't stand breaking the chains
Breaking the chains
Breaking the chains
It's too good
'Cause I know
The second you go
Want you to bring it on back
Bring it on back
Bring it on back to me
And you know
I want your chokehold
Want you to bring it on back
Bring it on back
Bring it on back to me
Bring it on back to me
Bring it on back to me
Oh, without your touch I suffocate
Cold asphyxiate
But I kinda like the pain, hey
Baby, I can smell you on my clothes
I try to stay composed
But I feel a fever grow, grow
I keep running away
Running away
Running away from you but I
Can't stand breaking the chains
Breaking the chains
Breaking the chains
It's too good
'Cause I know
The second you go
Want you to bring it on back
Bring it on back
Bring it on back to me
And you know
I want your chokehold
Want you to bring it on back
Bring it on back
Bring it on back to me
Bring it on back to me
Bring it on back to me
Gonna bring it on back to me
'Cause I know
The second you go
Want you to bring it on back
Bring it on back
Bring it on back to me
And you know
I want your chokehold
Want you to bring it on back
Bring it on back
Bring it on back to me
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna bring it on back to me
Bring it on back to me
Bring it on back to me
12. OUTLAWS OF LOVE
Writers: Adam Lambert, Rune Westberg, BC Jean
Producer: Rune Westberg
“Outlaws of Love is a song about the struggle to overcome adversity of any kind. I wrote it personally about my feelings in the way the struggle makes me feel that the gay and lesbian community faces. What's great about the song I think is that I wrote it from that perspective, but upon presenting it to some friends and family, it can be interpreted as any sort of adversity or challenge or obstacle, whether it be star-crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet or Bonnie and Clyde running from the law or Thelma and Louise. It's kind of that lamentation of being on the run.”
The arrangement on this is very similar to that of the debut performance but has more of a beat to it, which I think it ages it a touch. Adam's gentle mournful voice is so soothing and has harmonies as backing on the choruses. There are marked differences in his voice towards the end, changing into strong and defiant rich tones, then back to resignation. The lyrics are uncomplicated and sincere with a strong message, making this a potential anthem for LGBT rights.
Oh, nowhere left to go
Are we getting closer, closer?
"No," all we know is "No!"
Nights are getting colder, colder
Hey, tears all fall the same
We all feel the rain
We can't change
Everywhere we go, we're looking for the sun
Nowhere to grow old, we're always on the run
They say we'll rot in hell, well I don't think we will
They've branded us enough, outlaws of love
Scars make us who we are
Hearts and homes are broken, broken
Far, we could go so far
With our minds wide open, open
Hey, tears all fall the same
We all feel the rain
We can't change
Everywhere we go we're, looking for the sun
Nowhere to grow old, we're always on the run
They say we'll rot in hell, well I don't think we will
They've branded us enough, outlaws of love
Aaah...
Everywhere we go, we're looking for the sun
Nowhere to grow old, we're always on the run
They say we'll rot in hell, well I don't think we will
They've branded us enough, outlaws of love
Outlaws of love
Outlaws of love
Outlaws of love
Outlaws of love
13. RUNNIN'
Writers: Adam Lambert, David Marshall, Fred Williams, Catt Gravitt, Robert Marvin
Producer: Robert Marvin for Kustom Thrills
The intro leads me to think of 80s/early 90s sci-fi action movies until Adam's voice comes in, which gives me one hell of a shock. The sustained low tone is unlike anything else I've heard from him before. It's rich and gravelly and a joy. The verses sound dark, describing an undesirable predicament but it takes flight during the choruses when he decides to take action. It's so satisfying when Adam lets his voice rip. Apart from a few electronic bits, it's a big uplifting rock ballad with a frenetic hammering beat at the bridge that makes way for the peace of a hymn-like break. This feels like perfect soundtrack material but I can't help feeling that the production is disjointed with the rock and electro elements not quite consolidating. Good as a bonus track.
Steel to my trembling lips
How did the night ever get like this?
One shot and the whiskey goes down, down, down
Bottom of the bottle hits
Waking up my mind as I throw a fit
The breakin' is takin' me down, down, down
My heart's beating faster
I know what I'm after
I've been standing here my whole life
Everything I seen twice
Now it's time I realise
It's spinning back around now
On this road I'm crawlin'
Save me 'cause I'm fallin'
Now I can't seem to breathe right
'Cause I keep runnin', runnin', ... ... ... ... ... ...
Runnin' from my heart
Round and around I go
Addicted to the numb livin' in the cold
The higher the lower the down, down, down
Sick of bein' tired and sick and ready
For another kind of fix
The damage is damning me down, down, down
My heart's beating faster
I know what I'm after
I've been standing here my whole life
Everything I seen twice
Now it's time I realise
It's spinning back around now
On this road I'm crawlin'
Save me 'cause I'm fallin'
Now I can't seem to breathe right
'Cause I keep runnin', runnin', ... ... ... ... ... ...
Runnin' from my heart
Oh, I'm coming alive
Oh, I'll wake up now and live
Oh, I'm coming alive
A life that's always been a dream
I'll wake up now and live, oh
I've been standing here my whole life
My heart's beating faster
I know what I'm after
I've been standing here my whole life
Everything I seen twice
Now it's time I realise
It's spinning back around now
On this road I'm crawlin'
Save me 'cause I'm fallin'
Now I can't seem to breathe right
'Cause I keep runnin', runnin', ... ... ... ... ... ...
Runnin' from my heart
'Cause I keep runnin', runnin', ... ... ... ... ... ...
Runnin' from my heart
14. TAKE BACK
Writers: Adam Lambert, Busbee
Producers: Busbee, J. Bonilla
The piano intro is a bit deceptive, leading me to think that this might be another stripped down emotional song. Then the pulsating beat kicks in and I know it's another one for the dancefloor. The verses are beat-driven, surprisingly there's is no melody in the first few lines as Adam sings it monotone. The panting "Eh eh eh" sounds in between are sexy though. The choruses remind me of NCOE's with the bass zipping up and down and a beat that I'm not too keen on. The vocals are fantastic though, especially at the bridge where sultry turns to the gritty powerbelting chorus. Unsurprisingly it's a song about wanting to undo something so I find the choice of an understated and restrained "Oh My" in the lyrics to express this as a source of amusement because for me it would be expletive-ridden. It ends on what sounds like an Irish folk trill to me. There are other songs I prefer from this album but this is one that will get me up and moving.
All you ever think is gimme gimme
But you'll never give back
All I ever do is overthink and drink
Until I attack
We know how to talk it into the ground
We know how to wear it out
If we ain't gonna save it
Gonna end up in the grave and baby
How do we take back what's been done?
What's been said?
Oh, my
How do we take back 'cause no one wins
When love breaks down
We both die
And I would give anything
Just to chase the dark away
And start all over again
How do we take back what's been done?
What's been said?
Oh my
I fed you a fantasy
But you been drunk on reality
All you want is to be wanted
Long as you get it outta me
We used to be a jungle, sticky and wild
It used to be we owned the night
All the stupid games we're playin'
All the shit that we've been saying'
How do we take back what's been done?
What's been said?
Oh, my
How do we take back 'cause no one wins
When love breaks down
We both die
And I would give anything
Just to chase the dark away
And start all over again
How do we take back what's been done?
What's been said?
Oh my
Remember remember the first time we collided?
We lost it we lost it
Yeah
How do we take back what's been done?
What's been said?
Oh, my
How do we take back 'cause no one wins
When love breaks down
We both die
And I would give anything
Just to chase the dark away
And start all over again
How do we take back what's been done?
What's been said?
Oh my
14. NIRVANA
Adam Lambert, Josh Abraham, Oliver Goldstein, Stephen Wrabel
Producers: Josh Abraham, Oligee
The opening chords are pleasantly dark-sounding as Adam describes the negativity that love overcomes. The choruses turn into a smooth ride over a flowing piano but something doesn't quite hit the spot for me at "In nirvana stay". I think it's the melody or the forced rhyme which shifts the focus off "nirvana" to "stay", taming the impact. I still enjoy the uplifting feeling it generates though. The calm is broken momentarily as Adam soars thorough the clouds at the bridge with the most beautiful of notes, modulating from a hard gritty timbre into one that floats lighter than air. I love what he does with his voice towards the end, bringing it fully to life. It's a mellow end to the album leaving a feeling of contentment.
When the stars are too cold
Frozen over their glow
On the edge of the night
We can be their light
So give me more than your touch
And give yourself to the rush
Just keep holding my hand
As we're taking off
I know where we'll land
We can escape to a higher plane
In nirvana stay
Where the dreamers lay
I'll lay you down, lay you down
Safe on a higher plane
In nirvana stay
Where the dreamers lay
I'll lay you down, lay you down
Through the dark there's a way
There's a love, there's a place
Where we don't have to hide
We can dream all night
So follow me through the sky
And watch the oceans collide
Just keep holding my hand
As we're taking off
I know where we'll land
We can escape to a higher plane
In nirvana stay
Where the dreamers lay
And I'll lay you down, lay you down
Safe on a higher plane
In nirvana stay
Where the dreamers lay
I'll lay you down, lay you down
Oh, we don't need any diamonds or gold
Watch the mystic and cryptic unfold
As we fly high
We can escape to a higher plane
In nirvana stay
Where the dreamers lay
And I'll lay you down, lay you down
Safe on a higher plane
In nirvana stay
Where the dreamers lay
I'll lay you down, lay you down
I'll lay you down, lay you down
I'll lay you down, lay you down
Well it's truly been an embarrassment of riches recently with all the performances, hence the lack of posts so I hope my companion blog of bare performances has helped you keep up. I'm in the process of watching and summarising everything and will hopefully post on those soon. For now though, it's time to listen to the new single Never Close Our Eyes:
I must be one of the only fans who hadn't yet listened to the live Bing Lounge version, deciding to give my ears the full studio treatment of NCOE first. It's taken a hell of a lot of restraint but I'm glad to have made it. I think it'll give me a much better appreciation of the acoustic performances.
From the minimal sound of the keyboard and the echo effects it's apparent right from the beginning that this song is going to have an electronic dance production, late 90s springing to mind. Any concerns about Adam's voice getting neutered are alleviated at the first 'that' - rich, a little rough, with a hint of vibrato and unmistakably, powerfully, Adam. And there's plenty more of that on this track so I'm a happy chappy.
The instrumentals have a phased introduction coming in layer by layer. Unusually this song starts with the chorus, the verses finally kicking in with a very satisfying, driving, syncopated beat. I find that I'm loving this part, with the rub-a-dub bass, the cheeky beeps and Adam's voice on top.
It moves onto a hands-in-the-air section on the return of the echoey synths where beat builds for the release of the full-blown pumping chorus. It has a four-on-the-floor house sound with the bass zipping up and down. It's my least favourite part of the song, having wanted to hear those earlier rhythms built upon but I can see it being meant for the clubs and people going mad for it. The bridge is a series of 'ooh's and 'ah's building up to a climactic vocal lead into the final chorus which ends abruptly. It's a very fitting end, suddenly closing your eyes at the death of the song.
If BTIKM is this era's WWFM then I'd say NCOE is its more sophisticated, accomplished IIHY. Released before the start of summer (unlike IIHY), I can see this Bruno Mars collaboration taking off as a huge summer hit. It's almost made for Ibiza - party-goers with cocktail in hand, evening breeze carrying over the excitement of the night as the sun sets over the sea, promising insanely fun times ahead. Maybe you could interpret in the lyrics a reference to recreational substances too, for round-the-clock goggle-eyed hardcore clubbers feeling the sense of togetherness that they bring on.
NCOE is an upbeat positive song with heaps of energy and delicious rock vocals. Having now listened to one of the acoustic versions, I think this studio version with all the excitement of the multiple build-ups works much better, despite missing that live quality in Adam's voice. Though still different to what I was expecting and not the darkly humoured funk (which I think will be Shady) I'd been hoping for, I'm liking it a lot. It's very catchy, sure to never leave our ears once we've heard it.
Here are the lyrics as far as I can make out:
I wish that this night
Would never be over
There's plenty of time to sleep
When we die
So let's just stay awake
Until we grow older
If I had my way
We'd never close our eyes
Our eyes
Never
I don't want to let a minute get away
'Cause we got no time to lose
None of us are promised to see tomorrow
And what we do is ours to choose
Forget about the sunrise
Fight the sleep in your eyes
I don't want to miss a second with you
Let's stay this way forever
It's only getting better
If we want it to
You know that I wish that this night
Would never be over
There's plenty of time to sleep
When we die
So let's just stay awake
Until we grow older
If I had my way
We'd never close our eyes
Our eyes
Never
It's so hard to think this could fade away
But what goes up must come down
Why can't we just live life with no consequence
And always live in the now
Forget about the sunrise
Fight the sleep in your eyes
I don't want to miss a second with you
Let's stay this way forever
It's only getting better
If we want it to
You know that I wish that this night
Would never be over
There's plenty of time to sleep
When we die
So let's just stay awake
Until we grow older
If I had my way
We'd never close our eyes
Our eyes
Never (never never)
Ooh
Yeah
Ooh
Yeah
You know that I wish that this night
Would never be over
There's plenty of time to sleep
When we die
So let's just stay awake
Until we grow older
If I had my way
We'd never close our eyes
Our eyes
Oh
Never
YESSSSS!!! I'm thrilled I didn't have to wait very long for the full song after deciding to skip on the snippets. It leaked earlier today but now I've finally listened to it for the first time from the official site. Here it is for your listening pleasure:
First impressions are it's got much more of an urban sound than what I was expecting. One of the things that stands out is the beat. I think the uniformity and simplicity of the beats from FYE let it down a little so I'm incredibly happy to hear something quite different. I wanted something more complex and this syncopated beat hits the mark. Brilliant. I recognise the rhythm but the names of songs on which it has been used escape me so if you could enlighten me I'd be grateful.
It's not your bog-standard catchy pop tune, being light on instrumental melody and with no instrumental hook. Instead it has a synthesiser drone in the background (which resembles the reverent sound of a church organ in the intro and also has a hint of Sleepwalker) that hardly competes with Adam's voice, allowing it to take centre stage. And that voice is marvelous. No vocal trickery or acrobatics but there's plenty of that graininess that I love and can't get enough of, especially on 'sometimes'. It's only the high notes in the chorus that I feel have lost a little in the production but I'm already excited about the prospect of being able to hear it belted out live in an attack of goosebumps.
Here are the lyrics:
Cold as ice
And more bitter than a December
Winter night
That's how I treated you
And I know that I
I sometimes tend to lose my temper
And I cross the line
Yeah that's the truth
I know it gets hard sometimes
But I could never
Leave your side
No matter what I say
'Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now
But I really need you near me to
Keep my mind off the edge
If I wanted to leave I would have left by now
But you're, you're the only one that knows me
Better than I know myself
All along
I tried to pretend it didn't matter
If I was alone
But deep down I know
If you were gone
For even a day I wouldn't know
Which way to turn
Cause I'm lost without you
I know it gets hard sometimes
But I could never
Leave your side
No matter what I say
'Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now
But I really need you near me to
Keep my mind off the edge
If I wanted to leave I would have left by now
But you're, you're the only one that knows me
Better than I know myself
I get kind of dark
Let it go too far
I can be obnoxious at times
But try and see my heart
Cause I need you now
So don't let me down
You're the only thing in this world
I would die without
'Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now
But I really need you near me to
Keep my mind off the edge
If I wanted to leave I would have left by now
But you're, you're the only one that knows me
Better than I know myself
'Cause if I wanted to go I would have gone by now
But I really need you near me to
Keep my mind off the edge
If I wanted to leave I would have left by now
But you're, you're the only one that knows me
Better than I know myself
I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of the lyrics because I see nothing particularly original or inspiring. I also prefer them to be implicit and not written in the first person addressing someone directly when it comes to relationships. But that probably says more about me than the songwriting. Anyway, lyrics tend not to be as important to me as the sound.
For me, the song is all about the groove and the atmosphere it generates. It's a self-reflective one for the headphones, a slow grindy one for the dancefloor, or a tender fucky one for the bedroom. It's quite a big step away from FYE and as a first single, it's a pleasantly surprising choice and one that has me very excited for what else is to come on Trespassing. I'm hooked already.
After months of waiting and tapping our fingers, we've finally got something to feast on! Adam first revealed the name of the single nearly a month ago. 'Better Than I Know Myself' leaves a bit of room for ambiguity. Could it mean that someone else understands me more than I do myself? Or does it mean that I'm better at something I than I realise? Anyway, Adam tweeted out the links to first the single cover, then a preview of his new single. It makes a welcome change that for once, the roll-out wasn't through an unauthorised leak but delivered personally from Adam, breaking Twitter in the process. I'm sure his inner control freak was involved, with his social media nous getting the official press release to arrive via Facebook.
Here's the preview snippet for you to listen to:
I'm afraid though that I'm in the minority and have been using all my willpower to resist the temptation to listen to it and avoid reading about it. Thankfully I don't have too long to wait as it comes out on 20th December, otherwise I would've wolfed it down. I remember listening to the snippets from FYE and realised how different I felt after listening to the full songs. I decided then that this time I'd listen to the whole thing with open mind and virgin ears, without any preconceived ideas. A new song only has one chance to make a first impression so I want to ensure I get the right one via a full undiluted experience.
Here's the single artwork, done by Lee Cherry:
While not as controversial as the FYE album cover nor as much of a talking point as the acoustic EP cover, I think the stark grainy image has a hard, raw feel. No glitter, no camp, with minimal make-up and desaturated colours, this is a definite step away from the FYE era. With the aged brown edges, I can't help feeling it looks like it was run through one of those preset Instagram filters that are a bit too popular these days. If I were to be hyper-critical, I'd say I'm not keen on the typefaces. There's something quite dark-humour-psycho-horror-flick about the style of his name, and the title looks a touch too rounded and light for my taste. I'm more than thrilled though that he didn't have that weird wide forehead shaved sides hairdo! The thick high hair gets the thumbs up from me.
The photo itself is one in which Lee Cherry once again captures Adam's beauty from the view of an observer, in a natural, non-confrontational way. He doesn't appear to be consciously posing but in contemplation, focusing his attention elsewhere. The imagery doesn't come as a surprise as I think it was something he'd been working towards. We'd seen glimpses of it from Moscow and various photos since then. I guess you could call it safe, but I'd say it embodies his desire not to appear too try-hard, just quietly content and confident that the music will be making all the bold statements.
Today saw the premiere of Adam's Aftermath remix on radio:
Even though the original is one of my least favourites on the album, I wasn't too sure about a dance remix at first, envisaging something along the lines of badly-produced Euro-disco. My first impressions are that it's much mellower than I expected having slower, gentler vocals with some melodic changes. I'm still not very keen on the shrill backing vocals which have remained. I would've liked to have heard less liberal over-use of the synthesised vocals and something more interesting than a house beat. It's still a pleasant surprise though, and I do love the sound of Adam's voice. I know it'll grow on me, being very catchy thus having the potential to become the anthem it was always intended to be.
And just for comparison, here's the original version:
And the acoustic version:
Which is your favourite? Please go and vote in the sidebar.
This Whataya Want From Me? edit of mine was meant to coincide with the celebrations for Adam's Grammy win for best male pop vocal. I can't help but wonder if his chances would have been better if the record production did more justice to his voice. After listening to so many renditions of the song and even though the sound quality is lower, I'd take a live version every time. The vocals have the edge with the extra dynamism that's not flattened by meddlesome production, and a raw vitality that comes from the buzz of singing to a live audience.
I've watched about 95% of all concerts from start to finish and this acoustic WWFM from the final stop at Club Nokia is my favourite. Why? Aptly, it's because of the vocals. Before we get to those though, there's banter at the start, where Adam's charm is at work and he gives us a glimpse as to what he would be like as an evil villain with his sadistic little laugh. I noticed that he started singing a little lop-sidedly with a wonky mouth at times towards the end of the tour, but nevertheless it's impossible not to fall for his gritty belts and soaring improvisations at the end. Amazing.
I've got the results of some crude polls taken by you. The one on the left was taken soon after the album was released and the one on the right taken soon after the end of the tour (where were you all for this one?!). I've only taken the songs included in both. The complete album poll included a total of 16 songs and the Glam Nation poll included a total of 20 songs including some classics, which may explain why overall percentages have generally declined. Users were allowed to select multiple answers.
It's not the most scientific study (especially as participation was fairly low on 2nd poll), but if we compare the percentages, I think it's an indicator of a number of things:
Song's ability to stand the test of time
Difference between album production and live experience
Comparison of different arrangements
Results
Contrary to my opinion above, WWFM, the song whose sound Adam wants to base his second album around, has suffered a significant drop between polls. It could be that the acoustic arrangement performed on the tour is less popular than the original (I'm doubtful of this because of the popularity of acoustic Aftermath), but I'm inclined to believe that fans have become tired of hearing the song. I don't think it bodes well if he decides to continue down this route.
The biggest loss has been from Music Again, which has continued with the same arrangement. I think it has suffered from its change in order too, from being the album opener to one near the end of the set. Performance-wise, it had a lot of energy but there was little that stood out or made us keep tuning in to see what Adam would do differently each time. Without any tricks, the popularity of this OTT song has fallen so I think the decision to include "Less rhinestones, more leather" is a good call on Adam's part.
FYE and Broken Open have also suffered considerable drops and I think their results were partially due to their scarcity. FYE had a different arrangement which I feel was lacking in melody and punch, and was also buried within a medley which didn't help. Broken Open came in two different varieties during Glam Nation. In its initial form at the start of the tour it seemed too long and sleepy, sucking the life out of the set. It later re-appeared with an acoustic arrangement. There are too many differing factors to conclusively explain why they fell in popularity.
DTRH has held steady, but SFW and Strut with the same arrangements have fallen a little in popularity. As well as the dilution effect of more songs in the second poll, I think this is due to their attention-lull position in the set after a long interlude. They tended to go by in a blur, maybe because they're not the strongest of songs.
On the positive side, the biggest gain has been from Aftermath, which was our least favourite on the album (and I reckon one of Adam's too, who describes it as "Heartland, adult contemporary rock" and admits to always having heard it as a dance-pop anthem), but its debut on the tour through an acoustic re-arrangement has become one of the highlights. I think the acoustic version is better placed to showcase his vocals and sheds the outdated feel of the original. It'll be interesting to see how its message will be received after being re-packaged as dance-pop.
And now we come to arguably the most important part for deciding future direction - the songs that have scored consistently high. For a song to achieve lasting success, it needs to be well-written to stand the test of time, and Adam needs to be able to perform it well live. I think the latter contributed to FYE not taking off - the key is too low for him.
Fever was on top by some margin in both polls. I'm sure the kissing antics made a significant contribution to the Glam Nation poll but nevertheless, it's a superb disco-dance-pop song. Catchy but evidently not annoying because we still love this arrangement, it has an addictive bassline hook and oozes sass. And we know Adam does wonders with it live. It's just a shame it hasn't been released as a single.
IIHY has had an appreciable increase after already scoring well on the album. The live performances were less dance-pop, and being the last song incorporated the band and dancer introductions to keep up interest. The audiences were also very familiar with it, generating a lively atmosphere. Its success is down to both the quality of the song and the interactive live performances.
Sleepwalker still has the same arrangement so seems to have stood the test of time as a well-written song. It's atmospheric and engaging but it's Adam's voice that really makes this. The live performances have been electrifying, leaving audiences in awe.
Soaked is another song which puts the focus on the voice. Both the aggressive original and the gentler tour instrumentals take a back seat for a timelessly rousing experience.
So how do the results of these opinions fit in with what we know about the second album so far?
The results show no predilection towards songs that Adam was involved in writing but that shouldn't discourage him, especially as two of the top performers are songs that had been written by established artists some time ago and had already made it to the demo stage. I think there was a lot of promise shown on the album and with more time in which to perfect the songs, the results could be impressive.
"Personal and honest" immediately translates as self-absorbed and serious, even soppy to me, so it rings a few alarm bells. I hope Adam avoids extolling the virtues of love or getting emotionally over-indulgent with the dark. At times during the tour, the way he worked backwards to fit the set neatly into an unnecessary box labelled "Love" made me cringe a bit. It's like he tried too hard to create a flowing theme out of the material so the result felt rather crude and inelegant. When he was explaining it to the audience, it seemed like he was also trying to convince himself at the same time. It's probably a result of having followed everything too closely but I'm afraid to say that for me, it missed the mark and felt contrived. But that is a niggle over how he tried to find a common theme to link the set, not his songwriting, which I believe won't follow that style. I'm not a fan of the direct and overt like Aftermath and WWFM when it comes to emotional songs. I prefer something a bit more oblique, leaving the listeners with something to interpret.
To know that the production will do more justice to Adam's voice must be music to our ears. Since I prefer the live recordings, I hope they'll leave it well alone this time round.
With the the decline of MA, it looks like time's up for glam rock, but should we really be swapping rhinestones for leather? I'd say the top songs are a mix of clubwear and leather. We can group them into two categories. One is dance-pop with a strong melody, a driving bassline and a rock edge, the other is big vocally-driven dramatic power-ballads. Adam seems to counter-intuitively be wanting to back away from camp favourite Fever. Could it be the wrong decision to ignore the former to focus on the latter? Let's not forget that the poll was taken by fans and one of the aims is to win over new ones. My guess is this second album is geared towards the US market where WWFM did better than IIHY and Fever was deemed unsuitable for release as a single.
So what's the point of this post? Well I've learned recently that Adam is more easily influenced by fans than I expected, from an interview where he said he kept kissing Tommy because he thought it was what we wanted, to the social media summit where he said he has used ideas from fans. It's evident from his recent blog post that he's interested in our opinions and we know he lurks a lot around this fandom, so I thought it might be useful to do a bit of market research for him using stats. Also, maybe now is a good time to express our opinions when the second album is still in its embryonic stages. Please help out by completing and sharing these simple polls:
What type of music do you think Adam should record for his second album?
If achieving commercial success were not an issue, would your choice be different? If so, ideally what type of music would you like to hear from him?
WHAT DO I WANT?
I prefer the bonus tracks on the last album so wasn't keen when Adam said he'd be basing the next album on the safe pop-rock sound of WWFM. I'm hoping to see him push things, be more adventurous, experiment a little, but I also understand the need to turn in a profit so he's better placed to do this in future. There has always and will always be this balancing act between artistic integrity and commercial success. He's managed it quite well so far and I expect it to continue.
If I could decide what to have on the second album I'd have a funk-rock core, especially after having been teased by a few licks from Monte during the tour. I'd put some soulful vocals on top of it, and to add variety but keep it cohesive, there'd be elements of acid jazz, electrofunk and disco thrown in. The lyrics would be witty and have a little humour in them. The voice would take centre stage and there'd be a stripped-down jazz/blues track or two just to kill a few people. And there'd be a crazy-as-fuck bonus track that I don't even have the imagination to describe.
Adam thought that on his first album he tried too hard to stamp his identity, but could it be that on this second album he'll try too hard to please the masses? Something that one of the AI mentors said comes to mind and that is the aim shouldn't be to make music that's popular, but to make music that you like and work on it so that it becomes popular. Even though this whole post has been about what we want, ultimately I don't want Adam to over-think things and pander to what he thinks other people want, but to follow his musical instincts. The advice I'd give to him comes from his own mouth and is the reason why he has won over so many of us in such a big way. That is to stick to his promise of surprising us and to stay ahead of the curve, giving us what we didn't know we wanted.
I wake up every morning and the goodies keep coming! For once I avoided spoiling myself with the low quality recording from the Fantasy Springs lobby. I listened to a couple of seconds of it and decided to wait instead.
Written by Adam Lambert, Jesse Rogg, Sam Sparro
“It's kind of like a dark industrial disco song. It's definitely a dance tune,the vocals are like really smooth and light, kind of breathy and the beat is hard and electro so I think you guys will really like it.” - DonorsChoose chat 18/02/10
“It's more of a European sounding track, it didn't quite work in context as well as some of the other songs. It's a sexyass song though.” Fab magazine 25/11/09
I don't have much more to add to Adam's words but I think I prefer the songs that didn't make it to the US album and hope it's a sign of things to come. I can see it being a club hit with remixes down the line, but also used as a soundtrack. The song is well written and expresses the darker side of being completely consumed by love. My favourite part of the vocal (aside from the orgasmic 'Yeah!') is the tone and vibrato of 'all' in the first line of the bridge and the haunting multi-layered vocals towards the end. It's very reminiscent of mid-90's dance and I love the mood it creates. Here are the lyrics as far as I can make out:
Moonshine on the bayou
Love shrine break the taboo
I wanna know what's in your potion
Bound by total devotion
I was looking for love all over
You're the hunter and I'm your prey
Now I'm lost in a love hangover
I try to leave but I have to stay
'Cause it's voodoo voodoo voodoo
Under your spell
'Cause it's voodoo voodoo voodoo
Under your spell
Swamp sings of a love bizarre
Snakes bites, aligning stars
I'm in rapture there is no cure
No sanctuary from your allure
I was looking for love all over
You're the hunter and I'm your prey
Now I'm lost in a love hangover
I try to leave but I have to stay
'Cause it's voodoo voodoo voodoo
Under your spell
'Cause it's voodoo voodoo voodoo
Under your spell
'Cause the voodoo that you do is all that you can do to make me into your fool
'Cause when you do voodoo I'm just like a doll that the pins keep pushing into
So every time I try and break this trance
I'mma so afraid I'll miss my chance
To be bewitched, bothered by you
I just gotta say I want your hex
I don't want to live without your hex
I'm so obsessed with your sexiness
Yeah!
'Cause it's voodoo voodoo voodoo
Under your spell
'Cause it's voodoo voodoo voodoo
Under your spell
'Cause it's voodoo voodoo voodoo
Under your spell
'Cause it's voodoo voodoo voodoo
I'd been waiting for these for quite some time and when they came out, WOW! Just WOW! Adam's look is most reminiscent of his Santana performance at the AI finale, which I described as “...looked like a detective in a fabulous Glambert universe where the most serious crimes possible to commit, for which he was head of investigations, were crimes against fashion. Yes, I'd happily commit a fashion crime in order to get arrested by Adam before getting styled...”. This one is less sparkly and more utilitarian though, and I realised that it's rare we get to see Adam performing without a jacket on so we can see his lithe figure. The sound on these is much better than from any of the TV show performances and he's pitch perfect. One thing that I found a little annoying though, was the cameraman's fixation with Lisa. I don't have time at the moment to write about all of these individually, but Soaked - #%*^!!! That voice is truly a marvel.
