1970's
Fleetwood Mac 'The Chain'
The Chain by Fleetwood Mac was released in 1977 from the album Rumours.
- Drums (lots of kick)
- Electric Guitars
- Lead Vocals
- Harmony Vocals
- (Fretless) Bass
- Tambourine
drums ( a lot of kick), electric guitars, lead vocals and harmony vocals (fretless) bass guitar, tambourine,
Listening to The Chain, the instruments sound quite rounded, a kick drums sets the tempo with the high, consistent clean pluck of a guitar before the the vocal harmonies start up.
The vocals themselves sound like they could have been layered to give a more of an ‘echo’ effect to the already distorted vocals. The song is actually formed of multiple takes that have been meshed together, creating an emotional, punchy vibe.
The overall feeling that the song portrays to the listener is rather nostalgic to me, the song was written by Stevie Nicks as his relationship with Lindsey Buckingham was falling apart. It feels somewhat reminiscent of what has been and could’ve been, but ultimately ‘The Chain’ is breaking before them.
1990's - 2000's
Gangsta's Paradise
Gangsta's Paradise was released in 1995
by Coolio for the album Dangerous Minds.
Although this song is actually the reworking of Stevie Wonder's 1976 song
"Pastime Paradise".
- Vocals (rap and singing)
- Choir
- Kick (centre)
- Cowbell
- Sampled high hats (panned to the left)
- Synth strings
The synth strings are one of the most notable parts of the song with a continues hip hop bass line. It’s on a 4/4 beat and a hard kick is played on the first beat of every bar, the kick sounds really centred within this song.
Along with the rapping, the introduction of the choir adds interesting layers, it adds a church feeling to the song as the main vocals perform social commentary on the then current circumstances.
The lyrics are haunting and thoughtful, after it was released it gained major popularity, clutching the listener between a funky production beat, and gospel wails.
The song gives a feeling of circumstantial distress, and an ongoing battle with an unfair disadvantage. It's no wonder it got so popular, as the sincere flow Coolio has is infectious when used to express a message.
Now
Billie Eilish & Khalid - Lovely
The vocals sound intense and in your face,
the distorted hand in hand with a rough overall sound. Billie's haunting, 'whispy' vocals send you sinking in quicksand, until Khalid's full, raw voice brings you back above the surface. Between the two, give beautiful harmonics that send you afloat.
Her husky, soft vocals mix so well with his strong and clear notes. The duo bring an uplifting and falling to the table.
- Piano
- Violins
- Vocals
- Rumbling sounds (synth)
- Whistle effect
The song itself is fairly simple sounding, with a light piano melody leading directly into the violins and Billie's vocals. There are echo effects throughout the song, for the chorus, the two artists vocals are layered together, this creates a surrounding sound, the violins sound right sounded whereas the piano sits in the front, and occasionally the back.
Synth and editing the mix send subtle rumbling sounds as the song grows in strength before dropping back down.
Once in the song I heard a whistle effect that gave the song an eerie feeling.
