Welcome to Thunder Row, where bassists from around the world connect, collide, confer, conference, compose, collude, and communicate!
Don't be shy, jump on in!



Roy's Blog




*Teach Me Bass Guitar, the most comprehensive, effective, and entertaining program of bass instruction anywhere. Guaranteed.
www.teachmebassguitar.com


Free Sample Lessons
Sign up for THUNDERFIST: Your FREE bass tip excerpts from TMBG - the most fun, effective self-paced video instruction for bass guitar ever created!
Your Name*:
Your Email*:
(*We will not share this information.)

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

myspace myspace
myspace myspace

 


  • The View From Here - A Rebuttal

    First, a little background as to what this is all about. When I review an album, I do several things besides listen to the music itself (as do most reviewers, I expect). One of these things is to read other people’s reviews and absorb their opinions, too. Even though I’m not actually “talking” with these reviewers, I still consider it a form of discussion over what each of us took away from the project.

    Sometimes, I’ll read a review that sticks out in my mind - one where the reviewer thoughtfully lays out those aspects he or she thinks has hindered the album’s ability to succeed. Even if I disagree with the reviewer, I respect the approach because it gives the artist honest feedback, without stomping all over their work. I call this type of reviewing “writing from the inside”. What I mean is that the reviewer comes at the project with a vested interest in it. As a listener, it is as important to him as it is to the artist that the album succeeds.

    Such a review came out when Lane Baldwin released The View From Here. The writer, Mr. David Martin, pointed to some things that he found to be less than flattering about the production. Specifically, he wasn’t thrilled with the order in which the songs were arranged. I disagreed with his analysis, and ended up typing up a rebuttal. I never included it in my own review, since I wanted to focus on the music, and had no issues with the sequencing. The rebuttal was just to get off my chest my disagreement with Mr. Martin’s take.

    Anyway, I recently happened upon this rebuttal in one of my file folders, and decided to give it a day in court. I invite everybody to read Mr. Martin’s review, and then my rebuttal. Your opinions and feedback are, as always, very welcome.

    Here is his review:

    http://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/lan...iew-from-here/

    MY REBUTTAL

    To me, there are basically two approaches to storytelling in any of its many forms. One is the linear approach, where a story is told from start to finish, with an arrow pointing the audience in the direction of travel.

    The second approach is more circular, free-floating, or non-linear. Different things happen depending on what direction you look. Non-linear work is the trademark of movie director Quentin Tarantino. Think of the Kill Bill project. The pieces are presented out of sequence, and come together in the end as a story told from many different angles. As the pieces play out, you remember their place in the story, and enjoy a wonderful sense of satisfaction when it all comes together. You can put a Kill Bill disc into your player and watch any of the segments out of order, as standalone pieces. I don’t think it would work for something like, say, Schindler’s List, which is a very linear piece of art. You must watch it from start to finish; you must follow the arrow.

    In his review of TVFH, Mr. Martin writes, “Taken individually, each track on this set is excellent. But presented as an album, in this sequence, it just held itself back.” He then suggests his own preferred song order, creating a pleasing linear feel to the story of Lane’s trials by fire. To me, rearranging these songs as he suggests feels like cutting and pasting the various segments of Kill Bill into their sequential timeline and watching the entire project “from start to finish.” It might give a smoother ride when enjoying the story, but it would take away all the opportunities to look in any direction at any time and be taken out of your comfort zone.

    If Lane had actually passed away due to his health issues, a linear approach would have been my choice too, but the fact that he made it through gives the sequencing an entirely different perspective. To me, the album’s title means Lane has reached a point where he is standing alone (possibly on a mound or hill) and surveying the aspects of his life (and possibly the bullet he has just dodged). If he looks in one direction, he hears the peace of a Lullaby; if he looks in another, he faces unpredictable danger in Blow, Twister, Blow. One minute, he’s a Happy Boy, and the next, he stares down the ultimate human trial in Lay Me Down. Every view, every direction is a piece of his story replaying itself before his eyes. Where waits death? Where waits joy? Things are coming at him from all sides, and he takes those moments as they come. It’s not about a comfortable song order; it’s about not knowing what awaits.

    Mr. Martin has Lullaby slotted as the finale, following two minutes of proposed silence. Interesting creative touch, for sure! He sees this song as the conclusion, and the two minutes of silence seem to be a way to grab one’s breath before closing the book on the Lane story. Myself, I see it more as a moment to shake things up from all the trepidation. Play Lullaby right before Lay Me Down for the serious change in pace. Look in another direction and be shaken up again. I don’t see this as an album that must be played in a sensible linear order based on a beginning and an ending.

    Let’s face it, The View From Here is about the threat of dying. Most of us have heard of the five psychological stages of dying: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Though these stages are said to occur in a generally linear fashion, people often move back and forth between them. If you laid them out on a big pie chart on the floor and stood in the middle, you could look out in any direction and find yourself dealing with all the emotions of any given scenario. That’s how I see TVFH. Because the emotions of facing death change and churn with each day, you see something different no matter where you look, and nothing occurs in chronological order.

    Mr. Martin chose the sequence he preferred, and he has every right to do so, but this does not mean the album is wrongly sequenced the way it is, or that its success is held back because of it; it simply means the option remains to see it from any direction - out of linear order. Lane stands in the middle of that pie chart and wherever he looks will be one of the stages. That’s one of the things I love most about TVFH - that there are no rules to the way the listener takes it all in. No right, no wrong.

    Thanks for your review, Mr. Martin, and the chance to check out the view from another angle!
    Comments 5 Comments
    1. Lane's Avatar
      Lane -
      Thanks so much, CL! It does my heart good to know you get the point as well as you do.

      One other thought -- in the digital age, one can create a play list in ANY ORDER they choose! ;-) So, if a person doesn't like the original order, they can easily change it.

      Thanks again, and all the best!!
    1. TobiasMan's Avatar
      TobiasMan -
      I don't believe there is a "wrong" way for an artist to sequence songs. They are the artist's experiences - expressed in music and reflect the artist's wishes and expression. Haven't seen too many folks indicating that Picasso's paintings would be much better if the people looked real.

      I truly enjoy Lane's CD a lot, and it is often on my CD player.
    1. Elmeaux's Avatar
      Elmeaux -
      I didn't choose it as Album of the Year without good reason.
    1. Elmeaux's Avatar
      Elmeaux -
      Quote Originally Posted by Lane View Post
      in the digital age, one can create a play list in ANY ORDER they choose! ;-) So, if a person doesn't like the original order, they can easily change it.
      Yep. That's why I don't think he was WRONG to shuffle things around - he can do whatever he wants with the play order if it helps him to enjoy the album. I admire the amount of thought he put into pleading his case. He invested a lot of sincere effort into rearranging the sequencing to suit him.

      I just didn't care for the idea that he felt the project suffered because of its current song order.
    1. david's Avatar
      david -
      Taken in any sequence, Lane's album is the kind of emotional tour de force that can only come from the heart of someone who has "lived the lyrics." To me, that makes it a work of art, as are your thoughtful observations, Elmeaux. Your musical sensitivity and native intelligence are imparted without the slightest pretense: a rarity among critics and one that makes your opinion all the more valuable to both the prospective audience and the artist. Kudos!
  • Latest Videos

    Donohoe & Grimes Do Up Some Floyd

    Publish Date: September 26, 2014, 10:15 am


    Read More Read More


  • Bass Tips

    Beginning Bass Lessons

    Publish Date: July 25, 2015, 1:00 pm


    Read More Read More


  • Ads