|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 27, 2014 1:30:00 GMT
Hey, there! Well, I was just listening to the Discovery album I've been gifted for Christmas in the stereo and when "Midnight blue" came it came to my mind again what a freaking masterpiece it is to these ears, even after having listened to it so many times.
Not exaggerating, I consider it to be the best love song I've ever heard, one of the best Jeff has ever written and of course the best from Discovery. Even from a harmony's point of view it's surprisingly complex, yet the melody sounds fantastic over that weird sequence of chords. Then of course Jeff's vocals are fantastic, the harmonies with that counterpoints (ooh-aah) enhance it a lot too, the strings give it ELO's particular touch and the guitar in the chorus sounds fantastic.
But despite my opinion, I get the notion that most others don't appreciate it as much. Heck, I can't even recall Jeff showning any love for it on any occasion. So well, what's your opinion? Is it a masterpiece, is it a good song, is it just one more from the bunch or is it a bad song?
|
|
|
Post by Buttler on Dec 27, 2014 10:41:56 GMT
Hi Helmut! I wrote a thread like this in the former ELO forum. I'm/I was really surprised not to find this song in any ELO Best Of/Greatest Hits, and gotta be honest, I still don't understand why I think this is one of their best songs, and absolutely the most underrated. And I have to confess this is the song that made me fall in love with Jeff Lynne/ELO I agree with you, the chords progression is stunning (Like all the songs written by Mr Lynne), especially this part: "But what I see is so much more than I can say"
I use to play it (Piano) with these chords: F7+ Cm/Eb D7If you want to know how to play it with guitar, just watch how Phil Bates (ELO Part 2) plays it PS. "Midnight Blue" made me think of a book I read some years ago, the Murakami masterpiece "Norwegian Wood"
|
|
|
Post by Platypus on Dec 27, 2014 11:43:35 GMT
I love Midnight Blue! Absolute Jeff/ELO. Makes me melancholy to sing it though...
|
|
|
Post by Buttler on Dec 27, 2014 16:57:03 GMT
Hey Helmut, I think Phil plays the same chords Fmaj7 (I use to write F7+, sorry : (x33210), Cm/Eb (x6554x) and D7 (x5453x)
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 27, 2014 17:08:27 GMT
Buttler, funny that it was the song that made you fall in love with Jeff Lynne/ELO because the same happened to me. When I was 8 or 9 I caught it by chance on the radio whithout even knowing who sang it and recorded it on a cassette, then listened to it like 500 times. The part you said ("but what I see"), I used to play if F - Cm7 - D7. Your version seems to be closer to the correct one though, because I have a book of Discovery chords that says that it goes: Fmaj7 - Cm6/Eb - D7. In any case, who uses a V grade minor these days? And who uses it with a bass note inversion and adding a 6th note to the chord? And more still, who jumps from a I grade maj7 (already something very uncommon) to a V grade minor and then to a VI grade major with 7 (when the VI grade is usually minor)? And on top of that, making it all sound great? The man is a genius.
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 27, 2014 17:12:53 GMT
Hey Helmut, I think Phil plays the same chords Fmaj7 (I use to write F7+, sorry : (x33210), Cm/Eb (x6554x) and D7 (x5453x) I sent you my previous answer before reading this message of yours. You are right. The only difference with what my book says is that the Cm/Eb includes a 6th note (Cm6/Eb - xx1213). I tell you what the book says without being able to asure if it is right or not because my rough ears are totally uncapable of getting those subtleties.
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 27, 2014 17:16:35 GMT
Now that I think about it, if it's as the book says, he would be using a 6th note major (A instead of Ab on the third string) on the C minor chord, and only the bass note would determine that the chord is minor.
|
|
|
Post by unomusette on Dec 27, 2014 19:59:27 GMT
I really like the melody of Midnight Blue but the whole treatment of it on Discovery is too sugary and schmaltzy for me. I particularly hate that electric piano sound in the opening which was on a lot of cheesy ballads in the 1980's. And the vocal sound is also too sort of fluffy and soppy for me - I know it's meant to be a love song but it doesn't sound masculine enough for a man to be singing it. Does that make sense?
Not being a songwriter or musician I can't appreciate the art of its construction, but I bow to the opinion of those who are, and who do.
For sure, there are a lot worse songs out there in the world. Even Damey has done a couple (Endless Lies, Another Heart Breaks for instance). So it's not a complete disaster, in my opinion.
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 27, 2014 20:32:34 GMT
I particularly hate that electric piano sound in the opening which was on a lot of cheesy ballads in the 1980's. I'll give you that. Apparently they had bought a new synthetizer or keyboard and they were trying what it could do, and I'm not a fan of that sound from the opening either. In any case, I find it to be just a little something at the beginning that doesn't affect the song as a whole. And the vocal sound is also too sort of fluffy and soppy for me - I know it's meant to be a love song but it doesn't sound masculine enough for a man to be singing it. Does that make sense? Yeah, I get what you are saying there. His voice sounds a bit ethereal, but I think it fits very good that kind of romantic song he is singing. These opinions are very personal, but I get the idea that your approach to the songs has a lot of paying attention to the sounds (timbre). So it's a complete disaster, in my opinion. Wow, that's one lapidary sentence! In any case, thanks for the honesty, Uno. Not everyone would have dared to say it so openly knowing that I'm such a big fan of the song, but I opened the thread for opinions and if that's your opinion, that's exactly what I want.
|
|
|
Post by unomusette on Dec 27, 2014 20:40:02 GMT
Ooops, sorry for the confusion, I meant to say it's NOT a complete disaster - I blame the alcohol in the christmas pudding (not the buckets of vodka of course) Just been and changed it. All the rest is as I intended, I think Thanks for your open minded response, nice one!
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 27, 2014 21:02:41 GMT
Come on, Uno, don't be inhibited now. You wanted to drop the bomb, you went and dropped it, it's OK. Don't feel regretful for it.
|
|
|
Post by Horacewimp on Dec 27, 2014 21:42:38 GMT
Midnight Blue is an ok song but not a standout one for me, more of a decent album filler. I must admit it wasn't until a few years ago that I realised the vocoder was saying "Midnight Blue" during the song
|
|
|
Post by unomusette on Dec 27, 2014 22:04:16 GMT
Come on, Uno, don't be inhibited now. You wanted to drop the bomb, you went and dropped it, it's OK. Don't feel regretful for it. Heh, no I really don't think it's all bad. He just needs to man it up a bit, I expect BSJ and I could help him out there I just hope I've not enraged any fans of Endless Lies or Another Heart Breaks...
|
|
|
Post by BSJ on Dec 27, 2014 22:47:24 GMT
I've dismiss this song. BUT listening a few times, reading yours and Buttlers comments, an appreciation.
|
|
|
Post by Helmut83 on Dec 27, 2014 23:24:55 GMT
Not being a songwriter or musician I can't appreciate the art of its construction, but I bow to the opinion of those who are, and who do.
|
|