Last week I heard "On the Dark Side" from the soundtrack Eddie and the Cruisers(John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band). I was amazed how similar(even subtle nuances)when compared to Bruce Springsteen and the E Steet Band. I'm curious how many other songs/compositions Audiogon members can come up with.
Funny you should mention "On the Dark Side." The first time I heard "Keep the Car Running" by the wildly overrated and terribly annoying Arcade Fire, I was astonished by how much that song was a ripoff of a ripoff. It sounds *exactly* like "on the Dark Side," which sounds like the poor man's Springsteen. It's a copy of a copy, an imitation of an imitation, a tracing of a forgery. It's an embarrassment. It's more like "on the Dark Side" than "My Sweet Lord" is like "He's So Fine." That's the end of my ranting for now. Thanks for listening. -- Howard
I disagree on the Arcade Fire. Certainly "Keep the Car Running" follows the same chord progression as Eddie and the Cruiser's "On the Dark Side." But the songs are substantially different in almost every other way (as I'm sure almost anyone's ears can detect upon a cursory listening).
Further, there are approximately 8 bajillion-zillion songs that follow similar chord progressions as predecessors which are still accepted as unique.
I could link more videos showing how multitudes of songs from all different genres are at their core the same progression, but in their composition ultimately different. It is musical illiteracy to accuse songs of forgery because they use the same progression/meter. If that is the case, then I'm afraid every song made after the 1900s or maybe even earlier (apart from extremely experimental dissonant stuff, although that's probably all used up too) is a forgery! Heck, much of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones is cribbed from the Blues.
I suppose it gets down to how we define what makes a song a song and from there what makes one unique.
No offense intended, Howard. I hope I made my case without crossing any lines.
I think it is probably inevitable... For example Red Hot Chilli Peppers "Dani California" sure sounds like they copied Tom Petty "Last Dance With Mary Jane"
I notice similarities all the time, I think it is almost impossible to be completely creative as everyone influences everyone else.
Another example is Cold Sweat (James Brown) which takes a riff from Miles Davis Kind of Blue
Brian, Speaking of illiteracy, here's a link for you: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole?show=0&t=1306669302 When someone ends his hyperbolic screed by excusing himself for his self-described "rant," you may wish to wonder if the writer might have been intentionally overblown. It's called poetic license. You, obviously, are not in the possession of one. Nor of the ability to discern authorial intent. No offense intended, of course. Howard
Hyperbole, figurative nature notwithstanding, is nevertheless based on an actual opinion. I disagreed not with your "poetic license" but with the un-embellished core, the basis of your evaluation. I assume that's still allowed.
Relax, Howard. I understood your post perfectly. I simply did not agree with your assessment and indeed the premise of the accusations which are sure to exist among many folk when discussing a topic such as this. I made my case and aside from defending myself from a rather scurrilous assault, I'm all done raining on your rant parade.
In another recent thread I pointed out the similarity between The Pretenders' "Time The Avenger" and The Outsiders' "Time Won't Let Me". Given the similarity in song titles, I always assumed that Chrissie Hynde had "Won't Let Me" rattling around her subconcious when she wrote "Avenger".
Marty
As Shadorne notes, the process of artistic creation in general(and, I'd add, the blues based strucutral nature of rock n roll, in particular) makes similarity inevitable. However, the main idea in both of these particular tunes is pretty distinctive and these two songs are the only ones I know plying this little piece of turf.
My contribution to this would be Ray Parker Jr's Ghostbusters song and the VERY striking similarity it has to Huey Lewis' I Want a New Drug. I think they have battled this out in court multiple times.
After learning guitar -a little- i became aware of how really really close allot of guitar parts are- even in rock songs that don't really sound the same - sometimes it's only a matter of slight timing changes. In fact, it can be real easy to slip into playing the wrong song if i am not really paying attention. Sometimes I have troble with a guitar part i once mastered, because i learned another rock song that is too close.
Thanx for all the responses. Suprised The Knickerbockers "Lies" was not mentioned, too obvious? Here's 3 more... Sugarloaf-Green Eyed Lady-Steppenwolf Queensryche-Silent Lucidity-Pink Floyd Gary Moore-Still Got The Blues-Carlos Santana
Cascada's latest release San Francisco sounds VERY similar to Katy Perry's California Girls. I'm surprised they haven't been sued yet over the similarity.
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