Alright...here's my question.....
How many bands out there (not counting acoustic or blues acts, I'm talking salt of the earth cock rock bands) actually do slow songs on a regular basis as part of their sets?
Third Standard has been notorious for years for rarely ever playing anything slow. There are certain bars (mainly in more rural areas) that request us to play one per set, but for the most part we refrain from doing so in most of our venues. Are we alone in our line of thinking (not that we'll change anyways)? or is there a tried and true formula that other bands use in terms of how may slow songs to play?
Getting down to the slow jamz......
We do slow songs almost every show ... it seems to be an ice breaker (especially with men) to get people involved in the show and on the dance floor. We try to jump right in to something cool, popular and "dancy" right after the slow one to keep them on the floor.
We never do more than two per show, though, and it's usually just one, first set ...
Plus, it gives me the chance to "sing" instead of "scream" once in a while, which is a nice change of pace ...
r:>)
We never do more than two per show, though, and it's usually just one, first set ...
Plus, it gives me the chance to "sing" instead of "scream" once in a while, which is a nice change of pace ...
r:>)
That's what she said.
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lonewolf
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In my experience (30 years paid rock musician), we have always done one "slow" song per set and if there is an unusual number of people slow-dancing, we might pull a 2nd one out or extend the 1st one.
Danceable slow songs are necessary to initiate ass-grabbing and other late-night mating customs. It is especially effective in the last set or encore when its near last-call. At this time, Comfortably Numb is a great pick, since the audience is now in that aforementioned state of mind and will grab ass with one hand while waving a cigarette ligher with the other.....
Danceable slow songs are necessary to initiate ass-grabbing and other late-night mating customs. It is especially effective in the last set or encore when its near last-call. At this time, Comfortably Numb is a great pick, since the audience is now in that aforementioned state of mind and will grab ass with one hand while waving a cigarette ligher with the other.....
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
In my experience, it's harder for a band to play a slow song well.
I know that's counter-intuitive but think about it.
You need patience to wait for the beat to happen and it's too easy to to let the tempo creep up on ya.
The fast ones are easy, grip it and rip it and try to stay steady. A tempo fluctuation of 3 to 5 BPM give or take, ain't shit when you start at 120 per, but when it's a slower tempo to begin with 3 to 5 BPM is is a big deal
The test of band's musicianship isn't how well they play songs at 120 BMP but how well they play the songs at 65 BMP playing it right at the slower tempo is harder.
I know that's counter-intuitive but think about it.
You need patience to wait for the beat to happen and it's too easy to to let the tempo creep up on ya.
The fast ones are easy, grip it and rip it and try to stay steady. A tempo fluctuation of 3 to 5 BPM give or take, ain't shit when you start at 120 per, but when it's a slower tempo to begin with 3 to 5 BPM is is a big deal
The test of band's musicianship isn't how well they play songs at 120 BMP but how well they play the songs at 65 BMP playing it right at the slower tempo is harder.
Blooz to Youz
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Killjingle
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I been trying to convince House of Cain to play "Nobodys Fool" from Cinderella. Apparently Danny cant play the bassline.
Survey your crowd.
Do u see a couple that should get it on when they leave but prob wont?
Play the slow song for them. They will get it on and then come to your next show and bring some friends.
Thats the winning boy's magic.
Survey your crowd.
Do u see a couple that should get it on when they leave but prob wont?
Play the slow song for them. They will get it on and then come to your next show and bring some friends.
Thats the winning boy's magic.
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bassist_25
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- Location: Indiana
You also have to cover more "sonic space" when you are playing a slow song. This can be especially tricky if you are playing in a three piece or if your only harmony instrument is too busy with a melody. If the guitar player goes into a solo, it's usually up to the rythmn section to pick up the slack. The guitarist may also have to play chords on top of melody lines ala Chet Atkins. A guitarist that can play slow melodies while still playing harmony will always impress me over the guitarist burning through a melodic minor scale runs at 200 BMP.FatVin wrote:In my experience, it's harder for a band to play a slow song well.
I know that's counter-intuitive but think about it.
You need patience to wait for the beat to happen and it's too easy to to let the tempo creep up on ya.
The fast ones are easy, grip it and rip it and try to stay steady. A tempo fluctuation of 3 to 5 BPM give or take, ain't shit when you start at 120 per, but when it's a slower tempo to begin with 3 to 5 BPM is is a big deal
The test of band's musicianship isn't how well they play songs at 120 BMP but how well they play the songs at 65 BMP playing it right at the slower tempo is harder.
"He's the electric horseman, you better back off!" - old sKool making a reference to the culturally relevant 1979 film.
Bassist_25 Wrote:
But this still begs the question: Why do "Power Ballads" suck?
I have an opinon on this but I would like to hear from some of you on it
Why do "power ballads" suck monkey dick?
Me too, I wish I could do itA guitarist that can play slow melodies while still playing harmony will always impress me over the guitarist burning through a melodic minor scale runs at 200 BMP.
But this still begs the question: Why do "Power Ballads" suck?
I have an opinon on this but I would like to hear from some of you on it
Why do "power ballads" suck monkey dick?
Blooz to Youz
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lonewolf
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Power ballads? Would these be like: Dream On, Home Sweet Home, Simple Man, Shooting Star, etc.FatVin wrote:Why do "power ballads" suck monkey dick?
If so, they don't suck to listen to, BUT, if you are talking about covering them at a gig, its because they are not really that danceable and many of them aren't actually slow beats, like you mentioned in the earlier post.
I deal with midi a lot and my sequencer displays the bpm. Most of these songs are close to the 100bpm range, which is a little fast for slow dancing.
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
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jim bagrosky
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slow
Slow song? What's that? My last couple bands didn't do any so I kinda miss it a little. Wouldn't be bad to pull out a timeless classic like...say...LOVE HATE LOVE from Alice in Chains! 
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bassist_25
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- Location: Indiana
Some of them are also really produced with piano, keyboards, strings, pads, overdubbed vocal harmonies, ect. All of that stuff can make it hard for a three, four, or even five piece band to cover.lonewolf wrote:Power ballads? Would these be like: Dream On, Home Sweet Home, Simple Man, Shooting Star, etc.FatVin wrote:Why do "power ballads" suck monkey dick?
If so, they don't suck to listen to, BUT, if you are talking about covering them at a gig, its because they are not really that danceable and many of them aren't actually slow beats, like you mentioned in the earlier post.
I deal with midi a lot and my sequencer displays the bpm. Most of these songs are close to the 100bpm range, which is a little fast for slow dancing.
"He's the electric horseman, you better back off!" - old sKool making a reference to the culturally relevant 1979 film.
I really agree with you there Paul. I've realized that a lot of the 'power ballads' (especially those from the 80's and 90's) have so many little effects and background fills (like arena sounding drums, and orchestra instruments), that when a bare-bones cover band tries to cover them, they sound pretty darn empty. Another good point was made about their tempo. A lot of ballads are too slow to really rock out to, but they are too fast to slow dance to. From what I've noticed, that makes for some bad live material.
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All kinetic, no potential.
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All kinetic, no potential.
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Beyond Reason does a couple of slow songs. Sometimes we do them, depending on the crowd, or if some are requested. Fans enjoy it.
Jae Smith
Root and The Fifths
www.rootandthefifths.com
www.facebook.com/rootandthefifths
www.twitter.com/rootfifths
www.pabands.com
Root and The Fifths
www.rootandthefifths.com
www.facebook.com/rootandthefifths
www.twitter.com/rootfifths
www.pabands.com
First let me define the term
Dream on - Not a power ballad, A) at the time of Aerosmith's first LP, it was an original Idea, that kinda thing had'nt really been done before by a hard rock band and original ideas are always good. B) not even a ballad really, Dream on isn't really a love song is it?
Shooting Star: Not a Power ballad, Mainly cause it's not a true ballad Now Feel like makin Love, on the other hand is a power ballad, one of the few that actually work (The exception proves the rule)
Simple man: Not a true ballad but still sucks mainly because of it's Forrest Gump like message "Mamma says I should be a redneck". Tuesdays Gone is A) a much better song from them and, B) it's a true ballad, but it's not a Power ballad as it doesn't require cheesey power chords to make it's chorus work.
Home Sweet Home: Now we're talking Power Ballad, first, they bring in the piano, A) Aerosmith already did that and did it better, second, they wheel out the cheesy power chords. If you are gonna do a ballad do a ballad if you're gonna rock, then rock but don't try to do both at the same time. THat's what a Power ballad is and that's why they suck.
Examples of ballads that work:
KISS : Beth, Okay they wheeled in the piano and the Orchestra but No Power chords, it was soft and sappy and they committed to it.
The Aforementioned Feel Like makin love by Bad Company. No Keyboards but all the other hallmarks of fermented dairy with the sexual/lovey dovey lyrics and the power chords but THEY DID IT FIRST and that means something.
Allman Brothers: Melissa Solid Lyrics, Great guitars, even tho the Allmans have keyboards as part of the regular band line up they didn't use them, proving that a song that is sentimental doesn't require keyboards or an orchestra.
Metallica: Nothing else matters: Okay yeah Symphonic background and Powerchords in a ballad are generally a product of Wisconsin but the lyrics manage not to be syrupy.
Good Riddance Green Day did the most Punk thing they could by sticking that song on the CD, nobody's gonna dictate to them what kinda songs they can record not even their fans, good job and a good song.
The ballads, I'm taking about, the ones that for the most part Suck Monkey Dick
Anything from Styx, The less those guys listen to Dennis DeYoung, the better, all of those songs, Babe, Lady, etc Cheese Cheese Cheese
Reo Speedwagon, Need I say More
Poison, (Sing along) Every Rose has it's thorn....Every night has it's dawn, Every Cliche seems to be in that song
Cinderella, Alleged music From the people who aren't original enough to be in Poison
Journey, First, Open Arms was a decent addition to an okay album then they tried to make a career of Open Arms part Deux, and B doesn' there have to be some Power in it to call it a power ballad?
Nothing wrong with a slow song, nothing wrong with a love song, nothing wrong with a slow love song but commit to the idea or don't do it. Hedging your bets to make your slow love ballad 'Also Rock" is bad, cheesy Bullshit and the great ones don't do it
Dream on - Not a power ballad, A) at the time of Aerosmith's first LP, it was an original Idea, that kinda thing had'nt really been done before by a hard rock band and original ideas are always good. B) not even a ballad really, Dream on isn't really a love song is it?
Shooting Star: Not a Power ballad, Mainly cause it's not a true ballad Now Feel like makin Love, on the other hand is a power ballad, one of the few that actually work (The exception proves the rule)
Simple man: Not a true ballad but still sucks mainly because of it's Forrest Gump like message "Mamma says I should be a redneck". Tuesdays Gone is A) a much better song from them and, B) it's a true ballad, but it's not a Power ballad as it doesn't require cheesey power chords to make it's chorus work.
Home Sweet Home: Now we're talking Power Ballad, first, they bring in the piano, A) Aerosmith already did that and did it better, second, they wheel out the cheesy power chords. If you are gonna do a ballad do a ballad if you're gonna rock, then rock but don't try to do both at the same time. THat's what a Power ballad is and that's why they suck.
Examples of ballads that work:
KISS : Beth, Okay they wheeled in the piano and the Orchestra but No Power chords, it was soft and sappy and they committed to it.
The Aforementioned Feel Like makin love by Bad Company. No Keyboards but all the other hallmarks of fermented dairy with the sexual/lovey dovey lyrics and the power chords but THEY DID IT FIRST and that means something.
Allman Brothers: Melissa Solid Lyrics, Great guitars, even tho the Allmans have keyboards as part of the regular band line up they didn't use them, proving that a song that is sentimental doesn't require keyboards or an orchestra.
Metallica: Nothing else matters: Okay yeah Symphonic background and Powerchords in a ballad are generally a product of Wisconsin but the lyrics manage not to be syrupy.
Good Riddance Green Day did the most Punk thing they could by sticking that song on the CD, nobody's gonna dictate to them what kinda songs they can record not even their fans, good job and a good song.
The ballads, I'm taking about, the ones that for the most part Suck Monkey Dick
Anything from Styx, The less those guys listen to Dennis DeYoung, the better, all of those songs, Babe, Lady, etc Cheese Cheese Cheese
Reo Speedwagon, Need I say More
Poison, (Sing along) Every Rose has it's thorn....Every night has it's dawn, Every Cliche seems to be in that song
Cinderella, Alleged music From the people who aren't original enough to be in Poison
Journey, First, Open Arms was a decent addition to an okay album then they tried to make a career of Open Arms part Deux, and B doesn' there have to be some Power in it to call it a power ballad?
Nothing wrong with a slow song, nothing wrong with a love song, nothing wrong with a slow love song but commit to the idea or don't do it. Hedging your bets to make your slow love ballad 'Also Rock" is bad, cheesy Bullshit and the great ones don't do it
Blooz to Youz
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lonewolf
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Technically, a ballad is a narrative story put to music, not a love song...unless, of course it is a story about love. But in a world with endless gray areas and anything goes, I guess any freakin' popular soft song can be called a ballad.
That makes Shooting Star a perfect example of a ballad, but Feel Like Making Love is simply a love song--no storyline. Simple Man is a narrative about a conversation between a mother and son. Tuesday's Gone is a ballad but there isn't much storyline ... he's riding a train and depressed. Borderline with country tear-jerker.
Home Sweet Home is more of a rhetorical inspirational than a ballad--there is no storyline.
But I get your drift now.
I agree, Beth was soft and sappy.
REO, you need not say more.....
But! Never forget! The Ballad Of Dwight Frye! (Alice Cooper)
Mommy where's daddy? He's been gone for so long.
Do you think he'll ever come home?
I was gone for fourteen days
I coulda been gone for more
Held up in the intensive care ward
lyin on the floor
I was gone for all those days
but I, was not all alone
I made friends with a lot of people
in the danger zone
See my lonely life unfold
I see it every day
See my only mind explode
Since I've gone away
I think I lost some weight there
and I---I'm sure I need some rest
Sleepin don't come very easy
in a straight white vest
Should like to see that little children
She's only four years old---old
I'd give her back all of her play things
even, even the ones I stole
See my lonely life unfold
I see it everyday
See my lonely mind explode
when I've gone insane
I wanna get out of here
I wanna, I wanna get out of here
I gotta get out of here
I gotta get out of here
IgottagetoutahereIgottagetoutahereIgottagetoutahere
Ya gotta let me out of here
Let me outta here
I gotta get outta here
Let me outta here
I gotta get outta here
Let me outta here
I gotta get outta here
See my lonely life unfold
I see it everyday
See my only mind explode
Blow up in my face
I grabbed my hat and I got my coat
and I, I ran into the street
I saw a man that was choking there
I guess he couldn't breathe
Said to myself this is very strange
I'm glad it wasn't me
But now I hear those sirens callin'
and so I am not free
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
(See my lonely life unfold)
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
(I see it every day)
LEAVE ME ALONE I DIDN'T WANNA BE
DON'T TOUCH ME!!!!
See my lonely mind explode
when I've gone INSAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNE!
That makes Shooting Star a perfect example of a ballad, but Feel Like Making Love is simply a love song--no storyline. Simple Man is a narrative about a conversation between a mother and son. Tuesday's Gone is a ballad but there isn't much storyline ... he's riding a train and depressed. Borderline with country tear-jerker.
Home Sweet Home is more of a rhetorical inspirational than a ballad--there is no storyline.
But I get your drift now.
I agree, Beth was soft and sappy.
REO, you need not say more.....
But! Never forget! The Ballad Of Dwight Frye! (Alice Cooper)
Mommy where's daddy? He's been gone for so long.
Do you think he'll ever come home?
I was gone for fourteen days
I coulda been gone for more
Held up in the intensive care ward
lyin on the floor
I was gone for all those days
but I, was not all alone
I made friends with a lot of people
in the danger zone
See my lonely life unfold
I see it every day
See my only mind explode
Since I've gone away
I think I lost some weight there
and I---I'm sure I need some rest
Sleepin don't come very easy
in a straight white vest
Should like to see that little children
She's only four years old---old
I'd give her back all of her play things
even, even the ones I stole
See my lonely life unfold
I see it everyday
See my lonely mind explode
when I've gone insane
I wanna get out of here
I wanna, I wanna get out of here
I gotta get out of here
I gotta get out of here
IgottagetoutahereIgottagetoutahereIgottagetoutahere
Ya gotta let me out of here
Let me outta here
I gotta get outta here
Let me outta here
I gotta get outta here
Let me outta here
I gotta get outta here
See my lonely life unfold
I see it everyday
See my only mind explode
Blow up in my face
I grabbed my hat and I got my coat
and I, I ran into the street
I saw a man that was choking there
I guess he couldn't breathe
Said to myself this is very strange
I'm glad it wasn't me
But now I hear those sirens callin'
and so I am not free
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
(See my lonely life unfold)
I DIDN'T WANNA BE
(I see it every day)
LEAVE ME ALONE I DIDN'T WANNA BE
DON'T TOUCH ME!!!!
See my lonely mind explode
when I've gone INSAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNE!
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
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homerski
- Gold Member
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- Location: Northern Cambria, PA (Rock and Roll Capital of the Universe)
We cater to an older (singles) crowd, and they expect quite a few slow songs during the show. In some circumstances we play at least 2 slow songs per set and they complain because they want more.
Some of our most requested slow songs:
"He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brother" by the Hollies - Very poignant and relevant in these troubled times.
"Melissa" by the Allman Brothers - Made popular by recent Cingular commercials. Jimmy gives this song the southern vocal flavor that it deserves, and Tim plays an extended guitar solo that is both heartfelt and exquisite. At the end of the song, even the drunks wake up and exclaim "Damn, that was nice!!".
"Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum - Total nonsense lyrics (or not), but OH that B3 and Leslie sound transport everyone back to 1967!!! Here's a website dedicated to the song. http://www.awsop.com
"Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton - We slow this song down to the point where it is a virtual "invitation to THE dance". If any woman agrees to dance with you while we are playing this song, guaranteed sex... if you want it.
My vote for the absolute cheesiest Power Ballad is "Love of a Lifetime" by Firehouse.
John Homerski Jr.
HOMER'S ARMY - Rock Musicians
http://www.homersarmy.com
Some of our most requested slow songs:
"He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brother" by the Hollies - Very poignant and relevant in these troubled times.
"Melissa" by the Allman Brothers - Made popular by recent Cingular commercials. Jimmy gives this song the southern vocal flavor that it deserves, and Tim plays an extended guitar solo that is both heartfelt and exquisite. At the end of the song, even the drunks wake up and exclaim "Damn, that was nice!!".
"Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum - Total nonsense lyrics (or not), but OH that B3 and Leslie sound transport everyone back to 1967!!! Here's a website dedicated to the song. http://www.awsop.com
"Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton - We slow this song down to the point where it is a virtual "invitation to THE dance". If any woman agrees to dance with you while we are playing this song, guaranteed sex... if you want it.
My vote for the absolute cheesiest Power Ballad is "Love of a Lifetime" by Firehouse.
John Homerski Jr.
HOMER'S ARMY - Rock Musicians
http://www.homersarmy.com
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-- Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)
-- Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)