Okay--so that title is obviously part of "Under Pressure" by Queen with David Bowie. I heard it this evening on Alice Cooper's show (once again--I listen to this program every night because it is awesome!). I was pleased to find that the song was released in 1981--because for some reason I thought it might have been earlier. I can't remember when I first heard this song, but I certainly don't remember it from '81. I must have heard it much later when I was in high school or college. Anyway, it is truly an amazing song. Freddie Mercury and David Bowie's voices are so unique, and the qualities are hard to describe. I think of Bowie's voice as a rich, deeply colored jewel--because it is truly deep, pure, and very rich. Freddie Mercury's voice is a gift that he left to the world. It has a timbre that is very powerful yet inviting and very distinctive. Hard to place exactly, but again, it is very pure. I think of it more like a focused laser--brilliant and bright. I'm not sure why I am babbling on about the quality of their voices, but the vocal quality is what strikes me the most about this song. The video frightens me and makes me feel a bit anxious. But, the lyrics really are terrific. Obviously, it is about the pressures of life. Let's face it, life is not easy. This tune sums things up perfectly. But, the good thing is that there is a message in the song about love and how love can help with the pressures in life. I agree. "'Cause love's such an old fashioned word, and love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night, and love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves...this is our last dance...this is our last dance...this is ourselves..." Yes, please, let us change our way of caring about ourselves and the world. I think the world could use much more love.
This evening Alice Cooper wasn't on, so I listened to some Pandora radio. Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" came on, and I thought it would be a great song to write about. So, I did some research and found out that the bass line was inspired by the bass line to "Good Times" by Chic. Turns out that the bass player from Queen and the bass player from Chic spent some time together in the studio. There was a bit of controversy in the press, too, because the press claimed that Chic "ripped off" the bass line from Queen, when in actuality Chic's song came first. "Good Times" was released in 1979, and "Another One Bites the Dust" was released in 1980. Nevertheless, both are terrific tunes. I may eventually talk about some Queen songs later on, because they are really, really artful and amazing. Freddie Mercury had a voice like none other.
Clams on the halfshell
...and roller skates
So, back to Chic. Nile Rodgers is one of the most recognizable names in music. He went on to have an extremely fruitful career as a record producer, working with Madonna, Diana Ross, David Bowie, and Duran Duran to name a few. He and bassist Bernard Edwards formed the group Chic back in the 70s. Supposedly, this song is about the happier times of the 1970s and its roller disco days. Turns out that the bass line of "Good Times" was sampled in tons of songs. There is a huge list on songfacts.com--check it out. In the meantime, I can't help but groove to this song no matter what the decade. That is what happens when you pair an awesome bass line with lyrics that exclaim, "Good times! These-are-the-good times! Leave-your-cares-behind! These-are-the-good times!" Woo! Yeah! This song has to make you feel like getting up and dancing, or roller skating, or just bustin' whatever kind of move you want. I still have no idea what "clams on the half shell and roller skates" means...
