Violin Magic (1): Unlucky Morpheus

 

 

Founded in 2009 by vocalist Tenge Fuyuki (stage name “Fuki”), Unlucky Morpheus were initially known for their video game and action soundtracks.  They shifted their focus to rock and began performing live, but retained the stylistic approach of their soundtrack work, with epic storylines, dense instrumentation, and Fuki’s theatrical vocals.

Jill is a classically trained violinist who switched to rock and metal. She joined Unlucky Morpheus in 2017.  She combines the melodic sense and phrasing of classical violin with gymnastic dexterity of the best folk and country fiddlers.  She routinely plays parts originally written for guitar or keyboards, which itself is sort of crazy.  She may be the best rock/fusion violinist since Jean-Luc Ponty.

 

“Tower of the Blood” (2019, live concert)

Anyone want to make a movie to go with this theme?  It’s based on a folk tale about a princess locked in a tower by an evil sorcerer.  This is a showcase for Jill, but listen for Fuki’s vocals transitioning between classical and pop timbres, as she sings the parts of two different characters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVKc7jJ54UI

 

 

“Flight of the Thousand Demons”  (2019, acoustic performance from the same concert)

First released in 2010 as the theme for a video game series, the original song was fast-paced and chaotic, as one might expect of a game soundtrack.  For this acoustic version, they slowed it down, and layered Fuki’s bright tones over a musical score with is both upbeat and wistful.  They wrote a new part for the violin, and added castanets and Flamenco-style guitar for a bit of Spanish flair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2nOvL1n7D8

 

 

“Far Beyond the Sun” (Yngwie Malmsteen instrumental cover, 2021)

Malmsteen is one of the pioneers of neo-classical rock guitar.  He writes complex, classically inspired scores intended to be played at warp speed.  This piece includes riffs from Beethoven and Paganini, and even a little Baroque accent at the end.  Unlucky Morpheus transcribed the keyboard part for guitar, and Malmsteen’s original guitar line for violin. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2hZDzJp9Pc

 

 

Jazz Greats (3): Keith Jarrett

 

 

Keith Jarrett was part of my college soundtrack.  I was introduced to him through one of my roommates, who occasionally audited classes with him at Berklee.  He was already a major presence in the Jazz world.  He continued to compose and perform until around four years ago, when a stroke left him unable to use his left hand.

 

Many of Jarrett’s own recordings are un-named, carrying simple descriptors like “Part II”.  Not unlike many of the Classical composers who just assigned numbers to most of their pieces.  He is eccentric in other ways—sometimes dancing as he plays, or making vocalizations that seem involuntary (sort of like Glenn Gould).  His playing style violates many of the standard assumptions about proper posture and hand position.  But there was never any denying his virtuosity. 

 

 

Gary Burton and Keith Jarrett  “Grow Your Own”  (1970)

Gary Burton is one of the central figures in the Berklee universe.  He revolutionized the vibraphone by making the four-mallet technique standard.  He collaborated with almost all of the great Berklee alumni over the years, as well as with many other greats, and was among the pioneers of Fusion.  Here, Jarrett and Burton sound like they’re having the time of their lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbjGqX1-Gc4

“Encore”  Tokyo, 1984

I picked this because it has echoes of “Grow Your Own”, but you can hear Jarrett’s ongoing growth.  This piece is richer and more complex than his work from a decade earlier, while still being the kind of thing you could sing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33brcd1QKE

“Danny Boy”, Tokyo 2002

Jarrett’s emotional cover of the old classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6tIzxmPCQE

 

 

 

 

 

Songs about things you're not supposed to do (2)

Grace Slick

The Beatles:  “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”

Ok, they were always coy about what inspired this song.  They gave conflicting and often silly explanations in various interviews.  The lyrics leave little doubt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naoknj1ebqI

 

 

Jefferson Airplane:  “White Rabbit”

We know the Beatles played with drugs, but still, “Lucy” could have been written by someone without first-hand experience.  Not so “White Rabbit”.  How this got on network television in 1967 is a mystery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANNqr-vcx0

 

 

Sublime: “I Smoke Two Joints” (cover) (suggested by Russell S.)

First of all, this is not a Bob Marley song.  He was already gone when it was written.  The original is by the American reggae-punk band The Toyes.  This version is a bit more raw and hard-edged. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlpAAHar96E

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Covers (2): And now for something completely different

 

 

 

Isley Brothers

 

 

Whether these covers are better than the originals is up to personal taste.  They are, however, completely different.  Different mood, different message.   (For the first one, I'm including the original because it's there's a good chance you haven't heard it.)

 

 

The Yardbirds “Still I’m Sad”

Here is the original, from 1965, performed in the style of a Gregorian chant.  This song nudged rock into its psychedelic phase:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONVXNH7D4Qw

 

Rainbow “Still I’m Sad”

Rainbow did the most radical thing they could: they changed it into an instrumental.  The drum track features the cowbell like you’ve never heard it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRpsA-UvJDg

 

 

Isley Brothers: “Hello It’s Me” (Todd Rundgren) (suggested by Robert A.)

Honestly, I never liked the original.  But I had no idea the Isley Bros. did a cover.  In their hands it’s a completely different thing, with swing and soul, which is what it always needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ryexJGJXHRc

 

 

Cake: “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor) (suggested by Chris B.)

The original and this version are so different that they’re hard to compare.  The original is polished, bright and optimistic. This version is raw, dark and sarcastic.  It also happens to have a mean bass line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=7KJjVMqNIgA