I was looking at the sheet music for MacArthur Park (the Richard Harris version). I believe Jim Webb wrote it. I’m wondering did he just write the basic version and someone arranged it for the recording or did he also write in those great chords on the instrumental part.......because.......the recording is a masterpiece!
The song itself is an incredible composition with it‘s haunting melody and un-ordinary chord progressions, as is (in the recording) the arrangement, the improvisation, the timing, creativity, etc. This recording is artwork at it’s finest.
And then, there was the guitar solo on “All By Myself” (Eric Carmen). And the chord progression and piano “ride“ in “Morning Has Broken” (Cat Stevens). It’s so sad no one plays or writes songs like that anymore.
Players seem to just throw down notes anywhere on the keyboard and the faster they go, the more accolades they get. Everyone, these days, seems to be aggressive and they do everything fast ....talking, driving, exercising, walking, eating, dancing, etc
I think the 70’s Disco era was the last hurrah for discernable, easy, evenly-paced, beautiful melodies in music.
Music used to be used to calm you down and transport you into a peaceful and romantic state of mind. Now it's mission is to "work (or wake) you up!"
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