Wall of Sound

Haven't really posted here for a while, but we'll see if I can actually be consistent in my posting.

This is a new feature entitled 'Wall of Sound', after the famous Phil Spector producing technique. I might post one song, a couple of songs, or in the rare event, even more. Some context may be given based up what I have read (mostly from Wikipedia-a truly academic source).

The first song for today will be "He's a Rebel", written by Gene Pitney and credited to the Crystals, but actually sung by Darlene Love. The song, in honor of the feature's title, was produced by Phil Spector (who is slowly rotting in jail as we speak).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TE5cd5Z4y8

The thing I like about the song is the straight-forward singing of Darlene Love. I think the voice and singing is the part of the song to follow the most. The chorus that starts around 50 seconds in the video is my favorite part, just the vocals with a little bit of music with an attitude. The music behind the vocals can be a little cheesy, like when the music starts, but once the chorus hits, the music turns tough, which is appropriate considering the subject matter and the name of the song.

The song harkens back to the age of greasers and old-school tough guys. I think of Grease, James Dean, and the Outsiders when I hear this song. The POV of the song is that of a girl who's in love or going out with the 'rebel', making the stern singing all the more appropriate during the chorus. Overall, an excellent song that can be listened to for fun any time.