Album Review

Paramore

Riot!

Released 2007

Atlantic Recording Corporation

4 1/2 stars

This composition of 11 head-bobbing, heart-warming, feel-good songs not only gets the body going, but makes the listener actually hear the songs and take them in. This album, one of the best I have heard by far, makes you really listen to the messages that the artists are trying to send across. 

The message in track number 4, Misery Business, is the story of a girl awaiting the boy of her dreams to realize her existence. This song not only has a great beat, but has a moral issue of girl wanting boy, boy wanting another girl, but in the end realizing that he wants the original girl. It is one that would get stuck in your head for hours. 

Track number 10, Fences, takes a different spin on the band's normal route. This song shows just how much Paramore is capable of giving a great tune along with a catchy song. 

All though this album is brilliant in all ways possible, you cannot help but notice how much the songs sound similar. Even when these beats, tunes, and lyrics are obviously all different, it is sometimes hard to remember some of their songs because something about them sound similar. I would love to see an album by Paramore that is both unique, but keeps the same intentions and sound as the old Paramore. 

Overall, this album not only caught my attention, but kept me listening over and over again. Great work Paramore!

Required Listening Blog #1

Jerry Lee Lewis
The Mamas and the Papas
 Aretha Franklin

This week, we had a required listening list for Spencer's class. The list had songs from the 50s to the late 70s. It included artists from Elvis Presley to Bob Dylan to Jimi Hendrix. I enjoyed this requirement because it was an experience to hear all of the different sounds and types of music that these famous artists had to give to our world. 

One artist that stuck out to me was Aretha Franklin for singing her wonderful hit, "Respect". This song, to me, was a cry for what people had to go through back then. The way that Aretha sang this song is just amazing to me. The harmonizing of this tune is not only mesmerizing, but keeps your attention. The use of music in the background keeps you focused on the singing, but is a very nice touch to the songs main message. 

Another artist that had a great impact on my opinion of this required reading list was the Mamas and the Papas. The way that they sang, "California Dreamin'" was not only a delight to hear, but kept my attention the entire time. This song is so beautifully performed with the solos and the different harmonizing. What I especially liked about this was the different voice pitches and use of panning of those voices. The way they had both men and women singing the song was not only refreshing, but very unique. 

The last, but definitely not the least, song is by Jerry Lee Lewis called, "Great Balls of Fire". This song has a happy feel to it. If it wasn't for Jerry's emotion and emphasizing, this song would not be what it is now. The great piano in the background helps the emotion of the song even more. "Great Balls of Fire" is a great dancing song and a feel-good one, too. It was a pleasure to hear.