Track Analysis of The Brew’s “What I Want” PDF

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An in depth audio and musical analysis of What I want by The Brew - including charted track analysis....

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Baba O’Riley Analysis Obviously, a key element to Baba O’Riley is the synthesiser, the sequence and tone is iconic and instantly recognisable. The synthesiser is far forward at the beginning of the piece, panning right to left across the stereo placement - a technical application of word painting with the notes walking across the headphones - but becomes quite far back in the mix as the piece goes on and the vocals, piano and guitar become more key. The synthesiser plays throughout the entire piece, stopping for only one bar. The piece is actually only a sequence of 3 notes with a delay that is so small that the notes returns several times each bar. This continues with overlays of variations with same effect put on them. The frequency of the synthesiser, being quite central in pitch is between a reasonably low 200 Hz and 4 kHz giving it a generally mid frequency range.

The vocal part in Baba O’Riley is actually performed by two singers, though both sing lead parts. There is no backing vocals. The first and main singer starts considerable far back - in a placement sense - for a lead part. Though the vocals are clear it is set slightly back in the mix. The vocals have a slight reverb at first. As the second singer takes over for a bar, the vocals are put at the far front of the mix with a wet reverb and slight pre-echo, also. The level overall is the loudest but appears somewhat confusing as it returns to further back in the stereo placement, though still central. The singers are both tenors, though the second singer sings reasonably high and so the frequencies sit between 300 and 3000 Hz which would be expected of a male singer; the frequencies hovering between low and middle frequency.

The violin concludes the piece, pulling the piece back up to it’s original speed of 118 bpm as it increases in speed closer to the end of the piece. The violin gradually comes in mid bar on a low level, the volume increases while the other instruments stay quiet until the other instruments are brought forward - when the violin gets gradually louder but not so loud. The other instruments are panned right and left while the violin stays central if not slightly back - around the same region of the lead vocals. The violin is quite dry in effects, it has a very slight echo but remains dry. The violin has the highest frequency of all the instruments ranging between 500 Hz and 5600 Hz, so the frequency range goes quite high but has a lot of mid range frequencies.

Baba O’Riley is a powerful piece by the Who from their 1971 “Who’s Next” album. The use of panning creates the effect of a large room, creating a powerful impact. The panning of the

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synthesiser gives the feeling that music travels across this room. The piece is well spaced , unusually the drums are placed far back into the mix (though well heard) but this and with the reasonably far panning of the guitar and piano and vocals near the central front, gives the shape of a band in formation. The addition of this and the large room sound creates the feeling of a live concert. In placing everything back a little in the stereo placement but with high enough volume a warm natural tone is created, while being heard clearly - nothing feels pushed to the front, masking the other instruments. All the musicians are treated equally here and the stereo is well balanced. To add to the large room feel, the engineer has put very small amounts of reverb and slight pre-echo on the piano and guitar in particular, which allows for a dramatic open sound but not so much that it becomes too wet and echoes unpleasantly. The vocals are given a little bit more reverb to push them through the mix further to the front, while remaining far back enough to be warm and intimate. The drums are kept very dry with no reverb and a low bass cut to prevent it pounding through the mix while allowing its complexity without overpowering the other rhythmical patterns in the synthesiser and the bass; also avoiding clashing with the bass creating too much of a low frequency mix. Structurally, the song appears complex; it appears to be through composed avoiding repetition of sections - although the verse is repeated. The long introduction gives the opportunity for development; the piece begins with the synthesiser performing the one sequence which is then repeated and changed and overlain with variations of the sequence. The use of overlay in the synthesiser allows a more complex and whole sound; the far panning gives the effect that the synthesiser fills the whole room; adding to the massiveness of the noise. The synthesiser itself however does not have a great deal of reverb on it and so the dryness prevents it overpowering the track but remaining essential. Then the instruments are introduced on top of this individually the piano then drums making the piece become gradually fuller; the levels of the prior instruments are lowered to an appropriate level as each new instrument is introduced. The mix is confusing at first and somewhat unbalanced as the piano is loud and held left. The vocals are then brought forward for the verse accompanied by the bass - the bass is particularly low and resonates, this is used to balance the mid frequencies of the vocals and piano and the higher frequencies of the symbols. The bass, though central, balances the piano somewhat, though it is still not completely balanced until the entrance of the guitar in the bridge. The electric guitar - used with a crunch pedal - is then brought in for the bridge; it balances the smooth piano, while matching it's frequency. The electric guitar and piano are panned equally

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right and left making the piece feel well spaced, as the similar frequencies and levels are not clashing off each other and creating an overly busy sound. The middle 8 then comes in; it is sung by the second singer and given a lot of reverb to give a ghostly effect; this already creates a very different tone in this section.. The other instruments are brought down so only the synthesiser remains. The vocals are placed at the very front of the mix, contrasting with the far back synthesiser. This creates a quiet and almost peaceful feel to this section to contrast the next loud verse. The verse comes in, with a further development of all the currently introduced instruments including the guitar, continuing the well balanced nature. There is a small solo, or bridge section into the chorus in which the guitar features. The guitar, like the vocals of the previous bridge is given a great deal of reverb making the sound suddenly seem quite empty so all focus is on the guitar. The guitar is pulled out of the mix by the increase in level and stereo positioned at the very front of the mix. The synthesiser continues quietly in the background but this bridge is accompanied by the piano which plays chords in the gaps between the guitars playing to contrast and balance the now forward guitar. The piano remains a high level and low chords are played to balance the high frequency of the guitar. Then the chorus kicks in; again, all the instruments are brought in and the singer is placed further forward in the mix for impact - almost at the very front. Following this there is a brief guitar solo presented in the same way as the first - though, this time, the piano is replaced with drums and bass. The guitar is cross faded with the entering violin solo. As the violin enters, the bass is thrusted up to accommodate for the high frequency from the strings. The complex violin rhythm is complemented by the simple step bass line that comes further forward in the mix. It is then joined by the drums and guitar to thicken the music while keeping a well balanced frequency level, with the guitar and drums balancing each other out. The violin, too, has a treble cut on it in order to balance out the low bass levels with the very high harmonics coming from violin. The added noise of plectrum scratching the strings of the acoustic guitar compliments the rhythms of the relatively low drums used in this section as it is used as a high percussion instrument as opposed to a guitar.

Baba O’Riley is fitting in, in terms of production, to any other piece of music by The Who. The quality of recording and mixing is clear and the stereo layout is well spread with space allowing the song to feel clear while allowing a big impact from wide panning. In terms of Mod Rock, the song fits well in; The Who were the leaders of the mainstream Mod scene, if anything, this song

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added to that. The lyrics and melodic instruments and almost shouting style of singing fits with the Mod rebel attitude.; while actually being very unique in it’s own way with a Romantic storytelling sound. Glyn Johns was the sound engineer on the album Who’s Next from which Baba O’Riley comes; he is a hugely successful engineer, musician and producer who has worked with everyone from Blue Oyster Cult to Led Zeppelin. Similarly to this album, the work contains the same high quality and clarity. There is obvious comparisons between Baba O’Riley and his other work; they all have the feeling of being performed in a large round room but with a warm, intimate feeling to give a grand impact at crescendos and a more delicate effect during softer sections; this is created through using wide panning and light reverb - occasionally, slight preecho as used in the middle 8 of Baba O’Riley. A strong recurring theme in Johns' work is a warm atmosphere, the music is intimate as the key instruments are kept generally quite dry but are pulled forward by reverb for key sections in which they are important, as a solo or in balancing the mix.

Bibliography Jason Ankeny. Glyn Johns. Available: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/glyn-johns-

mn0000950233. Last accessed 26/10/2013

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