Decemberists pen chilling tunes
Corey Bommel
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: TruLife
It's that time of year again when people don alternate personas to mingle and celebrate all that is Halloween. Many parties have the same tired soundtracks blaring in the background, with staples like "Monster Mash" and "Thriller." If you dig a little deeper into the musical chest, party hosts and trick-or-treaters will find songs to replace these worn out songs, be they spooky sounding or morbid in content.
There are many familiar songs that might occasionally pop up in Halloween mixes. Creedence Clearwater Revival's cover of "I Put a Spell on You" would be close to the top of that list. The combination of a meandering bass line, eerie guitar riffs that send chills down the spine and John Fogerty's unique bluesy vocals make for a truly supernatural song. The middle section of the song is a haunting blues guitar solo guaranteed to impress. Many might recall another version of this song sung by Bette Midler in the movie "Hocus Pocus." The lyrics lend themselves to witchcraft and practices of the occult.
Blue Oyster Cult is known to have many songs with surreal references. Perhaps one of their better-known songs is "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." The song's lyrics proclaim death as our fate, or an inevitability. Despite the content, the quality of the vocals makes the listener want to sing along. The guitars drive the song down a macabre path, and with the breakdown and solo in the middle, death itself chases the listener.
Although they might be familiar with the song, many listeners don't realize just how disturbing the subject matter is. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," from the Beatles, sounds at first like an upbeat, happy tune. The bass bounces along, the singing is peaceful and inviting and the melody is catchy. The guitar is laid back in its progression, and the piano lulls the listener into a safe place. On careful inspection, however, the lyrics are much more foreboding. The titular Maxwell is actually a serial murderer, and in the course of the song he kills his girlfriend, teacher and the judge proceeding over his trial.
There are many familiar songs that might occasionally pop up in Halloween mixes. Creedence Clearwater Revival's cover of "I Put a Spell on You" would be close to the top of that list. The combination of a meandering bass line, eerie guitar riffs that send chills down the spine and John Fogerty's unique bluesy vocals make for a truly supernatural song. The middle section of the song is a haunting blues guitar solo guaranteed to impress. Many might recall another version of this song sung by Bette Midler in the movie "Hocus Pocus." The lyrics lend themselves to witchcraft and practices of the occult.
Blue Oyster Cult is known to have many songs with surreal references. Perhaps one of their better-known songs is "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." The song's lyrics proclaim death as our fate, or an inevitability. Despite the content, the quality of the vocals makes the listener want to sing along. The guitars drive the song down a macabre path, and with the breakdown and solo in the middle, death itself chases the listener.
Although they might be familiar with the song, many listeners don't realize just how disturbing the subject matter is. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," from the Beatles, sounds at first like an upbeat, happy tune. The bass bounces along, the singing is peaceful and inviting and the melody is catchy. The guitar is laid back in its progression, and the piano lulls the listener into a safe place. On careful inspection, however, the lyrics are much more foreboding. The titular Maxwell is actually a serial murderer, and in the course of the song he kills his girlfriend, teacher and the judge proceeding over his trial.
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