MUSIC V MUSIC: FRANK OCEAN - BLONDE
 |
| ©℗2016 Boys Don't Cry |
Blonde
Music v Music
Music v Music
Ft. Max Golledge
29/03/20
A recurring segment on this blog and the origin of the title name itself; Music v Music takes a fan-favourite album and breaks it down, with the intention of finding the best track on the record.
Frank Ocean's 2016 masterpiece, Blonde, happens to be my favourite album of all time. Lyrically, the songs are personal, desolating and devastatingly ardent. Sonically, Ocean creates an equivocal soundscape; delicate tones and chord progressions fit for a Chet Baker album create an acoustic experience that'll differ from listener to listener. A recurring Buddy Ross guitar riff reminds us that the album is a singular piece of work, and with every listen it becomes clearer as to why the album took over four years to create. Blonde is a genreless treasure, evidently inspired by greats of the past, such as Elliott Smith, Stevie Wonder and Prince. The soul of their music has, however, progressed through the album, where its influences in today's music is undeniable; artists such as Childish Gambino, Puma Blue and Billie Eilish can be seen to emulate and progress the sound created by Ocean on Blonde. Pitchfork recently gave the album the #1 spot on their '200 Best Albums of the Decade' list, and it's clear to see why.
Every week, I'll be joined by a different guest with a passion for the given album that's either exceeding or matched to mine. For Blonde, I employed the help of a good friend Max; someone who warned me that some of his favourite tracks happen to be the interludes. . .
I call Max at 1:15pm on a Thursday afternoon in late November, meaning that, little to either of our delights, we're both equipped with alarming, terrible, awful moustaches; he's just come back from a lecture, and is pretty obviously still nursing an intense hangover. To be fair, a Wednesday night in Scotland can't be easy.
 |
| 📸 via Tumblr |
JR: So. . . what's the best song on Blonde?
MG: The best song on Blonde is probably Nights... but it's not my favourite song. It's a two-part number, with a really intense drop that's pretty hard to forget.
JR: Yeah, that drop is really quite iconic. It's used in quite a few memes just because of how overwhelming it can be (laughs). You seen the one of the guy levitating in his room when he hears the beat switch?
MG: (Laughing) Yeah. I feel like if you listen to Nights, you'll get an idea of what the album is about; its like the perfect encapsulation of all the themes and sonic ideas of Blonde, with both parts of the song representing the two main production styles of the album.
JR: Yeah it does a really good job of putting Blonde into one track. Just out of interest, what part of Nights is your favourite?
MG: Oh, it's gotta be the drop.
JR: No-no which half of the song. The thing you just said about the halves?
MG: (Laughing) Oh! The second half. But the first half is still really good.
JR: I agree. The flow he uses after the drop is just so sick. But then again, you've got the harmonies just before the guitar solo kicks in. . . 'That kumbayaaa shit'.
MG: *Imitating the electric guitar* Doo do do do, doo do do do, doo do dodo. . .
JR: (Laughs) I think Nights would be a popular choice for the favourite. Its one of the only songs on the album that feels like a complete. . . song.
MG: A lot of the others feel a bit empty, in a good way though. There's not a lot of drumming on the album.
JR: Yeah, no one's picking Skyline To as the best song on Blonde - probably, anyway. There's a lot of less-structured songs on the album.
MG: Or Solo (Reprise). . . no one's choosing that. . . 'AYYYYY! So now I'm!'.
JR: (Laughs) Nah! . . My mate's favourite is Solo Reprise! He just loves 3K. I do too, to be fair, but there's no way I'd insult the whole album by saying it's the best song.
MG: Alright but Facebook Story is class though.
JR: It's a fun story, but I just don't really get it? In the sense of the album anyway. I guess it's talking about deception, and masquerades, but why is it there-
MG: "AKZEPT ME ON FEZZBUK".
JR: (Laughing) There are people that love it for what it is. There are definitely people that know it off by heart - I reckon you probably do, don't you.
MG: Play it right now and I'll do it.
JR: Oh my god. . . the Genius page for it has 218,000 views! The top comment on it is 'Or you can just accept her friend request' which I think is a really good point.
 |
| 📸via i-D |
MG: ...Yeah? It's like the most hipster shit.
JR: For that reason I think it gets the cut. Sorry, Max.
MG: There's this live performance of Nikes, the studio recording before the pitching was added. . . wow. Before Frank posted that video, listening to Nikes pitched down was a vibe.
JR: That was one of the things people didn't like about the song at first, his voice being pitched up.
MG: That's really clever from Frank though, because people just wanted to hear his voice after a four year break, and then bam - rap verse. You know the album came out on my birthday?
JR: Did it?
MG: Yeah! August 20th. Pretty cool. Ivy?
JR: Everyone loves Ivy; it's got that Buddy Ross guitar tone running through it too, the one that appears a lot in the album. That makes it a proper album cut, for me.
MG: I feel like all the songs lead by a guitar riff are pretty iconic.
JR: Yeah that's true actually. Musically it's great, but I think there are better songs, lyrically, though. . .
MG: Mainstreeeam.
JR: Pink + White has a pretty iconic guitar, but I guess it's more of an acoustic strum.
MG: It still sounds great though. The whole track is a proper vibe.
JR: Beyoncé's doing backing vocals, Pharrell Williams produced it. . . it was always gonna be amazing. It's one of the only genuinely happy songs on the album, too.
MG: I feel like if you went to a group of music fans and asked them what their favourite song on Blonde is, the majority would probably say Pink + White or Nights.
JR: Yeah, for sure. OK, just before Nights is Good Guy. I love Good Guy. I think I probably love the live performance of Good Guy more than the song itself, but I really love the lyrics. When he does it live, the song goes on for about three minutes and really escalates, musically, at the end. I kind of wish the studio version was like that.
MG: Good Guy is great, yeah. But it's not that strong in the album.
JR: Yeah I agree 100%. It's more of an interlude in the context of the album.
MG: We missed out Solo!
JR: Oh shit! When the album first came out, that was definitely the track that stood out to me the most. I think because of the imagery of the bull and the matador fighting in heaven and hell.
MG: OK, so - in 2016 I listened to Channel Orange on repeat. We had a school trip to Berlin, and I forgot my phone.
JR: Of course.
MG: But I still had my iPod. And all that was on it was The Real Slim Shady and Channel Orange.
JR: (Laughing) That's brilliant. So just the Eminem single and Frank's only full length album at the time.
MG: Yeah. So for all of the journeys across Berlin, all I had was those songs. I got bored of Eminem pretty quickly, so I literally just had Channel Orange for like 4 days.
JR: Damn. What was your favourite song from that album?
MG: It was either Bad Religion or Pink Matter. So going into Blonde, I was ready to hear more of that. And that's what Solo was, for me, on my first few listens.
JR:I reckon that's probably a similar experience to a lot of Frank fans. Just without the Berlin bit.
MG: Yeah, I think a lot of people were surprised at how stripped back most of the album was compared to Channel Orange.
JR: Where the bulk of that album was made up of more structured songs with established beats and progressions compared to Blonde?
MG: Yeah, for sure. As I said, Blonde feels emptier, but in a good way.
JR: I think we can always appreciate the more hip-hop orientated songs of his, but at the end of the day what Frank is best at is articulating sadness, and putting it into his music.
JR: Oh shit! When the album first came out, that was definitely the track that stood out to me the most. I think because of the imagery of the bull and the matador fighting in heaven and hell.
MG: OK, so - in 2016 I listened to Channel Orange on repeat. We had a school trip to Berlin, and I forgot my phone.
JR: Of course.
MG: But I still had my iPod. And all that was on it was The Real Slim Shady and Channel Orange.
JR: (Laughing) That's brilliant. So just the Eminem single and Frank's only full length album at the time.
MG: Yeah. So for all of the journeys across Berlin, all I had was those songs. I got bored of Eminem pretty quickly, so I literally just had Channel Orange for like 4 days.
JR: Damn. What was your favourite song from that album?
MG: It was either Bad Religion or Pink Matter. So going into Blonde, I was ready to hear more of that. And that's what Solo was, for me, on my first few listens.
JR:I reckon that's probably a similar experience to a lot of Frank fans. Just without the Berlin bit.
MG: Yeah, I think a lot of people were surprised at how stripped back most of the album was compared to Channel Orange.
JR: Where the bulk of that album was made up of more structured songs with established beats and progressions compared to Blonde?
MG: Yeah, for sure. As I said, Blonde feels emptier, but in a good way.
JR: I think we can always appreciate the more hip-hop orientated songs of his, but at the end of the day what Frank is best at is articulating sadness, and putting it into his music.
 |
| 📸Michael Mayren via Tumblr |
MG: What's next. . ? Pretty Sweet. I reckon that's probably everyone's least favourite.
JR: Yeah, just because of that really fucking loud intro. The song is really interesting, though; Frank opened with it on his tour for the album. . . I think that says a lot.
MG: Yeah, no it's good. Just not that complete compared to a lot of other tracks.
JR: Then there's White Ferrari, which I think is my favourite.
MG: Yeah. . . I remember when the album first came out, that was probably the one I listened to the most. But, now that I've sat with the album more, I tend to skip it.
JR: No way! I've gone through a phase recently of exclusively listening to that song. There's no way I can skip it when I know the poem at the end is coming. . . 'I'm sure, we're taller in another, dimension'. . . wow.
MG: I think the album gets weaker as it ends.
JR: Really?
MG: Oh yeah, for sure. Just look at the tracklist; the tracks before Nights are way stronger than what comes after it, I think. Except a few.
JR: What, like Futura Free?
MG: I couldn't even tell you anything about that song James.
JR: Behave! As if you don't know it. 'Tyler slept on my sofa, yeah'. . .
MG: Nothing. I never make it that far mate. I'm asleep by that point.
JR: To be fair, I used to fall asleep to this album all the time. It's a good one for that.
MG: I'm pretty unfamiliar with the end of the album. I could sing along but I wouldn't know which song was which.
MG: I think it's a really, really good song. It's definitely one of the more personal ones on the album, too. I think, as a song, it's more about Frank, and his experience, than it is about just general romance.
JR: It's the saddest, I think.
MG: Yeah.
JR: I mean, a lot of people, including myself, would probably go for Self Control in terms of sadness. But I feel like that's more of a personal thing, for the listener. Whereas with Seigfried it's more about Frank's emotions.
MG: Yeah. Self Control is more of a relatable song, but Seigfried is literally about someone. I can't remember who, but the title, the lyrics, everything is about him and his appearance. Frank doesn't hide it either.
JR: Willy Cartier, I think.
MG: Yeah, that dude. And he has the hair.
JR: He has got hair.
MG: And that's what its about.
JR: (Laughing) And the 'speckled face' ?
MG: 'Maybe I'm a fool- to think that I could settle- with two kids and a swimming pool. . .'
JR: 'I'm not brave!'
MG: It's just deep, I love the song.
JR: And! There's that bit where he talks about taking in the homeless, just for someone to talk to.
MG: Oh yeah. . . 'Been taking in the homeless sometimes’.
JR: (Reading the lyrics) '. . . Been living in an idea, an idea from another man's mind.-' Mate, yeah, lyrically this song is incredible. I never fully realised. This is the best song, lyrically, for sure.
MG: (Laughing) It's amazing!
JR: Johnny Greenwood did the string arrangement on it as well. Come on.
MG: Oh man, that string breakdown in the middle is so great. I think this is the most underrated track for sure.
 |
| 📸via i-D |
JR: What even is a Seigfried?
MG: It's the dude with long hair.
JR: Nah, that's Willy Cartier. It says here that Seigfried is a legendary hero.
MG: Yeah, a legendary hero with long hair. That's why it's the song name. 'Cause they both have big hair.
JR: Whoa. OK, give me your final three.
MG: Uhhh. . . Self Control, Seigfried and Nights. What's yours?
JR: I wrote down White Ferrari, Nikes and- ah I don't know! OK, and Seigfried.
MG: Well there's only one song that crosses over, James.
JR: I know. But I think we should talk about White Ferrari a bit more. Please (laughs).
MG: Yeah of course.
JR: Well, firstly, this song has the Kanye West feature. Did you know about that?
MG: (Laughing) No?!
JR: Oh my God. OK, you're gonna have to listen really carefully, but around the 2:50 mark he goes 'la'. Listen.
MG: OK, I'm listening. . . That's Kanye West?!
JR: Yeah! He's credited as a writer on the song, and it definitely sounds like his voice.
MG: Damn. So we're just binning off Self Control, Nights and Nikes, then?
JR: Yeah, I think so. They're good, but Seigfried and White Ferrari are just that bit better.
MG: I really hate this by the way, James. Having a moustache.
JR: I know. So do I.
MG: You look more and more like Rex Orange County every day.
JR: Don't.
MG: I don't know who I am anymore.
JR: (Laughing) OK, so going back to what we said earlier about Frank articulating sadness; lyrically, sonically, thematically. I feel like one of these tracks does it better than the other.
MG: Seigfried.
JR: Yeah.
MG: It's pretty even between those two songs, but I know Seigfried a lot better, and I think that's for a reason.
JR: Yeah. I was so stunned when I was reading the lyrics, rather than having them sung to me. It made me realise how well written and intricate it is.
MG: Yeah, definitely. With the musical aspect of it pretty much reflecting what's going on throughout the song as well. I think it's the best song.
JR: Yeah?
MG: Yeah. Seigfried wins it, for me.
Comments
Post a Comment