{"id":597,"date":"2007-04-24T09:47:03","date_gmt":"2007-04-24T09:47:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nargalzius.com\/blog2\/http:\/www.nargalzius.com\/blog2\/archives\/2007\/04\/2007_04_24_1747.php"},"modified":"2017-02-08T05:38:04","modified_gmt":"2017-02-08T05:38:04","slug":"on-nickelback-and-musical-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/archives\/2007\/04\/24\/on-nickelback-and-musical-fraud","title":{"rendered":"On Nickelback and &#8220;musical fraud&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I may be one of the few people that are alone in this (is that sentence even right?) &#8211; but I just have to comment on a recent &#8220;phenomenon&#8221; that has been making waves on the internet about the credibility of <em>Nickelback.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>For those of you who don&#8217;t know, Nickelback has <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nathanchase.com\/2005\/04\/ghost-that-feedsray-parker-jrs.html\" title=\"view \">recently been attacked,<\/a> accused of &#8220;recycling music&#8221; &#8211; hence are &#8220;ripping-off&#8221; the fans by feeding them with material that has already been used.<\/p>\n<p>Before I even go any further in my commentary, I suggest you listen to the NPR article about it.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<!-- iframe plugin v.5.1 wordpress.org\/plugins\/iframe\/ -->\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"20\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/306058610%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-4jWxh&#038;color=ff5500&#038;inverse=false&#038;auto_play=false&#038;show_user=false\" class=\"iframe-class\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/\/ --><!--more--><!-- \/\/ -->\n<p>First of all, I&#8217;m <em>not<\/em> a Nickelback fan. I do like some of their songs, and I think they have really good rhythm guitar sound as far as &#8220;heavy&#8221; goes. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_597_1('footnote_plugin_reference_597_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_597_1('footnote_plugin_reference_597_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_597_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">1 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_597_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">I even went as far as setting up one of my patches on the GT-8 to have a Nickelback-esque sound &#8211; which I haven&#8217;t had the chance of using for my songs yet.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_597_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_597_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> But I feel no obligation to defend them.<\/p>\n<p>In fact I&#8217;m not even defending them in this post &#8211; what I am pointing out though is that the &#8220;mentality&#8221; that relates to this &#8220;phenomenon&#8221; is unfair to judge <em>any<\/em> musician with.<\/p>\n<p>For any person who makes music &#8211; we know there are a lot of factors that constitute a song. Lyrics, melody, chords, song-structure, treatment, etc. etc.<\/p>\n<p>If you listened to the NPR segment, take note of the the set of discussions from 4:01 all the way to 6:22. I think the <em>forensic musicologist<\/em> hits the nail right on the head &#8211; so I don&#8217;t think I need to explain more in detail with regards to that.<\/p>\n<p>What happened with Nickelback is that their verse chords were indeed, very much alike if not <strong>the same<\/strong> progression. The over all feel of the song and its structure also seemed to follow a formula similar to:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Open verse with minimal instruments (preferably guitars).<\/li>\n<li>Increase tension on verse by introducing drums, bass, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Do a quick pre-chorus that transitions between the light (verse) and heavy (chours) feelings<\/li>\n<li>Insert &#8220;heavy chorus&#8221; here.<\/li>\n<li>Shift gears at the end of the chorus and return to subdued verse (to contrast the two).<\/li>\n<li>Do #2-4 again.<\/li>\n<li>Continue on to a possible &#8220;instrumental\/solo&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Revisit #1 to add more drama in preparation for last chorus.<\/li>\n<li>Let all hell break loose in last chorus till end.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Aside from the fact that <em>a lot<\/em> of songs follow this formula, the chorus, while you <em>can<\/em> interchange the lyrics of one song with the other &#8211; they&#8217;re not the same! Even the chords at the chorus are different (although they have the same &#8220;feel&#8221; which made it possible to line-them up).<\/p>\n<p>If I would go with this notion of &#8220;perceived similarity,&#8221; I can probably claim that the <em>Nine Inch Nails&#8217;<\/em> single <em><strong>The Hand That Feeds<\/strong><\/em> is a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nathanchase.com\/2005\/04\/ghost-that-feedsray-parker-jrs.html\" title=\"view \">rip-off of the Ghost-Busters theme<\/a> just because you can mash them up together if you tried hard enough. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_597_1('footnote_plugin_reference_597_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_597_1('footnote_plugin_reference_597_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_597_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">2 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_597_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Or we could probably say that for all &#8220;mash-up-able&#8221; songs for that matter.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_597_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_597_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> We all know that that obviously isn&#8217;t the case.<\/p>\n<p>We even haven&#8217;t taken into account how often and in what intervals this &#8220;fraud&#8221; occured. I myself will only acknowledge Nickelback as fraudulent if &#8220;this&#8221; phenomenon happens too often and consecutively. I mean christ, the guy is making it seem that all Nickelback songs are re-hashes. Even if you spot 5 pairs of songs that are similar &#8211; considering how many songs\/albums they&#8217;ve put out &#8211; I think accusing them of purposely reusing material is weak argument.<\/p>\n<p>We have an awesome band in the Philippines called the <em>Bloomfields.<\/em> Their &#8220;niche&#8221; is that they play <em>only<\/em> 50&#8217;s (or was that 60&#8217;s) music. And just as the musicologist said, (and as you will definitely hear when you listen to the band) <strong>most<\/strong> of the songs during that era sound similar as far as song structure and basslines are concerned. Does this mean that the bands from that era were ripping each other off? Does that mean if the <em>Bloomfields<\/em> come out with an original song that&#8217;s true to the era&#8217;s sound (and will most likely sound like the rest of the songs during that time), that they were stealing material? <strong>OF COURSE NOT!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can even probably apply that argument to Blues, which <strong>to this day<\/strong> has a tendency to sound similar. My friend who studies music says that blues, in and of itself, tends to follow a specific structure across the board. That structure (among other things) is an integral part of what makes the music &#8220;blues&#8221; and not funk, jazz, or any other form. Having said that &#8211; does that mean that blues artists have a tendency to recycle material? <strong>OF COURSE NOT!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Listen to John Mayer&#8217;s <em>Comfortable<\/em>&#8230; take the chorus chords, slow it down and put in a different groove on it &#8211; then try singing it with chorus of his other song <em>Something&#8217;s Missing.<\/em> Yes that&#8217;s right &#8211; <strong>they&#8217;re the same exact chords!<\/strong> Does that mean John Mayer is a fraud? <strong>OF COURSE NOT!<\/strong> In fact, if we probably took the time to research every instance that could apply to this bonehead mentality, we&#8217;d probably end up calling every single musician a fraud at one point or another.<\/p>\n<p>The guy who created the comparison track submitted a demo CD which they play a song of his at the end of the NPR segment. Suffice to say it&#8217;s an awesome song. I wish I had made it myself. However, if I tried, I <em>could<\/em> sing the chorus(es) of the Nickelback songs he was slamming on his own song&#8217;s chorus as well. So all I have to say to the guy is that &#8211; while I do see your point and respect your opinion. You really have to do better than that kiddo. Try to lessen the hate. All these artists, no matter what our personal opinion of them are, just want to share their music to the world (and get a few bucks while they&#8217;re at it) &#8211; there&#8217;s no need for all this &#8220;hate.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At <strong>best,<\/strong> we could be disappointed in Nickelback for not being &#8220;inspired&#8221; enough to break from their &#8220;mold.&#8221; They found their formula, and while it&#8217;s not a sin to stick to that &#8220;formula&#8221; (wether intentionally or not), their fans <em>would<\/em> appreciate it if they actually try to <em>evolve<\/em> to something better.<\/p>\n<p>So I can see the guy&#8217;s frustration &#8211; but to call a fellow artist out as a fraud the way he did &#8211; that&#8217;s just low.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;d really like to hear what other musicians think about this issue &#8211; if you&#8217;re there and are reading this, tell me what you think.<\/p><div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_597_1();\">Notes<\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_597_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_597_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_597_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\">Notes<\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_597_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_597_1_1');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_597_1_1\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">I even went as far as setting up one of my patches on the GT-8 to have a Nickelback-esque sound &#8211; which I haven&#8217;t had the chance of using for my songs yet.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_597_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_597_1_2');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_597_1_2\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Or we could probably say that for all &#8220;mash-up-able&#8221; songs for that matter.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_597_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_597_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_597_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_597_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_597_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_597_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_597_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_597_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_597_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_597_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_597_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_597_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_597_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_597_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I may be one of the few people that are alone in this (is that sentence even right?) &#8211; but I just have to comment on a recent &#8220;phenomenon&#8221; that has been making waves on the internet about the credibility of Nickelback. For those of you who don&#8217;t know, Nickelback has recently been attacked, accused &hellip; <p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/archives\/2007\/04\/24\/on-nickelback-and-musical-fraud\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;On Nickelback and &#8220;musical fraud&#8221;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,5,7,8],"tags":[454,473,595,754,803,833,857],"class_list":["post-597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-internet","category-media","category-music","tag-fraud","tag-general","tag-internet","tag-media","tag-music","tag-nickelback","tag-originality"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=597"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1602,"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597\/revisions\/1602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}