Wow, I wish I wrote that...

[rikm]

At some point I think we've all thought "Wow, I wish I wrote that..." about a particular song. Not because it's a huge hit or anything, just because it's a piece of music that resonates with us in some particular way that seems unique to ourselves. They don't have to be your favorite songs, just pieces of music that you should have written. For example, I once read an interview with Prince where he said that he really wishes that he wrote Miss You by the Rolling Stones. And Robert Smith has said on a couple of occasions that he wishes he wrote Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix (well, let's be honest, who doesn't wish they wrote Purple Haze?).

So what's your "I wish I wrote that..." piece of music? And why?

[F Fang]

My "I wish I wrote that..." piece would have to be the title track to Yes' "Close to the Edge." Seemingly and impossibly complex, it has still always made sense to my ears, so much ao that every note seems to be exactly where it should be. It must have been a real headache to rehearse it.

Forrest

[Altair]

Honestly I've never thought of that. I've experimented with poetry for a long period of time, when I finally get time to write, I would never think of reading a book or collection of poetry, since it would confuse my fantasy and mind.

If I had to choose a piece of music that I would've written it would probably be Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, because it awakes deep emotions to me and my past.

Altair.

[John Koch-Northrup]

Totally depends on my mood... when I was younger I think I did go - wow I wish I'd written that one! I can't remember exactly what tracks - and it usually wasn't the whole track but specific bits and pieces... the way something was produced or mixed - a break or turnaround that truly caught my ear.

Now - I sometimes say - wow, I could've written that one - and what I mean by that is it's something that's truly in my "style" of music - as if it could have been something I'd have written. Doesn't happen very often. I still pick apart specific elements of a track - the overall feeling, the mood, the production, the bass line, that amazing hi hat sound, a chord progression, a harmony that fit perfectly, etc... I try to absorb those elements and eventually meld them into whatever I'm writing.

Overall - I do try to turn off my brain and just listen and enjoy music... I used to analyze it more. Maybe it's because I'm subconsiously always taking it in anyway? But yeah - I'm stepping back more lately.

I think I also have a bit of a kinship with Steve's answer on this one.

[rikm]

Endoflogic said:

It's funny...I was just thinking about this the other day while cooking dinner. Typically, the process of making dinner for my wife and myself is a wonderful experience. Lights are dimmed, good music plays, good wine flows and food just sort of magically comes together out of various and sundry ingredients. To be completely honest, its one of my favorite experiences.

I would have to agree that those kind of moments are particularly precious and beautiful. I've often thought that cooking together is a very intimate and special time, so it's nice to hear that other people feel the same way.

=-)

[rikm]

F Fang said:

My "I wish I wrote that..." piece would have to be the title track to Yes' "Close to the Edge." Seemingly and impossibly complex, it has still always made sense to my ears, so much ao that every note seems to be exactly where it should be. It must have been a real headache to rehearse it.

Forrest

That sense of being exactly right is very much what I'm thinking of, the idea that something is so perfect that it connects to us beyond the actual music.

I remember seeing Yes live around 1992 or 93 when they had, like, every member of the band ever reunite and tour. I think there were maybe twenty people on stage! They did a nice version of Close to the Edge that night, quite an impressive display of some really amazing talents.

[Steve Brand]

I got to see Yes during the "Going for the One" tour, then for the "Tormato" tour (a round stage with Wakeman, but not my favorite show), but I was also able to see them about 3 years ago with the sort-of-original crew (Howe, Anderson, Wakeman, Squire, White). It was a beautiful evening at an outdoor venue. About and half hour into it, I realized that they were playing the entirety of "Topographic Oceans"! What a wonderful treat for me, as this is my favorite Yes album (besides Anderson's "Olias...") ...the album that pushed the envelope and cause some members to leave. I firmly feel that Yes helped usher in the Aquarian age, the 9-11 energy of change and permission that we are experiencing now. I also feel that revisiting the music of a time of powerful growth for us as individuals can enable us to re-claim some of the energy of those times in our present existance. Maybe I should have started a Yes blog?!

rikm said:

F Fang said:

My "I wish I wrote that..." piece would have to be the title track to Yes' "Close to the Edge." Seemingly and impossibly complex, it has still always made sense to my ears, so much ao that every note seems to be exactly where it should be. It must have been a real headache to rehearse it.

Forrest

That sense of being exactly right is very much what I'm thinking of, the idea that something is so perfect that it connects to us beyond the actual music.

I remember seeing Yes live around 1992 or 93 when they had, like, every member of the band ever reunite and tour. I think there were maybe twenty people on stage! They did a nice version of Close to the Edge that night, quite an impressive display of some really amazing talents.

[rikm]

Altair said:

Honestly I've never thought of that. I've experimented with poetry for a long period of time, when I finally get time to write, I would never think of reading a book or collection of poetry, since it would confuse my fantasy and mind.

If I had to choose a piece of music that I would've written it would probably be Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23, because it awakes deep emotions to me and my past.

Altair.

I think that idea of fantasy is something that a lot of people have trouble getting past, the idea that what we imagine and the reality of it are two completely different things.

And you're right Chopin's Ballade No. 1 is a beautiful piece of work... =-)

[rikm]

Steve Brand said:

More often than not, rather than "I wish I'd done that," I've listened to other people's work and thought, "How did they do that? How did they think of doing that? How does their mind work like that? I could never do that...it must come directly from their uniqueness as a human being. I want to create like that." And it's been my goal ever since.

I remember when I was learning how to play guitar I spent a LOT of time wondering "How did they do that?" I was quite curious about different sounds and techniques and stuff and I was always trying to figure out what made a sound sound the way it does.

On a related note, I used to buy guitar tab books when I was starting out before I developed my sense of intonation. And one of them that I got was tab for Wish by the Cure. I was obsessed with learning the solo in From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea. So I bought the book and started at the beginning, building up to the solo, and when I got there it had no Tab or notation of any sort, just the note "Wild guitar solo: 32 bars". I think it was around that point that I stopped wondering "How did they do that?" and I started thinking about "What can I do?"

[rikm]

Ari Porki said:

Strange...I have never been thinking of question...but perhaps it could be Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade. Few years ago I played bass short time on small, local band and we made cover-recording of this song on local studio using only guitar, bass and minimal drums. It sounds odd but after that this beautiful and well-known melody plays quite often in my head.

I'm always interested to hear what cover songs bands choose to do, it's a really great insight into influences and personality. I commend you for doing a Glenn Miller cover, that's totally wicked!

[rikm]

John Koch-Northrup said:

Overall - I do try to turn off my brain and just listen and enjoy music... I used to analyze it more. Maybe it's because I'm subconsiously always taking it in anyway? But yeah - I'm stepping back more lately.
.

That's a really interesting point, I find that so much of the music that I listen to these days I'm doing reviews for or evaluating for the store or the label that I'm constantly thinking about what's going on. I've been making a really conscious effort to try and just listen to music for the sake of enjoyment, but of course there are only so many hours in the day...

[Mystical Sun]

Any of the The Cult's guitar riffs. Any of the Cure's melodies. Any of Depeche Modes early synth lines. Any of Juno Reactor's tribal rhythms. I could go on and on, always inspired to find new sounds.

[Mark Mahoney]

"Pursuance" from John Coltrane's A Love Supreme is a track I wished I wrote or participated in. I love the whole album, but "Pursuance" is the one track that sticks in my head. I love Garrison's bass solo up front, and I love how the theme is worked up with the whole quartet coming in.