Via Metafilter, comes a comprehensive survey of saxophone solos from the 80s:
I realized about 5 years ago that at some point in the 80s, lots of the popular music started incorporating saxophone solos into their songs. Some of them are fine, but most of them are ridiculous to have in the songs. Below, I have attempted to separate the quality and appropriateness of the solos from what I think of the song as a whole (I still really like most of these songs, even the ones with low grades).
After spending all morning saxing up all those samples, I have to say my compliments to the Web master. Points off for use of both Comic Sans and Quicktime, but I have to admit it: I was so intrigued I installed Quicktime for the first time in YEARS.
These pics give you an idea about how the reviews are put together. Short text commentary along with carefully edited sound files, so that the only the solo is provided—with some necessary context. But the genius is in the icons, which provide a hilarious visual vocabulary for thinking about solos, how they’re constructed, and the functions they perform in popular music.
I do have some disappointments. First, how do the best and worst sax songs from the 80s end up with the same score, a B? I’m talking about Quarterflash’s “Harden My Heart” and Glenn Frey’s “You Belong to the City”. I’ve always loved Quarterflash’s one big hit, for its huge sax hook, faux-Benatar vocals, and the subtle descending chords leading into that “Darling in your wildest dreams” lyric.
“You Belong to the City” is likewise constructed atop a sax hook, but it’s a treacly, obvious mess that wallows in all the worst soft-focus swank a smoky-room sax must have if you’re directing a porn flick. Sadly there’s no icon denoting parody or cliché.
I have some other quibbles as well. First, there’s no way to text search among the reviews using control-F in Firefox. It works fine in Internet Explorer (yes, you need Quicktime and IE to enjoy this site). Second, there’s no information about who’s playing the solo. How else are you supposed to survey the specific crimes and triumphs of David Sanborn?
Speaking of, you won’t find Sandborn’s “Young Americans” solo here. Nor is there any “Baker Street” action. Or anything by Bobby Keys. That’s why I’d love to see a 70s page. Because however awesome it is reviewing these 80s sax songs, I can’t escape the fact that I sort of hate the high-gloss production that dominates most of these tracks. Seems like there’s a crap-ton of reverb on everything. Saxophones contributing such dubious pop ornamentation in the first place, they really shouldn’t be bathed in reverb and processing.
That Quarterflash video is a total WTF.
yeah, the wood paneling is so typical, yet surprising.
I do love icons and these are pretty funny. I mean, that the site went to the effort to make them, awesome.
Maybe they’ll expand to other decades later.
I totally disagree with his assessment of the “Who Can It Be Now?” solo. I actually went to the page looking for that one because I always thought that was a fantastic sax solo, with its weird, staccato rhythm.
I was surprised by that, too. Another thing about that solo is that it’s one of the driest / least processed in the bunch.
But I love that song. The dude’s aim is to separate opinions about the song from those about the solo. I wonder if I’m actually capable of that.
I agree with Justin. I went looking on the site for reference to Conan the Barbarian who played sax for Tina Turner, Thunderdome era. Not to be found.
This guy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Capello