Was ‘One More Try’ George Michael's ‘Stairway To Heaven’ ? - Part 2 of 2

1987 George Michael - Faith (US version)
(CBS/Epic Records catalog #460000)
Side A - track #4 : One More Try

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was ‘One More Try’ George Michael's ‘Stairway To
Heaven’ ? - Part 2 of 2

(continued from Part 1 of 2)

Surprisingly, what seems hasn`t been detected or thorou-
ghly examined by neither the mainstream nor nonmain-
stream media in George Michael’s Masterpiece (as defined
by Billboard), are those ‘One More Try’ goosebump spots
which have energized most of Afro-Americans’ hearts and
have driven the attention of their community (perhaps
Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou inherited Aristotle’s
Pathos, one of the 3 means of persuasion).

To put these climaxes in context, let’s see how he manage
the phrasing (phrasing refers to how you sing the words in
the time, or rhythm of a song) when singing the lyrics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘One More Try’ goosebump spots ( '¹' . hold you  '²'.
touchin’ you  '³' . . .   '⁴' . * .   '¹' . . .  ) are always in the
1st measure of Phrase #4 (1st line of strophe/stanza/verse)
of Periods #2, #4 and #6.
The harmonic context of this climax in Period #2- Phrase
#4 is shown below:

 

 

 

 

Focusing in that emotionally mezmerizing moment when
the note C5 descends to Bb4 (last beat measure 17 and
marked '⁴' . * . in the lyrics illustration) which he sustains
to the first beat of next measure 18:
The first impression some will get is that George Michael
is creating tension by prolonging a Non-harmonic tone
(aka non-chord tone) to the next strong beat (where the
underlying harmony changes) and hence they are experien-
cing a ‘melodic Suspension’. Further, all those who chose
this ‘non-harmonic tone’ thesis statement, may have thought
about consulting some credible source to support it with
substantial evidence, i.e. Harvard Dictionary of Music
(Page 492 - Nonharmonic tones)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But ‘melodic Suspension’ isn`t listed in Harvard Dic-
tionary of Music in the 1st category I. Rythmically weak
notes occurring between two “harmonic” notes; the
dictionary lists Suspension separately in Page 719:

 

In (1), the dictionary forwards the reader to the 2nd catego-
ry of Non-harmonic tones: II. Rythmically strong notes
occurring in the place of a harmonic note (illustration
above). However, George Michael’s artistry doesn`t fall
into this category, because the note C5 doesn`t descend to
the Bb4 (last beat measure 17 and marked  '⁴' . * .  in the
lyrics illustration) on a strong (beat) note.
The best guidance Harvard Dictionary of Music can give
to all those who chose the ‘non-harmonic tone’ thesis state-
ment, is example (2) Anticipation, under category I. Ryth-
mically weak notes occurring between two “harmonic”
notes.

As a matter of fact and for clarification purposes, another
example of an emotionally mezmerizing moment (a true
Bb4 Suspension), may be found in the Classical genre, in
Violin I voice - measure 2, of Samuel Barber’s  ‘Adagio
for Strings’: 

 

Below is Samuel Barber’s (Molto) ‘Adagio for Strings’ full
score with Strings layout:

 

Notwithstanding of the supporters of the ‘Non-harmonic
tone’ thesis statement, after a harmonic close-up analysis
of ‘One More Try’ goosebump spots ( '¹' . hold you  
'²'. touchin’ you  '³' . . .   '⁴' . * .  '¹' . . .  ), when the note C5
descends to Bb4 (last beat measure 17 and marked '⁴' . * .
in the lyrics illustration) which George Michael sustains to
the first beat of next measure 18: would be appropriate to
suggest (academically speaking) that although this may
sound alike, it isn`t neither a Suspension nor an Anticipa-
tion.

Please refer to Appendix II: About ‘Cosmic american blog’
quote (D), glossary item (11) [harmonic sequence structure
based on a Period = 8 measures illustration] located in
Part 1 of 2, and the specific harmonic context of the climax
[Period #2- Phrase #4 illustration] located in Part 2 of 2:

The Bb4 is a Common-tone between the dominant area V7
(C/E - C7/E) of 2nd half of measure 17 and the secondary
dominant area viiº/vi (C#º/E of Dm) of 1st half of the follo-
wing measure 18.
Isn`t a Suspension because Bb4 isn`t a foreign note (non-
harmonic tone) in the secondary dominant area viiº/vi (C#º/E
of Dm). Isn`t an Anticipation because Bb4 isn`t a foreign
note (non-harmonic tone) in the dominant area V7 (C/E –
C7/E).
This second impression shows George Michael is creating
tension by prolonging a Harmonic tone (a tone within the
scale) to the next strong beat, where the underlying harmony
changes to the minor harmonic scale of D minor (the relative
minor of the song’s F major key) from where the chord
viiº/vi (C#º/E of Dm) comes from.

Needless to say, talented musicians don`t usually sit down to
analyze the components of their "Masterpiece" before they
immerse themselves into the compositional process:
 i) Seven Fundamental Elements of Music
      a) Pitch
      b) Duration
      c) Dynamics
      d) Timbre
      e) Texture
      f) Tempo
      g) Structure
          Or the
 ii) Five essential elements of a melody
      a) Pitch
      b) Duration
      c) Loudness (Dynamics)
      d) Timbre
      e) Texture
          Or the
iii) Four basic properties of sound
      a) Pitch
      b) Duration
      c) Dynamics
      d) Timbre: quality of a tone that distinguishes it from
                        other tones of the same pitch.

Nevertheless, those doing George Michael’s ‘One More
try’ cover might need to check, besides the correct lyrics
Phrasing, some of above mentioned elements to ensure that
those goosebump spots are as effective as when performed
by its creator. 

 

Note: soundtrack of this vid will enhance in the near future.

In retrospective, but firstly rewinding to ‘Cosmic american
blog’ quote (B) excerpt: “It's George, an organ, a drum ma-
chine, and God, alone in a room, face to face, battling it
out for the sanctity of one man's soul”.
Quite a statement in view of username little earl, which
prompted, secondly, identifying hidden similarities between
two different musical ideas by cross-referencing ‘One More
Try’ with a Progressive Rock (true) Masterpiece: Robert
Anthony Plant’s & James Patrick Page’s ‘Stairway to
Heaven’ (Quinquagenary Anniversary 1971-2021).

Jimmy Page started writing the music in May 1970 and
Robert Plant wrote 80% of the lyrics a few weeks later.
Recording of the song began in December and was finished
in 1971. Some people saw some portents with ‘One More
Try’, a song that George Michael will always going to be
associated with, much as Led Zeppelin will always be
associated with their anthem ‘Stairway to Heaven’.
Both very deep yet, soothing songs.

In regard to ‘Stairway to Heaven’ YouTube username
Jasbad Sirron wrote:
“The whole song is about the deep level Gnostic / Occult /
Christ knowledge of mankind and how we move from an
unawakened state of being into awakening - hence, mani-
fest the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
And if you listen very hard, the truth will come to you at
last.... if you have eyes to see and ears to hear. Maybe if
your hedgerow has been bustled ?
Hedgerow is your third eye - your brow - hedgerow.  
Have you had the I AM moment ?
Have you asked the question to yourself about the nature
of your reality and existence?
Has your perception of reality exploded all of a sudden
and it was as if you could see the world from 60,000ft?
If yes, then there’s been a bustle in your hedgerow. Etc.!

“Looking to the West represents mankind’s journey/pro-
gress through our righteous path out of ignorance, duality
and density (the East - where our Sun/Sol rises) and into
unity and back to the light a Aka Heaven - of where the
Sun sets meaning the end of mankind’s remembering who
we are and our ascension out of ignorance, suffering and
poverty (spiritually) and into oneness or unity or harmony.”  

“The writers of this song know exactly what it’s about.
The purpose for putting it into a song is so they aren’t
‘burnt at the stake’ by egotistical know it all religious
zealous narcissists because they shared some extremely
deep truths about who we are and why we are here – which
directly contradicts the fear based literal interpretations of
the holy scriptures that religious institutions have implan-
ted into our minds.” 

“The same fear that led the Pharisees to plot against the tea-
chings of the Christ which lead to his ‘death’ by the hands
of those trapped in duality and fear.
Do you see what humans do to those who try and awaken
them from their deep sleep they think is real ?
Do you now know why truth is hidden in parables and
always has double meanings ?
‘Because you know sometimes words have two meanings’.”

“All along the watchtower tower is about the same thing.
Sound of Silence is about the awakened humans having to
suffer a subconsciously passive aggressive nihilistic and
narcissist mankind who are blind to the truth and stuck in
a state of cognitive dissonance who kill and hate those who
try to awaken the unawakened narcissists to the plight of
their suffering due to their deep set spiritual ignorance.
I’ll do the whole song if you want ?
I’d recommend listening to Neville Goddard, Manly P Hall
and Rudolph Steiner, dropping any ego and expand your
perception. Good day and God bless.”

‘Stairway to Heaven’ mainstream reviews give us also a
traditional outlook of Led Zeppelin IV’s milestone state of
mind:
1) Genius
     Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven lyrics
 “ ‘Stairway to Heaven’ is one of Led Zeppelin’s most
famous recordings, with many considering it the greatest
rock song of all time. It tells the story of a greedy woman
who is overly optimistic about her unpromising future.
The song resonated with young listeners, opening up a
door to a different realm of spirituality and transporting
them into a more mystical view of life. The vagueness of
the lyrics also allows listeners to interpret the song in their
own way, adding to the magic and mystery of the track.”
2) Rolling Stone
    500 Greatest Songs of All Time
 “All epic anthems must measure themselves against
‘Stairway to Heaven’", the cornerstone of Led Zeppelin IV.
The acoustic intro sounds positively Elizabethan, thanks to
John Paul Jones' recorder solo and Plant’s fanciful lyrics,
which were partly inspired by Lewis Spence's historical
tome Magic Arts in Celtic Britain. Over eight minutes, the
song morphs into a furious Page solo that storms heaven's
gate.”
“Page said the song ‘crystallized the essence of the band. It
had everything there and showed us at our best. It was a
milestone. Every musician wants to do something of lasting
quality, something which will hold up for a long time.
We did it with Stairway’."

YouTube title links:
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven Live
Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin Lyrics
Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven // Sub. Español
Jimmy Page: How Stairway to Heaven was written

Was ‘One More Try’ George Michael's ‘Stairway To Heaven’ ? - Part 1 of 2

1987 George Michael - Faith (US version)
(CBS/Epic Records catalog #460000)
Side A - track #4 : One More Try

Was ‘One More Try’ George Michael's ‘Stairway To
Heaven’ ? - Part 1 of 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In website Who2 says “Wham! disbanded after a fare-
well concert at Wembley Stadium in 1986. George
Michael quickly remade his image, shifting from clean-
cut pop star to leather-clad, stubble-chinned hunk”.
However, the leather-clad convulsive appearance may
be traced back to Wham's funky period of ‘Young guns
go for it’ & ‘Wham rap’.  

Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou’s single released in
1983 ‘Bad Boys’ by the artist Wham! [the cover art
copyright is believed to belong to the label, Innervision
Records, or the graphic artist(s)], goes further and shows
a free stubble-chinned image but flavoured with a tacked
leather-clad when he was just 19 (1982), age which some
physicians define as the second puberty stage when
muscle reaches its peak mass and strength. 

 

Georgios Kyriacos finally abandoned his clean-cut pop
star approach when with his polished and enhanced
stubble-chinned hunk image released ‘Faith’ 1987 album.
Even Quincy Jones got stunned when Gloria Stefan
announced him winning the ‘Favorite Male’ prize in the
Soul/R&B category. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Faith’ was the 1st soloist album by a non-AfroAmerican
artist to reach the chart Nº1 in the Rhythm & Blues style
(contained in broader Soul Music genre):
A) SoundOnSound
     Classic Tracks: George Michael ‘Faith’
“A transatlantic chart topper following its October 1987
release, as well as the first record by a white artist to hit
the top spot on Billboard's R&B chart, Faith won the 1989
Grammy Award for Album of the Year, en route to selling
more than 20 million copies worldwide. What's more, its
four US number ones — the title track, 'Father Figure',
'One More Try' and  'Monkey' — made George Michael
the only British male singer to achieve this feat with a
single LP.”
“The musicians on Faith included guitarists Hugh Burns,
Robert Ahwai, JJ Belle and Roddy Matthews; bass player
Deon Estus; keyboardists Chris Cameron, Betsy Cook and
Danny Schogger; drummer Ian Thomas and percussionist
Andy Duncan. Each of their contributions was overdubbed
in order to assemble the tracks in piecemeal fashion, yet
it was George Michael who played all of the instruments
on 'I Want Your Sex' (Part 1), 'Hard Day' and, with the
exception of Matthews' guitar, 'Monkey'.”  

’One More Try’ mainstream reviews give us a traditional
outlook of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou’s state of
mind:
1) Rolling Stone
    The best of the pop icon’s hits, duets & reinventions
 “A Number One song on Billboard's Hot 100 and Hot
Black Singles in the late spring of 1988, ‘One More Try’
comes from the perspective of someone burned by an
elder's love, but forever enticed by the heat emanating
from its flame. Michael's carefully measured vocal perfor-
mance, from his hesitant singing at the song's outset to
the wounded wail he lets fly on its chorus, gives the listen-
er an up-close perspective on the heart-rending trip.”  
2) Billboard
    'One More Try' Is George Michael's Soul-Bearing,
     Slow-Burning Masterpiece
“That vulnerability is the key to ‘One More Try’, a song
about a boy who has been spurned by an older lover”.
" ’One More Try’ may be his best on record, a textbook
example of how soul can often be a matter of control”.
“Such unspoken connections lends ‘One More Try’ its
considerable power. Perhaps its foundation is reconstitu-
ted soul-gospel”.
“Once ‘One More Try’ is heard on its own (not surroun-
ded by other hits), its austere ache and intimacy are
heightened so dramatically, it almost seems like the
listener is eavesdropping on the singer's private pain.”

But the main peculiarity of Georgios Kyriacos Panayio-
tou’s outfit in ‘Faith’, wasn`t his thick blonde hair, black
leather jacket, white t-shirt, blue jeans, metal-tipped ankle
boots, dark shades, or even his designer stubble: it was his
cross earring. a symbol of his distinctive sense of identity
as developed through social interaction (self-development)  
and a sign that his super-ego was operating as his moral
conscienceness.

Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) was one of
the most influential modern scientists to put forth a theory
about how people develop a sense of self. He believed
that personality and sexual development were closely
linked, and he divided the maturation process into psycho-
sexual stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. He
posited that people’s self-development is closely linked
to early stages of development, like breastfeeding, toilet
training, and sexual awareness (Freud 1905).
Psychological theories of self-development have been
broadened by sociologists who explicitly study the role
of society and social interaction in self-development.
Charles Cooley and George Mead both contributed signi-
ficantly to the sociological understanding of the develop-
ment of self. Lawrence Kohlberg and Carol Gilligan
developed their ideas further and researched how our
sense of morality develops. Gilligan added the dimension
of gender differences to Kohlberg’s theory.
Theories of Self-Development

There is an interesting non-mainstream ’One More Try’
review in the ‘cosmic american blog’ titled
"One More Try"? More Like "Let's Film This Video
In Only One Try"
Published in 2018 by username little earl (loves music
of the '80s).

However, little earl‘s review (and psychological elabo-
rations) should be accompanied by a supportive glossary
and goes like this:
                                                          [quotes (A) thru (N)]
> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (A)
Minimalism. It worked for Hemingway (01). It worked
for Beckett (02). It worked for every cross-legged Japan-
ese monk who ever jotted (03) down a haiku (04) in a
bucolic spring garden. But what their brands of minimal-
ism were clearly lacking ... was stubble.
…………
Glossary (A)
…………
(01) Hemingway’s Iceberg theory -
The iceberg theory or theory of omission is a writing tech-
nique coined by American writer Ernest Hemingway.  
When he became a writer of short stories, he retained this
minimalistic style, focusing on surface elements without
explicitly discussing underlying themes. Hemingway
believed the deeper meaning of a story should not be
evident on the surface, but should shine through implicitly.
In chapter XVI of ‘Death in the Afternoon’ he compares
his theory about writing to an iceberg.
(02) Beckett -
Irish writer Samuel Beckett stripped away words until he
arrived at the core elements of speech that merely gestured
to an intended meaning.
(03) jotted -
Written down quickly.
(04) haiku (the world’s shortest form of poem) -
Haiku use only 17 syllables, which consists of 5-7-5.

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (B)
"One More Try" is '80s pop music stripped to its barren (5),
brutal core (6). There is nowhere to hide, no relief from
the endless onslaught (7) of Michaelian passion. All must
bow to the unadorned intensity of the piece. "One More
Try" is like George Michael's version of "In the Air To-
night" (8)  ... but sexier. It's George, an organ, a drum
machine, and God, alone in a room, face to face, battling
it out for the sanctity of one man's soul. And the drum
machine is arguably winning.
…………
Glossary (B)
…………
(5) barren -
(of land) Too poor to produce much or any vegetation.
(6) core -
Essence, basis, body, bottom line, crux, foundatio, heart.
(7) onslaught -
A fierce or destructive attack.
(8) "In the Air Tonight" -
Song by Phil Collins- 'In The Air Tonight' (Official Music
Video).

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (C)
Imagine the conversation at the record company when
George handed this one in. "Nice George, it's really lovely,
killer demo, so ... what's the final version going to sound
like?"
"This is the final version."
Jaw, meet floor.

And it's nearly six minutes long! He practically dares the
listener to lose patience. But I'm with you Georgie Boy,
I'm with you to the bitter end. Frankly, when I was a kid,
I probably did find this song a bit boring, but when I was
a kid I also ate uncooked Top Ramen noodles with the
MSG-laden flavor mix sprinkled in between the crevices,
so what the fuck did I know? I'll tell you what I didn't
know: I didn't know what true heartbreak was. Actually,
even now I'm not sure I know what true heartbreak is.
But what I know is that George knows.

I also know this: "One More Try" couldn't have skated
by on such a sparse arrangement if it hadn't been, at its
core, a fundamentally well-structured composition.
Sure, production-wise, it sounds like a hit from 1988, but
compositionally, this sucker could have been a hit in
1968. Think of what Otis Redding (9) or Etta James (10)
might have done with it on a muggy summer night at
Muscle Shoals.
…………
Glossary (C)
…………
(9) Otis Redding (King of Soul) -
It was unlike anything Redding had ever written, influ-
enced by his admiration for the Beatles’ classic “Sgt.
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album. Otis played
The Beatles’ album constantly during a week he had
spent on a houseboat in Sausalito when performing at
San Francisco’s Basin Street West in August 1967.
Just sitting’ on the dock, looking out at the bay, it’s easy
to see where Otis got the inspiration for the song,
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay”.
(10) Etta James (Queen of Soul) -
Jamesetta Hawkins, better known by her stage name Etta
James, was an American singer of the Soul Music Genre,
including Jazz and Rhythm & Blues styles; she was con-
sidered one of the great voices in the history of Rhythm
& Blues.
Note: Soul Music Genre, this item is clarified after quote
          (N). See Appendix I.

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (D)
Do I even detect a little Pachelbel's "Canon In D" in
the chord progression? (11)  Screw 1968; it could've
even been a hit in 1688. Like the never-ending "Canon,"
"One More Try" circles and circles and circles without
ever seeming capable of resolving its underlying tension,
as a wary, bruised George pleads desperately with a
potential new lover that he just isn't ready to love again,
damn it, oh, fine, what the hell. Indeed, when the backing
slows to an agonizing crawl (12) in those last few seconds
and George finally finds it within himself to open his
wounded heart to humanity once more, it's like one of
those moments at the end of a Bresson film (13);
…………
Glossary (D)
…………
(11) Pachelbel's "Canon In D" in the chord progression? -
Pachelbel "Canon In D"
is a sequence structure based on a Semiphrase, this is 2
measures. The sequence is of 8 quarter note chords in
simple 4/4 meter.
‘One More Try’ in F
is a sequence structure based on a Period = 8 measures.
The sequence is of 16 dotted half note chords in compound
12/8 meter.
Note: this item is developed after quote (N).
          See Appendix II.
(12) agonizing crawl -
Move on hands and knees.
 (13) Bresson film -
With Robert Bresson, less is always more. The French
director Robert Bresson was known for his sparse film-
making, with a minimalist style emphasizing the audience’s
gap-filling ability. The trust he had in his audience to draw
the logical and aesthetic lines between his cinematic
implications made his films great and their fans complicit
in their greatness.
“When we listen closely to what sort of information we get
through sound we realize Bresson is more generous and
trusting to the ears than he is to the eyes”; “The ear is more
creative than the eye, if I can replace a shot by a sound I
prefer the sound. This gives freedom to the imagination of
the public. This phenomenon helps you suggest things
rather than having to show them.”

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (E)
as with Michael in his jail cell at the end of Pickpocket
(14), or the donkey in the field at the end of Au Hasard
Balthazar (15), one senses all discord finally turning to
harmony, and the work reaches an unexpected but
entirely logical state of grace [sheesh, I'm starting to
sound like Professor Higglediggle (16) here]. Note, also,
that the very last lines are the only time George even sings
the title of the song.
He could have called it "Ain't No Joy For An Uptown Boy,"
but that wouldn't have quite captured the mood of the piece,
I suppose.
…………
Glossary (E)
…………
(14) Pickpocket -
A 1959 film by French director Robert Bresson.
(15) Au Hasard Balthazar -
A film by Bresson premiered in the 1966 Venice Internatn’l
Film Festival and awarded with OCIC Prize (Catholic Inter-
National Film Organization), along with San Giorgio and
New Cinema Prizes.
(16) Professor Higglediggle -
Professor Higglediggle or Professor Igglepiggle ? 

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (F)
Of course, Pachelbel and Bresson don't exactly ooze (17)
sultry (18) R&B vibes. I can sit here and tell you how
soulful "One More Try" is, but don't take my word for it:
in addition to hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, it also,
somehow, some way, topped the Billboard R&B chart.
And George Michael was many things, but one of those
many things was not black. Look out, Hall & Oates (19).
…………
Glossary (F)
…………
(17) ooze -
Intransitive verb. 1 : to pass or flow slowly through or as
if through small openings or interstices. 2 : to move slowly
or imperceptibly (the crowd began to ooze forward. 3a : to
exude moisture. 3b : to exude something often in a faintly
repellent manner ooze with sympathy.
(18) sultry -
Oppressively hot and close or moist; sweltering: a sultry day,
oppressively hot; emitting great heat: the sultry sun; charac-
terized by or associated with sweltering heat: sultry work in
the fields; characterized by or arousing passion: sultry eyes.
(19) Hall & Oates -
Daryl Hall and John Oates, known as Hall and Oates were
the Quintessential 1980s Pop Duet. 

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (G)
I guess George was feeling cocky (20) at this point, because
when it came time to shoot the video, he decided to make
it even more minimalist than the song itself. As the camera
fades up, we find George sitting pensively (21) in a dusty
room, obscured in shadow, with a ghostly light pouring in
through two stained glass windows behind him. And then
the camera holds that shot. And holds it. And holds it.
And it's mesmerizing (22).
…………
Glossary (G)
…………
(20) cocky -
Being over self confidence and self-assertive
(21) pensively -
Thoughtful, thinking, reflective, contemplative, musing,
meditative, introspective, prayerful, philosophical, cogitati-
ve, ruminative, absorbed, engrossed, rapt, preoccupied,
deep in thought, immersed in thought, lost in thought, in a
brown study, broody, serious, studious, solemn, dreamy,
dreaming.
(22) mesmerizing -
Hypnotizing, mesmeric, captivating, enchanting, fascinating,
enthralling, charming, spellbinding, bewitching, magnetic.

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (H)
You can't turn away! There's not a single cut, and yet one
feels an entire narrative of longing, doubt, regret, and hesi-
tation unfolding before one's eyes. The viewer doesn't even
get treated to a close-up of his singing, bearded visage (23)
until the 2:47 mark (24). Now that's balls (25).
…………
Glossary (H)
…………
(23) visage -
Countenance, aspect, expression, face, features, look, mien.
(24) 2:47 mark -
In fact the ‘Faith hallmark bearded visage’ is 1st shown at
02:08 at the opening of Period #3 (stanza reprise).
(25) Now that’s balls -
In our humble opinion, by this time in his review, Cosmic
American / ‘little earl’ is already aroused.

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (I)
it probably took them about twenty minutes to film the
video, and about ten minutes to edit it. I'll bet half the
budget simply went to George's makeup (26).
…………
Glossary (I)
…………
(26) George’s makeup -
 ‘little earl’ (in the 19th century the title became merely
honorary, and did not carry any function. Today the earls
are members of the nobility of the United Kingdom),
might be right.

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (J)
And why is there so much dust in the room? Did they
think about vacuuming? Or maybe they could have just
opened up one of those stained glass windows, you know,
let a little air in. Wait. Maybe that grey haze is supposed
to be George's aura. And why are the love seat and the
floor covered with sheets? Is George squatting (26) in
someone else's posh (27) London apartment? No, I've got
it: they were trying to protect the upholstery (28) from
his continually dripping (29) sexiness.
…………
Glossary (J)
…………
(26) squatting -
Crouch or sit with one's knees bent and one's heels close
to or touching one's buttocks or the back of one's thighs;
OR, unlawfully occupy an uninhabited building or settle
on a piece of land.
(27) posh -
Rich, fancy, elegant, stylish, in an upper-class way.
(28) upholstery -
Soft, padded textile covering that is fixed to furniture such
as armchairs and sofas.
(29) dripping -
To have a lot of juice or sauce and showing it off to every-
one around.

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (K)
Professor Higglediggle's analysis:
The boldly static image that opens the piece attempts to
confront the psychologically dormant and/or sociologically
neutered (30) viewer with a (re)contextualized (re)creation
of that very dormancy and impotence, partially echoing
Warhol's antagonistic, neo-subversive Empire (31) and
Sleep (32), only lacking those works' intangible post-
Brakhage (33) élan (34).
…………
Glossary (K)
…………
(30) neutered -
Castrated, mutilated, spayed, sterilized.
(31) Empire -
A 1964 silent film by Andy Warhol. The film runs eight
hours, five minutes and consists of a single Black & White
shot of the Empire State Building.
(32) Sleep -
Another 1964 Andy Warhol’s silent film. The film runs
five hours, twenty minutes and consists of a single Black
and White shot of  John Giorno sleeping, his close friend
at the time.
(33) Brakhage -
Stan Brakhage was one of the most influential filmmakers
in American avant-garde cinema.
(34) élan -
Èlan vital is a term coined by Henri Bergson, French phi-
losopher, in his 1907 book ‘Creative Evolution’, meaning
a creative principle immanent in all organisms and respon-
sible for evolution. 

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (L)
The artist's failure/refusal to properly decorate, light, or
heat ("I'm so cold inside") his dwelling suggests his nominal
(35) inability to live within the capitalist framework of
Thatcherite (36) England, although the income generated by
his music ironically further propagated the system he sought
to oppose.
…………
Glossary (L)
…………
(35) nominal -
Avowed, plausible, professed, purported, apparent.
(36) Thatcherite -
Thatcherism represents a belief in free markets and a small
State.

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (M)
Furthermore, Michael's toothless (37) plea (38), "Cause
teacher, there are things/That I don't want to learn" may be
read as ineffective anti-authoritarian posturing (39), what
Barthes (40) referred to as Doxa (41), as opposed to the
preferred Para-Doxa (42).
…………
Glossary (M)
…………
(37) toothless -
Lacking in force or sharpness, dull, ineffectual.
(38) plea -
Petition, prayer, solicitation, supplication, imploration.
(39) posturing -
Masquerade, playact, pose, fake it, make a show, pass for.
(40) Barthes -
Roland Barthes, French essayist and social/literary critic
whose writings on semiotics, the formal study of symbols
and signs, helped establish structuralism and the New Cri-
ticism as leading intellectual movements.
(41) Doxa -
From a sociology background, doxa refers to the common-
sense's organised representations. While before, myth and
knowledge worked together (the myth was the mean of
knowledge), nowadays (for Barthes) there's a divorce bet-
ween knowledge (episteme) and myth, which creates doxa.
In classical texts you will find doxa used to mean delusion
in contrast to aletheia/truth. In platonic discourse, it is
used to mean probabilistic, fallible knowledge in opposition
to episteme, which is absolute and unchanging knowledge.
In Pierre Bourdieu's field theory, when doxa is used with
habitus, doxa is used to mean tacit knowledge, common
sense, the collective opinion, the rules we agree upon to
playing a certain game for example, while habitus is the set
of skills to playing that particular game. You can see that it
is ideologically beneficial to identify and interact with
societal doxai.
(42) Para-Doxa -
A Paradox is a statement that is seemingly contradictory or
opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true; or a self-
contradictory statement that at first seems true; or an argu-
ment that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions
by valid deduction from acceptable premises.

> ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (N)
However, his pseudo-rejection of this educational figure
may be refer, in a Lacanian (43) sense, to buried childhood
trauma, given that the "last teacher [he] had made [him] cry.
…………
Glossary (N)
…………
(43) Lacanian -
Jacques Marie Émile Lacan (1901-1981) was a major
figure in Parisian intellectual life for much of the twentieth
century. Sometimes referred to as “the French Freud”, he
is an important figure in the history of psychoanalysis.
Like Freudian critics, the Lacanian pay close attention to
unconscious motives and feelings, but instead of excavating
for those of the author or characters, they search out those
of the text itself, uncovering contradictory under currents
of meaning, which lie like a subconscious beneath the
'conscious' of the text.

Note:
Professor Higglediggle might be little earl’s alter ego, far-
most little earl’s super ego.
An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means alternative self,
which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or
true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will re-
quire finding one's other self, one with different personality.
Alter ego is also used to refer to the different behaviors any
person may display in certain situations. People suffering
from dissociative identity disorder (DID) aren't aware of
their other personality while people with alter ego are
aware and are driven by it (i.e. once upon a time Will
Smith’s Fresh Prince).

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to Freud's model of the psyche (personality),
the Id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that
contains sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories,
the super-ego operates as a moral conscience, and the ego
is the realistic part that mediates between the desires
of the Id and the super-ego. 

Appendix I:
If Classical Music Genres are (alphabetical order): Avant-
Garde, Baroque, Classical, Crossover, Chamber Music,
Chant, Choral, Early Music, Impressionist, Medieval,
Minimalism, Modern Composition, Opera, Orchestral,
Renaissance, Romantic ; styles contained in Soul Music
Genre are (alphabetical order): Blues, Gospel, Jazz, Mo-
town, Ragtime, Rhythm & Blues, Spirituals. These styles
originated in the African American community throughout
the United States in the 1950s and early 1960s. Thus, the
Afro-American Music Genre (aka Soul Music Genre)
combines elements of all these styles.

Appendix II:
About ‘Cosmic american blog’ quote (D), glossary item
(11) Do I even detect a little Pachelbel's "Canon In D"
in the chord progression?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pachelbel "Canon In D" is a sequence structure based on a
semiphrase = 2 measures. The sequence is of 8 quarter note
chords in simple 4/4 meter. The bass voice repeats the same
two-bar line throughout the piece, thus is an ostinato.
In music, an ostinato is a phrase (a typical phrase consists
of 4 measures) or semi-phrase that persistently repeats in
the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch.
The ground bass (ostinato) of Pachelbel's Canon has a
4th ↓ 2nd ↑ pattern and is made of two bars and eight notes
being the ground of the eight chords of the canon.

‘One More Try’ in F is a sequence structure based on a
Period = 8 measures. The sequence is of 16 dotted half
note chords in compound 12/8 meter. The bass line of  
‘One More Try’ doesn’t follow any pattern.
Perhaps what username little earl (‘cosmic american blog’
titled "One More Try"? More Like "Let's Film This Video
In Only One Try") has detected for associating these pieces
is that in both cases the 1st three chords have the same
I – V – vi progression :

 

                                                     continued in Part 2 of 2

1979 – MELINGO’S ‘RING CLUB’ PRECEDINGS:
‘Theatre of The Invisible of Buenos Aires’

If Daniel Melingo founded his first musical theatre

laboratory in the ‘Ring Club’ group, then shouldn’t be

wrong saying that his previous participation in ‘Theatre

of The Invisible of Buenos Aires’ was his preliminary

technical project.

Constitutes a common misconception the assumption

that Daniel Melingo (Melingo), upon returning from

Brazil in 1980, immediately joined Miguel Abuelo’s

(Miguel Abuelo) band ‘Los Abuelos De la Nada’ by

playing sax, clarinet and doing vocals, and it is as well

uncertain that he did participate in 1981 debut singles

"Guindilla ardiente" and "Mundos in mundos".

Early 1979 Daniel Melingo travelled to the city Ouro

Preto, a municipium of the state of Minas Gerais, in

Brazil, where he met mime Olucaro Ocimotana who

had previously gained a significant success in the Sao

Paulo Bienal Arts Foundation with his unipersonal

spectacle ‘Magical Theatre: A mankind history in the

planet’. Daniel Melingo was so impressed by the

structure of musicalized theatrical sketches that he

joined playing clarinet to Juan Aguilar (acoustic guitar)

and chilean Esteban (surname to be confirmed) (device

operations). 

By September 1979, mime Olucaro Ocimotana’s

spectacle had evolved into a multimedia experience

touring, under the name of ‘Theatre of The Invisible of

Buenos Aires’, several brazilean cities including Sao

Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. These unique

shows, a combination of mime-music-dance & poetry,

marks Daniel Melingo’s first participation in a musical

theatre project. The performance in the city of Sabarà,

around 23 km East from the neighbor state of Belo

Horizonte, counted with the collaboration of Guillermo

Medin in charge of video tape recordings.

In June 1984 ‘Theatre of The Invisible of Buenos Aires’

gave their last performance before departing to Europe,

at FUNARJ’s Sala Cecilia Meirelles in Rio de Janeiro:

Olucaro Ocimotana (Producer, General Director, mime),

Mariangela Mascaretti (mime partner), Guillermo Medin

(Quistral, Final, Berklee College of Music 1983/1985

Composition Awards, Biorsi, Klhasch) (Musical Director,

keyboards), Luciano Bahia (keyboards), Josè Simian

(electric guitars), Jorge Varela (electric bass), Toni Aguiar

(wind instruments), Claudia Samanta (vocals); but by then

Daniel Melingo already had left the ensemble presumably

to play with Milton Nascimento.

In 1980 upon returning to Buenos Aires, Daniel Melingo

formed his own group called ‘Ring Club’ and the material

consisted of musicalized theatrical sketches which kept a

similar structure learned from mime Olucaro Ocimotana’s

‘Theatre of The Invisible’. The second set of shows named

‘Juicio oral al Dr.Moreau’ featured Miguel Abuelo (vocals,

 percussion), Gustavo Bazterrica (Gustavo Bazterrica)

(electric guitar), Juan del Barrio (Juan Del Barrio)

(keyboards), Miguel Zavaleta (vocals, keyboards) and

guest artists: ‘Los Hermanos Clavel’ and ’Las BayBiscuits’.

Legendary sister machines Roland Bass Line TB-303 &

Drumatix TR-606 used by keyboardist Guillermo Medin

in 1984 ‘Theatre of The Invisible of Buenos Aires’ Rio de

Janeiro show:

Although there aren`t soundtracks of Daniel Melingo

playing his soprano clarinet in the Sabarà show, it is said

that the event was caught on Single-8 film (Japanese Fuji

Film counterpart of  the worldwide renown Kodak Super-8

format). Nevertheless, there are rehearsal recordings of

‘Theatre of The Invisible of Buenos Aires’ that might still

be found around.

Theatre of The Invisible of Buenos Aires Playback URLs:

'Amor' (rehearsal).mp3 (10.01 MB)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/udv1lb45q24dwjm/Teatro_de_lo_Invisible_de_BsAs_%2301_%27Amor%27_%28rehearsal%29.MP3
OR
http://mfi.re/listen/udv1lb45q24dwjm/Teatro_de_lo_Invisible_de_BsAs_%2301_%27Amor%27_%28rehearsal%29.MP3

'Oli na cidade' (rehearsal). mp3 (3.17 MB)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/acyk310f1ihnbnd/Teatro_de_lo_Invisible_de_BsAs_%2302_%27Oli_na_cidade%27_%28rehearsal%29.MP3
OR
http://mfi.re/listen/acyk310f1ihnbnd/Teatro_de_lo_Invisible_de_BsAs_%2302_%27Oli_na_cidade%27_%28rehearsal%29.MP3

'Oli marionete' (rehearsal). mp3 (5.30 MB)
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/dysg4xs8c7thksi/Teatro_de_lo_Invisible_de_BsAs_%2303_%27Oli_marionete%27_%28rehearsal%29.MP3
OR
http://mfi.re/listen/dysg4xs8c7thksi/Teatro_de_lo_Invisible_de_BsAs_%2303_%27Oli_marionete%27_%28rehearsal%29.MP3