Santana f/Michelle Branch - "The Game of Love" C/D

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I don't know, I was feeling it, I really was. Sure, it sounds just like the New Radicals song, but I liked the hell out of that one too. It's just that after playing the song enough that I could sing along to it, I realized that the lyrics were dogshit. Usually I can ignore that, but they were so bad I just couldn't.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:53 (twenty-two years ago) link

the lyrics fit, and the song itself is excellent. It's quite a bit like that great New Radicals song. Dan Perry says that her singing during the "why" pulls off something rather difficult.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago) link

You mean the jump from the rushed "tell me" to the melismatic "why"?

― Amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:38 (twenty-two years ago) link

that "why" isn't melismatic at all.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago) link

The New Radicals thing is dead on melody wise, but for me it really sounds like the Miami Sound Machine. Damn pleasant, and Santana's play-a-fill-every-time-she-takes-a-breath style is pretty fun. The line about how she wants you to divide her is kinda weird, but I'll call it a classic.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:45 (twenty-two years ago) link

Sterling: it is as I understand it, but my musical literacy is almost nil. Per Webster's:

Melisma. A passage of several notes sung to one syllable of text, as in Gregorian chant.

Per Michelle:

Why-ay-ay-ay

― Amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:48 (twenty-two years ago) link

IT'S QUITE NICE

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:49 (twenty-two years ago) link

the lyrics are totally stupid and redundant. i hate how she rhymes 'me' with 'me'

― chaki (chaki), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:55 (twenty-two years ago) link

I think it counts if she's rhyming "quite me" with "bite me"
haven't paid attention to the song, but I hope that's what the lyrics are

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:58 (twenty-two years ago) link

Okay I was thinking def #2: melodic embellishment

which is how critics usually use it -- as an attack on frippery and vocal showoffishness which I don't think she does at all. I mean it's really just a couple of half steps trailing at the decay while the attack and bulk of the word are all solid. the "cry" bit has slightly more variation, but even then this is hardly Mariah Carey territory or anything. and you could call the "tell me" rushed or chalk it up to rubato.

I like how the chorus swings too.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 2 January 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago) link

I like this song. It's got a nice summer-day-in-1971 feel, like the best songs off Carole King's Tapestry. Like something you'd hear from a car radio on a 90-degree day while you were walking down to the corner bodega to buy oranges.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 2 January 2003 19:34 (twenty-two years ago) link

Critics shouldn't use "melisma" as a pejorative. It's a foundation of gospel and soul singing, for one thing. It's like saying tonality is bad (now don't you start).

Jody: have you seen the video? Because I think that is precisely the sort of thing it is trying to evoke.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 2 January 2003 20:01 (twenty-two years ago) link

jody shame on you

― chaki (chaki), Thursday, 2 January 2003 20:05 (twenty-two years ago) link

Yeah, the video's perfect for the song.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 2 January 2003 20:08 (twenty-two years ago) link

its the same as the friggan song with matchbox 20 guy HIS GUITAR PLAYING IS SO SAMEY IT HURTS MY EARS

― chaki (chaki), Thursday, 2 January 2003 20:17 (twenty-two years ago) link

THE VIDEO IS THE SAME EVEN

― chaki (chaki), Thursday, 2 January 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago) link

I'm with you chaki.

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 3 January 2003 00:19 (twenty-two years ago) link

i hate how she rhymes 'me' with 'me'

This is sort off-topic, but that reminds of how Madonna rhymes "it" with "it" in "Vogue."

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Friday, 3 January 2003 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

A late entry for my favorite songs of 2002. Michelle's vocals sound like they should always be in a song like this (and I love her solo songs)! The video is nice too. I think the song was actually WRITTEN by the New Radicals guy, wasn't it?

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 3 January 2003 01:13 (twenty-two years ago) link

The song itself is a top-shelf bit of Gregg Alexander genius, and would have been far better without all of Santana's guitar work which seems to detract AND distract from Ms Branch's singing, which is lovely (and I hated all her singles. A lot.) But I suppose it IS his album so that sort of nonsense is necessary. I just wish the song had been written for someone else who wouldn't have almost ruined the thing. I did hate it the first time I heard it but I heard it on the radio (AM, obv) yesterday and it sounded amazing, so I'll say Classic.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 3 January 2003 02:11 (twenty-two years ago) link

It's not so much that the "WHY-Y-Y-Y" part is difficult as much as it shows actual vocal technique being used. It's so rare to hear an octave jump on pop radio where the low note and the high note are placed in the same spot, making it a fairly seamless transition in vocal quality (and it's all because she placed the lower note in the right spot to make the higher note easier to get to, rather than belting the low note and having to switch to airy head voice for the upper note YES MARIAH WHITNEY XTINA I'M LOOKING AT Y'ALL ESPECIALLY YOU MARIAH).

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 3 January 2003 15:03 (twenty-two years ago) link

five years pass...

had ZERO clue this was originally recorded by tina turner!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iib_Wyabjco

― deej, Friday, 30 May 2008 03:34 (sixteen years ago) link

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