Recently, a close friend of mine, while taking a bus from
Greece to Germany, awoke after a restless sleep to find himself in West
Nowheresville, Romania, hundreds of miles from his intended destination.
Burdened by his luggage and without any grasp of the local language, panic
nagged my friend as he searched for a foothold in this strange land. However,
instead of giving into that fear, my friend calmed himself by simplifying his
dilemma in his head, breaking down each obstacle he had to face and handling
them one at a time. His calm approach of focusing intently on each step, rather
than becoming overwhelmed, carried him through his crisis, leading him all the
way to a friend’s doorstep in Berlin. His tale reminded me of a song I hadn’t heardto
in a few years, a song defined by the same “take-it-easy” attitude, the
simple and extremely amusing “Three Chords” by Assorted Jelly Beans.
A two-minute ditty, “3 Chords”
is named as such because of its extremely simple foundation—the entire song is
composed of different riffs using the same three major chords. Despite this
makeshift blueprint, however, this trio seems to pull every possible sound and
riff out of those three chords. Wylie Johnson switches between squealing ska
and chugging punk, altering the feel of the tune without spilling an ounce of
energy. Rick Boyer tears through some incredible walking bass lines, running
through notes like a marathon, and all while speed-singing his goofy lyrics and
pop-driven melody. Behind it all, Ricky Falomir (currently drumming for legends
The Aquabats)[1] slams his sticks against
every piece of his kit, driving the tempo to near-dangerous speeds. For a song
based on almost nothing, Assorted Jelly Beans lays out enough for a sonic
feast.
Because of my obvious affinity
for the bass guitar, it is Rick Bowyer’s contributions in this song with which
I truly connect. While the overall mix of the tune is shoddy (especially for
Johnson’s guitar), it naturally favors the frontman in both vocals and
instrumentation, and Bowyer’s bass skills are monster enough that he easily
earns the spot. His fingers cruise with ease over complicated and rhythmic
walking lines, barreling up and down the neck like a skater on a boardwalk. His
pieces are as melodic as his voice, giving the song and the bass the flavor of
a lead instrument, a title it rarely receives and hardly ever survives.
Similarly, Bowyer’s vocals are delivered with utter enthusiasm, energy, and
fun, proving him as a ridiculously enjoyable lead singer.
While Bowyer’s voice is tinged
with comic absurdity, the lyrical roots of his vocal roots extend far beyond
the superficial. Like the composition, the lyrics are straightforward in their
approach, as Rick breaks down his process for dealing with stress, opening with
the assertion that “the only real thing I’ve learned along the way / is that
nothing is for sure so I take it day by day.”[2]
Though he accelerates through his lyrics like a rapper, the message inherent in
the words is loud and clear, as Bowyer reminds his audience not to take life
too seriously, and that his best remedy for dealing with daily train wrecks is
to “weigh it out and figure out just where I’m going.”[3]
The lyrics ply that a simple, cognitive approach is the best way of dealing
with life, an idea perfect for a song built on three chords.
In the chorus, Bowyer reminds
us that “we all get slapped up in the face / but still we get back up and
play.”[4]
A simple message presented in a chaotic way, “3 Chords” assures me that the
simple paths of life are both rewarding and engaging. Its catchy melodies
and roadrunner beat take the seriousness out of making music, pushing the fun to
the forefront and letting the meaning come after. The boisterous excitement
bleeding out of this tune rings in my ears, leaving no doubt in my mind a
step-by-step approach is often the best one, and affirms that the casual beauty
of life is to be had in every moment and in every song, even if that song’s
core is nothing more than three well-worn power chords.
No comments:
Post a Comment