Knights of Cydonia:
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We can’t take it anymore…yes…Muse is huge (in Great Britain especially)…yes, they are rich, and most of you have heard their music. But we just can’t take it…we have to write about them. Yeah yeah…we have a rule here that we will avoid the larger groups and try to focus on maybe something you haven’t heard of. We don’t care. They are one of our most favorite groups of all time.
You know how sometimes there are groups that you like some of their songs. If asked you will say that you like them, and that’s that? Yeah…no. We love Muse. There is only one song they have produced that we are not in love with…all the other ones rank way up there on the “this song is better than you” list. We have spent hours just listening to Muse. And it all started with Knights of Cydonia. We blame Guitar Hero III.
The first time we heard this bad boy it was about 2 AM and we had been playing Guitar hero for about 4 hours…and it made us stop and just stare. Well….except for Dan…we was playing it in expert and had to concentrate. Take note also, Dan sight reads Guitar Hero on expert. He’s better than you. The opening guitar theme is great (seemed like a guitar lick from some western. The horses helped). Simple…but awesome. Then we have the fast picking secondary intro and the choral singing in the back (some screeching too).
Then, queue the awesome. That’s the name for the final section of the intro (where you actually start to hear the main theme to the song).
Notice that during “The Awesome” there is an intense driving feel. It just makes you start tapping your foot…or moshing…whatever your style is. This is done with some simple, yet time proven techniques. First, the drums. Bass drum on every down beat, each bass hit followed with a hat upbeat and the snare on beats 2 and 4. It’s the perfect choice, as it’s simple (leaving room for more complex rhythms later) and doesn’t take over the song. Perfect. You want driving songs in your band? Tell your drummer to perfect that beat.
OK, listen carefully. Behind everything, there is a synthesizer playing 16th note arpeggios…it’s subtle, but without it you lose what the drums start. It’s also a great way to reinforce the underlying chord structure of the piece. Awesome.
Bass guitar is playing a galloping beat (bum ba-da-dum ba-da dum ba-da dum), which both helps the arpeggios of the synth, as well as reinforces and adds to the drum rhythms. Throw in some trumpets to hint at the galloping triplets that will appear in their great majesty later on in the song. It. Is. Perfect.
Then they throw you for a loop…because this driving, awesome beat of thick wondertude is then used as accompaniment to the slow, lyrical vocals. It’s an odd contrast, in that the whole song from the beginning to this point has been pushing hard beats and driving you to move and then they hit you with this.
There was an era that this would have almost been considered funny (check out Haydn sometime…) and out of place. Obviously, that is not the case anymore. Sadly, we only get one verse of this new harmony over the hard driving foundation. But, really…it’s ok…because next comes one of the most inspiring sections of modern music we have heard…the Bridge.
After a brief reprise of the intro, we change gears here. Suddenly, the drive is NOT produced by the drums following the simple pattern like before, but from “triplets” played by nothing but the base. On top there is just a chorus. This part of the song is perfect…the chords used are not complex, but the voicing and spacing is wonderful. Another thing to notice is the use of an old technique we call “less is more”. There are only two “instruments” playing at this time, bass and voice. But notice how powerful it sounds…the lack of drums and guitar is poignant, but having less at this particular time seems to increase the emotion that you feel. I have never heard a real explanation of WHY it feels so good to cut everything but a few instruments…but it does.
After the bridge completes itself, it is then repeated with the addition of of the guitar playing along with the bass triplets. That line there is what are referred to as “galloping” triplets. You can just imaging a horse at full tilt with the rhythm that is created…Muse uses the galloping triplet throughout their repertoire, and for good reason. It’s awesome.
The rest of the song, in reality is great, but not necessarily worth writing about…you have heard similar things your whole life. It just finishes off of a head bang section (Wayne and Garth come to mind), which then adds the chorus again on top.
Knights of Cydonia was released on the album “Black Holes and Revelations.”
If you have not had the chance to listen to the other music by Muse, then you need to. Now. iTunes has all of it. You can hear a lot on their MySpace.
Finally, here is a video of Knights of Cydonia, played live at Wembley Stadium in 2007. You know you wish you were there.
