Music essayist Noah Lefevre of Polyphonic takes a tertiary look at musician Jack White and his obsession with the number three. In doing so, Lefevre points to solid examples that show how White incorporated the number into his career, both aesthetically and musically. These examples include Third Man Records, songs with three chords (1-4-5), song…
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How Bob Dylan’s Distinct Style Became Legendary Fodder for Parody by Other Well Known Musicians
In a surprising video essay, the very knowledgable YouTuber Polyphonic delves into how the very distinct vocal, lyrical and musical style of Bob Dylan became legendary fodder for parody. To demonstrate this trend, Polyphonic cited such songs as “A Simple Desultory Phillipic” by Simon and Garfunkel, “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel…
The Pioneering Musical Brilliance of the Iconic Beach Boys Song ‘Good Vibrations’
YouTuber Polyphonic took a deep dive into the iconic but somewhat under-appreciated Beach Boys song “Good Vibrations” and broke down the musical brilliance found within each section of the song. Referring back to an insightful essay by Greg Panfile, Polyphonic looked the chord structure, the key, the bass line, the special effects and the vocals…
How Michel Gondry’s Music Videos Creatively Use Repetition to Visually Match the Structure of the Song
Noah LeFevre of Polyphonic (previously) quite astutely explores how Michel Gondry uses the twin techniques of repetition and recursion within the numerous music videos he’s directed over the years. This specific style marries together the optical with the auditory, using distinct visual cues that correspond with the rhythmic, recursing elements of the song. Upon first…
How a Sunny Swiss Day Helped Jeff Lynne Write the Iconic Electric Light Orchestra Song ‘Mr. Blue Sky’
Music essayist Noah Lefevre of Polyphonic (previously) takes a detailed look into the iconic Electric Light Orchestra song “Mr. Blue Sky”, particularly how it is used to counteract the solemn intensity of the rest of the songs on the album Out of the Blue. The inspiration for the entire album, according to LeFevre, came from…
How Elements of the Classic Hero’s Journey Live Within the Iconic Led Zeppelin Song ‘Stairway to Heaven’
Noah LeFevre of Polyphonic has taken an extensive look into the iconic Led Zeppelin song Stairway to Heaven. Despite its somewhat ubiquity throughout the years, the music and lyrics are those of absolute transcendental genius. LeFevre reads the song as an abstract interpretation of the classic hero’s journey as defined by author Joseph Campbell in…
How Jimi Hendrix Captured the Essence of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air Through His Visionary Music
Music vlogger Noah LeFevre of Polyphonic (previously) takes a close look at the music of the late, great Jimi Hendrix and likens a number of his songs to the four classical elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. In each example, LeFevre shows how Hendrix’s visionary lyrics and/or his iconic guitar work captures the essence of…
How Their Ever Evolving Audience Influenced the Way The Beatles Wrote About Love
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, music writer Polyphonic (previously) examines the different ways that The Beatles wrote love songs. Much had to do with their audience at the time. When the band first started out, they were performing to teenagers, so their songs were specifically written from in first-person and addressing a general “you”. i.e….
