#135 – Mandolin Rain

Artist – Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Album – The Way It Is
Year – 1986
Genre – Piano Rock

Ah ballads. Ballads are an essential piece of any music fabric, and so I figured today we’d explore a great one. Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s “Mandolin Rain,” a fantastic love/loss song that showcases outstanding musicianship with heartfelt words and a killer hook that ties perfectly into the imagery of the song.

Hear that bright piano? That’s that trademark Hornsby sound. It really adds a distinctive flair to his songs, and you don’t hear a tone like that very often today. From here on in, you’re going to hear a lot of piano licks, riffs, and solos. Bruce Hornsby is a master at his instrument, and he likes to keep it interesting at every single point in the song. This particular intro is jazzy, but really hovers around one point to hold the center of the song.

Besides the incredible piano work, another standout is Hornsby’s voice. It’s clear and powerful, which is exactly what you want in a great ballad. Not to mention the melody in the verses is catchy as hell so as soon as he sings that opening line, you’re hooked. His sadness and longing capture you in the verses, but it’s in the choruses where Hornsby lets out his pain.

Listen to the mandolin rain
Listen to the music on the lake
Oh, listen to my heart break every time she runs away
Oh, listen to the banjo wind
A sad song drifting low
Listen to the tears roll
Down my face as she turns to go

When you can blend the experience of a moment and bring your audience to a time and place with you, and get them to feel the emotion of a moment with you, then man, you’ve got it. This chorus is so simply honest, but yet poetic enough to make it stand out. The beautiful words, mixed with Hornsby cranking it up ten notches as he brings on a roller coaster of highs and lows from start to finish is proof why this song (and chorus) is one of his best. You feel him bringing you back to those moments that changed his life, and you can sense every feeling he felt. It’s chill inducing to say the least.

The second verse is still catchy as all getout and is still good. However, I need to take some time out to highlight this section:

I’ll do my time
Oh, keeping you off my mind but there’s moments
That I find I’m not feeling so strong

Wow. If those words were any more honest and true, I’d call up Mr. Hornsby and ask him if he’s Abe Lincoln’s great grandson. Seriously, what songwriting that is. The truth is simple, but often hard to write.

There’s a neat little bridge section, but the real showstopper is Hornsby’s solo. It’s passionate and strong; played with conviction, but not overly flashy or showoff-ish. It does what it needs to do, and it hits you as each chord changes.

The third verse is one of my favorites, and so is the last chorus. The intensity just feels so much more palpable at the end, and the whole song just comes to a head. There’s some great vocal jumps and more awesome piano time until the fade out ending (with mandolin included!) Before I cap this off, I should probably mention the really awesomely warm synth that backs the whole song. Just listen for it, and you’ll know.

Bruce Hornsby can write ballads with the best of them, but still he stands out amongst his peers. To know why, especially if you’ve never heard of him, you need to listen. If you’re looking for a great, honest to god love/heartbreak song to just let yourself go to, then “Mandolin Rain” is the classic you’ve been searching for.

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#41 – Russian Farmer’s Song

Artist – Keane
Album – The Best of Keane
Year – 2013
Genre – Britpop/Alternative

Ok, now that the stressful time that is finals week at college is over, time to kick things back into gear. Keane is one of my favorite soft rock groups. They really pioneered the piano rock sound back in the early to mid 2000’s. With the incredible voice of Tom Chaplin and the amazing songwriting and piano talents of Tim Rice-Oxley, the band became a tour de force as their fame grew. They really have so many amazing tracks, and I promise you will most likely be seeing some more in the future, but very recently the band has released a track which has captured my attention unlike any of their other work.

Russian Farmer’s Song is very atypical Keane. In fact, it almost has a Radiohead type feel to it. It’s haunting and it paints a lyrical portrait of the very landscape in the title. Apparently the song was written back in 2001, before Keane’s breakout to fame, after Rice-Oxley had just finished Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. It’s a bleakly beautiful song, as the opening piano line swirls like sawdust blown off a table. It just feels rustic, and it sets a mood that pervades the first two thirds of the song.

Tom Chaplin’s voice is still in top form as always, and his sweetly melodic tones dance around notes that may seem unexpected, as the melody is very atypical and strange. However, that is one of the biggest draws of the song, as his voice croons over the top of a very rhythmic beat and rich tonal background that layers the song beautifully. It really is a wonderful mood piece where you can’t help but think of a small Russian farming village with snow blowing and old men smoking.

The lyrics certainly reflect this imagery, but the last two minutes of the song take it to another level. The lyrics become contemplative and the pace slows down, then the music swells and Chaplin really lets it go on his singing. It’s triumphant and uplifting; a completely different mood and feel from the beginning of the song. Also, there’s a wonderful guitar solo/line that plays from the last minute to the end that is to die for. It’s so simple, yet so emotive.

Russian Farmer’s Song is definitely not your run of the mill Keane song. It is not your run of the mill britpop song either. Like I said, there are so many great Keane tracks I could have chosen first, but this one has my attention because it’s different. It’s moody, dark, triumphant, and absolutely gorgeous. Give this one some time to grow because of its differences, but don’t cast it away immediately. It is for these differences that the song needs to be appreciated and deserves a spot on your Ipod.

Let me know what you think of the song and review in the comments below!