ABONECRONEDRONE

   


 

The harmonic is so loud on that track it just screams out at you - I sing ahhh, ahhh, (and sings back the same). It follows me all the way through, so that if you can't, if you're not getting it, that's a good one to start with. But hopefully, if you start out with the album and you can't hear what I'm talking about, they are just flat notes, then if over successive listenings, you do work out where these harmonics are and you can hear these wonderful patterns and notes then, you know, presumably when you go off and hear a "Pearl Jam" record or you hear a bubbling stream or anything else, your ability to hear will have been enhanced.

John:

You know, it's funny you mention "Pearl Jam", because - have you heard their song, "Better Man"?

Sheila:

No.

John:

Eddie Veda hits a harmonic that is so loud, the first time, I heard it on car radio, I thought I was hearing things.

Sheila:

Really?

John:

Yeah! And it's, I mean, I don't know whether he intended it or not but he repeatedly, on the words "Better Man" on the A in Man, there's - I don't how many people are hearing it because - in that world?..

Sheila:

Well, I would bet money that he's doing it consciously because, the other part of the secret, if you like, that I'm trying to share, is that harmonics are a singer's secret. We call harmonically rich voices, good voices and singers either consciously or unconsciously deliberately manipulate those harmonics, so that if a song rings true emotionally, it's usually because the harmonics are placed well and a good lyricist knows how to place vowel sounds so that the harmonics will ring true. And that's been the reason why I've used lyricless vocals a lot on this trilogy, you know, with the other two because, when you are trying to invoke a certain tone or a certain texture, you don't necessarily want to be limited by the vowel sounds of the word that you're singing and sometimes it's necessary for it to just go into that realm of pure sound and - it's lovely actually, knowing that you're, it's almost like dabbing a little highlight on to some still life that you've painted. The harmonics are like the little highlights that bring the thing to life.