2006-01-30 - 4:20 p.m.
I know I'm probably going to gain an enemy out of Jess Meyer with this, but I would like to state for the record that I almost unequivocally oppose the use of saxophones in almost any pop/rock/blues/folk/whatever song. I would even go so far to say that I hate the saxophone. With the exception of Aretha Franklin’s catalogue (because she’s amazing) and “The Saxophone Song” by Kate Bush (because 1. the song is about a saxophone and 2. Kate Bush is so insane, she can pull of having a song about saxophone playing and get away with it), saxophones are abused in a way that hurts all of us in the end.
You’ll be listening to a song—rocking, grooving, doing whatever it is you do when you listen to a song—and then right in the middle of something great, some saxophone budges its way into a song and just starts screaming. What? Huh? Why? Why do people put saxophones in songs that have no need for one?
There is almost no song that I can think of that features a saxophone solo that not only fits the song’s mood but also doesn’t sound like every saxophone solo ever. For example, Caitlin Cary has this amazing song called “Pony” (you know what I’m talking about, Loya. Front of Mack Hall. Rocking the hand motions.), a mid-tempo pop song that has great use of a timpani and bells and a metaphor about love being like owning a horse. Just when you’re riding the back-up vocals with Caitlin, the last 7 seconds of the song has this absolutely ridiculous saxophone come on and honk and wail for the remaining time. The song “Prey” by Rusty Truck is this low-key country rock song that is as far as I can see, a great song. But plopped right in the middle of it is this awful, obnoxious saxophone solo that does nothing but make the song awful. It’s enough for me to want to punch Me’shell Ndegewhateverthecraphernameis (who produced the song) in her bad-producin’, Wild Nights with John Mellancamp face.
I don’t enjoy my hatred of the saxophone but I just wish their was more judicious use of it. Leave it to that whole genre of jazz—they like the saxophone, they know how to use it. However, pop singers do not need saxophones. If it’s in a horn section hanging out with trumpets and stuff, I’m a big fan. It’s like a boy band—by itself, it’s not that bad and can actually be great, but when like, Nick Carter leaves to make a solo cd, everybody hates it. It’s the same with saxophones. Keep the saxophone locked in a room with Paris Hilton or his new friend Tommy Lee and just let it be—there is no need to let the general public hear from it all the time.
By the way, I would welcome any examples of songs that you know that actually skillfully use a saxophone in a way that doesn’t distract from the song or my need to smelt all saxophones into a gigantic pocket watch.
