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Why does this bass line work?: Under the Milky Way
- Thread starter Spectrum
- Start date
The funny thing is, he didn't either. The song was written by Steve Kilbey on piano. He is the singer and bassist. I wouldn't be surprised if he wrote it as a D/F# originally and then Marty Wilson Piper altered the chord to a D11/F# on the rhythm guitar.
Anyway I appreciate this thread and any discussion of the Church. I loved that album and the one immediately preceding it, Heydey. You should listen to "Reptile" if you haven't already. I think it's the best song on Starfish, or a close second.
I got my old band to play this song many years ago because I've always liked it. It was hit or miss with the crowd - sometimes they danced - sometimes they didn't (never heard any negative comments about it). Didn't matter. We enjoyed playing it. I also liked 'Reptile' by them (as someone mentioned earlier in the thread) and learned how to play it, but we never played that one in the band.
the guitarist is strumming with an open D string ringing in the chord so the bottom up gtr voicing would be:
E - 9th
C - 7th
A - 5th
D - root
A - 5th
F# - 3rd BASS
naming would be a D9/F#, but again the explanation of the (Gb) F# still stands as the 3rd of a D chord.
Theory is fun
That's kind of how I thought it was too. It was one of my favorite songs when it came out.
Great song, but my favorite Church song of all time was their first radio hit in Oz. Don't know if it charted, or even if it was originally released, in the US.
I’ve always loved this tune. My current band is playing this version. It’s a little heavier than the original. Really fun to play. Usually get a very good crowd reaction.
Love the original, but this version is one of my all-time favourite songs.
Interesting; the bass line in that one stays on the A instead of dropping to the F# in the second measure, but it sounds like it's basically the same chord progression.
...while in this one the bass follows essentially the same pattern, just transcribed up a full step and adjusted for the slight change in arrangement.
While those are both interesting, the Church version is still my favorite, it has that 80s spooky post-punk sound in its roots.
"Tricky" because it's a trick question?
Quick, what's the difference between an "Amsus4/F#" and a D9/F#?
[Answer: Function. Maybe...]
Groove Master
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- Apr 22, 2011
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Great tune and good band. I didn't know them. Really cool to listen to. Good easy pop
Since becoming semi-competent on a guitar I find that it helps a lot to be able to play along to songs like this to pick apart and analyze them. It doesn't hurt that this particular song is fun to play on both instruments.
And since we have been posting cover versions, this one was in a commercial a few years ago and when I heard it it stirred a memory and prompted me to look up the original, which I vaguely remember hearing on the radio or MTV way back in the day and had forgotten about for a while. Glad I found it. Trying to talk my band into covering it. Again, while this one is okay, I find the Church version suits me better.
And since we have been posting cover versions, this one was in a commercial a few years ago and when I heard it it stirred a memory and prompted me to look up the original, which I vaguely remember hearing on the radio or MTV way back in the day and had forgotten about for a while. Glad I found it. Trying to talk my band into covering it. Again, while this one is okay, I find the Church version suits me better.
Does anyone else remember buying this cassette (or CD) the very day that it was released, and then being pleasantly surprised when this song became a hit? I think the video on MTV for this song is what helped break them on the US charts.
Actually, this song is kind of simple the more I think about it. And that's how I always remembered it. I thought it actually sounded kind of dumb the first few times I listened to it. But sometimes simpler things have more commercial appeal. People enjoy simpler songs the first time they hear them. It was co-written with a female singer, and so you could say that she helped the band with this song becoming a hit. But it's not really up to par with some of their other songs.
Actually, this song is kind of simple the more I think about it. And that's how I always remembered it. I thought it actually sounded kind of dumb the first few times I listened to it. But sometimes simpler things have more commercial appeal. People enjoy simpler songs the first time they hear them. It was co-written with a female singer, and so you could say that she helped the band with this song becoming a hit. But it's not really up to par with some of their other songs.
I agree. It is kind of simple, but as the last two pages of this thread show, it has some subtle magic going on in terms of harmony and note choice that make it pleasing to the ear. Plus the melody is catchy and the overall spooky sound of the band is appealing. It reminds me of Echo and the Bunnymen or Stone Roses, a certain sound or feel that these 80s bands captured.
I thought the Church had a more mature sound than those bands. I've heard "Reptile" played on hard rock stations. I knew older guys at the time (in their 30's) who liked this band during the 80's, but who didn't listen to many other new bands at that time.
