Blog #5... Sound Deconstruction

For this blogging assignment I chose to compare and contrast the Queen hits song “The Show Must Go On” to the cover version the hit film “Moulin Rouge” did as well. To start off the two versions of the song are overall spectacular! The lyrics of the song create an underlying sense of tenacity and hope, but over all a message that says that no matter what the odds you must “go on with the show.” In the original and movie version, you can tell the song means more than just a stage performance, but means to go on with your very life. 

The melody of the first piece had a driven and continuous feel to the whole song. One could also say that it was very monotonous and set in its ways. This was accredited to the fact that it was a simple yet intense melodic tune. The simplicity of the notes I feel added great panache to the song, and highlighted the sung vocals. On the other hand, the cover version added a lot more melodic accompaniment to this song which created a more intense version of the song. This added a far more dramatic feel to the song, which I believe was what the composer was going for when he adapted this song to the screen. 

The musical quality of the original song was very simplistic. The pitch was not that high also resulting in a medium tempo song. The rhythm of the song was steady throughout the entire piece, being kept steady by the simplistic synthesizer beats (which I believe were a very important part to the song). The depth of the original song was shallow instrumentally, but lyrically it was a tour de force of emotion. The vocals carry this song. The “Moulin Rouge” version on the other hand, kept the same vocal power but added much more intensity and depth through the addition of operatic back up vocals and the inclusion of a concert orchestral piece. 

If I were to choose which version I preferred more, I would have to say the intensity and arrangement of the Moulin Rouge version was much more emotional and therefore got more of an response out of me. Although its hard to compare this version to the original lyrical triumph.