I was picking up da twinz from their mother’s house the other day and a Godsmack song was playing on the radio. It was a song from The Other Side, which is an album entirely comprised of acoustic songs, some of them acoustic versions of hits they’ve had. Unfortunately, I can’t remember which song it was.
“How come the acoustic version of a song always sounds better?” Baby B questioned.
“That all depends on your taste,” I answered him.
I’ve been thinking about his question the last few days and come to the realization that I think that acoustic versions of songs sound better, too. I’m not sure why this is. It’s the same music, same lyrics, same tempo (most of the time), etc. It’s just a version of that song played without electric instruments. D’lectrified, if you will.
I listen to rock music mainly, so I think the reason this is true is because the acoustic versions have decidedly less screaming, and the lyrics are sung in a manner that makes singing along easier. After all, you can’t listen to music if you’re not singing along, can you?
Here is a song by 12 Stones entitled Lie To Me
And here is the acoustic version of the song.
As you can tell, if you actually clicked on the videos, the acoustic version is much calmer, more serene. And much, quieter.
Here is the song Diary of Jane, by Breaking Benjamin.
And here is the acoustic version of the song.
Again, this is a much calmer version of the original, flows much more gently, and is more conducive to singing along. And weirdly, that’s important to me. Also, there’s no screaming in the acoustic version of this song. I love me some hard rock, but I really don’t care for screamo all that much. It’s quite annoying, actually. I don’t mind it a bit in moderation, though.
What say you, dearest reader? Do you prefer acoustic versions of songs over the original? Do you even care? Have you even finished reading this post yet?
I think it depends on the genre… I favor acoustic of rock, punk, and metal, because it’s nice to remember that the musicians I like also have real voices. But I feel like R&B and country and jazz use “acoustic” as an excuse to wail and test out the extremes of their vocal ability. Which is less fun to listen to than it sounds. Of course, I have noticably bad taste in music so who knows why I chose to reply to your music question, haha…
I concur, like a doctor, that it does depend on the genre. Thanks for your input Rara!
From my uneducated view, the acoustic version proves that you can sing. My singing voice sounds like cats in heat combined with nails on a blackboard. Given the right equipment, it could sound almost bearable. Only opinion though.
So acoustic it is.
Yay!
Wow, sounds like you have quite the voice. I would love to hear a sample.
To me it does all depend on the individual song. I have heard some horrific acoustic versions of good rock songs, but then I’ve heard some absolute stunners. I play guitar a lot, and love rock music, so I’m biased toward good acoustic versions because I like to learn to play and sing them. For me music is always linked to mood… if I’m in the mood to bounce around the house and shout and sing I want good old fashioned electric guitars and loud amps. If I’m in a more reflective mood, more relaxed, I want good acoustic songs.
I realize I haven’t come down on either side of the fence there…
I didn’t think about that. Sometimes my mood dictates what I want to listen to as well.
I also generally like the calmer versions on some songs. Unfortunately I couldn’t listen to all the songs here as they are blocked in my country, they say
What country are you in?
South Africa
They block certain typed of music there?
Not usually, but I once posted music on my blog and there were also a few bloggers who said it was blocked in their country.
I know some countries censor certain things, but I didn’t think South Africa was one of them. What can you do?
I have always loved when a rock group did a slow song. I imagine it is on the same principle that you state in your writing, “no screaming”. Acoustic versions are mostly great; most I like very well, but some are very weak. I guess I love the screams and the silence.
I’m no fan of the screaming, but if done in moderation it’d ok.
We have a station here is Philly that recently started playing Acoustic versions that I am just loving. I love the stripped down version for Rock songs primarily because I can hear the emotion that was intended. But there are days, like yesterday, when Alice In Chains Man in the Box must be blaring!
What station? I’m going to see if they stream online.
104.5
In Philly?
WRFF 104.5
Ah, that’s what I was looking for.
I thought more about this and this makes more and more sense to me. Songs sung with pure emotion are some of my favorite and that is probably one of the biggest reason I like acoustic versions better.
Don’t you just love how Baby B already knows how cool it is to listen to acoustic music? Baby B ROCKS!
I know, right!!!
Personally I like acoustic versions more, but then it all depends on the song. Although I can’t say I’ve heard many done either way and gone for the non-acoustic version, but sometimes electric is just nice to have. But yeah, acoustic rocks. I wrote a song with a buddy of mine back when we were playing out together all the time and when I tried to electrify it for our album it just didn’t sound good. Sometimes songs translate well, sometimes they don’t. But I did read once that some band, can’t remember who now, wrote all of their songs acoustically before electrifying them, so when they wound up doing an acoustic set of their songs it sounded amazing because that’s how they were wrote. Might have been Godsmack actually.
It does depend on the song, but I can’t think of any songs that I like better d’lectrified off the top of my head.
I’m all over the place – I tend to like my music to sound like it came from the garage with a homemade mixing board.
How does that sound?
DEVO Hardcore….
That….that sounds so bad ass.
Hee hee…Sue Bawlz is totally bad ass…
Whip it good!!
Agent Orange…
Listening to an acoustic version gives a clearer idea of whether or not they can actually play. Distortion and fuzz can hide a multitude of sins.
Which isn’t to say there’s anything wrong with rockin out to blaring dums and guitars turned up to 11.
That’s true enough, too.
I disagree with everybody.
Nope, I much prefer acoustic versions of everything, but then my heavy rock days ended, um before I was born, probably.
But acoustic is more natural — the way music developed from prehistoric times.
That and it means we’re all getting damn old and our hearing suffers from the days when we listened to loud, blaring, rowdy (fun) rock. We can only hear certain things nowadays. And I’m including you in that, too TwinDaddy.
I feel as though I’ve just been insulted, but I know my good buddy Elyse wouldn’t do that.
Not insulted, at all TwinDaddy. It just means you are part of a club. Feels good to be included, doesn’t it? Except for the sore back and knees part, that is!
But I do think I’m right on the history part. Music developed to bring people together (I got that straight from the mouth of an MIT Professor of Ethnic Musicology — nope I’m not making that up.)
Acoustic encourages singing, togetherness. Electric, less so. Heavy metal, even less.
Well, it’s nice to know I was right about that without doing the research beforehand.
I didn’t even google it. I amaze myself sometimes.
And I have to wait to respond to your comment over on my side — my comments annoyingly print the time on them and I am working from home. And while, until this short break, I am working quite hard, it looks bad.
Ha ha. Okay.
I also prefer the acoustic versions of songs. I think this is because I grew up during the 90′s, which was the hey day for all the great acoustic rock stars.
There were a lot of ballads in the 90s, weren’t there?
Yeah, but I was thinking more along the lines of Dave Mathews, Hootie and the Blowfish, Del Amitri, Fastball, Sister Hazel, and many, many more. All great “acoustic rock” groups. (at least that’s what I call them)
Yeah, that too. Haha! Hootie. I laugh every time I hear that name.