Music Monday Oct 30: Halloween Screams

Leon Stevens

Oct 30

There is a radio show on CBC here in Canada that occasionally does a feature called SYNTH: Songs You Need To Hear.

Now, I can't say to someone, "You'll like this song" (or book for that matter) because I can't presume that others will share my taste in music (or books), so it is safer to say, "You might like this" and if they don't like it, so be it.

Maybe you will find a new favorite.

CBC MUSIC, Central · Mornings with CBC Music

Screams. They can be frightening or they can be just what is needed in a song. Hard rock and metal are most often associated with this vocalization.

Heavy metal music just a bunch of screaming, at least that what my parents told me.

"You can't even understand the words," they would say.
"Umm, you don't really want to," I replied.

You have to have a certain physiology to pull off a good scream. You have to have a excellent set of pipes to do it night after night. I'm not going to debate who has the best rock and roll scream (but feel free to add your contender).

When I think of a screamer, I think of David Lee Roth. His lyrics and melodies are punctuated expertly with the appropriate scream. He is a master at pitch, duration, and timbre. Running with the Devil is a great example. Did he over do it? Considering there are screams* at: 0.32 / 1.02 / 1.05 / 1.10 / 1.40 / 1.49 / 2.39 / 2.49 / 3.10 / 3.14 / 3.22 / 3.25 / 3.26 ... No, I don't think he did.

^{*although I might have added one of his woo-hoos in there}

On to what I believe is the best use of screams in a song. There are only two (hear that Mr. Roth?), but they are pure emotion. Not anger, not fear, just—just a release of emotion. I present The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

It is one of my all time favorite songs.

Honorable mentions go to: Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, Bruce Dickenson, Rob Halford, Janis Joplin, James Brown, Little Richard, Roger Waters, Clare Torry (The Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd), Ian Gillian, Axl Rose, and we can't forget Jack Black (Tenacious D).

What makes your list?

-Leon

Leon Stevens is a multi-genre author, composer, guitarist, songwriter, and an artist, with a Bachelor of Music and Education. He published his first book of poetry, Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures in January 2020, followed by a book of original classical guitar compositions, Journeys, and a short story collection of science fiction/post-apocalyptic tales called The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories. His newest publications are the novella trilogy, The View from Here, which is a continuation of one of his short stories, and a new collection of poetry titled, A Wonder of Words.

My new book page: http://books.linesbyleon.com/