OneClassyBanana
kilroy was here
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Hullo, there.
So, the title of this thread spells out the general gist pretty succinctly, but in case you're still confused, here's a breakdown.
Short version: Local nebulous.cloud roleplayer man reviews music for fun and profit.
Long version: This is where I'm going to be posting songs, albums, and (rarely) mixtapes that I think are deserving of more recognition, have had a profound influence on me, or I've just got an itching to gush and talk about. More often than not, it'll be a mix of all three factors
Every week, I'll be putting up a new album or specific track on this thread, and I'll either post a video of the song or, if it's an album, a song that I think best captures what's great about that album. I'll go into the background of it, discuss my thoughts on the writing and instrumentation, and just generally break it down and explain why I think as highly of it as I do. At the end, I'll be providing a TL;DR of the review and a concise 1-to-5 star rating because I don't wanna get shit on for doing the same rating system as a certain melon boy on the YouTubes.
In addition, I'll be putting up polls from time to time asking which album or track I should go over next. Pretty basic stuff, really. And if you decide there's a record or song you want to see reviewed in-depth that isn't on the poll, please feel free to leave a post suggesting stuff yourself and I'll do my best to get around to it. Or just post about how much you disagree with me, that's cool too.
That's about all there is to it, really. So we're gonna start this off with one of my favorite tracks from an album I've really not listened to nearly enough outside of this particular cut.
This track. This fucking track.
Okay, first things first. Like most people nowadays, I first heard this song through JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, where it was used as the credits song for the second half of the animated adaptation of the manga's third part, Stardust Crusaders. I'm not going to go completely off about JoJo's here, and I'm not keen on spoiling anything, but needless to say it grabbed me instantly. Especially given the events of the episode within which it first aired, the sudden shift to such a somber, lonely, and somehow nostalgic (despite having never heard it before) tone initially caught me off guard. But needless to say, it ended up fitting the part absolutely perfectly (which is something I'm going to touch on at the end, too) and the song itself stuck with me relentlessly. So, I bought the full album soon after, which is itself just a fantastic fusion record as a whole that I'll definitely be reviewing in full once I get a better feel for it.
Anyway. This song. Last Train Home is a calm, reflective instrumental piece, recorded and released in 1987 by the American jazz-fusion group The Pat Metheny Group on their fifth studio album Still Life (Talking) as the third song on the record. It was first released, with some editing, as a radio single, and would after its full release go on to be one of the group's greatest successes as an individual song, along with the track Minuano (Six Eight). It's also the closest to a 'mainstream' hit the group would be known for.
It opens with a combination of the sound of a chugging train, providing a steady foundation that serves as the basis for both the thematic and rhythmic elements of the song. However, despite the upbeat tempo and forward momentum brought by the train, it's quietly backed by subtle, slow strings. These opening few seconds are, in my opinion, actually some of the most genius in the song. Because as the melancholic strings drone on, they begin to slowly build, taking on a certain intensity as they grow louder. Combined with the rapid train rhythm, as the strings become more and more triumphant, it creates a certain anticipation. A tension that, despite remaining rather subdued, seems to grow to the point of approaching some orchestral explosion... only to steady out, maintaining their increased volume and richness as the calm guitar smoothly slides into the mix.
Now, as a side note, I say guitar, but it's technically a sitar... -guitar. A sitar guitar. Siguitar. Guisitar. Well, it's called the electric sitar, but anyway. Point is, Pat Metheny was a huge fan of using his Danlectro sitar to color tracks, and it really shines here. Backed by the strings, which remain fairly melancholic, and some masterful jazz piano by Lyle Mays, the sitar moves about the track freely, and honestly? It sounds more like some kind of musical liquid than any describable instrument more often than not, and I just can't get over how well the flowing, controlled sound weaves through the beat. Lazy and relaxed, the sitar really does an excellent job of getting this mental image of sitting in an old posh passenger car and staring out the window as the train chugs against a vibrant sunset into your head.
But even despite the easy and relaxed surface sound, there's something else to the song as a whole that I've touched on a bit already and will again later. The sitar, piano, and strings (provided by the incomparable Steve Rodby, by the way) all have touches, both overt and subdued, of an introspective melancholy. More somber voicings of ordinarily bright and optimistic chords sneak in here and there and my friends it is fucking masterful. It lends itself really well to this idea of... well, let me put it like this.
When I hear this steady, forward-moving train rhythm, it strikes me with this feeling of easy optimism. Looking forward to the future with this vibe of... 'I've come really far in life, and I can't wait for the next stop on the horizon.' Which is a really corny way of putting it, but at the same time, it's as accurate as I can get about it. This feeling of 'I've got this! On to tomorrow!'
So when that rhythm is overlaid with the melancholic acoustic bass, the weighty and slow pianowork, and even the hints of sedated ennui in Pat's sitar work, it becomes something entirely different. The song masterfully balances the hopeful confidence in the future and a distinct, underlying swelling of remorse. Reflection. It becomes a song that, instead of simply saying 'I've come a long way! The future's looking good!', it bears a heavy sensation of 'It's been a rough road. It hasn't always been easy, and the past is full of pain and regret. I've lost as much as I've gained. ... but there's more to come. I've gotten here, and I'm going to keep going.'
It's a song of self-reflective rest. And 'rest' may be more fitting than it sounds, because a thought that often crosses my mind when I hear this song is the title. 'Last Train Home'. Returning to where you came from, never to leave again. Resting. At peace. Or, to be blunt, resting in peace. I think that for all of the tonal touches and feelings the song gives any one listener, and all the interpretations thereof, it's undeniable that this is a song about more than just the 'next stop' on the railway. It's about the final stop. The end of the line, whatever that may be. And much like another song I'm itching to talk about, it captures the myriad emotions of accepting death and coming to a final rest perfectly.
Setting aside, for a moment, the overall atmosphere of the song, I want to delve into the actual composition of the track. For all intents and purposes, I hear the song in four parts, which I've decided to give really artsy names because uhhhh yeah. This is gonna get real college essay-ish, but please keep in mind that I'm not trying to be super cunning or clever with this analysis - it's just my personal take on what the song represents.
"THE DEPARTURE"
The opening. The intro. Leaving the station, setting out for the next great step. This is the part that establishes everything I talked about above, but in moderation, keeping things (relatively) simple and accessible as the listener eases into the journey. This occupies the first roughly... minute-forty five of the track or so, I'd say? It's kept slow in terms of instrumental, almost sluggish, mournful, and hesitant despite the relaxed, easy-going sitar. Not much to talk about hear that I didn't already cover above about the song as a whole.
But pay attention children, because this part becomes very important later.
"THE JOURNEY"
Here, the trek established in the song suddenly picks up to its central segment. This is the longest sole part of the song, and also where the pace kicks up a notch. As the train rumbles on, the sitar moves on from the slow and regretful undertones that kept it at bay previously to jump out with a bright new progression that foregoes much in the way of subtlety, the undertones present but much more obvious as Pat moves around the song with a sound that just sparkles with excitement and a strong desire to keep the train (and song) moving ever faster to whatever's at the end of the rails. But even so, the beat remains steady, unfaltering, reining the excitement of the sitar back to a more open, sweeping sound that still perks up with excitement here and there, especially towards the end of this part at the three-twenty (or so) mark.
In terms of the afterlife analogy I strongly believe this song to be - or, at the very least, strongly relating to themes of passing away/on, depending on your stance - I would perceive The Departure to be the initial resigned mourning, slow and reserved, of death. From the perspective of the listener being on this last train, The Departure was all of the negative consequences of death. The grieving of those still alive. The sorrowed, futile despair and eventual despondent acceptance of the listener of their own death. The loss and slow process of rebuilding and the beginning of a long road to whatever comes next.
With this in mind, The Journey strikes me as personifying not just acceptance of the listener of their fate, but contentedness with it. No longer resigned, but relaxed and fully at peace as they pass on to whatever afterlife - or final rest - awaits them as they return to from whence they came. Unlike some, this song's perspective isn't that of someone who attempts to fight against their demise, full of despair and fear and anger. This is the funeral song of a peaceful passing, and this section is the passed's growing excitement to finally return home. To see what, and/or who, is there. Pat's excited, but still reserved and reflective, sitar work reflects this, yes, but what really catches my attention here is Lyle's piano, which becomes more pronounced and integrated into the song's framework, joining the sitar in gaining a new, optimistic voicing.
But yet... despite that, there's still Steve's strings, which remain melancholic and subdued. Make no mistake, because while this may be a song about sitting back and enjoying this last journey, this last train, this last rest... it is still a song of mourning. There has been great loss, and nothing can change that impact that has had. The passed has lost those they left behind, and they have lost someone they love. This is an important thing to note about the song so far, because it actually changes in the next section.
"THE ARRIVAL"
Finally, the station comes into view. The end of the journey is near. And this part establishes this change in tone beautifully. The sitar vanishes entirely for a time, the piano taking center stage alongside a chorus of voices, singing airily and reverently. This brings the song up into a new sense of joy and peace, made even more apparent by the twist of Steve's acoustic bass finally joining the rest of the song - the train, the sitar, the piano, and most importantly, the passengers - in a brilliant crescendo. When I hear this section, I'm struck by just how much more emotion they manage to squeeze into this section. And then the voices fade out and the sitar returns...
...with the same progression as The Departure.
It's a fantastic songwriting decision that brings the entire instrumental composition nicely full circle before the song closes out. It gives this ethereal, otherworldly track a sense of concrete resolution and structural integrity. And not only that, but as the entire song lifts up into this section, as a listener I'm taken by this repetition of a (by this point in the song) nostalgic sound and it just exudes these notions of everything being cyclical. It all returns to the same place.
The voices aren't just part of the song's background. They're everyone else on the train with me, in my mind. Because just like life, this isn't a trip taken alone. There's no need to feel lonely or scared because... well, you've got company all around you. Maybe that's sappy, but the fact that this song does that to me is part of why I love it so much.
In the end, we're all just people. We're born, we live, we die. And this song manages to effortlessly convey that, at least in my own mind, without a single actual word being spoken. But granted, there's another reason this is the association I have with the song, and I'll delve into that in the conclusion/TL;DR. At any rate, in the context of my personal take on the song, it makes perfect sense as a closer already, but the final part of the song cements it completely for me.
"THE END"
This is the final part of the song, kicking in roughly at four-fifty. It transitions and continues from The Arrival, but as the song slowly fades out, there's a solitary train whistle. Receding away from the listener and into the distance of the mix as the rest of the song goes silent.
You've arrived at your destination. And so the train departs once again. But for you the listener, and for the song, it's time to rest.
CONCLUSION
A masterful instrumental and jazz-fusion essential, Last Train Home manages to encapsulate a fucking astonishing amount of emotion in one track. From subtle sitar touches that leave the listener feeling oddly reflective to the train beat to the complex (but easily-overlooked) strings from Steve Rodby to Lyle's brilliantly integrated jazz chords, it's a must-have for any commute/travel playlist.
However, if you don't have the patience for it, the first few listens can be a bit of a slog. It's not super accessible, and to some it may be straight-up boring and incoherent, but that ultimately comes down to taste. That being said, I still think it's an important song to at least try and experience, if not just because of how unique the sound is and how strongly it evokes emotions in a more upbeat and gentle way than most music revolving around the thematics of this song tend to do.
It's worth a listen.
Earlier, I mentioned touching back on the JoJo's connection, and that's because I want to say right now that a lot of my take on the song and the feelings it gives me - heartbreak, mourning, acceptance, and the vivid mental imagery to boot - do come from that association.
Again, I won't spoil anything, but needless to say it's a key part of not only why this song makes me feel the way it does, but also does factor into my bias for why I love it so much. What I'm trying to say is that your mileage may vary wildly from mine even after reading this, and I'd expect nothing less, and encourage you all to share your takes on the song as well. Anyway, in conclusion...
TL;DR: LAST TRAIN HOME (1987)
+ Emotionally charged.
+ Ingenious use of traintrack ambiance to create the beat.
+ JoJo's.
- Lacks accessibility.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
So, the title of this thread spells out the general gist pretty succinctly, but in case you're still confused, here's a breakdown.
Short version: Local nebulous.cloud roleplayer man reviews music for fun and profit.
Long version: This is where I'm going to be posting songs, albums, and (rarely) mixtapes that I think are deserving of more recognition, have had a profound influence on me, or I've just got an itching to gush and talk about. More often than not, it'll be a mix of all three factors
Every week, I'll be putting up a new album or specific track on this thread, and I'll either post a video of the song or, if it's an album, a song that I think best captures what's great about that album. I'll go into the background of it, discuss my thoughts on the writing and instrumentation, and just generally break it down and explain why I think as highly of it as I do. At the end, I'll be providing a TL;DR of the review and a concise 1-to-5 star rating because I don't wanna get shit on for doing the same rating system as a certain melon boy on the YouTubes.
In addition, I'll be putting up polls from time to time asking which album or track I should go over next. Pretty basic stuff, really. And if you decide there's a record or song you want to see reviewed in-depth that isn't on the poll, please feel free to leave a post suggesting stuff yourself and I'll do my best to get around to it. Or just post about how much you disagree with me, that's cool too.
That's about all there is to it, really. So we're gonna start this off with one of my favorite tracks from an album I've really not listened to nearly enough outside of this particular cut.
☰TODAY'S REVIEW☰
LAST TRAIN HOME
(PAT METHENY GROUP, 1987)
LAST TRAIN HOME
(PAT METHENY GROUP, 1987)
This track. This fucking track.
Okay, first things first. Like most people nowadays, I first heard this song through JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, where it was used as the credits song for the second half of the animated adaptation of the manga's third part, Stardust Crusaders. I'm not going to go completely off about JoJo's here, and I'm not keen on spoiling anything, but needless to say it grabbed me instantly. Especially given the events of the episode within which it first aired, the sudden shift to such a somber, lonely, and somehow nostalgic (despite having never heard it before) tone initially caught me off guard. But needless to say, it ended up fitting the part absolutely perfectly (which is something I'm going to touch on at the end, too) and the song itself stuck with me relentlessly. So, I bought the full album soon after, which is itself just a fantastic fusion record as a whole that I'll definitely be reviewing in full once I get a better feel for it.
Anyway. This song. Last Train Home is a calm, reflective instrumental piece, recorded and released in 1987 by the American jazz-fusion group The Pat Metheny Group on their fifth studio album Still Life (Talking) as the third song on the record. It was first released, with some editing, as a radio single, and would after its full release go on to be one of the group's greatest successes as an individual song, along with the track Minuano (Six Eight). It's also the closest to a 'mainstream' hit the group would be known for.
It opens with a combination of the sound of a chugging train, providing a steady foundation that serves as the basis for both the thematic and rhythmic elements of the song. However, despite the upbeat tempo and forward momentum brought by the train, it's quietly backed by subtle, slow strings. These opening few seconds are, in my opinion, actually some of the most genius in the song. Because as the melancholic strings drone on, they begin to slowly build, taking on a certain intensity as they grow louder. Combined with the rapid train rhythm, as the strings become more and more triumphant, it creates a certain anticipation. A tension that, despite remaining rather subdued, seems to grow to the point of approaching some orchestral explosion... only to steady out, maintaining their increased volume and richness as the calm guitar smoothly slides into the mix.
Now, as a side note, I say guitar, but it's technically a sitar... -guitar. A sitar guitar. Siguitar. Guisitar. Well, it's called the electric sitar, but anyway. Point is, Pat Metheny was a huge fan of using his Danlectro sitar to color tracks, and it really shines here. Backed by the strings, which remain fairly melancholic, and some masterful jazz piano by Lyle Mays, the sitar moves about the track freely, and honestly? It sounds more like some kind of musical liquid than any describable instrument more often than not, and I just can't get over how well the flowing, controlled sound weaves through the beat. Lazy and relaxed, the sitar really does an excellent job of getting this mental image of sitting in an old posh passenger car and staring out the window as the train chugs against a vibrant sunset into your head.
But even despite the easy and relaxed surface sound, there's something else to the song as a whole that I've touched on a bit already and will again later. The sitar, piano, and strings (provided by the incomparable Steve Rodby, by the way) all have touches, both overt and subdued, of an introspective melancholy. More somber voicings of ordinarily bright and optimistic chords sneak in here and there and my friends it is fucking masterful. It lends itself really well to this idea of... well, let me put it like this.
When I hear this steady, forward-moving train rhythm, it strikes me with this feeling of easy optimism. Looking forward to the future with this vibe of... 'I've come really far in life, and I can't wait for the next stop on the horizon.' Which is a really corny way of putting it, but at the same time, it's as accurate as I can get about it. This feeling of 'I've got this! On to tomorrow!'
So when that rhythm is overlaid with the melancholic acoustic bass, the weighty and slow pianowork, and even the hints of sedated ennui in Pat's sitar work, it becomes something entirely different. The song masterfully balances the hopeful confidence in the future and a distinct, underlying swelling of remorse. Reflection. It becomes a song that, instead of simply saying 'I've come a long way! The future's looking good!', it bears a heavy sensation of 'It's been a rough road. It hasn't always been easy, and the past is full of pain and regret. I've lost as much as I've gained. ... but there's more to come. I've gotten here, and I'm going to keep going.'
It's a song of self-reflective rest. And 'rest' may be more fitting than it sounds, because a thought that often crosses my mind when I hear this song is the title. 'Last Train Home'. Returning to where you came from, never to leave again. Resting. At peace. Or, to be blunt, resting in peace. I think that for all of the tonal touches and feelings the song gives any one listener, and all the interpretations thereof, it's undeniable that this is a song about more than just the 'next stop' on the railway. It's about the final stop. The end of the line, whatever that may be. And much like another song I'm itching to talk about, it captures the myriad emotions of accepting death and coming to a final rest perfectly.
Setting aside, for a moment, the overall atmosphere of the song, I want to delve into the actual composition of the track. For all intents and purposes, I hear the song in four parts, which I've decided to give really artsy names because uhhhh yeah. This is gonna get real college essay-ish, but please keep in mind that I'm not trying to be super cunning or clever with this analysis - it's just my personal take on what the song represents.
"THE DEPARTURE"
The opening. The intro. Leaving the station, setting out for the next great step. This is the part that establishes everything I talked about above, but in moderation, keeping things (relatively) simple and accessible as the listener eases into the journey. This occupies the first roughly... minute-forty five of the track or so, I'd say? It's kept slow in terms of instrumental, almost sluggish, mournful, and hesitant despite the relaxed, easy-going sitar. Not much to talk about hear that I didn't already cover above about the song as a whole.
But pay attention children, because this part becomes very important later.
"THE JOURNEY"
Here, the trek established in the song suddenly picks up to its central segment. This is the longest sole part of the song, and also where the pace kicks up a notch. As the train rumbles on, the sitar moves on from the slow and regretful undertones that kept it at bay previously to jump out with a bright new progression that foregoes much in the way of subtlety, the undertones present but much more obvious as Pat moves around the song with a sound that just sparkles with excitement and a strong desire to keep the train (and song) moving ever faster to whatever's at the end of the rails. But even so, the beat remains steady, unfaltering, reining the excitement of the sitar back to a more open, sweeping sound that still perks up with excitement here and there, especially towards the end of this part at the three-twenty (or so) mark.
In terms of the afterlife analogy I strongly believe this song to be - or, at the very least, strongly relating to themes of passing away/on, depending on your stance - I would perceive The Departure to be the initial resigned mourning, slow and reserved, of death. From the perspective of the listener being on this last train, The Departure was all of the negative consequences of death. The grieving of those still alive. The sorrowed, futile despair and eventual despondent acceptance of the listener of their own death. The loss and slow process of rebuilding and the beginning of a long road to whatever comes next.
With this in mind, The Journey strikes me as personifying not just acceptance of the listener of their fate, but contentedness with it. No longer resigned, but relaxed and fully at peace as they pass on to whatever afterlife - or final rest - awaits them as they return to from whence they came. Unlike some, this song's perspective isn't that of someone who attempts to fight against their demise, full of despair and fear and anger. This is the funeral song of a peaceful passing, and this section is the passed's growing excitement to finally return home. To see what, and/or who, is there. Pat's excited, but still reserved and reflective, sitar work reflects this, yes, but what really catches my attention here is Lyle's piano, which becomes more pronounced and integrated into the song's framework, joining the sitar in gaining a new, optimistic voicing.
But yet... despite that, there's still Steve's strings, which remain melancholic and subdued. Make no mistake, because while this may be a song about sitting back and enjoying this last journey, this last train, this last rest... it is still a song of mourning. There has been great loss, and nothing can change that impact that has had. The passed has lost those they left behind, and they have lost someone they love. This is an important thing to note about the song so far, because it actually changes in the next section.
"THE ARRIVAL"
Finally, the station comes into view. The end of the journey is near. And this part establishes this change in tone beautifully. The sitar vanishes entirely for a time, the piano taking center stage alongside a chorus of voices, singing airily and reverently. This brings the song up into a new sense of joy and peace, made even more apparent by the twist of Steve's acoustic bass finally joining the rest of the song - the train, the sitar, the piano, and most importantly, the passengers - in a brilliant crescendo. When I hear this section, I'm struck by just how much more emotion they manage to squeeze into this section. And then the voices fade out and the sitar returns...
...with the same progression as The Departure.
It's a fantastic songwriting decision that brings the entire instrumental composition nicely full circle before the song closes out. It gives this ethereal, otherworldly track a sense of concrete resolution and structural integrity. And not only that, but as the entire song lifts up into this section, as a listener I'm taken by this repetition of a (by this point in the song) nostalgic sound and it just exudes these notions of everything being cyclical. It all returns to the same place.
The voices aren't just part of the song's background. They're everyone else on the train with me, in my mind. Because just like life, this isn't a trip taken alone. There's no need to feel lonely or scared because... well, you've got company all around you. Maybe that's sappy, but the fact that this song does that to me is part of why I love it so much.
In the end, we're all just people. We're born, we live, we die. And this song manages to effortlessly convey that, at least in my own mind, without a single actual word being spoken. But granted, there's another reason this is the association I have with the song, and I'll delve into that in the conclusion/TL;DR. At any rate, in the context of my personal take on the song, it makes perfect sense as a closer already, but the final part of the song cements it completely for me.
"THE END"
This is the final part of the song, kicking in roughly at four-fifty. It transitions and continues from The Arrival, but as the song slowly fades out, there's a solitary train whistle. Receding away from the listener and into the distance of the mix as the rest of the song goes silent.
You've arrived at your destination. And so the train departs once again. But for you the listener, and for the song, it's time to rest.
CONCLUSION
A masterful instrumental and jazz-fusion essential, Last Train Home manages to encapsulate a fucking astonishing amount of emotion in one track. From subtle sitar touches that leave the listener feeling oddly reflective to the train beat to the complex (but easily-overlooked) strings from Steve Rodby to Lyle's brilliantly integrated jazz chords, it's a must-have for any commute/travel playlist.
However, if you don't have the patience for it, the first few listens can be a bit of a slog. It's not super accessible, and to some it may be straight-up boring and incoherent, but that ultimately comes down to taste. That being said, I still think it's an important song to at least try and experience, if not just because of how unique the sound is and how strongly it evokes emotions in a more upbeat and gentle way than most music revolving around the thematics of this song tend to do.
It's worth a listen.
Earlier, I mentioned touching back on the JoJo's connection, and that's because I want to say right now that a lot of my take on the song and the feelings it gives me - heartbreak, mourning, acceptance, and the vivid mental imagery to boot - do come from that association.
Again, I won't spoil anything, but needless to say it's a key part of not only why this song makes me feel the way it does, but also does factor into my bias for why I love it so much. What I'm trying to say is that your mileage may vary wildly from mine even after reading this, and I'd expect nothing less, and encourage you all to share your takes on the song as well. Anyway, in conclusion...
TL;DR: LAST TRAIN HOME (1987)
+ Emotionally charged.
+ Ingenious use of traintrack ambiance to create the beat.
+ JoJo's.
- Lacks accessibility.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
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