ROCK
This month Martin Cooper checks out the Canadian superstar’s style of hook-laden and highly infectious brand of guitar pop-rock.
Martin Cooper delves into the awesome work of Audioslave’s Chris Cornell and Tom Morello.
While somewhat saddled with the mega ballad and still the UK’s longest running Number 1 single (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Bryan Adams has written some of the most iconic rock songs in recent history. In 1978 he met drummer Jim Vallance, and after co-writing some songs with Vallance he was signed to A&M Records for the princely sum of one dollar!
Some early demos were cut, and these included I’m Ready, which went on to feature on Adams’s ’83 Cuts Like A Knife album. The ballad Straight From The Heart was also written around this time; it went on to become Bryan’s first Top 10 US single. He co-wrote for the likes of Bonnie Raitt while trying to make it as a solo artist and it was his third album, the Bob Clearmountain produced Cuts Like A Knife that gave him success as an artist in his own right, reaching Number 8 on the US charts and going three times platinum in Canada. But not even this could have prepared Adams for the sales of Reckless, in 1984, which included the massive hit Heaven and the worldwide smash Summer Of ’69. He opened the US leg of Live Aid and gained huge recognition as a great recording artist and formidable live act.
The follow-up, Into The Fire didn’t match previous sales, but the Mutt Lange produced Grammy winner, Waking Up The Neighbours in 1991 which included (Everything I Do) I Do It For You went on to sell over six million.
Adams has toured with a band that’s seen few changes over the years, and includes guitarist Keith Scott, drummer Mickey Curry and bass guitarist Dave Taylor. Bryan recently released a 30th anniversary version of Reckless and toured in support of the album, playing every song from it to sold-out arenas.
The track this month is classic Adams in terms of tempo, arrangement and parts. We’re in the key of D (D-E-F#-G-A-B-C#), and all the chords and notes are from this scale. The rhythm part features an arpeggio driven melody with the chords, and some inversions driven by the bass that keep the harmony moving. The solo also uses the notes of the D Major scale, and is therefore less Pentatonic. The chart includes the full major or minor harmony to the chord symbols, even though the guitars are sometimes playing powerchords (with no 3rd). This is due in part to the piano that plays full chords, and also because the overall harmony is somewhat ambiguous as regards major or minor. NEXT MONTH Introduces Chris Cornell and Tom Morello’s collaborative group Audioslave
(EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU IS STILL THE LONGEST RUNNING UK NUMBER 1 SINGLE