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Editorials, Hair Metal Happy Hour

BUTCH WALKER: MASTER LYRICIST, MASTER SONGWRITER, MASTER PRODUCER

 Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 9:30am by

butch walker and the black widowsI’m not much of a lyrics guy. Never have been. There’s the obvious fact that most metal screamers are nearly incomprehensible, but it goes beyond that. I was brought up in a musical family and started playing instruments at a very early age, so when I listen to music I’m listening to what’s being played, how the instruments interact with other, the arrangement and composition, the tones, the production, etc. I view the role of the vocalist in modern metal as that of another instrument; I listen to how the voice adds to the overall song, the melody (if he’s singing), and how it matches up with everything else. I very rarely pay attention to lyrics and even when I try I have a hard time staying focused before I’m distracted by something else going on in the “background”; it’s just the way my brain’s wired. Ask me what 99% of the bands I write about on a daily basis are singing about and I will have absolutely no idea.

But every now and then an album or song comes along whose lyrics I really connect with. I’ve always really enjoyed Butch Walker’s lyrics; dude’s a bonafide master, of course not just at lyric-writing but at everything musical. He knows how to craft a song, get a [musical] point across and write a turnaround from part to part better than anyone. Maybe the reason I connect with Walker’s lyrics is that they’re so damned straight-forward, simple and easily comprehensible by my non-lyrical mind. This line from “She Likes Hair Bands” on Walker’s latest I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart drew me in right away for obvious reasons:

She Likes Hair Bands
On satellite radio
But I was in one
So it’s a little too close to home

But the rest of the lyrics to the song have a lot more substance than the above jokey intro might imply. I just downloaded the album from Amazon for only $7.99 and you should too!

Listen to “She Likes Hair Bands” on Butch Walker’s MySpace, and then, after the jump… have a gander at Walker’s hair band past.

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  • bucketochicken

    Ok, yeah, I like this. A lot. Great songwriting. Thanks Vince.

  • M@

    I love Butch and everything he has done. If you are intrigued but want something a little more rock, try the amazing couple of albums he did with The Marvelous 3. The music is catchy hard rock with great melodies and witty lyrics. Also you might consider his first solo album Left of Self Centered. After that he went more into the singer/song-writer vein. While still very great, it is pretty far away from metal and hard rock at that point.

  • Metal Fuckin’ Dave

    What the hell is he playing? That’s not metal…it just sounds like noise…And what are those strange sounds he is making with his voice? Its like talking but it goes up and down differently. Some weird shit out there nowadays.

  • Sean Browne

    Wow, a Butch Walker post and a Muse post from Metalsucks within the same month! As a total metal nerd who also loves Butch and Muse I applaud your diversity. Keep up the great work! Thanks, Sean.

  • brent

    Don’t feel too alone, Vince. I’m exactly the same way in regards to the role of lyrics (or even vocals, for that matter) in music. They are a complete afterthought in my mind. While there are plenty of songs that I like primarily for what the vocalist is doing, it’s always from a melodic, rather than lyrical standpoint. And the instrumentation has to be just as good if I’m to truly enjoy a song. While I can’t say I’ve heard much from his catalog as an artist, I have always been impressed by Butch’s production skills.

  • Paul

    My band had the misfortune of opening for Butch Walker in Atlanta in ’01 or early ’02. I met him, shared a few beers with the band. The guy is a tool. A shitty songwriter and an even shittier producer. He took a great band like Injected, a great bunch of guys with great songs, and made their album sound like crap.

    Fuck him in his earhole.

  • bucketochicken

    Huh. I had no idea he was in Marvelous 3. That means I’ve met him before and drank one of his beers. Nice dude.

  • Shinaain

    The Marvelous 3 (and before that, Floyd’s Funk Revival/The Floyds) were one of the local bands I used to sneak into nightclubs to see when I was underage. Those shows were always amazing (the best were before they were signed), and Butch Walker’s songwriting, musicianship, and over-the-top performance style remain a benchmark by which I have gauged artists ever since. I still have very early rare M3 demos and indie releases locked away in a fireproof, waterproof lockbox. Seriously, I burned copies to listen to, but protect the originals. That band meant that much to me when I was a kid. Some of that stuff will never be released officially, because some jerk pimped them on eBay back in the day and now they’re pretty much unusable in any form.

    Butch’s pedigree is metal, but he’s never been anything if not open about how much he loves ALL music. He has a talent for word games and is a walking encyclopedia of music knowledge. In the last 10 years, he’s gone off in a vein of artistic expression I wasn’t necessarily interested in, but I’ve never stopped rooting for him. Everything he has, he’s earned 100 times over. He remains one of the hardest working people in showbusiness and an outstanding musician to boot.

    (And he can absolutely SHRED, too. Imagine that: Artists successful in the mainstream who can actually write their own songs, play instruments expertly, and perform as though the end is nigh and there’s no reason not to give all. METAL. \m/ )

    Paul, you must have caught him on an off-night. I haven’t seen him in years, but when we were acquainted, I never knew Butch to be anything other than a genuinely nice guy. I can’t imagine that you would think it’s reasonable for others to judge you after having met you only once and in a questionable environment, so I wish you would reassess your willingness to trash Butch so quickly. Not that your comments matter to Butch, I’m sure; I simply object on principle alone.

  • http://www.twistedcritic.wordpress.com Chris

    I wrote a review for this album, in case anyone cares to read it:
    http://www.alternativeaddiction.com/newmusic/exec/albumreviews.asp?id=922

    I agree with M@ in that I slightly prefer his Marvelous 3 stuff and his first solo album, but although his music has changed styles over the past few years, his lyrics have never lost their edge.

  • Daniel

    I love Butch Walker. Everything he puts out is incredible. I always call it Pop Music for grown ups. Because it really is…

    And to the guy who opened for Butch in ’01…how’s your band doing shit talker?

    • Shinaain

      LOL Funny you should say that: Butch used to describe The Floyds as “pissed off music for happy people.” That’s pretty much how I think of all of his music.

  • Josh

    I was so surprised to see a post on Butch Walker. The guy is my idol so it’s pretty damn cool to see other people interested. Unfortunately being in Australia we don’t get much of Butch – his album released in 2008 has only been available here for 4 days. I’m hoping he comes down here soon, I’d LOVE to see him live.

  • leidermacher

    I’ve seen Butch interact with alot of people. I can tell you, he can be a doll or a dick depending on the night…just like anyone else. Believe it or not, he’s actually human. Who knew? My advice: love him for what you know as a fan, and respecthim as a fellow musician, but don’t bother with the small talk or ask him for a damn thing unless you are famous. If you’re not famous, you, my dear, are just a fan, and he knows the difference. Enjoy every awesome show you can…just go on home after the show and don’t risk ruining the magic because it might be the wrong night.

  • T

    Great last post….I get it if you don’t like him or his music…but I find it hard to believe anyone who knows music and ability could question his talent. I think what most people wonder is how is this guy not MORE famous considering……maybe I’m wrong..but I’ve been asked that everytime I play his music for a first time listener