In the original version of David Bowie’s “Sound and Vision,” the major components and different instruments can be easily detected due to its short length and distinct sounds. Beck’s rendition is almost ten minutes and includes 160 musicians; however, it is still easy to follow even though it is grand in size. The composition breaks the instruments into different sections, and the video adds visuals which makes identifying the major components easier than expected. Beck’s version of “Sound and Vision” brings a myriad of music together so that anyone can find a component of it that they like (I thought the yodeling was pretty cool), but I can still picture people preferring the original song due to its simplicity. I enjoyed Beck’s rendition a little more than the original version of the song because I have always been a fan of certain music that packs a punch, and the power behind the orchestra of Beck’s one-off does that for me. I appreciate the original song because it is a classic that can never truly be remade, but the combination of gospel singers, guitars, piano, and a string orchestra in Beck’s makes the experience of the song so much more grand.
As we watched in the jazz performance at Lehman, many different instruments and sounds contribute to creating a jazz piece. Beck’s rendition may not be considered a jazz piece; however, the way it combines elements of music that would not traditionally be put together makes it a melodious tribute to jazz. The performance incorporates electric guitars, gospel singers, yodeling and so much more making it a combination of different cultures working in harmony to produce something magnificent. The improvisational aspect of this piece can be seen as the musicians build off of each other’s emotion in an attempt to make a simple song like “Sound and Vision” sound as grand as it deserves to be.
