Car enthusiasts, when reviewing a car, generally categorize its attributes under four or five broad headings – features, top speed, fuel efficiency, value for money, etc. There's a final attribute that often acts as the clincher – driveability. How easy is it on the road? How involving is the driving experience? What is the level of satisfaction? The importance of this criterion lies in its vagueness. It is not absolute or measurable. I may buy a car that gets me twenty kilometres to a litre of fuel, or has a top end of 200 kph, or the latest safety features but if it isn't pleasing to drive, I would never be satisfied.
The reason I brought this up is because I believe that something more or less analogous to driveability exists in music – listenability. Is the song easy on the ears? How wholesome is the listening experience? Does the song satisfy the listener, or leave him wanting more?
There are some musicians who are technically brilliant, but their songs are not all that listenable. Again, there are musicians who are relatively mediocre in their technique, but their songs are quite pleasing to listen to. This in no way implies that musical ability is unimportant. Technical prowess is the result of a musician's dedication and perseverance and deserves recognition. However, it is not a sufficient criterion for listenability.
A highly listenable song, according to me, has to be
cohesive. The song should link completely, from beginning to end. The variations should not be abrupt, and successive parts should be rooted firmly in the previous parts.
balanced. An instrumental solo should not sound stretched. At the same time, the vocals should not override key instrumental patches.
tight. This mainly applies to groups or bands. A song, as a finished product, should sound like a single unit, regardless of the number of musicians. Often, a band may consist of members who are virtuosos in their own right but fail to synchronize their respective inputs, resulting in an unpleasant listening experience. Then again there are bands that sound good because their members have great co-ordination, even if they aren't godly musicians.
Of course, these are criteria I came up with off the top of my head. They are by no means exhaustive. For those of you who use iTunes or any other player that tracks your listening habits, I suggest a small exercise. Look up the list of your 'most played' songs. Chances are all the songs in it possess these qualities. You might also discover other features common to your songs, and soon enough you'll have your own unique definition of a listenable song.
I may occasionally feel like driving a car that goes from 0 to 100 in three seconds, for the sheer thrill it gives me. However, such a thrill is short lived. In the long run, I would prefer a balanced car, one that has decent top end on straight roads but is also easily maneuverable on sharp turns and doesn't rattle or run out of gas in the middle of nowhere.
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