Classical Composer Reaction & Analysis to Aerials (System of a Down) | The Daily Doug (Episode 447)
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2022
- #soad #aerials #soadreaction
In this #metalmonday episode of #thedailydoug, I'm listening to Aerials from System of a Down. Unfortunately, the version of this reaction that includes the official video was blocked, but we still get to hear the audio and peel back the song's layers to reveal its power and point of view. The song uses relatively simple harmonies and melodies, but it really packs a punch. I hope you enjoy!
Reference Video: • System Of A Down - Aer...
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DUUUUDE!
Seriously, please keep doing these real time piano overlays. Wildly entertaining, thank you sir.
agreed
Honestly it was really nice to hear
THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's really sick when music experts can transpose songs into piano, etc....it helps break down the melodies so much for people who like music!
Yes! I would love to hear your entire take on that song, so beautiful.
The way you jammed to that in real time was impressive.
I agree...it sounded beautiful! I just wish he would have kept going
Agreed !
It's a great song but essentially sticks within a single scale, so it's quite fun and easy to jam with 😊 have done so many times myself on bass
@@brandonmadsen9591that’s a part of the reason why it’s so powerful. This song has a great balance between the rational and emotional aspects of music. The chords and rhythm is indeed simple, but Serj’s vocal compensated that, which reinforces the powerfulness of the instrumentation. Simplicity can be unique and catchy as well, just have to play the cards right
Totally impressed too ✨
Great band, classic song and I love your piano embellishments, Doug!
Please please PLEASE include more of your own playing accompaniment Doug it's awesome!
Hearing it on piano like that makes me wonder what a full orchestra system show would sound like
I think one of the coolest and most interesting/dynamic SOAD tunes is "Radio/Video." A guy like Doug would swoon.
Radio Video is certainly my fav SOAD tune because of the hard and soft changes and also the solo at last is pretty good
@@harishpandey9662 I love the traditional folk music influence as well, super prominent that song
Both of those albums. Every song. :)
@@thepiratecats801 you mean Hypnotize and Mesmerize? True
Yes absolutely Radio/Video , Cigaro , This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song , soooo many good songs from Mezmerize/Hypnotize!
You should do your own piano version of this song.
Go watch gamazda. Beautiful pianist who covers this as well as tons of other metal songs. She's mind blowing you'll love it
@@bubbleshughes6169 thanks, I'll check her out.
vkgoeswild is my favourite one for piano covers of rock/metal... been to her concert once :).
This song still gives me chills even after all these years
Same. It's my favorite.
Same its like when the 1st time hearing it.. always like that when i played this song..
Aerial's first verse, to me, is one of the most powerful messages ever to be put to music. It's a single line, a single, simple thought, but it means just _so damn much_ . The main meaning to me is more that we all the same: we come from "nothing" and we all return to "nothing". The waterfall - which is the briefest, but definitely most exhilarating period in this existence - is the only point in which we're separate entities, the droplets of water that plummet down from the river.
Well, I've found a single one at least that gets it right! It's surprising how nobody notices one of the most widely used ideas in literature: Heraclitus' river. Despite it is _powerful_ , it isn't uncommon at all - there are _tons_ of music with such a content:
_Cause we are the ones that want to play_
_Always want to _*_go_*_ , but you never want to _*_stay_*
↳ Heraclitus' river, struggle with _impermanence_
Yet, what makes this one uncommon is that nice bit you smartly spotted: the adding of _waterfall_ to that idea of Heraclitus' river:
_Life is a waterfall_
_We're one in the river_
_And one again after the fall_
↳ your previous explanation belongs here, it couldn't have been said any better :)
Then, it wraps things up with a subtle hint at how subjective knowledge (self-awareness mediated by senses & language, _small mind_ ) is incompatible with absolute knowledge (beyond our self-awareness: _all as a whole_ ). From a position of (near) absolute knowledge (religion, philosophy, whatever aided by _the word_ : never heard of God is a verb?):
_Swimming through the void, we hear _*_the word_*
_We lose _*_ourselves_*_ , but we find it all_
↳ From _small mind_ (subjective knowledge), we get language, and with it we slide into _all as a whole_ (absolute knowledge)... with this trade-off: our sensible experience of existence is lost :)
_Aerials in the sky_
_When you _*_lose small mind_*_ , you free your life_
_Aerials, so up high_
_When you _*_free your eyes_*_ , eternal prize_
↳ By renouncing sensitive experience (that one mediated by senses, _subjective knowledge_ ) you get higher (beyond self-awareness, _absolute knowledge_ )
@@yibril17 Nice. I hadn't gone that deep into the symbolism of it.
In a more straightforward sense, I feel like it's also saying "we're all, together, the same one _thing_ , for the vast majority of our existence". We're *one* in the river before the fall and we're *one* again in the river after the fall. Only in the waterfall do we perceive one another as "other", because it's only then that we're apart from each other. But it's only for the briefest of moments, comparatively, and it's such folly to see two droplets of water _from the same damn river_ as "different". I see it as sort of a call to unity, and a call to look at ourselves and see that we're much more similar than we are different.
Also, what you described actually reminded me of another song: A National Acrobat, by Black Sabbath. It has a similar concept of trading experiences and knowledges together with states of being.
That is how I primarily see it, but there are probably at least 5 distinct and valid other interpretations.
@@cobrasys Disclaimer: often, symbolism is not a deliberate action; I mean, whoever creates a piece of art may be using symbols, yet unaware of that. Example: every time you read/see something heart-related, chances are that author doesn't know that since heart is autonomous, formerly it was used to express something you can't control, as opposed to will. In turn, that fitted like a glove to represent ideas about determinism/free will... like love. It's such an old (accepted and shared) comparison, that it turned immemorial and tacit! Once you 'crawl backwards' into old literature, you realize that there are lots of such immemorial and tacit symbols, and once you know them you start recognizing them effortlessly, without going deep actually. So, I'm not telling that every symbol here was carefully thought out, but that there's _more_ (more than what the author could have intended).
"Only in the waterfall do we perceive one another as "other", because it's only then that we're apart from each other". Exactly! And that's not a mere interpretation of yours: philosophers (Unamuno) and religions (as mythic cosmogonies, like gnostic myths) have written about that ;)
It's perfectly right to see it as a "sort of a call to look at ourselves and see that we're much more similar than we are different". Why? It is an _unavoidable conclusion_ as soon as a certain form of knowledge does start aiming at _absoluteness_ (well-understood, religion & philosophy used to aim at that): once acknowledged how inane the self really is, how could _the self_ be a matter of discussion _again_ ? It can't! The discussion's scope has gone past that, way beyond!
Regarding your suggested song, I've checked it and certainly it's very, very similar in concept :) Now I dare to suggest you these ones (there are way more, these are just my favourites which share some of the same topics here):
Dark Tranquillity - Therein: Heraclitus' river (implicit) about impermanence, spiced up with entropy and the question _if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear, does it make sound?_
Epica - Blank Infinity: Heraclitus' river again, but with a sensing of purpose because of sorrow - very, very poetical tragic worldview!
Moonspell - Everything Invaded: would you like to expand on that idea of "we're all, together, the same one thing , for the vast majority of our existence" and "only in the waterfall do we perceive one another as 'other', because it's only then that we're apart from each other"? Warning: the vocalist (Fernando Ribeiro) is writer too: he authored a book that has written Fernando Pessoa all over it :)
Be'lakor - Valence: Subjective knowledge vs. absolute knowledge, 100% poetical. If you watch their official video, I made a comment about those lyrics: I can't believe they will go down into oblivion, unappreciated :(
PS: Jinjer's Pisces is another outstanding one, but since it was featured here long time ago... If curious, check 'Romantic Poets and Jinjer’s “Pisces”: Meaning, Duality, and the Human Tragedy'. That blogger there made very interesting observations, to which I added some analysis.
Sorry for such a long reply!
@@ganjiblobflankis6581 Well, that's the "art way", otherwise it would be a food recipe or a microwave user's guide, lol. Of course there are other distinct interpretations, yet each one of them isn't equally valid... copy/paste from a comment of mine:
_Maybe I digress a little, but it’s tied with what you state (which I agree with): “Meaning can never be objective and it can never be the artist’s prerogative.” So far that’s OK, I agree… but then the usually common wrong conclusion appears: “the following is not ‘the’ interpretation, only ‘an’ interpretation.” There aren’t just interpretations: there are some more befitting than others… I’ll elaborate._
_Of course the meaning can’t be the artist’s prerogative, but what was intended with statements along those lines (Roland Barthes, for example) was that the Piece of Art (poem, film, whatever) is the one that “speaks for itself” (conveys meaning ) without the “aid” of external narratives: it was aimed at the author’s “help” mainly (when not at certain critics/curators). The conclusion stating “there are just interpretations” allows for a misrepresentation of that previous rightfully made concept (“a piece of Art speaks by itself”) and subverts the whole idea: now the meaning is put into the public side!_
_The meaning doesn’t lie neither in the public, nor in the author: it lies in the piece itself alone (and its creation context, of course!). How much of that meaning is decipherable depends on the artist’s skills and the public it is aimed to; hence the quite recurring idea of comparing a Piece of Art with a riddle: an author being the riddler, the public being the one to solve it. At best, what interpretations do (the good ones) is to help with “hints”, as long as they are right there in the piece itself (and not some other place, like the author’s biography or claims)._
Like riddles, art must trick us into wrong answers too ;)
Given the band's cultural background it might be about mysticism / sufism, so one in the river and one after the fall means we come from a cosmic unity to have an individual life and come back to it after death. It also has similar things about "losing small mind" and getting "eternal prize". There was a Persian mystic called Rumi in the 13th century and his poems are incredible to read even today, and Serj definitely knew about him.
For me it's completely that.
Serj even named his son after rumi
Interesting hypothesis
I understood it totally differently. For me I directly thought that society acts as one before problems come, where it gets divided and falls down (waterfall) then pretends to be back together afterwards, when everything is good again.
but I'm high af so who cares...
@@RaeudigerRuediger then what would "when you lose small mind you free your life" mean in a social context? Things like "swimming through the void", "eternal prize", "we lose ourselves but we find it all" hint on some metaphysical theme and they sound similar to some writings of sufism.
I really like how you started to play along on the keyboard. It gave me an idea, there are a lot of people that are unaware of the similarities between metal & classical music, because on the surface they seem to be polar opposite. I think that it could be a cool feature in your reaction/breakdown videos if you were to play along with the song to demonstrate. You could possibly turn some metal heads on to classical that other wise would never have given the time of day. It also would definitely give your channel a unique feature that I haven't seen any other of the channels do.
Any metal fan who has not listened to Stravinsky or Rachmaninov is missing out. They went hard af
Bach wrote pure metal. Hell, he even shattered the windows in church and neighborhood both by maximum volume while doing work on organs in his early life. How is that not him being a grandfather of metal? Also, his compositions is what would later become prog metal I think.
and vice versa, turn classical heads into metalheads
I'm a classic 80's metalhead, and I've been jamming to Chopin and Tchaikovsky for just as long, among others :D
Serj is known for writing lyrics phonetically, based on sound rather than meaning, but these are some of his more linear lyrics
Honestly, some of that can give his lyrics even _more_ meaning
watching you put that song together live on the piano was really amazing
Doug has been bitten by the System bug :D. First time I see your head banging to System of a down. Very addictive band!
I truly love when people who really know about music listen for the first time rock/metal songs and find out so much interesting things in them, it gives mi years of life
Serge is, to me, an absolutely riveting vocalist. And the (Armenian influenced?) harmonies are astounding.
Definitely Armenian (more broadly Caucasian) influenced, Georgian music has many similar aspects (which all in turn have many similarities to Arabian music)
I'm 50. My kid is 30. I was 30 when I bought her this album. She was 10. SOAD is in both of our top 10 bands OAT that we like. We can sing the words to every song by them. Talk about a mother-daughter harmonized duet! 🔥💥🔥💥👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻💥🔥💥🔥
im 25, my mom is 42. She was 23 when she bought this album. I was 6, grew up on alt metal, brazillian "national rock" and nu metal basically, slipknot, static x, limp bizkit, and so on. sometimes i'd sit on the couch with my parents while they played videogames, watching them play need for speed, and listening to soad, we looked more like siblings.
@@sockettgirl I love it! Music was one of the cool things I shared with my kid. Thanks for your great memories too!
OMG I loved this reaction, you really could feel the intensity of this song, which despite sounding simple, is so well written that for me it's easily one of the band's best songs.
Please bring more SOAD to us!
Man! How you harmonized the tune was really awesome!
5:05 this has just made my day. Thank you.
Wow, that was my favorite video of yours so far, great duration, great reaction and great educational part
The most intense and meaningful SOAD for me, the build-up at the end of the second verse always gets me, without fail. "Always want to play but you never wanna lose"
Nice analysis there, Doug. I really liked your take on the lyrics. Maybe check out System of a Down's song "Question". It has a load of different time signatures that I think you'll get a kick out of.
That was cool. I think you would enjoy reacting to the Serj solo song "Empty Walls" too.
I must say that your piano musical additions added much joy to this reaction. My 8 year old son is on scholarship for piana. This video was awesome. Nice job!
Looking around for more soad reactions.
Find yours.
Really enjoyed. Tank you, made my day😘💛
dude that was beautiful. that spontaneity is what we need more of from everyone.
When you feel compelled to go to your piano and play along, those are your best reactions for me. It seems incredible that it is your first time listening to the song. I wouldn't care at all if you stop and rewind just to go deeper inside what's going on musically. Great reaction, cheers!
I think you should check out some stuff from their 2005 albums "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize". Both include a lot more harmonies and Daron on lead vocals for some tracks
The way you jump on the Piano... Amazing
ayeeeee my man, YESSS, amazing understanding of structure and main sense
Loved the musical breakdown and seeing you jam along! It's fun and educational for musical neophytes like myself.
Sounds amazing with the piano
Bro, that sounded so good with the piano my guy!
System of a Down's adherence to basic rock song structure belied me when I first heard them. After more listening there is so much creativity in their chord changes, harmonies, and lyrics that repeated listening has reallty made me appreciate them so much more. Somehow their songs never get old!
Such a fun channel.
Thanks for everything Doug
best reactions I've seen. keep it up
Another quality video, always look forward to watching these especially love the playing with the tune it’s crazy how can work it out on the spot 🤘
This made my damn week. You're killing it with the piano
This was awesome man! It's pretty damn impressive how quickly you got it on the piano. Very talented!
fantastic fun to see your analysis thank you!!
I check in on this channel from time to time. Really cool to see you jamming along with the song in real time! Not sure how long you've been doing that but I'd love to see it continue!
One of my all-time favorite tunes, and I loved seeing Doug playing along. This is great!
That was fucking great to watch!
I loved how you enjoyed your time
Always great when you play along in the piano. Awesome!
Love the lyrical breakdown, and loved watching you get on they keyboard. That was awesome. Thank you for making this
i love this channel;, never thought i would see anything like this!
That was epic! One of the coolest SoaD reactions I've seen!!
I absolutely enjoyed the parts you played your piano along with the song. Tasteful and I couldn't get enough. Keep it up!!!
Wow, Sir! Although time has passed since you’ve uploaded this video, I’m certainly glad that it was my first of yours! I loved your dissection and elaboration of this tune. It was very entertaining and I was smiling ear to ear the entire reaction. Thank you very kindly, Doug. A new subscriber starting today!
I'm so happy you review these songs in real time most of the people doing these videos stop the song and replay each like 10 second segment of the song 12 times before moving on and it destroys the songs
Love your videos Doug!
Okay I’ve been planning a cover of this song and I think you just unlocked it for me. Geeking out on your piano skills man, good stuff
loved u playing along with soad awesome
Love to see you gettin involved with your keyboard, more of that please!
It's reactions like this that makes me love more and more thus channel please keep up the piano it's amazing. It's been fantastic seeing you decipher all those dream theater secrets as a fan it got me sometimes thinking wow after so many times listening u still get something new
I love the full analysis of the song specially from someone who know his stuff!! Keep them coming please!!! Subscribed to the channel for sure.
Just found your channel, new sub. Your playing skills on that piano is brilliant! Loved to hear more.💯👍
Just came across this. I'm so impressed with your knowledge. It's brilliant. You have a new fan
I abaolutely loved you jamming to it !! Need to do this more
Love you Doug thanks for putting yourself out there and helping us appreciate stuff together :)
I absolutely love you playing along. It’s so much more powerful that way.
This song is next level
So easy to like these videos. Appreciated the analysis and piano accompaniment.
Haven't visited the channel in a while but loving the introduction of the piano cam. My favourites of yours were the videos you recorded at church(?) in front of the piano. Awesome as always!
Hey Doug. I just discovered your channel recently, but I have to say that you’re a really impressive person, and I enjoy hearing you break down the songs musically. Have a great day 👍🏼
Might have posted this on another of the SoaD ones, but hearing this album always takes me back to riding the bus to middle school. This whole album, and much of their stuff, to be honest, holds up incredibly well. Always love when they show up here!
The hidden track at the end, in my opinion, is Incredible. I feel like I'm part of some Ancient Peruvian Tribe, with 3 of my Brothers paddling a long canoe down some huge river!
It's purely.....well mostly instrumental.........but it instantly transported me to the place I just described......
It incorporates Armenian and more generally Caucasian musical components
Good in-depth analysis/explanation of the song, very enjoyable.
Nice to watching you breaking these songs out in real time, vcery educational in a musical perspective!
Thanks!
I've always loved Aerials, both the lyrics and the music. So glad to view the reaction and agree with everyone else, the improv piano bits were awesome.
this is probably my favorite SOAD song. just heavy enough but has its calm times and the transitions work so well
Yo when you actually hopped in i was really surprised keep doing that its pretty incredible
Please keep this format with you playing I LOVED ITTT
Incredible analysis and love the piano overlay. I'd love to get to the point where i can name notes instantly. Legend.
Loved the review and piano
i just watched your Chop suey video, saw a comment about Aerials, and then 5 vids down in the recommended this pops up, I think you meant for this to happen. Great Vid, Great Band. Also your amazement and head banging at the end of the intro made me smile, i think i looked similar my first time listening to any SOAD tune.
Beautiful piano improv on top of this, Doug. Love this song.
dude, I really liked what you did with the keyboard!
The arrangements you did in the piano Doug are the coolest part of the song!
Super fun to watch thanks !
Great reaction. I enjoy when you play piano with them, too!
Every time you play the keys to a song I have heard a million times, I always wanna hear it with your piano playing from that point forward. 😏
Great video! Definitely not one of my top SOAD songs (cause it was so popular and I'm such a rebel lol), but I like it more now that you've reacted to it. The care you put into your videos and time and effort doesn't go unnoticed. Your first reactions make my millionth reaction take a whole new meaning.
People may just shout at you to cover songs they like, but to me your channel is more than that. I appreciate everything you do, Doug. Always.
Much love!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOW You nailed it on those keys!!!!!!!
Love when Doug starts playing with the music
Amazing to see you be able to play the song along with them from the very 1st listening.
it's awesome. when you play along with songs like this!
A reaction video that really informational and well knowledged
Dang Doug, you got deep. It's probably exactly what they meant, but I just love the complex simplicity of their music. Great reaction as usual!
This was a great reaction. Very impressive.
You just made me wish they had added some piano in this song. That sounded amazing.
Just wanted to say I’ve binged your soad videos and I think you’re a really cool dude man. Keep up this great work 👍🏻
And the way you played the instrumental at the end of this was great
Great analysis, interesting to watch
i've watched many channels reacting to music but you are by far the best and most intricate, talented one. please do primus some time :D
It's awesome to see someone enjoy this song so much. This has been one of my all time favorites for years. If you'd like to react to another please do Prison Song, trust me you won't be disappointed
Really loved the piano improvs throughout
Loved hearing you riff on the piano.
I just discovered your videos, and they're fantastic. I'd love to hear your reaction/analysis of Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat," especially the live performance from 1976. Thanks for all the great analysis!
the demonstration with the piano was awesome for me who doesn't know much about music theory. Awesome video. Just subbed.
¡Wow, qué genio! me encanta la rapidez y la sencillez para desconstruir la canción
Amazing to see an extraordinary band with an extraordinary song, being appreciated by an expert! The piano arrangements were brilliant!!
This is the BEST reaction of Aerials ❤