Judee Sill "The Kiss" Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- "The Kiss" is the 2nd song off Judee Sill's astonishing 2nd, and last, album Heart Food from 1973.
My handwritten piano reduction available here, if it aids you.
drive.google.com/file/d/18siH...
Judee Performing on "Old Grey Whistle Test" 1973
• Judee Sill - The Kiss
BBC's "The Lost Genius of Judee Sill"
• The Lost Genius of Jud...
Rolling Stone Biography
www.rollingstone.com/music/mu...
NY Times "Overlooked No More"
www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/ob...
00:00 Intro
01:35 a bit about Judee
03:19 Analysis 
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I am moved by this song as much as you. It is such a timeless and visceral expression of existence.
I can’t think of any other song which is simultaneously sad and joyful, sombre and uplifting, grounded and ethereal. I’ve listened to it a hundred times and each time afterwards, it replays in my head for hours. Not an affliction, but a blessed echo. I wish that all people could hear this song and experience its beauty.
Beyond being a deft analysis, thank you for treating Judee’s song so tenderly. Wish she was alive to see that.
This is the only song that makes me cry every time I listen to it
Such a killer tune...gorgeous. almost makes me cry outta Fing nowhere!? And that is not easy to do!! ❤
How is it so?!?!?
Thank you for making this video. I couldn’t tell you how much this means to me
Hi Addy. Allow me to convey my deep appreciation and enjoyment at your thoughtful, sympathetic, and musically enlightening discussion of Judee and this fascinating song (both lyrics and music) that touches me like very few others have done, quite the same way. I cannot dissociate the beauty of the song from the undercurrent of the tortuous story of her life before, during and after those amazing recordings in the early 70's, suggesting a career that never quite managed to blossom as it should have. It reminds me of those lovely and delicate little blue and white flowers that are the first to emerge after a long cold winter up here, then disappear for another twelve months.
Sinéad O'Connor's untimely death last July made me discover so many beautiful songs and interpretations that she made (especially of the traditional Irish variety), and she has occupied much of my listening time since, making me regret not having paid more attention to her music and career while she was alive.
And now, this quite recent "discovery" of Judee Sill (through newspaper articles promoting the recent documentary) opens up another musical universe to me, for which I am so thankful.
I am a lover of Bach's music, and humbly try to play some simple sarabandes on my tenor guitar, so I particularly appreciated you taking the time to explain how Judee used some of the same compositional techniques as the old master, in this song anyway. She strikes me as someone pursued and ultimately consumed by demons arising from the challenges of her personal life, but who had tremendous depth of feeling, inspired by literature and great secular music, a most unique composer and performer who understandably had difficulties finding understanding and appreciation by the music business at the time. Again, much thanks for your generous analysis, which makes me love this song even more. Best regards. Robert
(p.s. always nice to see people like Vicki chime into such youtube comments with a personal perspective on Judee.)
The Kiss shakes my atheism to the core! Nobody really knows why this song has the profound effect it has, but it’s undeniable.
I truly believe it was divinely inspired. I hope it continues to shake your atheism! 😉
If you want to explore it, I recommend checking out people's accounts in RUclips of what happened to them between dying and resuscitation (aka "near death experiences"). There's definitely more out there than what our 5 senses are capable of picking up. We can only perceive a very limited section of the light spectrum. It's like radio waves. They're there but we can't hear them when we're on a different channel.
I discovered Judee earlier this year stumbling upon The Archetypal Man. Sounds cliche but it actually felt like the sky opened up, I was so floored. For the rest of the day I just paced on my fire escape, smoking, listening to her albums and wondering aloud how someone reaches this level of genius. Looking deeper into her life the music becomes even more impactful. Thanks for analyzing this musical giant!
Also I think a new feature leangth doc was made about judee but it was only shown in a theater earlier this year - not available for purchase/streaming yet sadly
Thanks for your note. My dude, my experience about 5 years ago was eerily similar... Yes! I see there was a doc recently made by a film maker in Portland OR, where I live. Waiting anxiously for the opportunity to see it somehow.
i saw a screening of it in NYC--its a remarkable story. i hope it leads to more recognition for her beautiful music. @@addyd.3140
Her music is other-worldly. That walk-up: “and still I hear them whisper.” deeply moving, deeply spiritual, so musically sophisticated.
Yes, that moment absolutely kills me every time.
Thanks for this video - I'm a guitarist, so delving into the nitty gritty of the stave, and indeed seeing the nuances of the composition, is so interesting. My 18 year old son is also appreciative of your vid, not least because he is about to start a degree course in music production and composition. I only came across Judee about 5 years ago, via That vid of the Kiss, and was immediately transfixed by her work, and her life story. I share her work as often as I can with musician friends, and describe her as the second Joni Mitchell that we never had. It was such a great time for female singer songwriters, with Carole King, Laura Nyro, Joni, Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez etc from her era, and later, Kate Bush ... and Judee deserves her place amongst them, as a standalone unique artist like no other.
I couldn't agree more! Thank you for writing. Laura Nyro is astonishing and KB definitely is in my top 5 for inspiring artist/people.
I loved your analysis. I learned of Judee's music from watching the BBC Documentary a long time ago, probably when it aired. I wish more people were aware of her music. I am with Andy Partridge, I can rarely get through the whole song without tears.
Thank you for this! This song hits the depths of my being, and finding others who have felt it as well is just so encouraging. It is a truly mystical song, that holds the beauty and pain of being, with the ultimate aim of union--I would say, and I think Judee would say as well--with God.
I have a bit of musical training and I've tried to figure out in my head what she was doing in these beautiful modulations. They are the kind you don't usually hear in a modern pop song. It is like a majestic hymn, one which I heard for the first time only a few weeks ago. She had a finely-tuned ear for music--a rare talent. Thank you for your expert analysis.
Yes absolutely!
Thank you, some things are both an affliction as well as a blessing, here represented musically as haunting beauty. I send you both tears and smiles in this shared experience.
Fantastic analysis. Really enjoyed your expert breaking down of this harmonically adventurous (and staggeringly beautiful) song.
Stunning
it's weird how some people can connect with music like this. only some can do it, your obviously one of them. I feel the EXACT same way. Your description of the emotions are fantastic and so relatable. great video man.
Honor and Respect
Addy, oh my. I love what you have done here. the handwritten notes make everything fall into place for me. The chart is just great. I was introduced to the song about 3 years ago after a meditation retreat. I thought I was weeping because my heart had been so opened during the 5-day retreat but even during your analysis of this piece, I was weeping. I have tried to transcribe this for myself many times but I get lost in my own emotion. Again, seeing your handwritten transcription is almost as bittersweet as this. Witnessing the race for artificial intelligence to "relieve us" of the task of creativity. Of course, creativity is what makes being alive bearable and many times enjoyable. Anyways, now I have a transcription and I can see if I can play it, potentially sing it, though I might have to have a box of tissues close at hand.
Very sweet comment, Kate, you just brightened my day! Yes, that was a struggle of my own when transcribing, it took some kind of mental/emotional gymnastics but I'm very happy the work is resonating with people such as yourself. I thank you for sharing your thoughts, keep in touch.
Outstanding analysis!
This is wonderful...thanks for taking the time to chart the song's harmonic movement in such detail. Judee's music displays a masterful command of voice leading and chord inversion and you illustrated this in forensic detail. If you haven't heard it check out Madison Cunningham's guitar cover which deliberately reharmonises a couple of the original cadences in an intriguing way. A tritone substitution to descend from the 'lydian' II7 back to the tonic...also a m6 on the last IV chord which meant a melody note had to change...some might say she took a liberty but I like to think Judee might not have disapproved.
You also perfectly express the emotional resonance in Judee's music.
Keep up the good work...I've subscribed and will check out your other videos.
Thank you for writing and for the recommendation! I just checked out MC's version, good catch on those chord subs, I really liked that TT sub walk down . Hard to mess around with a song so brilliantly constructed, but what she did with it was doubtlessly tasty.
Hey Addison~ THANK YOU very much for this analysis - it helped me understand the song even more - I hope to be able to play and sing it. It touched me so deeply - just sobbing, the sheer beauty of the melodies' interplay with the chords and voicings, plus yes her artful choice of words to convey this highest pure state of beautiful emotion/thought. Maybe she did reach her goal of bringing God down to us : ). I had her song Rugged Road on my playlist, and always liked it - then saw there was a documentary on her life: "Lost Angel". I was swept into a three day foray into everything I could find on her, recordings, pictures, videos, and finally your analysis. It's been both a beautiful and deeply sad journey, as I just wish she could have had family or friends to sustain her through the the dark times- how one person could befall such tragedies is just hearbreaking. But to still have the heart of an Angel, just blows me away....
Yes Judee tends to have that affect.... "There's a Rugged Road" has become a late favorite of mine, those chorus harmonies just glow. Thank you for sharing!
i was in music comp at the university of north texas in the 90's and finished about 3/4 of that degree before pressing pause on that cassette and later heading into architecture. man you have my blood flowing for sure.
huge respect to you for putting this together and especially for this specific song. your description at the beginning - of how it affects you - i could not have said better. it's precisely how i felt the first time i heard it in 2022 after reading David McGowan's book on laurel canyon. he talks about a lot of people in that book, but it was his description of judee that firmly caught my attention. never heard of her before and i was born more than 3 years before she died.
thank you so much for this!
edit: oh! and thank you so much for the pdf of your notation. big help! we homeschool our boys so i'm going to get my 11 year old to clean this bad boy up and ink it by hand! i've taught him to notate music and we practice on our original victory vertical from august 1945 (found it about a year ago).
Hey Christopher, thanks so much for sharing. You didn't know Rocky Winslow at UNT by chance? He was one of my teachers and I believe he also went there in the 90's. If that cleaned up version ever materializes please reach out, I'd love to have a scan of it! All the best, Addy
Thanks Addy for a great video! I discovered Judee Sill's music several years ago and I was just instantly drawn to it! Every time I relisten to her, I realise there's more to appreciate. Her music is majestic! Thanks for your very interesting analysis too! I don't know a whole about music theory, but it was very interesting and accessible. Keep up the good work! 👍
I almost didn’t watch this but am so glad I did. I’m not a musician and don’t read music but your analysis of “The Kiss” gave me insight and enlightenment explaining why this extraordinary piece of art has been so compelling to me. Thank you for creating and posting this and doing so with true love and respect. I was just introduced to Judee’s work through my daughter who was part of the team that recently released the documentary “Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill”. I appreciate your work honoring Judee’s genius. Well done. 14:22
Hey! I'm so glad to hear your thoughts on this, and happy it was insightful to someone who is not a musician. That's one of my biggest aims, for music theory to be welcoming and not alienating, so it means a lot. Thank you! I'm still waiting anxiously to see the film, it played in town last week but I was stuck at work. I had another commenter here who was also involved in the film, it's so cool to feel connected.
Thank you for breaking down this beautifully haunting song. I first heard this song some years ago, and was transfixed to some extent, listening to it over and over again while subsequently spending many hours afterwards going down the rabbit hole to learn more about Judee and her life. I, too, cannot listen to this song without experiencing an overwhelming tug of war between feelings of melancholy and joy deep within my person. I tend to prefer the solo piano version of the song as opposed to the album version, as there seems to be an even deeper sense of personal longing in this version. Truly great job taking us through the song and providing the musical analysis. Your time and attention to your presentation is greatly appreciated. Will there possibly be a sheet music copy of your transcription that we might be able to purchase at some point? I’d love to learn to play your transcription on my piano. Thanks again for the great job friend! Look forward to hearing more from you. 😎
Thank you for sharing! I'm glad the video resonated with you. The grand plan is to do a whole book of JS piano reductions like this, get enough of an online following, then troll Hal Leonard into publishing it, haha. Repeat for Elliott Smith.
...But Realistically, yes I'll probably score these out soon and sell individual PDFs. The dream is a physical book, but good to know someone would be interested. Take care!
Most interesting part I think is when you said the recordings of the 60s/70s sometimes were tuned up a bit to hit better, Thats interesting and didnt know that and wondering how producers of today are relating to such ideas. Thank you for sharing and listening, for talking about JS and have a great day
Always greatful for your analysis. You offer insights that just open up new ideas. Thanks a lot!
Thank you for writing! Glad to hear it.
Wonderful!!! She was my good friend. My husband recorded The Kiss ( me singing) ..So many times. He was enchanted by it as well. Lovely work. Thank you 🩵 peace Vicki
Vicki, that's amazing, would you care to share anything more about your time knowing Judee? I'm very curious. Thanks so much!
@@addyd.3140 hi ! well the movie Lost Angel was a good source of story telling. Accurate accounts from friends and colleagues. I was one interviewed. But I can’t seem to find it available for viewing 😟. I was about 11 when hanging about the musicians Uncle Del ( my mom’s brother). Would take the McClure kids along to recording sessions and jam sessions.
I reconnected with Judee when I was 20
She gave me her abandoned apartment and I connected with her ex -Bob Harris. You know singers and piano players😉peace
@@victoriadoney6598 Thank you! Yes, I have had my eye on watching that doc once it becomes available. that's so neat/wild, thanks for sharing. I will eventually get to watch your interviews. All the best, Addy
The only song that has made me cry. To truly understand what she is talking about, we must dig into Judee's Christian roots and the meaning of redemption.
I’m sure these videos take a long time so just wanted to say I really do appreciate them. Would be really curious to see your analysis of Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) - the Beach Boys. Beautiful song with some pretty interesting harmonic moves (especially in the string break)
Thanks so much for writing. Yes they do take forever! Haha, I am currently reviewing my options for the Beach Boys and that one is way up there! It's hard though, I'm a big fan, several will probably have to surface over time. Kind regards.
@@addyd.3140No problem at all. Just a completely irrelevant aside but you might like soundslice. Pretty awesome free website that would allow you to create a score with a video (among other things). There’s a bit of a learning curve but Ive found it a major time saver for writing out notation.
Excellent! Thanks
Great video and analysis!
Lovely video. Your analysis is flawless, but much more important, your tenderness towards and love of the artist shines through. You could also mention the way Beethoven uses the same key relationship in the variations of his last Piano Sonata. For the same purpose. 🙂
LOVE it Thank you for bringing that up! and TY for writing.
Could really do with rolling lesson for the non readers on this masterpiece
Thanks for watching! I'm not familiar with what you mean by "rolling lesson" though
Like the software that lights up each note on the keyboard at the correct time it needs to be played, I’m 56 and haven’t really got time to learn how to read music, I’ve played guitar by ear since I was 13 but always seemed to get by without having to get too “into it”…lol. It’s weird because I’ll happily read and follow a maintenance manual 🙄