CASTLE HOUSE RAG
I am not sure how on earth he came up with the title, but I listened to James Reese Europe's "Castle House Rag" this week for this blog. The song itself is not too lengthy, but it has an upbeat tune to it. I like how it moves so quickly, the instruments kind of weave in and around each other and make a cool sound. I would definitely understand if this was a song that many people used to dance to, with the tempo and the tone of the song. Listening to it, you kind of almost automatically start tapping your foot along with the beat. Another aspect I enjoyed was that the sound increases and decreases throughout the song. Sometimes it is softer, then it builds up to a louder volume. With those types of changes, and the various instruments, I found it very easy to listen to this song.
While this is something that I normally would not listen to, I am sure it was enjoyed by many back when it was popular. I can imagine this being played at large events or dances, and I wonder what the composer might have had in mind when he wrote it? Perhaps the song is meant to tell a story of some kind? I'm not sure, but I would love to hear if anyone has any ideas. It is also amazing to me how much we as a society have changed over the years, in regards to music. Nowadays, I don't think there are that many 'popular' songs that resemble "Castle House Rag". Still, it was cool to be able to listen to the song, and I enjoyed it.
I am not sure how on earth he came up with the title, but I listened to James Reese Europe's "Castle House Rag" this week for this blog. The song itself is not too lengthy, but it has an upbeat tune to it. I like how it moves so quickly, the instruments kind of weave in and around each other and make a cool sound. I would definitely understand if this was a song that many people used to dance to, with the tempo and the tone of the song. Listening to it, you kind of almost automatically start tapping your foot along with the beat. Another aspect I enjoyed was that the sound increases and decreases throughout the song. Sometimes it is softer, then it builds up to a louder volume. With those types of changes, and the various instruments, I found it very easy to listen to this song.
While this is something that I normally would not listen to, I am sure it was enjoyed by many back when it was popular. I can imagine this being played at large events or dances, and I wonder what the composer might have had in mind when he wrote it? Perhaps the song is meant to tell a story of some kind? I'm not sure, but I would love to hear if anyone has any ideas. It is also amazing to me how much we as a society have changed over the years, in regards to music. Nowadays, I don't think there are that many 'popular' songs that resemble "Castle House Rag". Still, it was cool to be able to listen to the song, and I enjoyed it.
Wow nice post dude! I should listen that song right now!
ReplyDeleteI think he came up with the title because that is who James Reese Europe worked with, Vernon and Irene Castle. They were the couple that taught people different styles of dance with very simple lessons. And that makes sense, because it sounds like the type of song people would dance to, just like you said. I like how you talked about the instruments weaving because I can totally hear it.
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