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The Osmonds
June 2010ZANI – The Perfect Vocals ?
With the UK release of Washed Out's Life of Leisure, it will be interesting to follow the reaction to the leading proponents of chillwave. How do you define the sound of this genre anyway? It's too varied to say really, taking in psychedelia, sun-bleached pop, fuzzy electronics and vocal harmonies.Two songs released last week prove that chillwave is one of the most promising movements in music this year. When I'm With You by Best Coast is fantastic, addictive, melody-driven drone pop complete with a bratty, Phil Spector-esque chorus. Alexandria by Pure Ecstasy, on the other hand, carries a less catchy, druggier sound, this time using harmonies to add atmosphere and depth.
If Washed Out succeeds (and he probably will), you can expect more discussion of chillwave in the press. Hacks will be quick to use the same reference points to describe its harmonies: the Beach Boys, the Zombies, the Everly Brothers, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and the Byrds. Fair enough. But what I want to know is: when will the Osmonds be integrated into the cultural lexicon as a byword for great vocal harmonies? When will people describe bands such as Best Coast as Osmonds-esque? How long before we hear of an Osmond-wave scene?
The Osmonds' vocal harmonising is technically on the same level as the Beach Boys and the Beatles (the family spent 10 years as a barber shop quartet before making their way into recording). Unfortunately, they were critically reviled. Why? To be fair, they never really released a particularly strong "statement" album as enduring as Pet Sounds (the closest being The Plan – a concept album about Mormonism). Nonetheless, they have recorded a series of brilliantly vibrant, harmony-drenched psychedelic pop songs. They were important to people and provided a musical "salve" during a time of confusion and war (Vietnam, Richard Nixon and Watergate). Like the Beach Boys, Dylan and CSNY, the Osmonds brought unity to the country during a time of upheaval.
All good stuff. So what prevented the Osmonds from becoming a credible musical force? Contrary to popular belief, I'd say it wasn't their religious tendencies, but their desire to become a brand. If anything, their steadfast belief in Mormonism made them more rock'n'roll. No, it was their extensive rebranding as "Donny Osmond teen idol" and the move into television that killed the Osmonds' musical fame.
This is unfair. You can hardly imagine the Jonas Brothers or Justin Bieber writing, recording and releasing the insane heaviness that was Crazy Horses or Down By the Lazy River, can you? Besides, it's important to remember that Scott Walker made similar teen idol moves (with half-hearted albums written out of musical history, not to mention a musical variety show). He has been forgiven, so why not the Osmonds?
At a time when harmony-rich bands are being used as cultural reference points, perhaps it's time to seriously look at the back catalogue of the Osmonds.
Reproduced by Kind Permission of Alan McGee and The Guardian
Original Article From The Guardian
