K I S S

When you're raised on steady diets of polarity in American folk and Beatles, like I was, as a musician it's hard to recognize the need for simplicity while the Siren's call of complexity beckons - especially when you reach a point where you can manifest what's in your head. To quote Tap: There's a fine line between stupid and clever.

I've been thinking about this for years now. Often, I find myself holding back from going off on a solo or adding extra thumps to a drum or bass part, and opting for what I think will better serve the song. I didn't just make this up - on guitar at least, I think I got it from Brian May, who once said that, when he's prepping his solos in the studio, he thinks first about "serving the song". Serving the song... that's fascinated me forever.

The same goes for songwriting - without going deeper, I equally love 2112 Rush, New York Lou Reed, Smile Beach Boys, and Ringo Ringo.

Here's an awesome example of simple-makes-better - Lou's Dirty Boulevard. Simple in rhythm, simple in tune, simple in arrangement, complex in lyric, and POWERFUL as hell. If you've ever lived in NYC, this song has extra meaning.