December 2015 - 18 by Moby

18 - Moby

Why?

Even if I really set my mind to it, I don't think I'd be able to pick a favorite song considered the wealth of music I've collected over the years and the large number of songs that have come to mean a lot to me for many different reasons. There is, however, one song that used to hold that #1 position, the only one I've ever confidently called my very favorite song. I thought it fitting to end my first year of hall of famers with that song, "18".

As I've put more and more time into discovering new music and picking favorites over the years, I'm continually stunned to find that the most beautiful songs are often also the most simple, with "18" as one of the most simple and beautiful of them all. First, there are no words, which is rare among my favorites. The song is pure music. Second, the same melody (on piano/synthesizer) is repeated over and over, and that melody contains the same pattern again and again, starting high and then descending down the scale until it starts at the top again. No distinction between chorus, verse, and bridge.

The power comes in the progression, the addition of a new element every time the melody starts at the top once again. A pristine keyboard plays the melody high, alone at first. Then a real piano sound joins in to play the same exact thing at a lower octave. Next, artificial string tones offer simple, but lovely harmonies. Then the overriding blur of a synthesizer furthers the harmonization. Some subtle complexities begin to trickle in as the strings then take on a moving pattern in the song's peak. At this point, you've probably forgotten about the melody we started with, but then it'd center stage once again for the soft ending.

I think most would label it 'boring'. I remember one time telling a friend it was my favorite before having her listen. At the end, her expression read as "that's it?". But something about it elicits such a powerful emotional response for me. I find it serene.

If you've ever seen a Bourne movie, you know Moby's "Extreme Ways", which plays in one form or another in every credits roll in the series. "18" comes three tracks after that song on the same record, which is also called 18 because of its 18 songs. The song "18", strangely enough, comes 12th on the album, which is arguably Moby's finest.

Since there aren't any lyrics to take a look at, I'll leave it at that. One full year of hall of famers now in place. Many more to come. If you've read this far, thanks for caring. I truly appreciate it.