AWOLNATION "Sail" // Composer Reaction and Song Breakdown // The Decomposer Lounge 

Fun video idea you didn't ask for: comparing old versions of songs to their remastered versions and explaining the differences in production and how it might have been done.

I read a bit about the band while listening to this, and discovered Aaron Bruno, the main guy behind AWOL is mostly deaf in his left ear, so he tends to mix certain instruments/parts he likes more to the right side, leading to the kinda weird L/R splits all over the track

I keep expecting to see the cat jumping off the wall, lol

Oh WOW I remember this song!!

I think your channel is great! Thanks!

Might I suggest Heart for your "face melter" series? Really underrated band IMO, Crazy On You would be perfect for a breakdown!

You could do every Awolnation track! All are unique and flippin fantastic to decompose! Thanks again

You know, for some interesting layering, you might like the Crowded House track Together Alone. Toward the end, it gets kind of amazing, it's goosebump stuff for me - there's a Māori choir singing in beautiful harmonies about the separation of Rangi and Papa (which is hinted at in the English lyrics), Pacific-style drums, a brass band, all building up over this slow, deceptively simple, melancholy song. The, like, organic depth to it is really quite something. It's actually made me teary before now, it'd be interesting to hear your thoughts on the arrangements etc.

The raspy/megaphone sounding quality of the singers voice reminds me of a couple of Tom Waits songs, and I was wondering if you'd be down to check some of his crazy stuff out? King Kong & Hang Me In The Bottle come to mind... And from some of the earlier comments, PLEASE try Between the Buried and Me--I love the versatility in their song Ad A Dglgmut, but Selkies: The Endless Obsession is also a good entry into the band

Totally different kind of music but I haven't seen you do any Amorphis songs. Smoke, Death of a King, Tree of Ages. Amazing prog metal from Finland.

Drive Home - Steven Wilson. PLEASE. My suggestions so far haven't let you down. Please try this

I'd like too see you do clutch electric worry.....I think you'll really enjoy it

Please listen to awolnation’s here come the runts album! It’s great!!! Aaron (AWOL) is incredible and I cried seeing him open for twenty one pilots. Such a beautiful performance. Was the third time I’ve seen them live and they’re incredible.

Hey Geebz, glad to hear you cranking through that list. I'll be hear every time. How about Just A Ride by Rishloo? You love dynamics, you love great phrasing? Sir. Rishloo.

If you want great engineering you gotta do Such Great Heights by The Postal Service. SO good through headphones.

Please check out Silversun Pickups. Very dynamic and layers. I recommend Seasick. You will dig it.

re-Suggestions for new bands Mogwai - Cody and Dead Can Dance - Rakim both excellent groups with lots of beautiful work for analysis in the future and both are quite different from anything you have covered so far (well some might compare Mogwai to Radiohead and I guess that is true in some songs most of the time they are quite different).

Here's a wrinkle for you. A groove metal band named Devil Driver covered this song, and actually did a fairly accurate, metal-ized version. Check it out!

I had just realized how perfectly suited you are for an idea I had, albeit, not too sure the idea could come to fruition given the requirements... That being said, I think it'd be rather interesting if you would be able to Re-Compose a track, to see how it'd turn out compared to the original :D Problem being, I don't know how many artists or labels would be willing to hand over the individual raw instrument tracks and vocal track, for you to do that :\ HOWEVER, and this kinda ties into my reply to Franklin Steele's, one person that might actually be willing and able is Trent Reznor! Once upon a time, and god do I miss the site, for two of his albums he did exactly that for fans: released all the files to let people create their own mixes, and on top of that there was a huge repository for us to search through on NIN.com to download the fan mixes. (I still have a dozen or so I had grabbed, as there were some amazing works created, mixes, remixes, mashups, and covers) Sadly that project is no more, and I never did figure out why it was shuttered (pretty sure he self published those, which is what allowed for it; however, could be that too much unlicensed stuff was also being used in tracks and that forced his hand). Point being... He's done it before, so he'd perhaps be willing to allow you to and send the files for a track or two. :)

I like the cover by Devil Driver.

Maybe explore some Liz Phair she does some interesting comp

hockey!

Do the Devildriver cover of this song. I think better than the original.

Geebz, i doubt you've received a request for this song because I feel like it's a bit of a hidden gem of sorts. Low man's Lyric by Metallica....i mean it's a Metallica song...with a Hurdy Gurdy doing the main melody line lol check it out.

Got a request for a band you probably haven't tried yet! Would love to see you break down some Poets of the Fall! Carnival of Rust is an excellent one, and so is Daze.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the more prog side of deadmau5. His songs like Pets, there might be coffee, and Stobe are layers of synth and melody goodness. I know he's dance music which isn't typically covered here, but his production level is head and shoulders above a lot of people producing dance floor anthems.

You should do the Devildriver cover of this song. I like that version wayyyyy better.

I very much prefer the Devildriver version of Sail. Dez Fafara has the most versatile metal voice IMO

Speaking of things that don't suck.... it must be time for the next Karnivool right?

I know it’s really none of my business, but where is your silver platter?

Geeeeeeeeeeebz. Just say screw it and do Dragonforce. Through the fire and the flames. Just make sure it's the full version

Whenever this song come on, I automatically turn the volume up as high as I can stand. Listening to you break down songs is something special.

just realized this song is a decade old o_O

Knights of Shame MUST be your next AN song. Trust me.... Thank you for what you do, sir!

A lot of people seem to think AWOLNATION is a one hit wonder, but they actually have a lot of great songs. I love Mayday!!! Fiesta Fever

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Tron: Legacy OST, composed by Daft Punk. Arguably some of their best work, and easily my favorite of their albums. In particular, End of Line is phenomenal.

Whole album is a masterpiece.

In it for a minute to win it... as you would say.

Every time I hear this I remember Jeb Corlis's "Grinding the Crack" BASE jumping video

Awolnation is crazy versatile. Became one of my favorite bands real quick.

Geebz, how about some Highly Suspect? They're so clutch and I know there's gotta be folks here bringing them up. Lydia is a spicy chef kiss of a track. Also, another brilliant decomposition, bro ❤

"Woman woman", "i am", and "not your fault" are a few other great AWOL songs. Also, you talked about dynamics in this so much that I can't imagine you don't know thomas dolby. Pulp culture is an incredible example of great mixing and engineering.

Thank you and special thanks to your brother for asking this! I can never listen to this song without listening to WOODKID Run Boy Run next, so I'd recommend that for decomposition.

You need to do the cover version also devildriver-sail

Throwback thursday, want to get a bit of Rolling Stones for everyone? _Gimme Shelter_ is without a doubt my fav song from them, and so many artists have done great covers of it. If you don't get around to doing a vid on them Geebz, you should check out Stone Sour, especially their trilogy of EP's of covers. They do _Gimme Shelter,_ _Love Gun,_ _Creeping Death,_ and so many others from various rock and metal bands throughout the decades. *btw, Corey Taylor, whom is the lead singer for Slipknot, is also the lead singer for Stone Sour. And up until a few years ago, James (Jim) Root from Slipknot was one of Stone Sour's lead guitarists, too.

I really enjoyed this video reaction. Please do their whole album, Angel Miners And The Lightning Riders. It’s such an awesome album. I’ve only discovered Awolnation during lockdown. Rivers Cuomo (big Weezer fan here 😊) had him on his webinar to promote that album and their collaboration on one of the songs, titled Pacific Coast Highway In The Movies and upon listening to the entire album, I became a big fan. Can’t stop listening to them. When I heard they were touring last year and coming to the Bay Area, I dragged my husband to go with me and he was quite impressed, he’s a big metal, Rush, AC/DC fan.

Geebz....got to check out Clutch. Great rock/blues/metal. Thanks for what you do man!!

Requesting: VAST - Touched (It has quite an abnormal musical arrangement with a chanting choir and acoustic guitar breakdowns)

Geebz? You played Hockey? Not sure it is possible for me to like you any more than I already do!

The human abstract, "digital veil" album, just throw a dart and you'll find an amazing song

I always liked the track "Kill Your Heroes" by AWOL Nation.

One of the best of the 2010s. I think this one is gonna be a recognizable classic years from now.

Royal Blood - "out of the black" just two guys

They're such a great group - please please please listen to their song "All I Need"

Good song. I prefer the cover by Devildriver as it's more my style. Please react to some Devildriver! Maybe 'End Of The Line' or 'The Fury Of Our Makers Hand'

One of the most unique songs ever made! Good choice!!

First time I heard them. I knew they were going to be big

You should give Cold War Kids a shot...🤘

I have two 12" subs in my Cherokee this song vibrates my freakin lungs 😍🤣🤣🤣🤣

That distorted note/ sound is called dub step. Please react to Deadmau5 song Raise Your Weapons. I'm not a big dub step fan, but this is a really goog song. Thanks.

Gotta do Infected Mushroom - Heavyweight!

Very cool. I would love to hear your take on more Awolnation, please. Liked and subbed!

Wait, you haven't done any Bjork yet!!!! You absolutely need to do Bjork - Joga. I guarantee you will lose it over the composition of that song.

AWOL is great, they are a full band, you should see the unofficial music video for Sail. Fanmade but imo better. Please do more AWOLNATION

I really hope you do Descending by Tool. Also, it’d be killer to hear your take on Saferwaters by Chevelle

If you're still searching for new band suggestions, do please give a listen to Rishloo! Super progressive rock, a.l.a. Tool, with an amazing clean vocalist who nails addictive melodies and lyrical complexity, with very unique song structure through their whole discography. Scissorlips, Landmines, Feathergun in the Garden of the Sun, and their amazing long-style rock anthem Dark Charade (akin to that of a Pink Floyd shine on) are all great options to start with. Thanks for everything geebz! Still here, awwright

Any love for Silverchair in here? I think anything from their catalogue would be interesting to hear about, but specifically “Emotion Sickness,” “Do You Feel The Same,” or “One Way Mule.”

Gonna live in the woods for five months after this week and I have to say, I'm excited to see what songs he'll do. Maybe Geebz will do one of the songs I suggested, maybe not hahaha. Still going to come back regardless. Mahalo Decomposer 🤙

Best Awolnation songs: "Woman Woman", "Hollow Moon" and "I Am". Great videos for all 3 of these as well. The best UNofficial video for "Sail" is this one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JaAWdljhD5o.html So good it has TWICE as many views as the official one! Just fun.

Have you heard Mars Volta's The Widow, it's one of my favourites by them. I also like Vermicide.

Been watching you from the shadows for a while and it’s funny to me how long it took you to hear and review these guys but I’d recommend there latest two rock albums

Mm, now go listen to the Devil Driver cover. 😉

The band DevilDriver did a legit cover of this song. A little context, the singer of DD was the singer of Coal Chamber.

Please play MGMT -Kids

Great review, love this song & band In terms of production and strings arrangement, you will be BLOWN AWAY by Radiohead - Daydreaming, or Burn The Witch. Incredible tracks

great 4/20 vid geebs

Sail was definitely their biggest hit. A lot of people were disappointed when they heard the full album, because it’s completely different than anything else they did. I love it though. Try “Jump on my Shoulders” and “Burn it Down”.

Hey Geebz, have you considered making the list of upcoming songs into a document that's available for people to see, so they know whether their suggestion has been seen already?

Just another request for The Smoke Of Many Fires, by Be'lakor

ELDER dead roots stirring ELDER Potions by PUSCIFER on the recycle ♻️ ROCK CANDY FUNK PARTY Awwlright I am still here looking for the one

Came to revisit the Nanalew unofficial video (with even more views than the official one). Stayed to hear your breakdown. Thanks!

While Awolnation made this catchy pop song, I'll take Dez and the boys from Devildriver's version instead : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-torc9P4-k5A.html

A lot of Awolnation's ideas are wacky and wild, some of them miss the spot, but when they hit... oh boy, they hit. Their first album is fun (altough the best track to decompose is the last one - Knights of Shame - but it's also almost 15 minutes long; well, shame), I'd recommend checking 'Run' from their second album (called... 'Run'). And after that there's "Here Comes the Runts" - and that's prolly the wackiest and wildest from all the Awolnation - I would love to see (and listen to) how You decompose either title track, or 'Stop That Train'. Other then that, I wholeheartedly recommend checking out The Dear Hunter and story written in their music across five Acts. There's ton of amazing pieces, although my favourite part is how they uses reprises across all five albums. Oh, and - please please please - The Sound of the Animals Fighting - The Heraldic Beak Of The Manufacturer's Medallion. Please.

Hi Mr Decomposer! :) With your amazing attention to sound engineering and left-right balance, I would LOVE to see your reaction to some of Lorn's music. It might be more electronic than what you usually react to, but one thing I love about your channel is your open mind to all kinds of music! Some recommendations: Memory Management (very electronic and ambient, but the most fascinating headphone experience I've ever had) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SnaECfZ4zrI.html The Gun (one of my personal faves) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--H6TQJwrlkk.html Acid Rain (Lorn's most famous song, also extremely good) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nxg4C365LbQ.html

You should give a listen to Jeff Touhey Bourbon Street. Holy crap that is an amazing and fun track, even if it is not for a decomposition video. Just a fantastic hot jazz influenced hook loaded track.

It's just a good song. That's all. I don't care what genre it fits into. Good songs always float to the top. I Iike " Womanizer " by Brittany Spears, and I like " World of Shit" by Nailbomb. Because they're both good songs. Being caught up in the genre trap will seriously limit you musically. Avoid the genre trap.

AWOLNATION is an interesting band. I never really listened to them until I saw them open for Prophets of Rage. AWOLNATION won me over that day.

Oh man, if you’re doing electronic music, may I humbly suggest the French band Air, and specifically “la Femme d’Argent”. There are a ton of videos, this is a pretty good version: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1Vxxn_YnLQ4.html

hey Geebz you should check out The Dillinger Escape Plan - 'Widower'. Really interesting band/song!!

Between the Buried and Me - Selkies: The Endless Obsession Pleeeeease 🤞

Happy 420!

It's probably too soon, but I'd like you to consider reviewing devil drivers cover of this song. Thanks, aloha!

If you want something different from a lot of the metal and rock you've been doing, try Monheim by Godspeed You Black Emperor. It's a large band (two drums, two basses, three guitars, two violins) that plays very intense, beautiful and unique instrumental music. Their songs are often twenty minute multi-movement compositions, Monheim is just one movement of a larger song. I think as a composer you would appreciate them.

Unfortunately in France they use this song for an Ad.. I can't remove it from my mind :( I used to listen to it before. Try the band Highly suspect with "seretonia" or "wolf". I'm sure that you will appreciate it 😉

You might find it tough to find Awolnation stuff that works for the channel. Simplicity and experimentation seems to be his thing. Imagine Dragons will pull some of the same peeps though. Check out Thunder and Radioactive.

Really enjoying the channel. There is a band that I think you would really get into decomposing, unfortunately now defunct, by the name of Arcane Roots. Check out the songs "Rouen" "Off the Floor" or "Curtains"

Can you please decompose really any My Morning Jacket song. There’s so many but some that come to mind would be Victory Dance, Dondante, touch me I’m going to scream 1&2.

This song is about how Aaron having ADD… Would zone off in class back in school… And he either withdraw sailboats or he would just can’t imagine himself not in class like selling away maybe even just metaphorically but that’s what it’s about

What's the best way to suggest a band?? Love the channel and the reactions! Vulfpeck needs a decomposition...

awesome! if you like this song, i think you would really enjoy the "Passenger" remix that Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) did for Deftones.