Blues Traveler may be the most underrated band of all time. They were so good in so many ways. John Popper is a great singer and one of the best harmonica players of all time.
I don’t know if I’d go that far, as they were VERY popular in their day. That aside, I’m not really a fan per se but one of my most memorable live performance experiences, was seeing them live at Red Rocks. I wasn’t there to see them as it was a festival of sorts, but they blew me away. Popper sounded even better live and the band was so tight. I was totally impressed.
I met these dudes on a USO tour overseas when I was military. John Popper and the band showed up to karaoke at the NCO club. It was priceless seeing John Popper sing Grease's "Your the one I want" with a female airman over beers. Amazing
One of my favorite lines of all time in any song is, "No matter how much Peter loved her, what made the Pan refuse to grow, was that the Hook brings you back." so good on so many levels.
Love entendres in songs, verbally, and visually in music videos. Unfortunately just a lost art as they go over so many people's heads the cleverness is lost.
Love that you mentioned it not being the Peter Pan type Hook in the beginning… not knowing that he does actually have a lyric about Peter Pan and Hook later in the song! Made me chuckle 😊
My favorite band of all time! I've seen BT 186 times in 14 different states! Last summer 7 shows in 9 days. Never gets old! Blues Traveler has incredible musicianship and Popper's voice is incredible! Rock on BT!!!
"The mountains win again" is one of my all time favorite songs. May even be a cleaner representation of John's full voice. Hugely underrated band and still out there somewhere.
Fun fact. The keyboard player singing harmony during the rap breakdown part is Paul Schaffer, long time leader of David Letterman's late night band and prolific studio musician.
Also music director for the legendary Toronto production of Godspell which featured SNL and Second City talents: Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin
Blues Traveler was one of those rare bands that gave 100% on records but 120% live. The stamina and energy in their shows was infectious, alive and unforgettable. Glad you did this video. John is one of the most underrated singers of our time.
I never truly paid attention to the lyrics outside of the chorus. What a brilliant subject and wonderful way to spell it out for listeners. Great reaction.
So many people I've talked to only think they've listened to the lyrics. Then I show them a lyrics video of the song , most gain appreciation for the song.
I just wrote the same thing about his voice! Also in an interview John said his influences weren't harmonica players they were guitar players like Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Van Halen etc. . He's unprecedented in his singing and his playing. Recognize John Voight and Paul Schaefer? Such a cool video.
What's always amazed me about John Popper is how he can manage to do this song live. He goes from very strong singing into an extended harmonica solo and then straight into a fast rap verse. His lungs are something else.
Definitely. Switching into that funky slap bass is killer. They’re all really good musicians. It makes sense that Popper got the most recognition due to all his talents as a front man, but every one of them has talent for days.
I honestly consider that bass line the "hook" in this song. Bobby Sheehan's body of work was amazing, and I never felt the band fully recovered from his loss.
As a complete amateur, my favorite part of this song is the fact that first it's a bait-and-switch, because the refrain sounds like it's going to be the hook, but then the _real_ hook is the bridge instead. And it still hooks you. The other day I was talking to a coworker about Blues Traveler, and when he asked who that is, I just started in with "suckitin suckitin suckitin suckitin if you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn-" and he knew what I was talking about immediately.
John is one of the top ten best Alt Rock artists of all time. Writing, compositions, vocals, and instrumental talent are all outstanding. I was “Hooked” the first time I heard a Blues Traveler song just like Dave Mathews was.
The guy on the couch (Ken Ober) was the host for a TV show on MTV called Remote Control. I used to watch it all the time when I was young. It's a very fitting and ironic scene of him using a remote control like this in this video. Sadly, he passed away in 2009 of heart problems. John Popper is probably the best Harmonica player I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot of music. He helped out Metallica on a cover of Tuesday's Gone from Lynyrd Skynyrd.
I am so glad you finally got to this track. Its a flawless shot at the industry as a whole and it went over so many people's heads. Even 30 years ago. I always called the growl in John's voice his "grit". Like an old blues singer. And he's so unbelievably talented wirh range, lyrics, and the harp. And the face you made when the rap started was incredible. 😂 I couldnt wait for your reaction to that. Blues Traveler is wildly underrated, and immensely talented.
I love that he actually uses harmonica techniques in his singing, so his unique voice sounds similar to his harmonica rhythms. Such a cohesive and incredible sound.
There is so much to love about this ultimate insult to the industry of a song! From the chord progression to the lyrics, it's a masterpiece! It was one of my favorite covers we did as a band, it's so much fun to sing. I can't wait to see your reaction!
Blues Traveler was a big part of my teen years. Love their music. Whenever I'm having a rough day they can always turn my mood around and make me feel better.
Saw them live about a month ago and still killing the vocals and harmonica solos! They did a cover of "Devil went down to Georgia" but instead of a fiddle it was the harmonica, and it was AMAZING
Saw em 2 times so far and I’ll drive 500 miles to see em again if they get close. I’ve seen a lot of live music, and they are as you saw one of the best I’ve seen hands down
I became a fan in the 90s, when I was in college, and finally saw them in concert when I was studying in London in Fall ‘94. I went alone, but the small club was jam-packed with fans, mostly Americans. Unforgettable show!
@EBrenry that's awesome. I saw them at a little club in Charlottesville va. The very same club that Dave Matthew's started in at about the same tine. The place was super packed. I saw a bunch of good shows there. Sadly I never saw Dave there though.
I still remember the first time I heard this song, I must have gone back over it 15 times. There is so much going on and every single one of them is a beast of a musician.
One of the most underrated bands of rhe 90's. His voice is so unique and he has so much control over it. Very unique band and a voice that is recognized in a single note. John is awesome!
@@misterkiteYet somehow this woman, who’s a self proclaimed music expert, who was clearly alive when this song was out, and being played repeatedly, has never heard it….Great content. Very believable.
I would not say underrated. I heard Runaround so damn much I declared an internal holy war on this band for 2 decades. I heard this one later and found it clever, but only now just saw how damn technical it was to pull off.
What to do with all that talent eh? What a legend. I think that harmonica explains what he's doing vocally as well right? Those trilly and glotty inflections at the end of lines, he's singing with the same vocal and tongue movements he'd use while playing the harmonica?
I remember seeing John Popper back in the day come out on stage with a tactical harmonica vest. He had like 12 different sized harmonicas loaded up. I've never heard someone play it as awesome as he does.
The way that the Kinchla brothers just chew at the bass and guitar in the “bridge” section is missed by many. Unbelievable musicianship by ALL in Blues Traveler. Great video, thanks for this!
The chord progression of "Hook" is very similar to the basic structure of Pachelbel's Canon in D,[3][4] (D-A-Bm-F♯m-G-D-G-A, or I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V), but transposed to the key of A major. This chord progression is widely used in popular music, often as the hook, leading to other satirical takes on the use of this chord structure.
I'm kind of surprised our classically-trained opera singer didn't catch the Johann Pachelbel's Canon chord progression. For fun, check out Pachelbel Rant.
That’s part of the joke. The whole song is about how no one actually cares about the song so long as the “hook” is good. He drives this home by writing to the same cords the Canon in D; one of the most popular melody’s in history.
@@critic2029 The first few notes of the harmonica solo and the "suck it in, suck it in, ..." parts mimic the Pachelbel's Canon melodies too. It's pretty blatant.
This song is such a brilliantly crafted critique of the recording industry. The lyrics are so intelligently crafted. It is so well done, it won them several awards, from the very industry they were being critical of.
It's because the industry has no self awareness. They'll celebrate the song making a real critique of them, act like they're in on it and cool with making fun of themselves, then just keep plugging along doing the exact same things they've supposedly acknowledged are wrong because they have fully accepted what cynical soulless money grubbers they are.
@@Toastybees It's because the industry doesn't care. You make them money, they couldn't give a shite less what you talk about, including them. It's a business. Practical. Everyone wins.
It's such a joy to watch someone listen to a fun song like this for the first time. Welcome to the 90s :) Such a powerful voice... not unlike that of a Canon lol
As a reasonably adept blues harmonica player, I am continually in awe of John Popper and the insanely good licks and runs he puts together. His overblow and bending techniques are exquisite and the sheer speed of the individual notes, yet each sounding with clarity, puts him right at the top of the tree. My only regret is that we don't get to see more of Blues Traveller in the film Blues Brothers 2000 😊
Another metalhead chiming in to say how much I love this song. I am in my 40s and this just brings back all the nostalgia. To this day i can still recite the fast part from memory. Also, its been a rough few weeks and this brought a huge smile to my face, so thanks as always for letting your joy radiate and sharing it with us.
I was into the hardcore punk scene and later the metal scene. I’ve seen Blues Traveler live 3 times in the last 20 years. Amazing live show. At times they just get into a groove of a song and then just jam and improv or 5 minutes before going back into the song seamlessly. If they are ever near you I strongly recommend seeing them.
Yeah, same. I didn't appreciate a lot of stuff back then that I do now. In my mid-fifties now and for the last decade or so I've been digging into a lot of stuff '80's me used to disregard as beneath me. It's weird how that works, huh? Good luck brother, and I hope if the rough times aren't over you at least keep smiling.
This is the happiest I’ve been for you to discover an amazing song! I’ve watched several of your videos and this popped up after watching this song 5 times straight.
I had the opportunity to film an interview with Popper right before this album was released and the band broke out. The interviewer asked what Popper thought of being "the Jimi Hendrix of harmonica", Popper replied" I'd rather be known as the John Popper of harmonica". The BEST reply.
Ian Anderson, while being an amazing musician, never was anything close to a great flute player. The use of it in ho Is music is great but the playing is so so. As far as self trained rock musicians playing flute, Chris Wood from Traffic is much better.
Ahh yes, the 90's. Such a unique era of music - so many genres and combination of genres all thrown into the mainstream radio airplay. Singer-songwriter acoustic hits, soft rock, alternative rock, hip hop, pop, nu metal, rap rock, punk, folk, ska... great time to be a youth exposed to a lot of everything, plus the exposure to classics from my parents. Looking forward to Elizabeth exploring more of the 90's/00's! Barely scratched the surface.
The real interesting thing is they managed to intermingle genres without watering them down. The basis of modern pop music feels like someone smashed together all the genres but lost what made them interesting, resulting in a bland every-sound and no-personality to the tracking. Makes me appreciate experiments like ElectroSwing even more.
Truly one of your best analysis videos, yet. You always give us a new appreciation for songs we have heard many times. Kind of like having children, we get to experience a song, for the first time, again, vicariously through you. Only with the knowledge that you add. What a joy! Thank you, Elizabeth, so much, for sharing that with us!
Always fantastic to see Blues Traveler get recognition. I also greatly appreciate the recognition of Popper's unique singing. His voice isn't particularly strange or out of the norm, but the way in which he uses it has always fascinated me.
I saw him perform solo in a bar on Capitol Hill in Seattle back in the early 2000's, not sure if he was on a break from Blues Traveller or if they'd broken up by then
This is hands down my favorite of all your videos. A master vocal coach dissecting a master vocalist through a master-level song. One thing I want to point out is that John does the vocals and harmonica playing himself. So as he comes off of a monster harmonica solo he goes back into insane singing. Just the breath control of this man is not of this world.
Honestly one of the greatest songs of all time. Musically, lyrically, conceptually it still blows me away despite listening regularly for decades at this point
This song is genius! He tells you right off the bat that he is saying nothing of importance, but his delivery makes you think it is important--and will keep you coming back for more. And no one plays the harmonica like John Popper. You actually hear individual notes being played--and it's not muddled. And as you've pointed out... the vocals are perfect in this song. Obviously, it's one of my all-time favorites.
Being the Master harmonica player that JP is, totally translates to being a great singer. The breath control, the inflection, etc. is all mouth and breath control. Awesome!
It's like listening to a song in another language, it's so fast that you can't understand anything except the Hook. Like knowing a few words of French, but the rest is just a long connection of sounds. I've always really enjoyed the song, but never knew what the hell he was singing most of the time. Maybe I'll have to go finally look up the lyrics. 😂
The 90s brought a lot of innovation to the music industry, and I miss the diversity that was there on the large scale. There's still a lot of acts that are really interesting like Idols, but largely there's only a few names in there that are prevalent and none of them offer the unique sound of Blues Traveler that come to mind. Sorry for the ranting comment, but it really sets these guys apart as to your point of them being next level.
I loved this song the first time I heard it. I went out and bought it that day. What she missed is the huge emotional effect it had on us at the time. What an enormous giant piece. I haven’t heard it in years and it immediately brought a tear to my eyes. Brilliant, sincere, wise, intelligent, awe inspiring, clever witty and smart.
I know you don’t analyze lyrics, but this song has one of my favorite lines of all time, “No matter how much Peter loved her, what made The Pan refuse to grow, is that The Hook brings you back.” So great!
So it is about Peter Pan after all! I'm so confused. Like he predicted! Not only is the music genius, but the lyrics are as meta as they can possibly get.
I would only correct you in saying that they ARE a great band. I've seen them live just about every year for the last 4-5 years, and the whole band is just amazing. Popper's voice and harmonica playing haven't faded one bit.
My first song was Crash and Burn from the 1996 Live from the Fall album. Because of this the studio version feels so slow and boring! Love when bands speed up those type of songs live. Gives them so much more life and energy.
SOMETHING YOU MISSED!!!! So one of my favorite things about his voice is that when he does those falloff trails of two or three notes at the end of a melodic line. That is actually mirroring and mimicking both the fall and sound of his harmonica. So both of his instruments - his voice and harmonica - are matched and share the same tone and delivery. This was one of my first favorite songs growing up and i honestly got a little emotional watching you enjoy it so much and get alot of the things i did that made me love it so. Love your channel!
I always wondered if his singing style influenced his harmonica style or was it the other way. I lean toward his harmonica playing is what made his singing style so unique.
What a great observation! I loved this band when I was inro'd to it by a work friend somewhere around 1991 and I never noticed that. Now I have to listen to their other stuff and that's not a bad thing.
The reason his seemingly odd vocal choices just work is because every note is saturated with how much he loves singing them. We feel it because he feels it. He seems to me like someone who probably didn’t have actual vocal training, but instead has just been singing since he could talk. He sings what feels good to him. John Popper is one of a kind
He also has some insane breath control. In school band he played the tuba, so he had to practice, you know, that diaphragmatic breathing. He could belt this stuff out with real feeling.
I was 7 years old when this album came out. My parents had just gotten divorced and I was starting to develop my own musical taste. This song, and CD, carried me through a lot of pain as a child. I'm 37 now and every time I hear this, it takes me right back to being that 7 year old boy. It really means a lot to me that you reacted to Blues Traveler. Such an underrated band. "Just Wait" is a great song off that album. Worth a listen to even if not reacting to it.
I used to frequent The Wetlands in NYC where Blues Traveler was practically the house band. Seeing them live in that intimate venue was some of the best times of my youth. They had the whole place dancing up a storm every time they played.
Run Around as people have mentioned, The Mountains Win Again, Crystal Flame, 100 Years, Just Wait, Alone, and Price To Pay are just *some* really good highlights of John's vocal talent and harmonica expertise
I agree with all of those and would add; Sweet Pain, Slow Change, Onslaught, & Look Around. Just amazing talent... Saw them live, 20-some odd years ago, was a great show in a small venue... The whole band was great.// Bought their first album in 1991 or '92... been hooked since... RIP Bobby...
I can remember the last time I saw Blues Traveler, and they played 2 2-hour sets! The last song of the first set, they played a cover of the Charlie Daniels Band, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, and John played all the fiddle parts FLAWLESSLY on harmonica. I could not comprehend how the man didn't pass out on stage... Unbelievable.
I forgot how good Blues Traveler was. I don't hear them on the various media outlets often. Thanks for reminding me and going in depth on his vocal stylings. :) I bought Four because of this video.
Yes! More Blues Traveler is needed. Please do "The mountains win again". Get a live version. They're a jam band and will turn a 4 minute radio song into a 20 minute exploration of sound.
I love that you explained all this about his voice and what he was doing. I got a John Puffer story. I play harmonica and I am in a FB group for one. We had a discussion about who we like the best and John himself jumped in to let us know that he appreciated being part of the discussion but there is no 'best" player because of the different styles and people have their own opinions anyway. What a nice world we live in for that to be able to happen.
The singer / keyboardist from 17:00 to 18:00 who is part of the duet was Paul Schaffer, who led the band for "Late Night with David Letterman." He also played for SNL in the seventies and with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi when they teamed up as the "Blues Brothers" which may have been a inspiration for this group. Shaffer was an immensely influential and talented musician you ought to look into.
You just made me realize as a young preteen discovering alternative rock on MTV in the 90s I think this was the first thing I saw Paul in. And in fact I think I mistook him for Andy Dick originally, sorry to say haha.
The guy channel surfing throughout the video is Ken Ober- an actor and comedian who was also the host of the MTV's first ever game show _Remote Control._
"The singer / keyboardist from 17:00 to 18:00 who is part of the duet was Paul Schaffer" THANK YOU! I was like, 'I might be trippin but that dude looks a hell of a lot like the on-set musician for David Letterman'. But just wasn't quite poitive... Now you've settled it for me and I can move on with my life. So relieved!
This album is one of my favorite of all genres of music from the last 5 decades, I knew the voice was special but I really loved the technical breakdown of why Popper was so spectacular; this was probably my favorite reaction videos you have ever done! Bravo!!
Popper is AMAZING with the harmonica. He has 14, all different notes and ranges. He wears them on a vest or belt as he performs for quick access. I have always been a fan of the harmonica and he is the most versatile player by far.
How he can fly through that rap and still have the lungs to powerfully deliver a full HOOOOK at the end is very impressive. It drives home the passion that had been building as if the hook was saying I told you so of the rap. Just so cool.
it's good, but he does take a full breath. there is a pause with plenty of time to fill your lungs. a good wind player will practice being able to fully exhale and breath in completely within a very short time
Conquer Me, Optimistic Thought, Crystal Flame, Mountains Win, NYC Prophesy, Crystal Flame, Love & Greed, All In The Groove, Sweet Talking Hippie, Alone, Mountain Cry, Sweet Pain… their catalog is as good as any band who ever played
if I had someone show me as much as you have in these videos and with as much of a sense of awe and wonder back when I tried being a music major after high school... I wouldn't have lost my passion and dropped out.
It was a blast to see you enjoy one of my favorites from back in the day! This was my first time seeing one of your videos, but I'm 'hooked'. Inciteful, a terrific understanding of composition and voice work, and you truly seem to be enjoying it. Looking forward to many more. - Cheers!!
I don’t know how these guys didn’t make it bigger than they did. They were a band that metal heads, pop, and many other genres of music fans all seemed to like. They had a bit of something for everyone in their style.
Popper's voice surfs the soundwaves like a world champ, the lyrics are nothing short of genius, and the composition and production are exquisitely crafted and precisely tailored to the theme of the lyrics. This is one of my favorite overall songs, absolute S-tier.
This is one of my all-time favs, which is why it was so strange a few years back when I walked into a diner in NY and the waitress was star struck because she thought I was John Popper. I had to let her down because while I had the sideburns, the hat, and the weight, I don't have a fraction of that man's talent (although I am learning harmonica) and I felt terrible about it through the whole meal. Anyway, just wanted to say it was such a wonderful experience watching you experiencing the song for the first time. Your expertise really opened up new areas to appreciate the song, but just seeing your excitement felt so satisfying because someone else was getting the same thrill I did when I first heard it.
Beautiful reaction! Seeing them tomorrow. I have a special place for them as I have great memories hearing them for the first time when I was a budding teenager.
Saw these guys at Boomtown Days in Joplin, MO the year after the devastating F5 Tornado destroyed the city. They were scheduled to play the year before, but could not due to the extent of the damages. They came back the next year and played a 3 hour show, after which they donated all the money they received from booking to the Joplin tornado relief effort. John Popper is a class act, and true legend. Still my favorite live show to this day.
My parents were living in Joplin at that time. Luckily their house was about a half mile or so from the path and they were both out of town when it happened. They had some damage to their roof but that was about it, thankfully.
