@@Aahhabdnd I think it's fine, I'm completely well adjusted and I'm normal, I'd rather be normal. Yes, so normal. I suggest that we keep this informal. Cause a normal human being wouldn't need to pretend to be normal
@@pedroian5964it’s kinda up beat. Idk it’s hard to say if it’s positive or negative due to how complex and difficult dealing with one’s gender identity is, but it’s certainly a catchy song.
Don't worry about not necessarily getting every reference Will Wood makes, because while there are a lot of interesting associations Will has gone on the record saying that he likes to put in things people might have to Google when listening to his songs/looking at his titles. And there are certain parts of songs that when asked about he says he put it in there because he thought the wordplay sounded nice or wanted to invoke an idea generally, but not really a super meaningful phrase
@@MarcyTheKindaCoolWizard before he lost the Tape Worms, his 2012 album had me get into all sorts of obscure Buddhist belief just to understand the names and references lol. Still my favorite work of is because, honestly I don't personally like his slower music from a taste perspective. I do, though, like the fact that you can genuinely hear his growth and healing album by album, it's very refreshing, not as music to me personally. But as Art, and as a journey of self discovery and self love.
@@LoachAo the rest of the tapeworms were still in the band in after self-ish? the artist title changed for, according to him, complicated marketing stuff or something. idk.
@@scrunkliestscrimbo9981 Oh, yeah, I knew that but I didn't convey that very well lol, thanks for clearing it up for some who maybe didn't know that. I was just being pedantic with the way I said it, but I just meant to give a timeline. Apparently Will was getting frustrated with the image he boxed himself into and wanted to explore more with creative liberty so he changed the persona he created for the band.
The reason these songs are so well documented and annotated is because somehow will wood is able to capture the minds of autistic people who will put in the time and effort to fully analyse and dig really deep into his work lol I’m only at laplaces angel right now but I can tell this video is so amazing
Haha I’m autistic and currently writing song analysis for his unreleased songs right this second, 900 words for nobody so far and I’m starting my second one for you are love
@@stitchgor3 it’s not the best but I’ll try and find it for you, I ended up doing nobody and blackboxwarrior instead of you are love because blackboxwarrior is cool, also it’s my personal take on what I think nobody means and may be viewed in different ways anyways imma find my laptop so I can copy it into here
this video made me realize the importance of “memento mori” as a song in this album because, yes, “love, me normally” does sound like the end of the album-this album of all these songs talking about worries and concerns and paranoia and all of these negative things that feel like the most important thing in the world at the time, and then “memento mori: the most important thing in the world” comes in erasing that idea (even in the name). It tells that even though you may have these worries, they really don’t matter because you’re going to die someday and not be thinking about these things. Even if it is a short and comedic song, it holds so much power in this album and I love that so much. This album truly is genius and no matter how many times I listen to it, I will never get tired of it. Its themes are some I doubt many other albums in the world have or ever will have, and it’s so beautifully unique that nobody could ever replicate it. Amazing analysis, by the way. Will Wood has talked about the comedic elements in his songs and I didn’t realize many of them until he even said that he uses a lot of humor in his songs (aside from the speaking parts in outliars and hyppocrates and the overall comedic quality of memento mori), so kudos to you for catching onto that. Amazing watch! That was fun, goodbye!
everyone always says this lol do you know where he said it? i'd love to see/hear it 'cause every time i've heard him tell people how it's pronounced, he said it was "second sight seer" and that he didn't realize so many people would struggle with it
1:00:00 Wait. Are you saying that this whole album DOESN'T sound like someone having a mental breakdown while recording? The first his song i heard was Laplace's angel and i got the "someone's desperate to be heard" vibe almost immediately. Without really understanding the lyrics too. It just didnt sound too happy for me. Especially in the end of the song, because just by the tone of voice you can say that all the emotions there are negative lol
oh yeah the overriding emotion is definitely pain regardless of the tone/melody of the given song - in a way the conflict between "happy" songs and straining, masking delivery is the point
I am nearly begging you to listen to the rest of his songs! His albums have gotten more and more mellow really, his most recent one is really low-key with the exception of two songs (one of which isn't a song but just a few minutes of an AI voice speaking to us)
An enthralling analysis and entertaining first reaction to my favourite artist. As a long-ish time fan of Will Wood, I have a lot of background for the music and have heard his various explanations of lyric meanings, titles, etc. but you still brought up so much I had never considered before. Your comment on "dark jazz" especially made me laugh as Will has stated in the past that he doesn't really want to be known as the "evil jazz" guy anymore, which definitely shows in his newest album. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the rest of his discography!
@@crayjandthewackjobs Ah fair enough, I haven't seen that clip. Although I always interpreted it as him saying he doesn't mind the term, just that he doesn't want to be stuck in that genre forever.
Memento Mori feels almost like a bonus track after the bombastic finale of Love, Me Normally. I think it's less about the idea of "live every day like it's your last" and more like, don't worry about it so much. Don't try to be normal, don't try to be unique, just be yourself and do what brings you the most joy, because you'll only get one chance. Remember: you're going to die one day. Don't waste your life trying to be someone you're not
As a person who has dissected this album to the very syllable of every word your reaction and analysis were amazing. When you first started talking about his lyrics and how he writes his lyrics first and the music come after reminded me of when I first started really digging deep into the lyrics of the songs. And it is actually how he makes music! And also seeing you basically be like "i dont get this song" to it slowly sinking in and you digging into it and starting to understand it more just shows how powerful those lyrics are because once you really sit down and read and think about it it really just feels like this "holy shit" moment as all the puzzle pieces start falling into place. And thank you for making this video becasue stuff like this always makes me fall in love with will's music all over again and even brought tears to my eyes at some parts when you reminded me of why i fell in love with his music in the first place!
Love how you’re talking about I/Me/Myself as a Cis man, you seem pretty educated :D I’m a trans man and I can say you’ve got it almost down perfect I take the song in a way of, no matter how you present or look you’re still *your own* gender Even if that gender doesn’t conform to how people might expect Making all these labels around being fem and masc sort of solidifies the idea that those are real things When the whole point of being trans for me is that gender norms aren’t based in truth and I can act however I want and still *be a man*
i just wanted to put it out there that I/Me/Myself has a demo version with a different bridge, going Lately I've been wishing I were five-foot five, weighing 99, wearing thigh highs I'll be your prosthetic meat/meet your anesthetic criteria Would you please objectify me? I'm-a just-a hunk-a hunk of burning self-loathing My evidence, my witness When I'm caught breaking the laws of physics
also, one thing ive noticed about will wood is that he puts in a lot of callbacks to other songs of his. like in outliars and hyppocrates, the aye aye aye aye is a callback to the song chemical overreaction, and in memento mori, the horn line at 1:45 is a callback to front street. im sure there are others, but those are just a few.
Omg yes will wood reaction, would love to see more of his work (like In Case I Make It, SELF-ISH (2020 remaster), and Everything is A Lot (2020 remaster))
@@omeganave7425yeah there are some songs I prefer the original, but I do feel the 2020 remasters just tweaked enough to enhance the listening experience overall. for example, I prefer the 2020 remaster of Dr. Sunshine mostly because it removes the awkward 7-second silence at the end of the original
@@calechipconecrimes fair enough. There are definitely some great improvements on some of the tracks, like I actually really like the extra verse at the end of Neurotic/Erotic, and the fact that Everything Is a Lot and Destroy To Enjoy are separate tracks. But I really miss things like the samples at the start and end of Thermodynamic Lawyer.
Everything is A Lot just isnt the same in the remaster. It needs the silly little audio bits at the beginings of Thermodynamic Lawyer and Chemical Overreaction
New edit of the album came out called, "The New Normal" wirh some different takes, effects, and mixing stuff done on all but 1 track! i wouldn't say it warrants a video but might be fun for you listen to on your own
@@CriticalReactions no problem! personally I find it more punchy with more solid mixing aside from sound effect difference. Definitely still the same work if not, a little better :)
Laplace’s Angel is by far my favorite will wood song, it’s so nice to see someone who’s not reacting to the fnaf animation listen to it and actually take it in. Not enough people have given their opinions 😞
You made an over three hour video somehow so easy to sit through. I grew up with very sheltering boomer parents who were even restrictive on what music we listened to. Mostly 60s-80s country and rock with Christmas Music. I love Queen, Billy Joel , Simon and Garfunkel, and Meat Loaf. But it’s hard to enjoy new stuff. And while I usually got enough to listen to, I want more. And Will Wood and the band did just that. I was instantly lured in by the excitement and familiarity of the sounds. But there’s these new layers of exploration, contemplation and relatability especially through the lyrics that I wasn’t quite getting before. Will Wood and the Tapeworms are truly spectacular. I am not particularly musically learned, so it is quite tickling to see someone WHO IS be so impressed and wooed by this music and it’s creators as well. Thank you !
In some point during the video you said it feels like his old music is trying to break out from this mask of normality, and I guess you would be right In an interview he confirmed that it was about like the first half of the album written before he started taking medication, so you could say it's the old writing with the new "coat of paint" that makes it feel this way
My personal album tier list: I looove Will Wood's art so much, and although I think highly of The Normal Album, I only rank it third in my top Will Wood albums, even when it has some of my favorite songs and topics My second favorite is Everything is a lot, it's just a great album, the reason I put it above The Normal Album is because not only it has 10/10 songs, but he has done several live performances of them in which he changes them up and hearing the improved version of something you thought was perfect is insane (whenever you check Everything is a lot out, I recommend you check out, either on video or in your own time, "Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva", the live version of track #2 of the album "Skeleton Appreciation Day (in Vestal, NY)") My absolute favorite of his albums is Self-ish, because although I feel like some songs aren't as strong as Everything is a lot, the topics consistently hit home for me, and the sound makes it so I can have a great time listening to it passively or actively The In case I make it album I like a lot, however I haven't grown attached to it like with the others yet, just gotta give it more time Some tracks from Camp Here & There soundtrack are fucking amazing, but I mostly follow Will for the lyrics, so I don't really think about them much lmao
“In case I make It” is easily #1 for me, ICIMI is my favorite album from Will and my second favorite album of all time and it’s simply… perfect to me. it is depressing but at the same time very comforting for some reason. it is ALMOST #1 of all time but it just doesn’t get to that point unfortunately because of You Liked This (Okay, Computer) Everything is a Lot is my 2nd favorite. it’s not the most technically impressive or well made, it just feels so heartfelt and .. real for lack of a better word. i adore how bleak it can be and also how relatable a lot of it is. i wish The Normal Album wasn’t simply #3, but it is. i have listened to it hundreds of time and it has NEVER gotten old and i think it has zero flaws. it’s relatable, wonderfully written, and genius, but i just have less of a connection to it i actually can’t pick between Camp Here & There and SELF-iSH. originally, i didn’t care much for CH&T but recently, i’ve gained a new appreciation for it. it feels like a combination of The Normal Album and ICIMI, and i love it, despite being just the soundtrack of a podcast. SELF-iSH is fantastic, but the opposite effect happened with me. over time, i’ve kinda just . loved it less and less. i still think its amazing and a masterpiece in a lot of ways, but its very obvious that it was rushed. still a very good concept album and i adore the darker themes on it
@@blairebelarus I totally get what you mean Personally I think that ICIMI is great, but some of the topics have either not had enough time to hit me, or songs don't portray the genuine emotions they talk about in a manner that I can connect Like, I like the sound but I still have a disconnection from the themes and lyrics, which is my favorite part of Will Wood It does still have some songs and topics I love, which is why despite being my #4, I would rank some songs in my top 10 favorite Will Wood songs I think I have EIAL as first precisely because of how RAW it feels, like it all feels like it comes from the heart and didn't need much else added And totally feel you about TNA, when put against everything else it's just a masterpiece, but when put against more Will Wood, I don't think I can put it above there
I’d like to add my view to the finale song, because as someone with a chronic mental illness it hit really hard. Love, Me Normally feels like a desperate search for love despite your illness making it incredibly difficult to have healthy romantic relationships. The line “is it courageous or escapist to leave the quarantine when you’re contagious, it may just be a cold” hits so hard because I’ve had that thought myself. Am I a brave love seeker if I know that my love will hurt the person I’m close to- and the denial that crops up when you think maybe you were misdiagnosed or it’s not really that bad anymore, so you leave the “quarantine” of your isolation anyway, and repeat the cycle. You want to keep things informal with this person because you know (or at least fear, it’s not true) that you could never have a normal, healthy relationship like your partner deserves. You desperately try to be normal and healthy, because they deserve it and you love them, but you ultimately can’t because you’re not normal. You just want to be loved like everyone else is. Also you skimmed over it but “I was nothing before so I couldn’t have asked to be born, I’ll be nothing again so what am I between now and then? Is there nothing to fear, ‘cause shits getting weird! So to God who made this man, you better have one hell of a plan” is the best finale line in the history of finale lines
I have another way of looking at that particular line, about whether it is courageous or escapists to find love. I have bipolar disorder, and so I know that there is a gareuntee that I will face depressive episodes and they aren't based on my environment but just a chemical imbalance. And so i constantly think to myself, am I absolutely going to kill myself one day? Is that suicidal tendency going to be too strong one day? And if so, and I allow myself to find love, have children, and make friends am I cursing them with a connection that will end by my own hands one day? Is it selfish to love, as someone who can't confirm my ability to not ruin it all in the end. Am I going to pass my trauma on my child one day. That confliction is so heavy on my mind, and that line in that song felt like I've been genuinely seen for the first time.
I watched the whole thing. This is my favourite album, and your reaction and analysis was sublime. You understood it in a way that took me several listens to get. It's obvious you know your way around music but the explanations of the more introspective things of the lyrics were great. His previous albums were more on the more chaotic side, especially the second one, and the lyrics are still deep and fun; but personally I prefer his latest album (and I guess Will does too), which is much more personal and acoustic. I loved the video!
Will is probably my favorite artist so it was incredible seeing your reaction and analysis on this album! You should definitely check out his first and his most recent albums, "Everything is A Lot" and "In Case I Make It". I think you'd have a lot of fun analyzing those two since they delve into very different phases of his life (and that reflects pretty clearly in the music and lyricism).
The first time I listened to Will Wood was in April 2021 and it changed my life forever, it was the song 2012 released in 2016 I could talk for hours about Will Wood, but I don't because I would lose so many friends it would get boring at some point.. but ! The thing is, there's so many things to say about Will Wood, his past, his present, and I can't wait to hear and see what he's gonna do in the future even though as I'm writing this he's on a big hiatus
Amazing analysis. I really appreciate someone looking at the musical content of this album more heavily here, as the really tight and tasteful playing / composition often is overlooked in favour of (understandably) combing over the lyrics. I didn't see anyone else mention this in the comments, but the biggest musical influence on 2econd 2ight 2eer seems to be Oingo Boingo to my ears. Parts of it remind me of Weird Science with an injection of Ska or two-tone due to the speed and horn section.
My plan was originally to just put this in the background, but after seeing the absolutely glorious faces of confusion I decided I simply had to watch because it was too good to miss. Literally one of the best music analysis channels I've found, like- ever. personally I think you should do another video like this one about the earlier albums! SELF-iSH provides really good context for some other songs so I'd recommend if you plan on listening to In Case I Make It, that you check that one out first. Everything Is A Lot goes hard tho tbh if you want fun songs I'd recommend that one :)
Also it is such arelief to see someone actually analyze it. It would be so cool to see you react to his older stuff (as in the work with his band Will Wood and the Tapeworms).Also I would absoloutly love it it you maybe would review an album by the Violent Femmes? They are another band that have alot of sounds although their first album was more pop for the time just to get onto peoples radars but I truly recomend them. Thanks for the amazing review!!
I always felt like I/Me/Myself was about unrequited love specifically to someone who is straight. When he says he wishes he were a girl I took it more as wanting that because he wants the love of the guy he likes. Over the song he becomes more and more frustrated with not getting his love returned. The last time the chorus is sung it sounds almost like he is mocking his past self for being so vulnerable and having hope that it might work out.
as a will wood fan, im so here for this analysis! wills other albums are amazing as well, but have a box of tissues on hand for In Case I Make It. youll need em anyway, you brought up a lot of ideas that ive never even had, and now im seeing this album in a whole new way. thank you so much!!
you should definitely check out more will wood! I would suggest though to listen to self-ish (the previous album) before the newest album that he has. i feel thematically it makes more sense and some of the jokes would make way more sense then.
I beg you to do another Will Wood reaction, I would recomend starting with the older albums first and then going to the later ones, that way the last one (I mean "In Case I Make It", not "The New Normal since that's a remake) hits a lot harder, also, I should clarify that "Camp Here And There" is the soundtrack of a podcast so if you try to understand the lyrics it will be a little tricky
I do want to say: I was getting worried that you’d hit off the mark for lyrical analysis in I / Me / Myself, but wow, after analyzing the outro, you were REALLY on point! I / Me / Myself’s self-satirical perspective on gender has really helped my journey from jumping around to doing away with any gender labels.
Incredibly underrated analysis! As someone who loves Will Wood, getting to hear people's opinions and interpretations is so rewarding and you certainly delivered! I definitely reccomend the earlier albums like Self-Ish if you're looking for something more fun on the surface. Very well constructed video, thank you and subscribed!
I just sat through a 3-hour reaction, so I may come back and leave a more eloquent comment later, but your reaction and analysis is amazing to listen to and I truly hope you'll come back to listen to more Will Wood on this channel.
Love this analysis, how you went into depth with the lyrics, realizing the depth behind the lyrics while also aknowleging the comedy. I'm a huge fan of Will Wood, and it's awesome seeing someone really dig into it. If you wanna check out his other stuff, I'd start with his first album Everything is a Lot, followed by Self-ISH, and then ending with his newest and potentially final album, In Case I Make It.
Awesome to see that people are still discovering his music, it's incredibly unique and people usually seem to hate it or love it. I'm musically retarded and hardly understood the chord and time signature talk, but you cleary know what you're talking about! As far as your interpretation of his lyrics, use of genre as a vehicle, and on general themes goes, I think you got it mostly right 😊
We all believe our selves to be different, to be wierd to be spetial, so we all think we can identify and understand this album, but if you aren't really abnormal there's some stuff that you'll never get right about it.
From what I’ve seen, blackbox is about mental health medication. The BlackBox referring to the label on some medication that could be harmful or even make you worse (hence the lyrics on side effects, “if it was gonna kill you it would have by now” and the overall topic of normality) it’s also hinted at at the end of the music video for Love Me, Normally. Though genius does have a lot of interesting interpretations
Wow! Amazing analysis!! Personally, I am a huge litericism fan, and sometimes I don’t notice everything that’s happening behind the scenes 😂 It’s so amazing to hear about the details in beat, key, and whatnot! Definitely going to subscribe!
Love this analysis! I sometimes slap on a video to listen to like a podcast while I'm working and this was perfect. Also thanks for the mature take on I/me/myself, from all I've read and analysed you were spot on with what Will Wood was trying to say with it. Too many people are still putting themselves and others in boxes in terms of how they're allowed to act, like we've realised as a society by now that gay people don't have to be camp, but we haven't realised the equivalent as being true of people of different gender identities. So many thought-provoking themes to explore in this album :)
This is honestly my comfort video LOL. Watching people react to my favorite music artists always makes me happy for some reason-- unfortunately, there aren't very many WW reactions out there, haha-- and I particularly love how in-depth your analysis is! Thanks a bunch :D
sir, my dude, i know this is very late, but i beg of you with my full soul to do an analysis on will's most recent album, "In Case I Make It,". It is so good i promise and every time i listen to it i think about the lyrics and the meaning and it makes me want to cry please its so good i beg of you ok thanks for reading maybe idk bye
Ok so it took me a few listens for me to figure out what marsha reminded me of, and I don’t know how many people here will know who this is, but it reminds me of Meatloaf (of course I mean the singer), with the specific way the theatrics of the vocals are, it’s hard to describe, but if you’ve heard a song like bat out of hell you’ll know what I’m talking about.
1:09:26 If you consider the styles of the songs in this album as a setting indicator, that could put “Laplace’s Angel” right after World War II. See, Latin America was one of the few places that wasn’t involved in the war. Because of that, there was a brief period where Latin Ballroom was the dominant pop sound in the US, almost as a means of escapism. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to think that the speaker in this song may have been in the war, and is now trying to reconcile his past actions with his desire to live a “Normal” civilian life.
I'm only on the second song of the review, but loving it so far! Thanks for doing reviews like these, even of less well known artists. If you have a further interest in Will Wood, I really recommend listening through the album Self-Ish. It deals with similar themes of mental health, more from the perspective of the "self" rather than "society". It also is made up almost entirely of that gritty, theatrical, dark jazz/cabaret sound that you thought sounded so authentic in the Vampire Culture movement. To me, it is very much the sound of Will Wood (even though I think The Normal Album pushed the band and themes even further). The mixing on Self-Ish is a little messier than The Normal Album, and there is a remastered version that cleans it up a bit, although I personally prefer the original mix. A matter of taste, I guess.
I'm on Laplace's Angel now, and one of the reasons it might feel less referential and more Will Wood is that the tune was actually written before this album. It used to have different verses, but I think the chorus is pretty much unchanged from his earlier work.
Better than the Alternative hit me really hard on this listen. Despite how blissful, as you said, the sound is, to me it feels like one of the most desperate and honest tracks on the album. The vocals go from matching the tone of the music to really crying out for anyone who will listen. That loss of innocence is palpable. Fun fact, though, the opening verse is chock full of references to Eleven from Stranger Things. Apparently she's one of his favorite characters, to the point his (entirely fictional, it's some sort of inside joke) daughter is named after the actress.
@@CriticalReactions thats cool, i look forward to it if you do :) my favorite personally is "in case i make it", its very different from their other stuff
@@wwandmitski that album is good too, tbh i like all of them but i REALLY love icmi cause of the more emotional vibe,,, but sometimes im more in the mood for the unhinged stuff so lol
This video made me see a new perspective of the normal album but at least to me I feel like the only way you can explain Blackboxwarrior and Memento Mori would be if this album would be the story of a fallout and recovery of drug addiction
16:24 I’d like to start off by saying I’m so glad this albums getting reviews!! I’ve been listening to Will since ~2017-2018 and the production into this album is one that had me hyped for SOOOO long! The section I tagged on the timeline is one where you mention his vocals in the 2nd section of vampire culture- and trust me- his vocals were not healthy AT ALL, creating this false chord kinda growl. In the documentary (I think it’s mentioned) where he went thru hell to get his vocals just right. Chain smoking cigs and then having hot food can only get ya so far, his songs used to have more vocals like that but in one last hurrah he wanted to let them go in this KILLER track. Keep up the good work man; surprised i only just saw this. Idk if we have reviewed his newest album yet (discluding the live album) but I reccomend!
i watched a couple of your videos before watching this one but your articulate and thoughtful discussion of i/me/myself is what convinced me to subscribe!
I recommend you start on his first few albums to see how will wood had changed from his old stuff to his newer work also I liked this video its a lot of info and nice seeing a new guy entering the world of will wood
really enjoyed seeing this analysis, definitely gonna scroll this channels backlogs to see what other music I love you've tackled. I would totally recommend the rest of Will's music, but in particular I'd be super interested to see what you make of the musical evolution he goes through between this album and his latest, "in case I make it," if you ever want to make a follow up to this video. great work!
Im not finished with the video but you really should listen and make another analysis of Will Woods next album ‘in case I make it’ it has a more sadder theme and I’ve cried over the songs in the album before plus I can’t find any other analysis about ‘in case I make it’
Tbh I fuckikg love will wood all his songs are amazing and while i have no idea what the hell hes even talking sbout most of the time (like that one part in blackbox warrior OKULTRA between 2:45 and 3:27 I have no clue what he's saying unless i use subtitles) But I'm quite literally a will wood addict at this point not even a fan because im so insane that i only listen to will wood music like only will wood and only him because i swear that shit is so good that i just cant get enough of his music Everyday when i go to school and when i am in school and when im leaving school i listem to will wood 24/7 last year i oniy had around 8 thousand minutes of spotify and i would bet that 99.99999999% of those 8 thousand minutes were will wood I only found him in june of 2023 and in the span of 6 months i was in the top 1% of his Listener's so can you imagine how much more i can get with a full 12 months But all in all i love this man i wish i could see him eith my own eyes because i swear to god if i did i would probably never open my eyes again Hell just last week i found my 2 new favorite's from Willy wood Also can you do the same but for his other album's if you haven't already i.e In case i die In case i make it Self-ish Everything is a lot These also house wome very good songs Like Front street Red moon Mr Capgras encounteres a second hand vanity 6oh 5up cop out (pro/con) 2012 The song with five names Thermodynamic: Lawyer , Esq GFD Chemical overreaction/compound fracture The main character Tomcat disposables
