The Ripoff Jukebox


Friday, June 6, 2008

25 or Brain Stew

Chicago, "25 or 6 to 4"
Green Day, "Brain Stew"

I think the similarities between these two songs vanishes after about 13 seconds, but for those first 13 seconds the songs swing in sweet sonic symbiotism. Chicago and Green Day, together at last. You wouldn't think Green Day would rip off jazz rock for a grunge punk riff, but maybe the two bands have more in common than I realized. You be the judge.

19 comments:

  1. Close but I didn't hear it completely the same - maybe because Green Day's was so much slower. I love Chicago! Don't like Green Day but maybe I'm must showing my age again *snicker*.

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  2. Chicago ripped it off of Led Zeppelin. Listen to "Babe, I'm gonna leave you. The song is a folk song written by Anne Bredon.

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    Replies
    1. And Zeppelin ripped off the Beatles. Listen to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

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  3. Chicago did not rip off Led Zeppelin because the rhythm is different and the only thing that they have in common is a descending bass line and as far as I know the descending bass line wasnt invented by Led Zeppelin. To rip off an idea you need to take the harmony and rhythm.

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  4. Well Green Day did not only rip of the guitar riff but the lyrical theme as well. Brain Stew is about insomnia and 25 or 6 to 4 seems to be as well.

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  5. Actually, I'm pretty sure brain stew is about doing a shit ton of drugs. "My mouth is dry, my face is numb, my eyes are bulging out my skull."

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    Replies
    1. He may have been doing more than his fair share of drugs, but the song is widely recognized as being about insomnia.

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    2. Billie Armstrong wrote the song when he was suffering from insomnia, but the song is about amphetamines. Crosstops are scored tablets (hence the cross) and spun out is a common expression for exhausion brought on by extended amphetamine/methamphetamine use.

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    3. "Should I try to do some more"? Seriously, 25 or 6 to 4 is about drugs as well. "Wanting just to stay awake" is not about insomnia, just the opposite. Now, hmm, what would you do at 3:34 in order to stay awake?

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  6. Actually, I think Chicago, Zeppelin, and Green Day all stole from The Beatles' 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', which I do believe predates them all.

    - Rev. Flash

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  7. Rev Flash you can't throw the Beatles in there like that, their dissension only consists of 4 notes, while the above mentioned all follow a 5 note pattern. But I do hear all the similarities in the above, but I don't think any were directly ripping it off as hard as Greenday did to Chicago.

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  8. Actually now that i listen again, Zeppelin is more like Chicago than I thought, more than Greenday definately

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  9. Green Day - Brain Stew
    Papa Roach - Last Resort
    Sick Puppies - Riptide

    Listen to the three of them one after another. The plagiarism is crystal clear.

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    Replies
    1. lol at papa roach

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    2. Brain Stew came out before those two songs.

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  10. Styx- Sweet Madame Blue

    This is getting rediculous.

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    Replies
    1. *Suite Madame Blue

      just kidding...but honestly this whole thing is hilariously ridiculous, not to mention the fact that I'm here because of a Freaks and Geeks reference to Chicago.

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  11. It's called Lament Bass. It's actually been a common chord progression that dates back to the earliest of classical music. It's a lot like 12-bar blues in that so many people have used it.
    Chicago's 25 or 6 to 4
    The Beatles' While My Guitar Gently Weeps
    Led Zeppelin's Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You
    Ray Charles' Hit the Road Jack
    I, Monster's Daydream in Blue
    Aerosmith's Dream On
    Cream's White Room
    Styx's Suite Madame Blue

    The list can go on forever.

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