In honor of my Pop Cultural Experience on Sunday, today’s version of Guitar Slide Wednesday features Taylor Swift. One particular moment in the concert (when the set and Ms. Swift were changing), her band’s two guitarists were featured and one of them gained my approval by playing a slide straight out of the 80s. The second time I noticed a guitar slide that evening was in the song featured below.
I think this song is kind of ridiculous, but it is certainly everything a pop song ought to be (catchy hook, easily accessible, a cute love story with hierarchical gender representations, what have you). Seriously, listen to it a couple of times and you’ll likely find it irresistable. What’s that? No, just me?
OK, well, in any event, it is enhanced (or redeemed) in its use of an Incredibly Dramatic Direct Modulation Up a Whole Step! But wait, there’s more!!! This key change is introduced by… you guessed it: a beautiful guitar slide. Skip to 3:00 in the video below to hear the build up and the slide happens around 3:16 and you’ll be humming that little chorus all day…
