Madness album - sign of the times
When the world is upside down, people express their views by writing to the newspaper or participate in a television vox pops. They might call talkback radio or simply jump on social media to express a point of view. Another technique is to write words and put music to it.
Comical musician Cameron Hons has used his writing and composing skills to get a message across to the world through his music. Darren McErlain from Classic Hits FM Drive Newcastle reviews a ground-breaking album that is destined to change how the world thinks.
The distribution of illegal copies of music has forced musical artists back into pub gigs. It had to be done because band members need to eat. It is a basic part of the human algorithm. However, the dreaded Covid19 came along and closed many performance venues, and in an unrelated way, restricted what shoppers could buy. This dried up the food supply and the money supply for many band members. The coronavirus didn’t discriminate against anyone, and even the famous million dollar bands went hungry – to some extent.
One talented artist had a solution. The kind heart of Cameron Hons worked on a ‘Deep Purple tribute album’ with huge artists in the music industry paid them for their services. This good fortune helped local Australian artists, and Hons’ contribution helped in a big way.
“I certainly helped a lot of my musical friends out during the making of that Deep Purple Tribute album during the lockdowns,” said a very modest Hons.
Comical Cameron has a clever way of trying to put a stop to things. If he is not paying artists to play on his albums, he makes Australia laugh. Not to forget their problems, but to think about the issues in a different way. It is not Big Government or Big Business. It is Big Nonsense. Nonsense that flows through the world when people get a LITTLE bit silly or ridiculous in a BIG way!
Each song from ‘This Madness has to stop’ speaks with a different tone and a unique message: the globe must calm down. Australia’s answer to Weird Al Yankovic is present on our very shores with Cameron Hons. Hons hasn’t gone political or tropical. Instrumentally – he is saying (singing) it like it is!
“I'm a big Weird Al fan since the early 2000's and I have seen him live a few times too, it's really hard to pick a favourite Weird Al song but if i'd have to say one it should be "Genius in France" from the 2003 album Poodle Hat,” said Cameron.
One song ‘Stop Panic Buying you Idiots’ brings many observations of the global pandemic to a standstill. Cameron’s solution to people with more than two packets of toilet paper demonstrates the frustration around the world. Singing “You are only making this all worse” brings emotions from the heart. The multimedia can help raise awareness but only Cameron’s music can take a new approach with the same angle. It is destined to soften the anxiety in the local community. His great finale’ is symbolic of what we all what in this pandemic; A finale’. Not to ourselves, but to the whole saga of general illness.
The introduction in ‘Stayin’ Alive’ is one of Hons best. One listener found it challenging to move to the next track, because of the addictive ballad and dance rhythm. In the world of objectivity, this listener will remain anonymous, however in the spirit of authenticity and subjectivity – it was me!
The track ‘Stayin’ Alive’ sounds like a pilates video meets a high-tech corporate video. It is very effective. The vocals of Cameron launched into “aliens are coming” and adds a beautiful science fiction feel to the song. It contains a dance mix with the best rhythm of all time. The Pet Shop boys would have been very proud with this sound. The track has an awakening feel that is designed to raise social awareness; It is a huge success for the listener.
Only Cameron has the ability to navigate an 80s audio effect into a song that brings purpose to the world. A synthesizing instrumental break opens the opportunity for a perfect repetitive echo to help get those observations come across. Perhaps a music video for this one is in the pipeline, and if not, IT SHOULD! This is a ballad with a difference that will transform so many lives. The song just ends with a very humorous twist that even the song couldn’t ‘stay alive’. It just ends. In the history of the world, this is the first Hons song that gets ten stars out of five. Yes, an improper fraction but the track is worth double the price, just for the experience.
Living in isolation has brought many challenges during Covid19. ‘Life would be so boring’ captures that era of time when the nation was in full lockdown. A jazzy/blues feel captures the moment. A situation that is still going on in some Victorian postcodes in Australia. Staying home has defined a new approach to boredom and how to make everything interesting. There are only so many jig-saw puzzles people can do before they no longer care about the missing piece. Especially when 999 pieces have been thrown on the floor in frustration. When free playgrounds are closed, we have a problem.
‘The Unmusical’ is a clever song. It starts off with an 80s feel, then transforms into a kids sounding show. If you are familiar with the musicology of ‘Yo Gabba Gabba’ from 2008, this will bring it all back. To avoid spoilers and ruining twists, listen to the sound yourself to enjoy the comical timing of Cameron Hons.
‘My Sharona’ was the debut single by the Knack and released in 1979 from their album ‘Get the Knack’. Flash-forward to 2020 and ‘My Corona’ has been launched by Cameron Hons. In an era where parodies, satire and sketch comedy are slim, ‘My Corona’ has come along to soften the blow to this horrible virus.
Censorship has played a big part in comedy over the years and what is acceptable. Cameron Hons believes the recent censorship issue is ridiculous and it has turned into a political stunt.
“That's like saying we're going to delete all of the old Bugs Bunny and Looney Tunes cartoons for the same reason, you just can't do that. I think we were more relaxed about things back then than we are now. On some streaming services like Disney Plus , they have warnings on certain shows,” said Cameron.
To find a poor metaphor to illustrate this point, it is a A Covid and Goliath battle that has sickened every aspect of our lives. Dissecting the lyrics and congratulating each poetic attribute of this song is in order, but this won’t do justice for the first time listener. It is worth your time to have a listen and digest the tune yourself. It is not making a mockery of the virus; it highlights the ‘wackery’ that is controlling our lives.
Song parodies have dropped off production studios because people fear copyright breaches. Musical composers are too scared to change the 7th beat these days, but Cameron Hons believes there should be more parody artists out there.
“There's a big problem at the moment where a lot of people especially record and TV companies are taking satire too seriously. Regulators shouldn't be afraid to support it, and there shouldn't be any rules against it,” said Cameron.
The lyrics of songs are just poems without music. The poets in the 1800’s used their medium to comment on the poor state of the world. There has been a shift to musical comedy to share observations and express views.
Hons said it is good that a lot of musical styles and not just comedy, are making more songs about the state of the world's current situations today.
“Especially in 2020, that has been such a crazy year for everybody, more people are looking at things from a different perspective. Sometimes that's not a bad thing and can lead to new creative ideas,” he said.
True leadership in a crisis must be about helping the followers. Former Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton once said “this madness has to stop”. This was not in the context of the pandemic, but we understand the empathy and frustration life can bring. Now our famous lyrical wordsmith Cameron Hons with a rhythmic tune is literally getting the message out there with his new Album. Yes Cameron Hons. The world completely agrees with your sentiment. This Madness has to stop! Pretty please?
You can purchase the new Album from Cameron Hons – ‘This Madness has to stop’ by clicking on the link below.
https://cameronhons.bandcamp.com/track/this-madness-has-to-stop
