Ruben Blades Quotes

To me, the lyrics of the song define the kind of style it is.

The only type of music I don't like is Dixieland jazz. It's just a little too happy and noisy for me. I like intervals and spaces in my music. There's just something about Dixieland.

Country is bringing in a little rock element... a little '80s element. Melody is king now. But its just in the music, its not so much in the songwriting, which is still very basic to the storytelling aspect of it.

We knew that we wanted to play heavy music but I hadn't gotten into melody and things like that.

From the beginning, I've always had a knack for catchy melodies. But I went through a period when I was trying to be rock n' roll and have a rock n' roll attitude. I was fighting my nature by trying to play really hard and sing really hard. But at a certain point, I realized that I loved syrupy pop music with tons of harmony.

Music is so abstract; it is a combination of words and melody.

It was important for the first piece of original music that I release to have a timeless feel because that's the type of music I want to make.

To me, a lot people really get wrapped up in the technical side of metal and what's metal and what's not and more double-kick and more blast beats and more technicality, but for me, I'm a song person. So I think you can write good songs in any type of style of rock and any type of style of metal, and that's kind of what I'm a fan of.

I try to make explosive and catchy music, haha.

I love folk. I love rap.

From my early training days, I am an avid listener of heavy music which is laced with proper diction and effective use of grammar of music.

I want to keep the same kinda vibe where we've got the dance element and hip-hop. I'm going to be singing a lot more, and I want to write more heartfelt songs.

Only a tiny portion of music history involves a singer and a lyric. Songs in music are generally thought to be a minor form.

I always did go against the singer-songwriter form. I think I've always had a lot of storytelling songs.

We knew we wanted to put a lot of melody into it - a lot more than what we did on our first album.

I just love a slow groove. I feel so comfortable in it. But I listen to a lot of fast music, a lot of techno and house.

When you sit down and think about what rock 'n' roll music really is, then you have to change that question. Played up-tempo, you call it rock 'n' roll; at a regular tempo, you call it rhythm and blues.

I wrote a song with Kara DioGuardi called 'What If,' and it's a really beautiful song. It's kind of like a rock ballad. There's a lot of guitars and drums in it.

I have been playing acoustic music for a very long time, and it's something that I am very comfortable doing, so if I made a record, it would probably be a mixture of that and some other things that I'm interested in.

I wanted to write songs which I think is a different thing. I wanted to write music that is informed by folk music. The chord progressions are obvious references.

That's what is so great about being able to record a 13-song album. You can do a very eclectic group of songs. You do have some almost pop songs in there, but you do have your traditional country, story songs. You have your ballads, your happy songs, your sad songs, your love songs, and your feisty songs.

Classical music is for listening but rock and roll is to have fun with.

We've always been quite clear about how we want the songs to sound. If we can imagine the song being played at a party, and it gets people tapping their feet, then it's in.

I found that music was my favorite art form.

I'm all about the melody.