The son begins with a little drum role and guitar playing a chord panning across from right to left. Then song opens up with a simple melody being played upon a delightful little instrument called the Kazoo. This introduction then gives way to the first verse where piano guitar and bass play a chord arrangement while the vocals are laid on top. The chorus follows where we hear the return of the playful kazoo melody layered onto of the same guitar riff from the introduction. This then leads into the second verse which is much the same as the first. This then moves into a middle eight where there is change in the chords and the melody, played with the charming tones of the kazoo, is different. Then the piece returns to the chorus before slowly fading out.
Musical features:
The main melody of the piece is play on the enchanting instrument known as the kazoo. In the choruses the guitar plays a riff behind the pleasant melody of the kazoo, sometimes mimicking it though in a slightly lower octave. There is one main rhythm throughout the piece, though in the verses there is use of staccato rhythms by all instruments. The instrumentation of the piece is drumkit played by Mitch Mitchell, bass played by Noel Redding (recorded by Hendrix on this track), and the kazoo made out of a paper and comb.
Contextual features:
The piece is in simple quadruple timing, the tempo is around 110 Bmp. This song was written in the sixties like most of Hendrix’s songs. He compares cross town traffic, referring primarily to vehicular traffic between Manhattan's East Side and Manhattan's West Side, the two areas being largely discontinuous due to Central Park, to trying to get through to someone, most probably a love interest.
Cross-town traffic Jimi Hendrix
Structural features:
The son begins with a little drum role and guitar playing a chord panning across from right to left. Then song opens up with a simple melody being played upon a delightful little instrument called the Kazoo. This introduction then gives way to the first verse where piano guitar and bass play a chord arrangement while the vocals are laid on top. The chorus follows where we hear the return of the playful kazoo melody layered onto of the same guitar riff from the introduction. This then leads into the second verse which is much the same as the first. This then moves into a middle eight where there is change in the chords and the melody, played with the charming tones of the kazoo, is different. Then the piece returns to the chorus before slowly fading out.Musical features:
The main melody of the piece is play on the enchanting instrument known as the kazoo. In the choruses the guitar plays a riff behind the pleasant melody of the kazoo, sometimes mimicking it though in a slightly lower octave. There is one main rhythm throughout the piece, though in the verses there is use of staccato rhythms by all instruments. The instrumentation of the piece is drumkit played by Mitch Mitchell, bass played by Noel Redding (recorded by Hendrix on this track), and the kazoo made out of a paper and comb.Contextual features:
The piece is in simple quadruple timing, the tempo is around 110 Bmp. This song was written in the sixties like most of Hendrix’s songs. He compares cross town traffic, referring primarily to vehicular traffic between Manhattan's East Side and Manhattan's West Side, the two areas being largely discontinuous due to Central Park, to trying to get through to someone, most probably a love interest.