Santa Cruz, 'Disarm Me' -- New Video

Santa Cruz, a modern glam band, is back with a video for their track "Disarm Me." The song is on the upcoming album The Return Of The Kings. It's a ballad folks. What do you think?

Comments

[Him]

Anyone else hear "Miles Away"?

I dunno. If this is the guy's answer to all the stupid stuff he has done in the past, it ain't moving the needle. At least for me.

Methinks he gives Santa Cruz (the town) and 'modern glam bands' (you know who you are) a bad name.

[Gogmagog]

I don't hear anything resembling "Miles Away," at least not musically. The only good parts of this, IMHO, were the guitar solos. The rest was just predictable power ballad drivel.

I'm assuming the band is called Santa Cruz, because that's part of the stage name Arttu Kuosmanen chose. Can we call Santa Cruz a "modern" band, if they've been around since 2007? I guess, maybe since Archie is the only original member left (Wikipedia says Santa Cruz is on its fifth guitar player, third bassist and sixth drummer).

[Him]

You raise some excellent points, Gogmagog. Perhaps, simply 'modern' (whether good, bad, or otherwise) is the best term. I just think Archie is a jughead, hoping to break big and doing some quite stupid things as he trudges along that path. Perhaps that is why this band is gunning to top Tracii (the second 'i' is silent) in the rotating 'cast 'o characters' circus (though Santa Cruz has a looooooong way to go!). But, drivel? Yup.

But I have to go back and repeat my "Miles Away" comment. Really? Nothing? I have no musical ability, so I defer to you and others. But that intro sounds likes a slowed down version of chorus of "Miles Away." I was actually slow-talking "just when I needed you most. . ." to it! Granted, the drivel after that kinda' wanders until about the 1:00 mark. Then again, it sounds like a slow motion version of the chorus, though with the thoughtful title/chorus about nuclear disarmament (I kid). Hell, must be me. And it is probably better if no one compares Santa Cruz to Winger.

[texjay66]

HIM- it's that pause they do in the chorus line. Also the guitar solo melody definitely.

[Him]

Thanks, Texjay66, for confirming I am not a raving loon (at least in this instance). I was worried more of my cogs were slipping!!! But I can certainly understand if others don't hear the similarities.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

[Metalboy!]

I can totally hear how their knocking off “Miles Away” but, honestly, this is pretty good!

Always liked this band (or is that “band member”) despite the pat, clichéd retreading.

One thing, though — Archie Cruz looks like he’s enjoying the L.A. Steakhouses, fortunately, not as much as that front dude from Texas Hippie Coalition is enjoying the same in Texas … Anyway, I realize that’s not very good form to criticize the fact Archie’s packed on a few but this is coming from another fatf*ck, so who the h*ll cares.

Okay, one other thing — Gotta hand it to the dude … He made a wise decision to relocate to L.A. and I wish all these other bands would have done the same as that would have really contributed to a revitalization of the L.A. Glam Metal scene and with that, the entire genre itself!

[Gogmagog]

I think I've figured out why Him and the others hear "Miles Away" in this piece of garbage from Santa Cruz. While "Disarm Me" is just the same four chords in the same sequence played over and over and over again, it is (mostly) the same chord progression (V-vi-IV-I) as the chorus of "Miles Away." It's also the same chord progression as "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, and I dare you to unhear that now!

"Disarm Me" is in D major, so the chords are A-Bm-G-D
"Miles Away" is in F major (C-Dm-B♭-F-C)
"Wannabe" is in B major (F#-G#m-E-B)

The underlying rhythms in the chorus of all three songs are the same, also, but having the chord changes on one and the upbeat between two and three is beyond common in pop music.

(And it's not repeating the same four chords for the whole song that makes "Disarm Me" so bad. After all, John Fogerty's "Rock And Roll Girls" is just three chords (G-C-D) and it's all kinds of awesome.)

[Him]

Gogmagog, you are now my learned legend on this site. Thanks for taking the time to spell that stuff out to the feeble idiots on this this site! Then again, I do feel like I forced you to reassess what your more gifted ears heard. So, I guess I contributed something?!?!

And did I go listen to The Spice Girls? Yes. Did I like it? No. Can I understand what you are saying though? Yes, again. The Fogerty thing? Proves talented people and buffoons can love the same darn songs.

Thanks again, Gogmagog. Appreciate you following through and commenting.

[Metalboy!, you missed your shot: why no comment on Santa Cruz becoming Santa Claus? Come on, you are the poet. Write those lines!]