FULL VIDEO: Avi Kaplan - Aberdeen
Added 2025-02-20 18:00:04 +0000 UTCHere's the full video of my reaction to Avi Kaplan's Aberdeen, which includes an additional reaction to the alternate version! 👀
ATTRIBUTION:
Alternate version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TIdxU-il1M
Comments
You asked about where Aberdeen might be in the USA Well here is the answer : How many Aberdeens are there in the USA? In America, there are 18 places called Aberdeen (you will find an Aberdeen in Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and West Virginia) My best guess is in Montana, California or South Dakota because of the mountains and the desert. Just researched it's a place near Aberdeen California “Aberdeen, California: The video features landscapes and locations in and around Aberdeen, a place Avi Kaplan frequently references in his songs, as it is a special place to him.”.
Betsy Vondracek
2025-03-10 16:44:14 +0000 UTCSounds like Dust in the wind
Betsy Vondracek
2025-03-10 10:11:15 +0000 UTCI can't even consider them the same song really. The lyrics are the same but the delivery makes them so different in mood. I love them both. It's one reason I love his livestreams and concerts so much. There's always a little difference in his songs(or sometimes a lot of difference) and the experience is always so fresh because of that. It's like he just gets up on stage and sings his heart out for you.
Alma Petry
2025-02-25 03:51:41 +0000 UTCI think the lower version sounds like he's at the end of the road and has no choice but to go back to Aberdeen. The higher version has a lightheartedness as you describe and seems to be a joyous trip back home. Avi absolutely amazes me with his ability to create such different moods with one song. Remember Sweet Adeline pt. 1 and 2? Man! What a mood change.
Alma Petry
2025-02-24 10:52:17 +0000 UTCHaha oops I didn't know that! Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the 3 chords 😅 Yeah I loved the two different versions... different in so many ways, but also similar
Sir Hairless
2025-02-24 10:15:20 +0000 UTCTheres a live version out there that he did for Coloradosound. It was recorded in his house, just him playing and singing. It's glorious.
Alma Petry
2025-02-22 12:40:55 +0000 UTCSo Avi’s lived in Nashville for a while now. Country music early on was jokingly labeled “three chords and the truth” so I had to laugh a little when you kept mentioning the three chords. Avi is not country per se but sometimes I can hear the influence in his solo work. Nashville is a musical immersive experience. It’s everywhere. You can barely walk down the street without tripping over a country singer, musician or a country star’s music venue. Avi’s voice is so versatile. From singing overtones to the whistling to great bass humming, he’s very talented at non verbal emotional musicality. Plus that voice which is warm and resonate. I love both versions because they represent Avi’s ability to interpret songs in multiple ways. Always enjoy these multiple versions of songs. Very interesting to hear how artists change their interpretation of the over time.
Michele aka @lovesmusic0845
2025-02-22 00:24:46 +0000 UTCYou know what, after I finished recording two songs came to mind and I thought "ahh I should've said them!" - but that's the reality of recording these videos. I get one shot and that's it Anyway... they were "Horse With No Name" and.... "Dust In The Wind". I guess I didn't immediately think of "Dust In The Wind" because it's overwhelmingly major vs Aberdeen which is the opposite. Definitely elements of "Dream On" harmonically, "D.I.T.W." rhythmically, other songs other things -ally 😅
Sir Hairless
2025-02-21 22:17:19 +0000 UTCI'll be rating them separately yes (although am struggling to come to a final rating for both!) Thank you ❤️
Sir Hairless
2025-02-21 22:14:29 +0000 UTCHaha similar thought process here 😅 Have since listened to both of them over 50 times each... and am still struggling to decide 😂
Sir Hairless
2025-02-21 22:12:38 +0000 UTC🤠
Sir Hairless
2025-02-21 22:11:55 +0000 UTCAgree with all of your comment 👌🏽 Thanks Eleni 🙏
Sir Hairless
2025-02-21 22:11:38 +0000 UTCMakes perfect sense! After listening to both many many times since this recording, I definitely feel similar 🎶 And as for alternative version, exactly the same. Chord no. 4 happened, the extended vocal harmonies in the final third and... well, you'll see my ratings at the end of the month
Sir Hairless
2025-02-21 22:10:32 +0000 UTCMan, the JEA-LOU-SY I feel that you got to see this life 😭 what a song!! The Amsterdam concert was a few days after the UK one which you’ve seen, and it just passed me by because I forgot to buy tickets on time 🤦🏾♀️ Funny how the second version’s intro made you think of ‘Dream On’, I personally got more of a ‘Dust in the Wind’ type of vibe with that guitar plucking! Regarding the two versions, the first feels to me like a warm longing to “Aberdeen” and the second version feels like the song is about more of a sorrowful longing. I’ll be adding the first one to my summer acoustic playlist and the latter to my autumn playlist haha
Amstersaram
2025-02-21 20:52:53 +0000 UTCAgree!
Coco Hol
2025-02-21 19:05:42 +0000 UTCI love Avi's voice and the aura he has! And I love how much you enjoyed this too Sir H! Excellent that you changed into the shirt mid video 😀👏 I like the original a lot with the whistling - wow - but also the basso one! Great that you did both - very interesting, same song - different impact! I guess you'll rate them separately...?! I also loved Sir Hairless harmonising with himself ❤👏😀🎶💫 Lovely!! Thank you for a superb reaction and analysis Sir! Great stuff!! 👌🙏💯🤩
venetta
2025-02-21 14:41:12 +0000 UTCWhat a beautiful, soulful and soothing song this is Maria! It feels like meditation with it's message and the deep dark voice of Avi. Thank you very much for sharing🙏
Eleni
2025-02-21 11:25:34 +0000 UTCHi Sir! Came back here to say that I’ve just watched Avi’s new release called ‘Peace somehow’ and our bass elf of free nature wilderness delivered another deeply beautiful and timely message of resilience & inner strength. Sooo worth to be checked when you can; and, once more, thanks for everything you've been doing here - you're amazinnng! 🕊❤🕊
Maria
2025-02-21 10:30:14 +0000 UTCCan't believe I'm about to write what I'm about to write: I prefer the original, upper-register version. When Avi first began to release his solo work, I loved it (of course!) but missed the basso profundo. We heard his bass in "Field and Pier," and for just a measure (bar) or two in "Hey Ya." Then "Change on the Rise" came out and it made me want to run screaming down a country road with my arms open wide (as I did for the Beatles when I was 15). So I was 70 when I first heard "Aberdeen," and a bit older when the low-register version was released. Naturally, I celebrated the bass self-cover. It's a great addition to the catalog. But it would be an inadequate substitute for the original. I guess it's because the higher register, the rocking rhythm (rocking like a swing or a horse, not like heavy metal!), and certainly the whistling all express to me that Avi is feeling free.
Jane Ramirez
2025-02-21 08:27:32 +0000 UTCI take it back. Your next one should be the new song “Peace Somehow”. It just dropped and oh man, I think I just had a soul shower. You’re going to love it! Add “Otherside” to the list, though. 😉
Diandra Heard
2025-02-21 05:53:29 +0000 UTCLoved your reaction to both of them , Sir Hairless. I can't decide either. I hope you'll do two ratings for them. I like different things about each of them, and they evoke very different feelings as I listen. As others have said,I think it would depend on my mood which I prefer. I'm really intrigued by the harmonies and dissonances in the second, so that may end up being my favorite. We'll see...
Mary Shields
2025-02-21 03:05:58 +0000 UTCI can assure you that Aberdeen, Maryland is not a very scenic place in most regards! LOL
Tommie
2025-02-21 01:53:48 +0000 UTCI agree with this strongly!
Tommie
2025-02-21 01:52:05 +0000 UTCThe alternate version feels so much more melancholy to me, as a result, which one I prefer depends greatly on my mood. I adore the old western feel to the original, but the vocal inflections and harmonies in the alternate version move something inside me. I guess I am another one who can't decide. LOL
Tommie
2025-02-21 01:50:42 +0000 UTCI prefer the first version because it’s calming and relaxing in its vibe. It also reminds me of some of the western songs of old. They are both beautifully performed. Thank you Sir H, really enjoyed your analysis of both versions.
Lindabell
2025-02-21 00:56:43 +0000 UTCI'm just excited that we got to hear a bit of Sir Hairless harmonizing with himself! ❤️ I picked up on the similar intro to Dream On immediately. How to pick a preferred version?? The first one has a much lighter feel and is a bit easier(?) to listen to. More relaxed. The alt version is, I think, darker. More unsettled. But I believe I prefer the more variations within the alt version. But the whistling in the first...BAH, I CAN'T DECIDE! Both great choices. Thanks for sharing both songs and your lovely voice, Sir. 🎵🎧🎶
Karen McEwan
2025-02-21 00:53:15 +0000 UTCYay! I got to play. 🤣🤣 You are too funny! Giddy-up! Thanks for a great reaction, again.
TheresaMarie
2025-02-21 00:08:03 +0000 UTCI definitely prefer his lower range but can understand why the first one has more watches. His whistling is so calming too.
dawn bisph
2025-02-21 00:02:51 +0000 UTCNot a country music fan, but I am a fan of Avi's voice. Thus, I can strongly state that the original version of Aberdeen you reviewed first is, by far, my favorite song that Avi has done so far. By focusing on his lovely upper voice and combining that with pleasurable percussion and supporting background music and then ADDING a simply stunning visual background, I was transported to South Dakota or whatever other Aberdeen he might have been referencing. But wild country for sure with that Rocky Mountain background left me in awe of the entire production. I did also enjoy the second version, but not nearly as much.
David Bangtson
2025-02-20 23:52:10 +0000 UTCI love both versions for different reasons. I find the original to be more nostalgic and calm and the alternate more melancholic and introspective. In the original, i love the higher register of Avi, which i'm not used to, and the whistling in the outro. This version really highlights the smooth, velvety voice of Avi. So beautiful! From the alternate version, i really like the harmonies from chord no. 4 to the end. I would be very interested to see separate ratings for them. Thank you so much for your great analysis!🙏
Eleni
2025-02-20 23:10:11 +0000 UTCI would love to see you do the same format for his song "Full Moon", the official version and the acoustic live version from his livestream on Youtube. Same beautiful song but very different sounds
Jill
2025-02-20 20:47:08 +0000 UTCMy vote for next Avi song is "Otherside". That song has some PHAT harmonies that despite my very limited technical music knowledge, have always stood out to me. Plus, it really is a song that you can put on repeat and go to sleep to.
Diandra Heard
2025-02-20 20:03:07 +0000 UTCThe ‘alternative’ version is on one of my Avi Kaplan CDs. Both are incredible. I’m used to listening to the CD (about once a week); and I love the contrast between Avi’s deeper bass and the passages with his higher range - especially in the ending. Because I suffer from recency bias, I favor the original’ version today (like you, I’m awed by Avi’s whistling).
Dorothy Rosenberg
2025-02-20 19:53:23 +0000 UTCThe original version sounds uplifting. Like a homecoming. He's singing the song while on the road toward Aberdeen. The alt version sounds sad and pained. Like homesickness or longing. It's like his life is stressed and he's longing for the place that he knows will bring him peace.
Diandra Heard
2025-02-20 19:51:39 +0000 UTCWhen I heard the song the first time I thought of Scotland, but than I realized the line "given its name by the buffalo", so I made a little research and discovered that there are more than 30 places in the world, called Aberdeen, 18 in America (Arkansas, Florida, California, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and West Virginia) There is also an Aberdeen in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zimbabwe 😉
die weise Alte - LLumia
2025-02-20 19:10:25 +0000 UTCBoth versions triggered different moods in me. Original: He is already on his way in his mind (liberating). Alternative version: He is thinking about setting off (melancholic). Does that make sense? 🤔 Up to a certain point, I had no preference. That changed from chord no. 4 and the rest of the alternative version. I love it! Thank you for doing both!!!
Sabine_Austria
2025-02-20 19:04:05 +0000 UTCSuch a great song, both excellent ! My personal preference is the alternate version though. The video and scenery are nice but there is an intensity to the alternate (if that is the right word) and how he sings it, the the lower bass voice, But both are great. Thank you for the great analysis and highlighting the differences between both performances! And yes separate rating for these please!
Elise
2025-02-20 18:58:05 +0000 UTCI personally prefer the alternate version, but both are great!
Tasia Barrett
2025-02-20 18:56:06 +0000 UTCI actually prefer this higher range to his growly bass voice for his solo work. This is one of my favorites. As I understood, Aberdeen was a very small town that his family always stopped in before going into the mountains for camping/hiking.
judith l
2025-02-20 18:40:51 +0000 UTCAvi is releasing a new song tomorrow the 21st called Peace Somehow. Move Our Souls came out a few months ago and the video is perfect for the song. You would have heard Avi do this one at the concert as well. It's quite tribal. And thanks for reacting to Avi's music. Your description of Avi's concert is spot on.
Coco Hol
2025-02-20 18:34:15 +0000 UTCIt’s definitely not Aberdeen in Scotland tho the snow on the mountains would fit. I listen to the alternative version more as I got the album when it came out, I got a record player for my birthday that year. I find most if not all of Avi’s music invokes a different feeling in everyone and I take away different messages from them. Love the reaction I would loved to have seen him while he was in london.
Annmarie
2025-02-20 18:34:09 +0000 UTCAvi released this alt version during lockdown. The original is nostalgic, the alt version is melancholy. I listen to both versions depending on my mood!
Coco Hol
2025-02-20 18:25:33 +0000 UTCAberdeen, California. He grew up around this landscape. The mountain range is the Sierra Nevadas.
Coco Hol
2025-02-20 18:14:58 +0000 UTC
