Battle of the Music #1: "Dirty Magic" vs. "Dirty Magic"

DISCLAIMER: This may seem like a joke post to some people, but I just want to let you know that it isn't and that this will actually be a good post and series for discussing music.

Hey guys, and welcome to the start of a new series on this blog! It's called Battle of the Music, and it's basically where I put two songs, artists, or albums up against each other and will decide which one is better based on a multitude of things. I feel like this specific battle will be a good way to kick off this series, and I have another artist one planned for another time, so this should be really fun. So let's get into it!

INTRODUCTION

"Dirty Magic" is a song recorded by punk rock band The Offspring. It is the sixth track from their sophomore album Ignition, which was originally released on October 16, 1992. The song was not released as a single, but it is a huge fan favorite. Because it wasn't released a single, I don't know much other information about it other than that it is the only song off of Ignition that frontman Dexter Holland plays lead guitar on.

"Dirty Magic" is also a song by The Offspring, released as the ninth track on their ninth album Days Go By on June 26, 2012. It is basically a re-recorded and remastered version of the 1992 version that appears on Ignition. The band re-recorded this song not only because a lot of older fans had requested them to do it, but also because, as Dexter once said, the original version felt really rushed to him, as it was only recorded in about two hours. He wanted the band to redo it so it could sound like he originally wanted it to sound. So he did.

In this post, I will be comparing these two versions of one song and seeing which one is overall better. I will be taking five different things into consideration when coming up with a verdict, which is really what I will talk about as we go along. So yeah, let's get this started!

PRODUCTION

I think the production of the 1992 version of the song is good at best. Thom Wilson, the album's producer, wasn't the best rock producer out there, but there were some really decent songs that he produced when working with The Offspring. While this is one of them, it certainly doesn't top how well-produced lots of their other songs and albums were. However, I do feel like it's the production that helps give the song sort of a nostalgic feel. But more on that later. Not the best production in the 1992 version because it's not too clear and bright compared to some of the other songs off Ignition such as "We Are One" and "L.A.P.D." But I still enjoy it sort of because of the vibe it helps give.

The 2012 version is a different story. I usually am not able to tell the difference between original versions and remastered versions of songs very well, but this song is an exception. The production of this version, which was handled by Bob Rock, is so different that it sort of makes this feel like a whole different song. It's easier to interpret, for one thing, and it just makes the song feel brighter and more energetic. I really enjoy how this newer version was produced, so much that it tops the production of the 1992 version, at least for me.

Winner: "Dirty Magic" (Days Go By version)

LYRICS

...yeah, there's not too much to be said here because the lyrics in these two songs are pretty much exactly the same. The only real difference I notice is at the beginning of the chorus. In the Ignition version, the first lines of the chorus are, "Pull the shades, razor blades, you're so tragic." But in the Days Go By version, the words "go on" are added right before everything, making it, "Go on and pull the shades, razor blades, you're so tragic." I think this change is good and makes the chorus feel slightly more full. However, what I do think might be even better is if for the first time or two, they sing the chorus without the "go on", and then add it in the second half of the song. That would be cool to me.

But as for the meaning, they are pretty much the same. According to songfacts.com, the song is about self-harm, which kind of makes sense considering some of the lyrics. The 1992 version sounds a lot darker and might help to convey the meaning slightly more than the 2012 version, but that also means that the 2012 version may or may not be one of those songs that sounds kind of energetic and happy but secretly has a dark meaning behind it. But I'm not really taking that into consideration because that has more to do with the production than it does the lyrics. What I will take into consideration is that the 2012 version gave me a great idea for something that would sound really cool in the song, and because it already sort of does, that gives me my verdict here.

Winner: "Dirty Magic" (Days Go By version)

VOCALS

I will try not to spend too much time going over these because my verdict for this is pretty easy. But I really think that the vocals on the Days Go By version are better just because they're more clear and remastered. I am pretty close to the point where I can call the ones on the Ignition version not very good to me just because they don't sound too clear and just kind of messy, not to mention that they don't fit the best with the song. Easy choice here.

Winner: "Dirty Magic" (Days Go By version)

INSTRUMENTS

The two versions of this track have pretty much the same instruments, but for some reason the guitar riff from the Ignition version kind of sticks out to me. It's a really catchy riff that is good no matter what version of the song it's on, but there seem to be slightly different effects on both versions of it. And as an electric guitar player myself I can tell that there's just a little more reverb on the Ignition version than on the Days Go By version. And I don't know why, but I kind of enjoy that reverb. It sounds good with the rest of the song to me and makes the riff a standout one. Also, it was the 1992 version that made me want to learn how to play it on the guitar (which I did), which is good to know for this.

As for other instruments, I think the second guitar that comes in the background didn't really stick out to me until I heard the Ignition version. I really like that guitar, so I have to thank the 1992 version for showing me that. The bass here doesn't really stick out any, unlike a lot of other Offspring songs and other punk songs in general, but I assume it does a good job in doing what it should be doing. Shoutout to Greg K. for that. I like the drums in this song, and for certain reasons I think they're slightly easier to analyze in the 1992 version. I guess that makes my point here clear: I don't really know why but I think the instruments on the 1992 version stick out to me more.

Winner: "Dirty Magic" (Ignition version)

VIBE/FEEL

This is a tough one to decide on. While I didn't praise the production of the 1992 version too terribly much, I think the nostalgic sort of feel it has in it is very cool. It's probably the best thing about the song in my opinion. However, I also really like how the 2012 version feels to me. There are lots of songs off of Days Go By that have just a good rock song sort of feel in them, including "The Future Is Now", "Secrets From The Underground", "Cruising California (Bumpin' In My Trunk)", and "All I Have Left Is You", and I think that that album's version of "Dirty Magic" is no exception. It just has a really good feel to it, although I can't exactly explain what it is. I really don't know whether or not to pick the awesome nostalgic vibe or the amazing Days Go By kind of feel. But if I called this one a tie, it wouldn't do anything to the final verdict, so that's fine.

Winner: TIE

OVERALL VERDICT

I honestly had sort of a feeling that this battle would end out like this. So the winner of this battle, with a score of 3.5 to 1.5 is...

"Dirty Magic" (Days Go By version)

FINAL WORDS

So that's it for this post! I thought it was very fun and I'm looking forward to doing it again. Thank you to anyone who read it, and if you think these songs sound cool, just look them up and listen to them because I'm too lazy to link them this time. I recommend both of them even if I think the Days Go By version is better. But yeah, I have nothing else for now, so I'll see you guys next time!