Did Axis of Awesome rip off Rob Paravonian?

Pharekyz · 04-29-2010, 10:08 PM

Sorry if this has already been brought up, but I just watched a video by Axis of Awesome that seems to blatantly rip off Rob Paravonian's "Pachabel Rant".

Rob Paravonian - Pachabel Rant
YouTube - Pachelbel Rant

Axis of Awesome - 4 Chords
YouTube - Axis Of Awesome 4 Chords - Amazing, Funny, Comedy, Singing, Just Brilliant

Subsonix · 04-30-2010, 02:45 AM

Blatantly? No they didn't.

*slurp*

If you actually understand the premise of both songs they are substantially different.

*slurp*

Lemme explain it to you...

*slurp*

The Axis of Awesome song premise is every hit pop song has the same four chords.

Those chords are E,B,C#,A.

*slurp*

Rob Paravonian rants about how much it sucks to play Pachelbel's Canon in D on a cello.

In fact as stated by Rob, the cello parts for Canon is D is, D, A, B, F#, G, D, G, A.

*slurp*

I own Rob's first CD and have seen the Axis of Awesome live. They are both excellent.

/thread.

RoundAbout · 04-30-2010, 05:12 AM

They did basically copy the premise of Rob's joke but that's like saying every romantic comedy or every action thriller has been a ripoff of other movies of the same genre.

Subsonix · 04-30-2010, 08:35 AM

So anyone clever enough to realize a songs can be in the same key/same chord progression are ripping Rob off?

Maybe you should listen to this mash up then. This guy is stealing his idea too.

Green Day vs. Oasis vs. Travis vs. Aerosmith vs. Eminem
"Boulevard of Broken Songs"

http://www.partyben.com/PartyBen-Bou...rokenSongs.mp3

hayroob · 04-30-2010, 02:16 PM

Rob's song is great because it's very well executed and he personalizes it through his own experiences, but I can't imagine he'd claim to be the first guy to notice the proliferation of common chord progressions within a given genre or to make a joke about. If you play an instrument and are at all serious about theory you already knew this and understand why it happens.

Paravonian is funny, axis of awesome (at least that song) is funny. They are both musicians and arriving at this piece of funny truth independent of each other is not only likely, but almost inevitable.

EDIT: /* SLURP */

Bucho · 04-30-2010, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subsonix

So anyone clever enough to realize a songs can be in the same key/same chord progression are ripping Rob off?

I think you're right Subs. In fact you don't even need to be clever to realise this formulaic stuff happens in pop songwriting about 92,368 times a day. I'm a fucking imbecile and I knew it long before either of these guys pointed it out. Anyone with even the slightest sensitivity to tone in their ears could know this stuff just from being relentlessly exposed to pop music.

The chances of two musical comedy acts not arriving at this "joke" independently are miniscule in the extreme.

theshowmecanuck · 10-25-2015, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subsonix

Blatantly? No they didn't.

*slurp*

If you actually understand the premise of both songs they are substantially different.

*slurp*

Lemme explain it to you...

*slurp*

The Axis of Awesome song premise is every hit pop song has the same four chords.

Those chords are E,B,C#,A.

*slurp*

Rob Paravonian rants about how much it sucks to play Pachelbel's Canon in D on a cello.

In fact as stated by Rob, the cello parts for Canon is D is, D, A, B, F#, G, D, G, A.

*slurp*

I own Rob's first CD and have seen the Axis of Awesome live. They are both excellent.

/thread.

OK, let me explain it to YOU.

The "Axis of Awesome's" four chords are the I V vi IV. In any key.

Pachelbel's Canon is I V vi iii (IV I IV V) in any key.

So in essence it is a small variation of the same thing. And the comedic concept (which in comedy is everything) is exactly the same. Which makes you *slurp* a dick head. And makes the Axis of Awesome pretty lame.

theshowmecanuck · 10-25-2015, 03:02 PM

The music is not the point. It is a comedy act that uses almost the same progression. The COMEDY act is being ripped off. They aren't a song writing band, they are comedians, and they stole this guys material.

Karrahahu1 · 02-08-2016, 04:21 AM

The Axis of Awesome song premise is every hit pop song has the same four chords.??? === solitaire download ===

04-29-2010, 10:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
Pharekyz Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 52	Did Axis of Awesome rip off Rob Paravonian? Sorry if this has already been brought up, but I just watched a video by Axis of Awesome that seems to blatantly rip off Rob Paravonian's "Pachabel Rant". Rob Paravonian - Pachabel Rant YouTube - Pachelbel Rant Axis of Awesome - 4 Chords YouTube - Axis Of Awesome 4 Chords - Amazing, Funny, Comedy, Singing, Just Brilliant
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04-30-2010, 02:45 AM	#2 (permalink)
Subsonix Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 813	Blatantly? No they didn't. slurp If you actually understand the premise of both songs they are substantially different. slurp Lemme explain it to you... slurp The Axis of Awesome song premise is every hit pop song has the same four chords. Those chords are E,B,C#,A. slurp Rob Paravonian rants about how much it sucks to play Pachelbel's Canon in D on a cello. In fact as stated by Rob, the cello parts for Canon is D is, D, A, B, F#, G, D, G, A. slurp I own Rob's first CD and have seen the Axis of Awesome live. They are both excellent. /thread. iheartnihilism and bw81 like this. __________________ "They like to watch freaky shit while they take it in the ass because they don't want another you." Keith to Razorback
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04-30-2010, 05:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
RoundAbout Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 336	They did basically copy the premise of Rob's joke but that's like saying every romantic comedy or every action thriller has been a ripoff of other movies of the same genre.
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04-30-2010, 08:35 AM	#4 (permalink)
Subsonix Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 813	So anyone clever enough to realize a songs can be in the same key/same chord progression are ripping Rob off? Maybe you should listen to this mash up then. This guy is stealing his idea too. Green Day vs. Oasis vs. Travis vs. Aerosmith vs. Eminem "Boulevard of Broken Songs" http://www.partyben.com/PartyBen-Bou...rokenSongs.mp3 Keith likes this.
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04-30-2010, 02:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
hayroob Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Detroitish Posts: 1,025	Rob's song is great because it's very well executed and he personalizes it through his own experiences, but I can't imagine he'd claim to be the first guy to notice the proliferation of common chord progressions within a given genre or to make a joke about. If you play an instrument and are at all serious about theory you already knew this and understand why it happens. Paravonian is funny, axis of awesome (at least that song) is funny. They are both musicians and arriving at this piece of funny truth independent of each other is not only likely, but almost inevitable. EDIT: /* SLURP */ __________________ If you like the KATG app feel free to kick in some bucks (or don't) KATGIPHONE Donation
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10-25-2015, 03:02 PM	#8 (permalink)
theshowmecanuck Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 2	The music is not the point. It is a comedy act that uses almost the same progression. The COMEDY act is being ripped off. They aren't a song writing band, they are comedians, and they stole this guys material.
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02-08-2016, 04:21 AM	#9 (permalink)
Karrahahu1 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 1	The Axis of Awesome song premise is every hit pop song has the same four chords.??? === solitaire download === Last edited by Karrahahu1; 02-11-2016 at 11:36 PM.
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