Time Is Running Out
For the uninitiated, it can be difficult to understand why people love a cappella. Heck, even for those of us who do actively enjoy it, it can be difficult to put into words why we enjoy this art form so. While we’ll never have a truly comprehensive list of everything cool about a cappella, 200 Reasons to Love A Cappella is our best attempt at assembling a list of what makes it great.
Reason #56: Time is Running Out
For so many years, groups a cappella groups sang doo-whop hits and simple pop songs that lent themselves to basic arrangements. As a cappella grew, groups grew more ambitious, reaching out to develop non-traditional catalogs of songs. While I'm sure other groups were making similar choices around the same time, I'll alwyas remember hearing a Rutgers Unviersity Casual Harmony set during my formative years as an a cappella fan; the set started with System of a Down and ended most iconically on Muse’s “Time is Running Out.” The performance was not only solid rock, but featured a killer solo and simply bad ass choreography, including the trademark Casual Harmony slide.
Dozens of groups have espoused this song since, adding their own quirks and nuances. While “Time Is Running Out” has evolved into almost a conventional repertoire choice, it remains representative of a paradigm shift, through which groups all over cover Muse, My Chemical Romance, 30 Seconds to Mars, and on down the line. This song represents a cappella as a progressive art form.
I love it!