Greg Norton – “Spider Man”
Greg Norton – “Spider Man” – Single Review
Alrighty! Time to check out this new Greg Norton tune. I always dig it when I get the opportunity to check out something from someone I genuinely think highly of – Norton’s a great musician, but he’s arguably an even better guy that’s been a pleasure to run into throughout the ether of the internet.
While I’ve had my usual something-to-say about his past material regarding this or that on tracks like “Echoes” and “Complicate Me” from last year, the truth is that he’s also been highly impressive in a bunch of different ways as well, and he’s got a track record for professional quality in his music. “Spider Man” is his latest track, arriving this week on 01/18 – and no surprise to me, the man is sounding great once again. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve still got an opinion or two that I’ll share with ya before our time is done here, of only to have a little fun with him…but to be truthful, I think he’s got something real special in this shiny new single overall. The inspirations we draw from as artists can often be the most crucial ingredient, you know what I mean? Greg’s written “Spider Man” for his wife (cue the awwwwws!)…and from what I’ve heard through the grapevine, she’s even the person responsible for him releasing it. So you know it’s gotta be good, right? Trust me Greg…I’ve written countless tunes for my own wife over the years and I’d bet ya dollars to donuts she couldn’t tell me the title of a single one of’em, let alone want me to release those songs to the general public. As they say my friend, those that can’t do, teach. And those of us that can’t make music worth a damn, tend to write about it instead (cue the winky face!) For real though…I understand what Mrs. Norton feels towards this – “Spider Man” is a quality tune, and considering that it comes from a very real place of inspiration, it’s all the sweeter to listen to.
So…where do we begin here…let’s see, let’s see…what can I tell ya? I suppose the most beneficial thing to point out is that Greg’s continued quality and thoroughness keeps leading him to excellent results, and “Spider Man” is no exception to the high standards he’s set in that regard from what we’ve heard from him already. That being said…I think there’s a solid chance that “Spider Man” might very well be my own favorite from Norton’s catalog to-date. Lemme explain…because I’d say that, realistically, this song is probably still just a bit outside of what my normal taste in music tends to be…so some context is needed. First of all, I’ve always told ya that melody is king when it comes to anything I listen to, and I’d argue that Greg’s written a great one into this single he’s got here. Sure it’s got a slight Country/Rock bend to it, but I have the feeling that’s a natural part of Norton’s sound, so I’ll let that slide (cue the second winky face – that’s right, two of’em in one article!). For real though, the writing is what tends to stand out here in “Spider Man,” and it’s rivaled by the professional execution in the final results that we hear. Where Norton has struck SUPREME GOLD however, is in the main hook of the chorus – which ain’t the “Spider Man” infused part – it’s the part directly before, where he sings “but you…you make me want to take the long way home each time we go for a drive.” I don’t even possess the vocabulary required to explain what a testament to true love this part of the song is – my jaw was practically on the ground. Every writer in the world is gonna wish they came up with this moment, and yet only ONE of us did. You wanna know why that is dear readers, dear friends? It’s because only one of us was actually lucky enough to marry the fine lady we now know as Mrs. Norton! And sure, while it’s certainly true that a lot of us have a Mrs. Norton of our own…kudos to Greg for being able to explain what he’s feeling in such a beautifully precise way that he’s hit the mark like Robin Hood splitting the arrow. I’m tellin’ ya right here, right now – that main hook is not only award-worthy, but the fact that Greg was able to get as much heart and sincerity into that moment at the same time will leave you speechless; it’s straight-up astounding. Yes the musicianship is good and the song is quality all the way through too – but it’s the main hook that makes this as good as it is. Mark my words – this song WILL be played at weddings in the future to follow – that’s the level of love we’re talkin’ about in Greg’s vocals, melody, and lyricism.
Now…just because he’s released the love-song anthem of 2024 merely weeks into the year and he’s a great guy and I absolutely love the way he loves the fabulous Mrs. Norton doesn’t mean the guy gets off the hook completely scot-free…so hold your horses…with both hands if you gotta (third winky face, maybe? Sure! Why not?). If I had a potential bone to pick – and to be fair to Greg, I honestly don’t REALLY have a bone to pick (I really do like this song a whole lot I swear), but I’ve got observations to share as I always do – it’d actually be the Spider-Man part of “Spider Man!” I’m not entirely sure the inclusion doesn’t trip him up a bit, even though I’m positive I know what he means by what he’s saying. If I’ve got the words right, the chorus continues to say “and I know not even Spider-Man could win your heart over mine.” Like I said…I feel like I know what he’s getting at – but I’m not so sure that this line specifically means what he’s really trying to say. If those lyrics are indeed correct, then on a literal level, it would mean that either:
A) Mrs. Norton is one heck of a Spider-Man fan, but doesn’t love him the way she loves Greg.
Or
B) Spider-Man has an easier chance of winning Greg’s heart than he would over winning hers.
And you know…I’m not so sure that it’s actually supposed to be either of those things? So sometimes, as listeners, people, and human beings, we need to measure intentions, rather than take things for their literal meanings…though it’s also possible that they have one of those love-languages that would have this line meaning something different to them entirely than it would mean to us potentially too. I’m being lighthearted in pointing any of this out, I assure you…Greg’s done such a great job with this song that there’s really precious little, if anything, to pick on him for…and y’all know I’m a critic – we gotta find SOMETHING, right? For real though – it would be interesting to find out how in the heck Spider-Man got involved in this tune. Mind you, this is coming from a guy that has a Batman tattoo on his arm…because I have Peter Pan syndrome…most of us men never REALLY ever grow up, it’s in our DNA…so don’t get me wrong, I do get it. That being said, it takes remarkable maturity to write and release a love-song as authentic as this one is. Does Spider-Man NEED to be in here? That might be debatable…maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t…listeners will likely interpret the need for his appearance in this tune differently on an individual level I’m sure…but what translates universally in this new Norton single is the sweetness, the love, and the heart he’s put into this song – and whether you’re a superhero or not, you couldn’t miss any of that.
Find out more about Greg Norton by visiting his official website at: https://gregnortonlive.com
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