HISTORY OF ROCK FINAL EXAM

*1970s- time when people were turning more inward in the song writing perspective. Singer/songwriters became important. Person writes a song about a personal experience. LA becoming a very important place in rock & roll. Traditionally, music business in NY, LA, Nashville

· Laurel Canyon

Joni Mitchell

“Help Me”

· Influential singer-songwriter

· Incorporates folk & jazz

· Known for complex guitar tunings, intricate melodies

· Large body of solo work

· Collaborated with Crosby, Stills, Nash (and later Young), who had a Hit with her song “Woodstock”

· Wrote hits for various other artists including Judy Collins & Counting Crowes (*Crows?)

· AABA structure

Neil Young

“Heart of Gold”

· Member of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash before solo career

· Solo career has been long, diverse, & successful (both commercially & artistically)

· Often joined by his band, Crazy Horse

· Considered to be the godfather of 90s grunge music

· Strophic song structure

*sections separated by harmonica part

*professor told us about her watching Pearl Jam play from backstage & Neil Young showed up and played with them

Eagles

“Hotel California”

· Influenced by country music

· Began as Linda Ronstadt’s backup band

· Hugely successful

o Their Greatest Hits album is the biggest-selling record of all time

o Many radio hits

o Still tour on occasion

· Like Mitchell & Young, part of 70s California rock sound

· Alternating Verse/Chorus structure

*picture:

Timothy B. Schmidt, Bass/vocals

Don Felder, Guitar

Don Henley, Drums/vocals

Glen Frey, Guitar/vocals

Joe Walsh, Guitar/vocals

Hard Rock & Heavy Metal

“Hard Rock” vs. “Heavy Metal”

· To some extent, the difference is a matter of degree of aggression, volume, distortion, and other qualities that make rock music “heavy.”

· Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are considered to be the founders of heavy metal.

· Language used to describe music is problematic, particularly when terms become loaded with extra-musical meaning (“hair bands,” “southern rock,” “emo”)

· Music comes first; our attempt to describe, categorize and define ourselves by it comes later

Led Zeppelin

· Robert Plant, singer

· Jimmy Page, guitar

o Worked as an in-demand session guitarist before forming the band

o Used Theremin, violin bow, and various unusual effects in his playing

· John Paul Jones, bass/keyboards

o Sometimes played bass with feet on pedals

· John Bonham, drums

o One of rock’s greatest drummers

“Whole Lotta Love”

· Continued tradition of British blues-based bands

· Incorporated British folk music and an interest in mythology and the occult

· Guitar riff-oriented

· Listen for guitar effects during breakdown/solo

*understood the power of mystery & inaccessibility—had to go to concert to see them

*hippie/love generation didn’t resonate with the alienated. This rock came out of economically depressed & unhip & uneducated areas. Out of Birmingham, England (boonies, not London hipsters). Punk rock came out of Queens, not Manhattan.

Black Sabbath

· Pioneers of heavy metal

· Founded in England in late 1960s

· Influenced by British blues-rock, but heavier, more aggressive music & darker lyrics

· Lead singer Ozzy Osbourne also has had successful solo career

· Imagery taken from Gothic art, horror movies, an interest in the occult

“Paranoid”

· From classic 1970 album of same name

· Album helped to define the sound of heavy metal

o Minimalist, driving vocal melody

o Anguished lyrics

o Aggressive rhythmic approach

o Screaming guitar solos

*each 2-line verse is separated by guitar riff and/or solo

Queen

· Hard rock fused with prog, pop, metal, opera, vaudeville, etc.

· Huge sound onstage and in studio: multiple overdubs, esp. elaborate background vocals and layered guitars

· Charismatic, campy lead singer Freddy Mercury died of AIDS in 1992

· “We are the Champions/We Will Rock You”—anthems at sporting events

*Brian May, guitar

John Deacon, bass

Freddy Mercury

Roger Taylor, drums

*professor has bootleg copy of multi-tracks

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

· Signature song, from 1975 A Night at the Opera album

· Complicated structure

o Shifts in style from piano ballad to pseudo-opera to hard rock & back

· Sense of humor/kitsch permeates throughout

· Became a hit again in 1991 after appearance in film Wayne’s World

Aerosmith

“Walk This Way”

· This song from 1975 Toys In The Attic album

· Considered by many to be the greatest American rock band

· Influenced by Stones, Yardbirds, R&B

· In 1986, this song was recorded with rappers Run-D.M.C. and became a hit again

*Tom Hamilton, bass

Joey Kramer, drums

Brad Whitford, guitar

Steven Tyler, vocals

Joe Perry, guitar

1980s: MTV & Pop Stars

Music technology in the 1980s

· In early 80s, Americans began buying VCRs and videogames in large numbers

· Portable cassette players & boom boxes gained in popularity

· New synthesizer, drum loop technology changed the sound of pop music

· CDs introduced

o Originally a windfall for the music business as music fans re-purchased their vinyl collections

MTV

· Cable television arrived late 70s-early 80s in most American homes

· Music Television launched Aug. 1, 1981

· First video: “Video Killed The Radio Star” by the Buggles

· Targeted young audience & initially played very few black artists

· By the end of the 1980s, arguably replaced radio as most important trendsetter in rock music

Michael Jackson

“Billie Jean”

· From album Thriller

o Until recently, the biggest-selling album of all time

o Produced by Quincy Jones

o Breakthrough video production

· Use of drum machines, synths

· One of the first black artists to get airplay on MTV

Madonna

“Like A Virgin”

· Trendsetter for 80s dance music (outgrowth of 70s disco & R&B)

· This song was her first #1 song and album

· Like Jackson, exploited new video medium

· Brilliant control of her image

o Particularly “good girl” vs. “bad girl” dichotomy, demonstrated here

o Pastiche style throughout career

*watched music video

The PMRC Hearings

· The PMRC (Parental Music Resource center) was a group of Senators wives led by Tipper Gore

· Believed that the music industry should submit to a rating system for content of recordings

· 1985 Senate hearings included testimony by Frank Zappa, Dee Snider (of Twisted Sister), and John Denver, who argued that musicians’ 1^st Amendment rights were being violated

Prince

“Darling Nikki”

· This song from classic Purple Rain album

· Brilliant performer (guitarist, singer, dancer, keyboardist, drummer, etc.)

· Sexually suggestive songs/performances

· MTV staple in 1980s

· Subject of much controversy and targeted by PMRC

Bruce Springsteen

· “The Boss” was born in Freehold, NJ

· Signed by John Hammond (Columbia A&R)

o First two albums didn’t sell well

o Fan base grew steadily over time

· Rooted in 60s idealism & music, unlike many other 80s stars

· Legendary live performances

“Born To Run”

· Lyrics deal with working-class hopes & frustrations

· E Street Band—backup band

· Signature horn section sound (R&B infl.)

· This album released in 1975; pop stardom arrived in 1984 with Born in the USA album

· AABA structure

80s Benefits

· 1985 “We are the World” benefit for USA for Africa

· Band Aid & Live Aid—both organized by Bob Geldof (of Boomtown Rats) for famine relief in Africa

· Paul Simon’s Graceland album and Artists United Against Apartheid (run by Little Steven) raised awareness about the horrors of South African apartheid

The Go-Go’s

“We Got the Beat”

· Next generation of girl groups, but they played their own instruments

· One of first successful all-female bands that weren’t controlled by male managers & producers

· Fused New Wave & pop (were part of late 70s California punk scene)

· Lead singer Belinda Carlisle also had successful solo career

· Success in England first

Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine

“Rhythm Is Gonna Get You”

· Born in Havana, Cuba, but grew up in Miami

· Fused Latin & pop

· The Miami Sound Machine started as a wedding band & built Hispanic following first

· Keyboardist/husband Emilio Estefan—creative leader

· Predated 90s Latin pop explosion by a decade

Milli Vanilli

“Girl You Know It’s True”

· Dance-pop duo

o Combination of hip-hop & Euro-dance styles

· “Rob & Fab” became the first artists ever stripped of a Grammy

· Models who lip synched to tracks recorded by studio musicians

· This song sold 7 million copies in the US alone

· Became scapegoats for a technique that was fairly common

80s Hard Rock & Metal

Ozzy Osbourne

“Crazy Train”

· Fired from Black Sabbath, released first solo album Blizzard of Ozz 1980

· This song & controversial “suicide solution” are from that album

· Great showman, outrageous live shows

· Recent successes of Ozzfest & MTV reality show

· Accused in 1986 of encouraging suicide

AC/DC

“Back In Black”

· Pure, visceral, minimalist hard rock

· Led by brothers Malcolm (rhythm guitar) & Angus Young (lead guitar)

· Their sister suggested that Angus wear his school uniform onstage—became band’s visual trademark

· Original lead singer Bon Scott died 1980; replaced by Brian Johnson

Cheap Trick

“I Want You To Want Me”

· Power pop band

· Fused pop, hard rock, funk, absurdist sensibility

· Melodic, beautifully crafted songwriting

· From 1979 live At Budokan album

*picture: Rick Nielson, guitars

Bun E. Carlos, drums

Robin Zander, vocals

Tom Peterson, bass

Los Angeles

· Center of 80s hard rock (a.k.a. “hair band”) scene, especially the clubs around Sunset Strip

· Many L.A. bands sold multi-platinum during this time (Motley Crue, Poison, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Ratt, Van Halen)

· Album sales spurred by MTV airplay

· Visual image borrowed elements from 70s glam (men wearing makeup, long hair, tight pants, etc.)

· Generally decadent, non-politically motivated music scene

Van Halen

“Jump”

· Van Halen brothers

o Raised in Netherlands, moved to California

o Sons of a jazz musician

o Classically trained

· Virtuosic Eddie pioneered the use of new guitar-playing techniques, i.e. “tapping” (playing with both hands on the neck of the guitar)

· This song from 1984 album marked a change in their sound (use of synthesizer) and transition to superstardom

*picture: Alex Van Halen, drums

Michael Anthony, bass

David Lee Roth, vocals

Eddie Van Halen, guitar

Guns ‘N’ Roses

“Sweet Child O’ Mine”

· Less polished than most hard rock bands at the time

· Brought back raw, sleazy, gritty, blues-influenced rock & roll

· This song from influential 1987 Appetite For Destruction album (both went to #1 with the help of MTV, almost a year after initial release)

· The rise of grunge in early 90s speeded the end of this kind of music

*picture: Duff McKeagan, bass

Axl Rose, vocals

Izzy Stradlin, guitar

Slash, guitar

Steven Adler, drums

NWBHM

· “The New Wave of British Heavy Metal”

· Musical movement in the late 70s and early 80s

· Inspired by Led Zeppelin & Black Sabbath, but harder, faster, and louder

· Led by Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, and others

Judas Priest

“You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”

· Influential, true British “heavy metal” (this term gets misapplied quite often)

· Laid groundwork for speed and death metal in the 80s

· This song from 1982 Screaming for Vengeance album

· Leather & chains image (no spandex or makeup)

Def Leppard

“Photograph”

· British band that fused pop and metal

· One of first “metal” videos played on MTV

· Name spelling inspired by Led Zeppelin

· Produced by legendary Robert “Mutt” Lange

· This song from 1983 album Pyromania, which sold 6 million records

· Drummer Rick Allen lost left arm in 1984 car crash but continued to play in band

*picture: Joe Elliot, vocals

*pre-chorus before chorus—sets up chorus. Transitions.

Journey

“Don’t Stop Believin’”

· Not metal—quintessential AOR band (Album-Oriented Rock)

· Based in San Francisco area

· Started as jazz-rock fusion band before Perry joined

· Guitarist Neil Schon was in Santana at age 15

· Unusual structure: chorus appears once, at the end

*Picture: Steve Perry, vocals

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Rock & roll may be here to stay, but individual artists and styles are not.

Examples of artists/styles with staying power? Examples of fleeting trends?

Examples of styles which come back around decades later and/or continue to influence rock musicians?

What is the role of nostalgia in musical trends? (i.e. VH1’s “I Love the 80s”)

What about intentionally disposable music and the people/industry that creates it?

Authors: NOT a fad as people thought in the beginning

What is popular today is not what was popular yesterday

Pick artists that especially show this

Staying power: Beatles, Rolling Stones – epitome of staying power, Bruce Springsteen

Rolling Stones à still touring, still going ‘strong’?

Fleeting trends: Disco (“Disco Sucks” backlash) from very popular to almost obsolete; Beach music (The Beach Boys were able to transcend the genre – but with Pet Sounds they were doing ‘more”); Bubble gum music

Styles that come back: Boy and girl groups / Doo Wop; 60s à 90s, Reinventing the trends / Boyz II Men, a reinventing of Motown

Classic songwriting will always influence musicians; for example, most of the songs AABA style – Carole King (lasting), classic Tin Alley

Write about the 90s even though we didn’t discuss it in class

Fleeting trend à Latin explosion, Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias

Nostalgia --> After 20 years, things come back and are popular; after the initial backlash, people love styles – dorky is cool

VH1 à ‘Worst songs of all time’ – for some people, those are the favorites, and they are definitely popular / ‘One hit wonders’ – still getting attention, obviously

Songs that were so popular that they were explosion, ‘Macarena’ etc…People still try to do that more and more; catchy and different (intentionally disposable); Spice Girls and Spice World

Boy bands, put together for a CD, music industry creation; quick $$

2gether = band made for a TV show / movie, not for the quality and longevity

Bands with staying power do what they want to do no matter what is trendy

Bruce Springsteen first two albums 84 and 88 on the charts

Harder to have staying power today? Must “sell out” and be trendy, unless you are already famous or you won’t have a record deal

USE MUSICAL EXAMPLES

2. What were vices are now habits.

The principle of “one-upmanship”: do the authors overstate the case that rock musicians are ever louder, lewder and more rebellious, or is this a real phenomenon in rock history?

Are artists under pressure to behave more and more outrageously? Where does this pressure come from?

- Musicians have big egos, usually

- One-upmanship à Woodstock, The Who and Jimi Hendrix

- The Bad Boys

- The Beatles à The Rolling Stones (Talk about Bad Boy image)

- The Rolling Stones à Led Zeppelin

- Led Zeppelin à METAL MUSIC

- Every new artist tries to be louder and bigger and ‘more outrageous’

- People are fickle and impatient, need “more” and something new constantly

- Society is becoming more and more

- Music can only get so loud, so distorted; new amps, new distortion techniques

- But at some point, you’ve gotta add to the antics and theatrical aspect of the show

- *Famous song from the 70s à “Is that all there is?”* Peggy Lee

- Alice Cooper = outrageous à Marilyn Manson = super outrageous

- Rock musicians want attention à Why? Consumers

- Internet consumption; So many bands, you need to STAND OUT

3. Good is bad, and bad is good.

The authors argue that “the inversion of traditional evaluative criteria” has led to rock music’s devolution in terms of musical sophistication and complexity.

Saying that less talented musicians are successful today since rock has become more and more focused on the image side of the artist rather than the actual music.

Cite the Stones as having simple, loud, music, yet somehow finding success

Authors showed a bias toward the Beatles, and seem to think that the devolution happened since the Stones rebelled against their "Teddy Boy" lifestyle

This isn't a recent development: rock music has never been classical music. It's always been about more than just the sound of the music. Rock is about a total-package of entertainment, including the sound, the message, and the appearance of the artist.

Ex: Elvis – Madonna: exploiting looks by video: Ed Sullivan, MTV

Ex: Bob Dylan: not an impressive voice, but had the message

Ex: Little Richard to Prince, extravagant stage shows

The "art" of rock and roll is to entertain. This is accomplished by combining showmanship with musicianship, and connecting with the audience.

Yes, musicians with simple songs find success today, but it doesn't mean that their music is only "pure and simple fun", which is what they claim about The Stones and Little Richard.

Technology continues to expand possibilities, including instrumentation, recording techniques, and showmanship.

Musicians continue to find new ways to play instruments

Eddie Van Halen's tapping technique

It also doesn't mean that "good boys" can't find commercial success. (Look at the Jonas Brothers, who as teenagers already have millions)

Song forms aren't "devolving" in the first place

The simplest songs are based on early forms, such as 12 bar blues or Tin Pan Alley. Most modern songs expand on those basic forms

Different people have different tastes in music. Can Stuessy/Lipscomb really tell me that The Beatles sound better than my favorite artist?

Is this an accurate portrayal of the affect that anti-hero bands like the Rolling Stones (or early blues musicians or later punk & garage rockers) had on the history of rock music?

What, if any, artistic value lies in unsophisticated, loud, simple rock & roll? Or is artistic value beside the point? How about cultural impact? Or personal impact, for that matter?

The authors write, “Fortunate is the listener who can enjoy Emerson, Lake, and Palmer or Blood, Sweat, and Tears and appreciate their musical complexities, and then fully enjoy Little Richard or the Rolling Stones, while recognizing their music as being pure and simple fun”… (Note from JG: I realize I may have a personal axe to grind here, but please think critically about the assertion that Little Richard & the Rolling Stones’ music is “pure and simple fun”!)

- Good boys get nowhere; bad boys get everywhere – Beatles?

- Rock and roll is NOT classical music; Rockers don’t ‘need’ to be skilled, sound good

- Bad à simple music; Bad à Acting bad onstage

- Teenagers don’t want to listen to what their parents tell them to

- Authors of the book – lean towards the Beatles, obviously; ‘devolution’

- Accurate portrayal of the Stones?

- Early on, Rock music = countercultural; has it become part of the culture?

- Beatles = clean-cut, suits; Stones = working class guys, bad boys

- In actuality, Beatles = teddy boys who were cleaned up; Stones = middle class who were made to dress working class to fill bad boy image

- Rock and roll about the music? About the lifestyle?

- Is fair to say that punk rock is not as influential as the Beatles?

- Punk rock may not be as good, but is it as important to the culture?

- Worthless? Not to some

- Any artistic value in a loud, simple song?

- Little Richard and the Rolling Stones = “pure and simple fun” à a little exaggeration?

- Suzy Q by John Fogerty (of Creedence Clearwater Revival) à critically acclaimed; this song simple but fun

4. “My album may be #1, but I’m not commercial!”

Is the anti-commercial stance that was taken by many alternative rockers in decades past still relevant today?

How have attitudes toward commercial success changed over the decades? (i.e. Elvis Presley, your average contemporary rapper, and plenty of other musicians throughout history would never have claimed that they didn’t want commercial success.)

- No one wants to ‘sell out’?

- Early rock and roll à People think it’s “pure”

- Still, Elvis moved from Sun Records to a major label and became successful

- Artists can’t make a lot of $$ on indy labels

- Everyone worries about ‘selling out’

- What about someone with a group breaking away to be a solo act? Because they feel like the group is ‘holding them back’

- Paul Simon, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé Knowles (Is that selling out? Or is that being true to yourself?)

- “I’m not a sell-out”

- Does it even matter? With the Internet and downloading

- Commercial success changes over decades

- Could you imagine Elvis saying ‘I’m not a sell-out?’

- Lennon: “We’re more popular than Jesus” – was saying that as a matter of fact; wasn’t worried about their popularity taking away from musical quality; Beatles = unique case

- Rap is all about “selling records” $$ making records and having lots of women – but a lot of it is about the situation that they grew up in; at the same time, it is a big issue for rappers – ‘selling out’ = forgetting about where you came from, literally…for white bands, it’s all about forgetting about where you came from, musically

- Milli Vanilli

- Punk and New Wave; Punk – not good to put on record bins at stores, Basically renamed New Wave to sell records, even though it was very similar

- Radiohead – do their own thing, didn’t sell out

- Beatles – always did their own thing, MOST popular

- Van Halen à sell out with 1984 album and the synthesizer?

5. Not all music is art; most of it is simply product.

What is the difference between music which is art and music which is product?

What do the authors say about “artistic freedom” and rock music?

- There is the “I am an artist mindset”

- But, at the same time, selling records

- Rock and rollers NOT

- Bach had to write musical pieces because he worked for a church; did not proclaim to be an ‘artist’ (writing music as a JOB)

- Many composers were commissioned by churches and kings à writing music in order to sell music

- Prog rock leans towards art

- Higher quality à art?

- Is it only good art if it doesn’t sell? Doesn’t make money?

- Milli Vanilli and boy bands NOT art

- Early Beatles more product / Late Beatles more art

- The Who was the same way; one of the first users of the synthesizer (rock opera Tommy)

- *Prince, *The Artist formerly known as Prince* The Artist, The Symbol

- Bob Dylan à transcended genres, artist, does what HE wants

- You have to established before you can move from product to art

- Leeway on opinion; Back it up with a lot of examples

- “Artistic freedom” à Motown = strict, lack of freedom, talk about structure

- Is that art? Then, compare it to Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye and their new freedom with Motown once they renegotiated their contracts

6. The audience for rock is getting both older and younger.

Think about demographic shifts of audience members during rock & roll’s 50-odd years of existence, from baby boomers to Gen X & Y.

How has each subsequent generation of rock music fans helped to shape the music?

How has rock music shaped generations of fans?

How has the trend of both older and younger rock fans shaped the economics of rock music (think teen pop stars & “dinosaur” touring acts)?

- In the beginning, rock and roll = teenage thing

- Teenagers in the 50s à still fans of rock and roll

- Music was important in 50s and 60s to way of life, for the first time à this trend has continued, some people are obsessed with music, live off of music, thrive off of music

- Now, little sisters and little brothers are also fans of rock and roll

- MTV’s demographic getting younger and younger – look at TRL and the requests and the fans in Time Square

- As artists get older (Britney Spears), their music is actually tried to be sold to younger fans

- “Rock and roll” à Are my dad and I talking about the same thing?

- Each generation brings their own views to the term, and shapes it

- “Dinosaur” touring acts à Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, James Taylor

- 9 and 10 year olds with disposable income à spending their $ on teen pop stars

- Why are the Rolling Stones still touring? Die hard fans and their children, fan base actually growing, why not tour?

- ‘The Rolling Stones are the world’s greatest cover band of their own music’ - Ben

7. Rock is no longer the counterculture.

How and when did this shift take place, from marginalized subculture to mainstream juggernaut?

Examples of rock in the mainstream culture – sporting events, TV ads, etc.?

What, if anything, is the music of the “counterculture” today?

- *MTV Era caused this, in part

- Rock = counterculture

- Rock à not Frank Sinatra

- Rock = rebellious, Blackboard Jungle, Jerry Lee Lewis

- Elvis and his hips banned from television

- Kids rebelling against parents

- NOW, rock = juggernaut, strong influence, part of culture

- Queen ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We are the Champions’ – sporting events

- TV ads à all commercials have music, famous and popular rock and roll bands

- Movie – soundtracks are all popular, mainstream artists

- Nirvana = counterculture, grunge music à popular, new movement

- The ‘anti-thing’ suddenly becomes the ‘thing’

- Punk rock – countercultural à popular, influential

- Jam bands, still countercultural today? Indy rockers, still countercultural today?

- Counterculture either dies out, or gets popular

8. Music, including rock & roll, affects behavior.

The authors point out an interesting double-standard they see in the writings of rock critics, arguing that these critics (who are also fans of the music) are quick to give credit to rock music when it plays a role in positive social change (e.g., during the civil rights era), but then refuse to acknowledge that rock music with a negative message might also bear responsibility for negative social change.

Examples of rock music affecting behavior, negatively or positively?

Blackboard Jungle

Protest songs in the 60s (War in Vietnam, etc.)

The PMRC hearings

Social / political change

80s Rock Benefits

Bands like U2

Beatles à Revolution

“We Shall Overcome” by Bob Dylan à a theme song for the civil rights movement

Musicians don’t get the credit, but they do get the blame

Examples: Bob Dylan, protests songs in the 60s; Motown, tight image affect change, White America’s perception of Black America; Eninem, Marilyn Manson, does that affect behavior? Not fair to say positively and not negatively

Know:

PMRC

NWBHM

DIY