Around the 70s and later, Rock ‘n Roll started to develop sub-genres. We have already listened some of these subgenres namely Country Rock (or Southern Rock) and Blues Rock.
Now we will look at some of the other famous rock sub-genres.
Psychedelic Rock
“Psychedelic” refers to the use of psychedelic- or mind-altering drugs that were emerging and prevalent during the sixties and seventies. Psychedelic Rock tried to capture these drug experiences in music. There was also a strong theme of “hedonism” – the believe that pleasure is the only goal in life.
Psychedilic Rock retained the typical orchestration associated with Rock music, but often incorporated exotic instruments, like sitars. The Beatles’ album “St. Pepper’s Heart Club Band” is considered by many to be a psychedelic album .
Another psychedelic rock band dating from the late 60s is The Yarnbirds. Eric Clapton was the lead guitarist for The Yarnbirds from 1963-1965. The Yarnbirds was known for their experimental use of the electric guitar. Below are two songs by The Yarnbirds.
“Over Under Sidewards Down”
“Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”
Hard Rock & Heavy Metal
The word “Hard” in Hard Rock refers to the high dynamics of the music; in other words the loudness of the volume which is often so loud (due to amplification) that the sound becomes distorted and therefore has lots of dissonance. Distortion is a key feature in this genre. Hard Rock is strongly influenced by blues music and many of the songs are based on the 12 Bar Blues structure. The pentatonic scale is also frequently used, which is probably rooted in the Spirituals and Negro folk songs.
Jimi Hendrix was one of the initiators of Hard Rock. “The Jimi Hendrix sound and the instrumentation of his band – guitar, bass, and drums: the ‘power trio’ – were at the core of the hard rock style and of the heavy metal style that followed” (Crossroads in Music, p. 222). Hendrix was influenced by Psychedelic Rock, particularly their experimentation with the electric guitar, which, of course, was something he excelled at.
The term “Heavy Metal” was first used in the song “Born to Be Wild,” by Steppenwolf, which is also considered to be the first Heavy Metal song.
But what is the difference between Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? The two genres (if they are indeed two separate genres) overlap a great deal. Generally, I would say, that both have high dynamics with a big focus on the “metals” (the electric guitar and bass guitar); however, Heavy Metal tend to have more intricate melodies and harmonies, with longer guitar solos. Sometimes Heavy metal may also seem more aggressive, with lots of emphasis on being “macho”. It is also believed that the influence of Blues and Rhythm & Blues had a greater influence on Hard Rock, while other more complex genres like Jazz and Classical Music also contributed to Heavy Metal.
Let’s listen to “Born to Be Wild”:
The British band Judas Priest is one of the early Heavy Metal artists. Listen to their song “Breaking the Law.”
The idea of “breaking the law” is consistent with a theme in Heavy Metal that is anti-conformist and anti-establishment – even anarchistic.
A common characteristic in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is the use of guitar riffs. A “riff”, as you may remember, is similar to the “vamp” in Disco. Listen to the highly recognizable guitar riff in Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.”
Did you notice the use of the organ in this song? The use of the organ as an instrument in music is rooted in Gospel music.
Showing posts with label Jimi Hendrix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jimi Hendrix. Show all posts
More Rock ‘n Roll after 1964
While The Beatles were undoubtedly the key players during this era, there were also a number of other noteworthy and influential artists coming out of this era. Let’s look at just a few of them.
Janis Joplin
Joplin was famous in the late sixties, when the rock ‘n roll was dominated by mostly male musicians. The Rolling Stones Magazine list Joplin at #28 of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Her career was short, but influential. (Joplin died in 1970 from a drug overdose.)
Listen to Joplin perform “Summertime,” which we heard originally performed by Billy Holiday, when we discussed “What is Jazz?”. (Listen to Billy Holiday’s version here.) Try to describe how is Janis Joplin’s version different from Billy Holiday's version?
Listen to “Piece of My Heart.” What genres of music do you think influenced this song?
(If you are interested, Pink made a tribute to Janis Joplin that you can watch here.)
Bob Dylan
Just before Beatles-mania swept the world, the young Bob Dylan started his career. His first album dates 1962. Bob Dylan is considered one of the great poets in modern music, and some of his song lyrics have even been included in poetry anthologies.
Let’s listen to his song "Mr. Tambourine Man". The lyrics have interpreted in many different ways, from an ode to drugs, to religious allusions. How do you interpret the song? Use the questions for “Becoming Familiar with a Song,” to help you understand the song better.
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton is another very influential artists whom also started his career in the 60s. He played with different bands until he went solo in the 70s. His music style has always been very influenced by the blues. He is considered one of the Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Below is the song “Layla”. Listen especially to use of the electric guitar in this song. What other instruments can you identify? What genres of music do you think influenced this song?
Jimi Hendrix
The guitar, and especially the electric guitar, is probably the most important instrument in Rock ‘n Roll, and later in Rock and Metal music. While Eric Clapton is considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time, Jimi Hendrix is considered the greatest electric guitar player of all time by most musicians. The Rolling Stone Magazine also has him as their #1 for the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Hendrix was one of the first guitarists to make ample use of amplifiers and guitar effects pedals.
Like the previous artists mentioned, Hendrix also started his career in the 60s, and unfortunately, like Janis Joplin, he also died in 1970.
Listen to “Catfish Blues.” This is clearly a blues song. But how is it different from most of the blues songs you have heard so far?
Janis Joplin
Joplin was famous in the late sixties, when the rock ‘n roll was dominated by mostly male musicians. The Rolling Stones Magazine list Joplin at #28 of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Her career was short, but influential. (Joplin died in 1970 from a drug overdose.)
Listen to Joplin perform “Summertime,” which we heard originally performed by Billy Holiday, when we discussed “What is Jazz?”. (Listen to Billy Holiday’s version here.) Try to describe how is Janis Joplin’s version different from Billy Holiday's version?
Listen to “Piece of My Heart.” What genres of music do you think influenced this song?
(If you are interested, Pink made a tribute to Janis Joplin that you can watch here.)
Bob Dylan
Just before Beatles-mania swept the world, the young Bob Dylan started his career. His first album dates 1962. Bob Dylan is considered one of the great poets in modern music, and some of his song lyrics have even been included in poetry anthologies.
Let’s listen to his song "Mr. Tambourine Man". The lyrics have interpreted in many different ways, from an ode to drugs, to religious allusions. How do you interpret the song? Use the questions for “Becoming Familiar with a Song,” to help you understand the song better.
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton is another very influential artists whom also started his career in the 60s. He played with different bands until he went solo in the 70s. His music style has always been very influenced by the blues. He is considered one of the Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Below is the song “Layla”. Listen especially to use of the electric guitar in this song. What other instruments can you identify? What genres of music do you think influenced this song?
Jimi Hendrix
The guitar, and especially the electric guitar, is probably the most important instrument in Rock ‘n Roll, and later in Rock and Metal music. While Eric Clapton is considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time, Jimi Hendrix is considered the greatest electric guitar player of all time by most musicians. The Rolling Stone Magazine also has him as their #1 for the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Hendrix was one of the first guitarists to make ample use of amplifiers and guitar effects pedals.
Like the previous artists mentioned, Hendrix also started his career in the 60s, and unfortunately, like Janis Joplin, he also died in 1970.
Listen to “Catfish Blues.” This is clearly a blues song. But how is it different from most of the blues songs you have heard so far?
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