Of course, the Beatles was one of the first bands to redefine Rock ‘n Roll and started to make a new “Rock” sound. The album “St. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band,” which we looked at before. Anther influential band was (and still is) the Rolling Stones, which we have listened to as well.
“Honky Tonk Woman” is a song by the Rolling Stones, dating 1969. The word “Honky Tonk” refers to a pub or bar with live music, and a honky tonk woman is presumably a dancer (maybe an erotic dancer?) in such an establishment.
The Dark Side of Rock-‘n-Roll: Sex, Drugs & Violence: Songs about sex, alcohol and other drug use, and even violence became common themes in Rock music, creating a culture of self-destruction. “Rock music and its stars have demonstrated a tendency toward self-destruction, as the drug related deaths of Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, all around 1970, attest. In the same period, at the tragic Rolling Stones concert at Altamont, many in the crowd of an estimated 300, 000 were physically assaulted and one person was murdered before the cameras of a documentary film crew. Ten years later eleven people died at a Who concert in Cincinnati, and a year later John Lennon was murdered. The message of rock seemed to encourage violence, sex, and drugs…” Crossroads in Music (p. 222).
Following we will look at a couple other famous rock bands.
The Eagles
One of the most popular artists of the 70s were The Eagles. “Hotel California” is probably their best known song. While listening to the song take note of the orchestration, as well as the use of consonance (harmony).
The lyrics describe another “honky-tonk” scene, this time a hotel with music and dancing. The narrator finds himself imprisoned in the hotel. What do you think is the symbolic or metaphoric meaning of this song?
Pink Floyd
“We Don’t Need No Education” is part of “Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)” a section in Pink Floyd’s rock-opera “The Wall,” which was also made into a movie. While listening to it, notice the Disco sounds, mixed with electric guitars, electric bass and other “rock” sounds . Can you hear the vamp / riff played by the bass?
Like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd also hails from the UK.
Led Zeppelin
Considered by some one of the greatest Rock songs of all time Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” has three distinct sections. In the beginning the density is low, starting with the picking of an acoustic guitar and recorder accompaniment. Electric guitars add to the dynamics towards the middle. The final part of the song increases in density as more instruments are added and the rhythmic density and dynamics increases further. While listening to the song, identify the song structure and musical arrangement.
Now focus on the lyrics of this song. It is full of poetic images and symbols. First try to figure out the meaning of the lyrics for yourself, then look at the following interpretation: A Song of Hope. Do you agree with the interpretation?
Edgar Winter Group
This band created quite experimental rock music, almost with jazz-like improvisation, using a range of electric and electronic instruments and equipment. Listen to their rendition “Frankenstein” and try to describe the development of the song.
Showing posts with label Rock 'n Roll. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rock 'n Roll. 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?
Rock 'n Roll -- Elvis Presley
Undoubtedly Elvis Presley was the artist who was most influential on Rock ‘n Roll and was probably the first superstar, changing the course of music (and history) forever. However, it is a mistake to regard Elvis Presley as an isolated phenomenon. Presley was heavily influenced by the genres and artist that preceded and surrounded him, including the spirituals, Gospel, Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, and also Country Music (which we will discuss later this semester).
Some Influences on Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley did many “covers,” i.e. songs originally performed by other artists. He was influenced by many artists; therefore, to understand Elvis Presley’s impact, one needs to compare the original songs with the renditions by Presley.
Coming from a Southern background, it should not be surprising that Elvis Presley was influenced by the spirituals. Listen to him singing “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In” in this recording, dating 1956.
In 1952 Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was the first to record Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s song “Hound Dog.” This was a typical twelve-bar blues song. Elvis Presley established this song forever in our collective consciousness with his 1956 recording. Presley’s rendition shows a clear distinction between blues and early Rock ‘n Roll. Listen to both songs and try to identify the differences.
In 1956 Smiley Lewis sang “One Night of Sin.” This song was also sung by Elvis; however, the lyrics were later changed into “One Night with You,” which became much more famous.
We already listened to Ray Charles singing “I Got a Woman” when we discussed the change from Blues to Rhythm & Blues.
Listen to a rendition by Ray Charles again, and then compare it to the version by Elvis Presley. How are the two different?
(In 2005 rapper Kanye West sampled Ray Charles’ “I’ve Got a Woman” as part of his song “Gold Digger.”)
Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” is another famous song that Elvis Presley also covered. The rhythmic density in Presley’s rendition is higher. What other differences can you identify?
Another artist whom was influential on Elvis Presley was the blues singer Roy Brown. Listen to his “Good Rockin’ Tonight” below. Note the “jazzy” feel of Brown’s version. Listen to the orchestration, specifically the trumpet and other wind instruments. What is the hook in Brown's version?
Now listen to Elvis Presley’s rendition. Note how the wind instruments have been replaced by string instruments. The trumpet solos in Brown’s version is replaced with guitar solos. There is a shift away from improvisation and harmonic complexity created by wind instruments to simpler chord-harmonies by guitars, as well as an increased rhythmic density. Is the hook in Presley's version the same as the hook in Brown's version?
Another song by Roy Brown that was significant for Elvis Presley’s early career was “Hard Luck Blues.”
The version sung by Elvis Presley had the lyrics changed from “Hard Luck Blues” to “Heartbreak Hotel.” Apart from the changed lyrics, what other differences can you identify between “Hard Luck Blues” and “Heartbreak Hotel”?
1956 stands out as the year that Rock ‘n Roll was firmly establish, with Elvis Presley as its superstar. Presley’s style incorporated different elements from different music genres. Crossroads in Music (p. 218) describes his style as a type of “hillbilly music, with a sexy R&B-inspired vocal style, pop-oriented lyrics, electric guitar lead, and an emphasis on the beat.”
This “hillbilly music,” which is a type of early country music, was combined with blues (specifically boogie woogie), Gospel, some jazz, and Rhythm and Blues, and a heavier beat to create a genre of music which became known as Rockabilly. Carl Perkins recorded the song “Blue Suede Shoes” in 1955, which is considered by some to be the first Rockabilly song.
Many artists covered “Blue Suede Shoes,” including Elvis Presley.
It’s been over fifty years since the beginning or Rockabilly, yet it is still enjoyed by younger generations, and to this day there are still Rockabilly bands around the world – even here in Korea; for example the highly entertaining Korean band The Moonshiners.
For more another discussion on early Rock 'n Roll you can visit Tom Zarecki's "Origins of Popular Music -- Part 1."
Some Influences on Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley did many “covers,” i.e. songs originally performed by other artists. He was influenced by many artists; therefore, to understand Elvis Presley’s impact, one needs to compare the original songs with the renditions by Presley.
Coming from a Southern background, it should not be surprising that Elvis Presley was influenced by the spirituals. Listen to him singing “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In” in this recording, dating 1956.
In 1952 Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was the first to record Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s song “Hound Dog.” This was a typical twelve-bar blues song. Elvis Presley established this song forever in our collective consciousness with his 1956 recording. Presley’s rendition shows a clear distinction between blues and early Rock ‘n Roll. Listen to both songs and try to identify the differences.
In 1956 Smiley Lewis sang “One Night of Sin.” This song was also sung by Elvis; however, the lyrics were later changed into “One Night with You,” which became much more famous.
We already listened to Ray Charles singing “I Got a Woman” when we discussed the change from Blues to Rhythm & Blues.
Listen to a rendition by Ray Charles again, and then compare it to the version by Elvis Presley. How are the two different?
(In 2005 rapper Kanye West sampled Ray Charles’ “I’ve Got a Woman” as part of his song “Gold Digger.”)
Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” is another famous song that Elvis Presley also covered. The rhythmic density in Presley’s rendition is higher. What other differences can you identify?
Another artist whom was influential on Elvis Presley was the blues singer Roy Brown. Listen to his “Good Rockin’ Tonight” below. Note the “jazzy” feel of Brown’s version. Listen to the orchestration, specifically the trumpet and other wind instruments. What is the hook in Brown's version?
Now listen to Elvis Presley’s rendition. Note how the wind instruments have been replaced by string instruments. The trumpet solos in Brown’s version is replaced with guitar solos. There is a shift away from improvisation and harmonic complexity created by wind instruments to simpler chord-harmonies by guitars, as well as an increased rhythmic density. Is the hook in Presley's version the same as the hook in Brown's version?
Another song by Roy Brown that was significant for Elvis Presley’s early career was “Hard Luck Blues.”
The version sung by Elvis Presley had the lyrics changed from “Hard Luck Blues” to “Heartbreak Hotel.” Apart from the changed lyrics, what other differences can you identify between “Hard Luck Blues” and “Heartbreak Hotel”?
1956 stands out as the year that Rock ‘n Roll was firmly establish, with Elvis Presley as its superstar. Presley’s style incorporated different elements from different music genres. Crossroads in Music (p. 218) describes his style as a type of “hillbilly music, with a sexy R&B-inspired vocal style, pop-oriented lyrics, electric guitar lead, and an emphasis on the beat.”
This “hillbilly music,” which is a type of early country music, was combined with blues (specifically boogie woogie), Gospel, some jazz, and Rhythm and Blues, and a heavier beat to create a genre of music which became known as Rockabilly. Carl Perkins recorded the song “Blue Suede Shoes” in 1955, which is considered by some to be the first Rockabilly song.
Many artists covered “Blue Suede Shoes,” including Elvis Presley.
It’s been over fifty years since the beginning or Rockabilly, yet it is still enjoyed by younger generations, and to this day there are still Rockabilly bands around the world – even here in Korea; for example the highly entertaining Korean band The Moonshiners.
For more another discussion on early Rock 'n Roll you can visit Tom Zarecki's "Origins of Popular Music -- Part 1."
Rock 'n Roll -- The Beginnings
The Rock-‘n-Roll movement started in the early 1950s. It was a continuation of blues in both structure and rhythm, but also influenced by the improvisation of early jazz, and the emotional quality of the spirituals and Gospel. Crossroads in Music (p. 218) explain that two factors, “emotional vocal interpretation and a heavy emphasis on the beat—especially the backbeat,” were common to the different styles of rock music.
Two songs of note that set the stage for Rock-‘n-Roll music are the songs “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and “Rock Around the Clock.”
“Shake, Rattle and Roll” was first performed by Big Joe Turner; however, the version by Bill Haley and his Comets are probably best known. Notice how the song uses the typical twelve-bar blues structure, as well as the AAB-form for the lyrics. It is also thematically still just a blues song—a man complaining about his woman.
Like “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” the song “Rock Around the Clock” also has a twelve-bar blues structure. Listen to it below, also performed by Bill Haley and His Comets.
“Rock Around the Clock” came out in 1955 and is considered the official year that Rock-‘n-Roll began. It was also in this year that Elvis started to make a name for himself.
Two songs of note that set the stage for Rock-‘n-Roll music are the songs “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and “Rock Around the Clock.”
“Shake, Rattle and Roll” was first performed by Big Joe Turner; however, the version by Bill Haley and his Comets are probably best known. Notice how the song uses the typical twelve-bar blues structure, as well as the AAB-form for the lyrics. It is also thematically still just a blues song—a man complaining about his woman.
Like “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” the song “Rock Around the Clock” also has a twelve-bar blues structure. Listen to it below, also performed by Bill Haley and His Comets.
“Rock Around the Clock” came out in 1955 and is considered the official year that Rock-‘n-Roll began. It was also in this year that Elvis started to make a name for himself.
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