History of Rock and Roll - Chapter 6 Flashcards
Intro
Generation X (born between 1961 - 1977) was wedged between the baby boomers and Generation Y. Generation X (also referred to as the baby busters) did not feel like competing with the baby boomer's over-achieving, social experimentation, impracticality, and excessive idealism. Generation X kids left their mark on rock styles by either expressing themselves as carefree such as disco and glitter/glam, or they were wrought with self-doubt and alienation as in punk or new wave.
Roots Of Generation X Music In America
In the mid to late 60’s, music seemed to become more institutionalized. Some of the late 60’s rockers felt the need to get back to the abrasiveness and rudeness of earlier rock and roll. The major center for this new musical activity were the Midwest and NY.
Detroit Proto-Punk (Late 60’s To Early 70’s)
Performers in the Midwest such as Detroit, Akron, and Cleveland played a big role in the movement away from established pop music norms during the late 1960's. Bands of this style used stripped down arrangements, deliberately amateurish stage presentations, outlandish dress, and vulgar lyrics. They were very loud and totally obnoxious. Performers included: The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog) Iggy Pop - I'm Bored MC5's - Kick Out the Jams) and, Fred "Sonic" Smith
New York’s Art Rock (Mid To Late 70’s)
New York rock was influenced by Pop Art (especially Andy Warhol), minimalism (classical composer John Cage) and post-Beat aesthetics. New York Art Rock is an extension of the Detroit Proto-punk style. Bands use minimal technique, deliberately rough sound and unsteady, fluctuating rhythms. The lyrics were influenced by Beat Poets, deal with inner conflict, mainlining hard drugs, alienation, sadomasochism, and homosexuality. Audiences listened to these acts in such places as Cafe Bizarre in Greenwich Village, CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City.Performers include:
Patti Smith - Gloria
The Velvet Underground - Heroin
Blank Generation - Richard Hell and the Voidoids
also, The Fugs, Television, and Tom Verlaine
Shock-Rock (Mid 70’s)
Shock-Rock used outrageous stage routines and sexually explicit performers, designed to outrage and shock the audience. The Doors, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix all helped define the genre. An example is Alice Cooper dressing in pantyhose and slaughtering toy dolls. Performers include:
Alice Cooper - School’s Out
Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever
as well as, Iggy Pop, The Plasmatics, and The Tubes
New York Punk (Early 70’s)
NY Punk started as the hard-core contingent of the New York Art Rock style. The performers were younger than the art rockers and had little allegiance to the Beat poets. The style is characterized by very simple, stripped-down thrash rock: Very short, fast songs, minimal soloing, unemotional, uncolored singing. The style has a deliberate, non-funky feel. Many of the bands were first introduced at the CBGB’s, New York’s premiere punk/thrash night club. Performers include:
Looking For A Kiss - New York Dolls
Beat On The Brat - The Ramones
New York New Wave
A style first anticipated by groups such as Pere Ubu, New York New Wave was hodge-podge of styles: jagged guitar lines, disco/funk dance beats, punk alienation, glitter/glam, art rock, and thrash.
Blondie, for example, makes use of pop, rap, surf-rock, and punk. Performers include:
Heart Of Glass - Blondie
Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
British Punk (Mid To Late 70’s)
They were frustrated with unemployment in the U.K. as well as the fact that the music industry controlled rock and roll. British youth sought back-to-basics rock style emphasizing personal authenticity, political reform, and a common-man's right for musical self-expression. Like NY punk, it uses stripped down arrangements, political lyrics, and a crude amateurish deliver. A fundamental difference between NY and London Punks was that the London punks were all much younger than the NY Punks. (The British punks referred to the NY punks as "boring old farts" lol) . Also, the British punks seemed to lack the tongue-in-cheek humor of some NY acts. British punk lyrics usually revolve around the devaluation of society and anarchy. The major venues for British punk were the Marquee Club and the 100 club. Performers include: The Damned as well as.... White Riot - The Clash God Save The Queen - Sex Pistols Boredom - The Buzzcocks Spellbound - Siouxsie and the Banshees Cheeseburger - Gang of Four
British New Wave
Though British New Wave is more political than its American counterpart, it retains the eclectic nature.
Singer-songwriters such as Elvis Cosello and Graham Parker delivered powerful social commentary thorough their songs. Performers include:
Radio, Radio - Elvis Costello
Murder By Numbers - Police
I Hear You Knockin’ - Dave Edmunds
Fool’s Gold - Graham Parker
Ska-Revival (1979-1981)
Also known as the Two Tone (from Two-Tone Record Co), Ska used live burlesque, visual stage routines. Also, Ska bands were integrated groups of 7 to 9 members with heavy use of horn sections and chug-a-lug rhythms. Performers include:
Too Much Pressure - Selecter
House of Fun - Madness
Tears Of A Clown - English Beat
Techno-Rock (1977-1981)
Techno-rock was a synthesizer based rock style of the late 70's. The style exhibited an infatuation with technology, jagged mechanical rhythms and melodic lines. The lyrics seem to be obsessed with the excesses of materialism, estrangement, and dehumanization Performers include: Cars - Gary Numan Are We Not Men? - Devo New Toy - Lene Lovich Destination Unknown - Missing Persons
British Post-Punk
British post-punk bands differ from earlier punk bands in several ways. The post-punk bands were less political, more melodic and much more introvered. The style has a fuller sound, sometimes using synthesizers and sax. Depression and despair are favorite subjects in Post-Punk rock. Performers: Boys Don't Cry - The Cure Imitation of Christ - Psychedelic Furs Miserable Lie - The Smiths Monkeys - Echo And The Bunnymen
Jamaican Influences
Since the 1940’s music, of the West Indies has provided musical resources for American and European Pop Music. Starting with the Calypso, native to Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean rhythms and dances have been adapted by a wide variety of performers and musical styles. In the late 1950’s through 70’s Jamaican dance steps have all been adapted to rock and roll. The styles that have had the greatest impact were Ska, Rock-Steady and Reggae.
Ska (1956-To Mid 60’s)
In the mid 1960’s Jamaican teenagers began listening to American rhythm and blues broadcast on American radio stations in Miami, New Orleans, and Memphis. Also mobile DJ’s began playing the latest rhythm and blues records at parties. As the interest in R&B increased, local musicians began blending R&B horn sections and chug-a-lug rhythms with the traditional hesitation Calypso beat. The resulting style was called ska: imitating the scratching sound of a muted guitar. In the late 70’s, there was a British Ska revival. Performers include: Laurel Aiken, Owen Gray, Jackie Edwards, Derek Morgan, Skatelites, Soul Vendors, and Ska Kings
Rock-Steady (1966-1969)
Whereas Ska was influenced by R&B, Rock-steady was influenced by American soul music. Stylistically, electric guitar and bass replace the horns used in ska and the tempo quickens. Future reggae superstars such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh got their start playing rock-steady. Performers include: Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, Ken Boothe
Reggae (1968 - To Present)
Between 1969 to 1976, Reggae had a profound influence on rock and roll. Many rock groups as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, the Police, and the Clash used reggae themes, rhythms, and attitudes. Reggae combines a hesitation calypso beat, electric guitars and bass with Rastafarian (from Ras Tafari, aka Haile Salassie) lyrics. Also, Jamaican toasters, mobile DJ’s providing rhythm and rhyme talkovers (Dub), provided the basis for the practice in American Rap. The impact of reggae on rap is especially ironic considering that American blacks have traditionally shown contempt for Jamaicans. Performers include:
Grounation - Count Ossie and the Mystical Revelation of Rastafari
Natty Dread - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Equal Rights - Peter Tosh
The Fugs (NY 1965)
The Fugs, led by Ed Sanders (guitar and vocals) was the first truly obscene band of the 60’s. Sanders was a post-beat in the style of Allen Ginsberg. The targets of his songs were usually sexual repression and politics. Besides his album such as Beer Cans On The Moon, he also wrote a hit book about the Charles Manson trial: The Family
(Remember, Allen Ginsberg is FUGGING ugly. That will help you remember that The Fugs are NY Art Rock ^ ^)
The Velvet Underground
Notable Members: Lou Reed (vocals and guitar), John Cale (viola, bass, and keyboards)
At the height of the flower-power generation, the VU wrote songs about alienation, drug addiction, sexual perversion, sadomasochism, and hopelessness. Notorious for the out-of-tune primitivism, the VU became the primary model for 1980’s alternative rock bands. They were taken under the wing of Andy Warhol. Their major cult hits were “Heroin”, “Venus In Furs”, and “Femme Fatale”
MC 5 (1967)
Totally thrash and offensive, the Motor City 5 was the transitional band from the 1960’s garage bands to the 1970’s punk era. Had it not been for their 1960’s baby boomer notion that rock could change the world, MC5 would have been the first punk band.
The Stooges
Iggy Pop (1947- ) Iggy Pop was considered the grandfather of Punk. His first act was on Halloween which included rubbing steak over his body, gouging his skin with broken glass, and stage diving into the audience. Iggy struggled with drug addiction, but was later rediscovered by David Bowie (The Jean Genie is supposed to be about Iggy). They went on tour with each other and Iggy co-wrote China Girl with Bowie.
New York Dolls (U.S. 1973)
David Johansen (vocalist) The NY Dolls bridged the gap between New York Art Rock and NY Punk. Their entry onto the music scene came at the end of the glitter/glam movement so they are often referred to as glitter punks. In their latter career they were managed by Malcolm McLaren who used them as a model for his later group The Sex Pistols. Soon after they broke up, David reappeared solo as Buster Poindexter. Their first album NY Dolls included the songs Trash, Pills, and Personality Crisis
The Ramones (NY 1974)
Members: Joey Ramone (vocals), Johhny Ramone (guitar), Dee Dee Ramone (bass), Marky Ramone (drums)
The Ramones take their name from Phil Ramone, a Paul McCartney pseudonym when the Beatles were still the Silver Beatles. The Ramones were the first true punk band: stripped down deadpan lyrics, fast and forced tempos, and no guitar solos. Their first album The Ramones features classics such as Beat On The Brat, Blitzkrieg Bop, Now I Wanna Snifff Some Glue, and I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You
Patti Smith (1975)
Patti Smith was the first female punker of the 1970’s. Her vocal style was imitated by every female punker after her. A poet and playwright before she became a rocker, her outrageous debut single, Piss Factory, set her apart from the rest of the pack.
Richard Hell And The Voidoids (NY 1976)
Influenced by Capt. Beefheart, the Velvet Underground, Beat poetry and existentialist philosophy, Richard Hell set the visual and musical standard for NY punk rockers: jagged guitar lines, warbling vocals, and nihilistic lyrics. Hell’s dress was copied by the Sex Pistol’s Manager Malcolm McLaren when he outfitted the Sex Pistols.
Pere Ubu (1975)
Named after a French absurdist play by Albert Jarry, Pere Ubu was one of the most innovative bands of the mid-60’s. Led by David Thomas (vocalist), Pere Ubu were one of rock and roll’s most underrated acts. Drawing on elements as diverse as industrial noise, funk, musical anarchy, and hard rock, Pere Ubu defined the American New Wave. Pere Ubu’s technique and style was especially influential on groups such as the Talking Heads and Devo. Among the best albums are New Picnic Time, Datapanik In The Year Zero, Dub Dancing, and The Modern Dance.
Plasmatics (NY 1978)
Wendy O. Williams (singer/sex-show queen) was the crassest of the late 70’s NY Punk bands.
As part of her stage show, Williams smashed television sets with sledgehammers, blew up cars, and cut guitars in half with a chain saw. The Plasmatics debuted at CBGB’s in 1978.
The Talking Heads (NY 1975)
David Byrne (vocalist). The Talking Heads first performed at CBGB's in June 1975. In the early part of their career they toured with the Ramones in Europe. One of the most inventive new wave bands of the 1970's, the Talking Heads made extensive use of African rhythms, P-funk, call/response vocalizing and minimalism. One of their finest albums was Remain In Light (1980) which uses the talents of synthesist Brian Eno, guitarist Adrian Belew and a horn section.
The Damned (UK 1976)
Members: Rat Scabies (drums), Captain Sensible (bass), Dave Vanian (vocals), and Brian James (guitar)
The Damned hold the distinction of being the first British punk band to release an album Damned Damned Damned (1977). The album was also the first album produced by Stiff Records, an important punk indie record company. The Damned was one of the first 70’s bands with a cult following. Their first album included: Neat Neat Neat, Born to Kill, Stab Your Back, and Feel The Pain.
Sex Pistols (UK 1975)
Taking the lead from American punk acts such as the NY Dolls, Richard Hell, and the Ramones, British underground impresario Malcolm McLaren began promoting two young unknowns Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious as the Sex Pistols as a way of advertising McLaren’s London underground clothes boutique Sex.
The Pistols effectively became Britain’s first punk rock band. Their first single “Anarchy in the U.K.” was immediately banned. After a series of vulgar British television interviews, the Sex pistols record contracts were dissolved and they were banned from performance in major halls across Britain. The Sex Pistols second hit, “God Save THe Queen” was timed to coincide with the Queen’s 25th Silver Jubilee. The record went #1 despite the fact that it was unavailable at major record shops.
The Clash (U.K. 1976- )
Members: Mick Jones (vocals and guitar), Joe Strummer (vocals and guitar)
The Clash was one of the earliest British punk bands. More political and self-righteous than the nihilist Sex Pistols, Clash lyrics are about racism, police brutality, and alienation. Also, the Clash’s musical roots are broader than most British punk bands including reggae and mainstream pop. Their biggest hits were Should I Stay Or Should I go, and Rock the Casbah.
Elvis Costello (1954- )
One of the best and most prolific songwriters of the British New Wave, Costello and the Attractions had a broad impact on music of the 70’s. Costello’s style was very diverse: jagged guitar-band songs, country and western influences, and lush Beatle-like arrangements. Elvis Costello’s major albums include My Aim Is True, This Year’s Model, Armed Forces, and Get Happy!!
The Police (U.K. 1977)
Members: Sting (vocals and bass), Andy Summers (guitar), Steward Copeland (drums).
One of the most popular bands to emerge from the British post-punk scene, the Police were primarily influenced by reggae. Among their biggest hits were “Roxanne”, “Message In A Bottle”, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, and “Every Breath You Take”
CBGB’s
Situated in lower Manhattan’s Bowery District, owner Hilly Kristal’s CBGB’s - OMFUG (Country, BlueGrass, and Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandizers) was the premiere punk rock club in the mid to late 70’s. Originally a down-and-out and seedy bar, the CBGB’s started playing avant-garde rock in 1974 using unknown and unsigned acts. Soon the 350 capacity hall became center of a trendy, intellectual club scene. Patti Smith, Blondie, the Talking Heads, the Heartbreakers, Television, and the Ramones all established their careers through regular appearances at CBGB’s. Soon after the success of CBGB’s, other NYC clubs such as Max’s Kansas City, followed CBGB’s led by featuring unsigned acts.
Bob Marley (194501981)
Transcending his station as a reggae cult superhero, Bob Marley became a global symbol of third world liberation. Marley’s best-known hits include “Jamming, Is This Love”, “Could You Be Loved”, “No Woman No Cry”, and “One Love”.
