Rock Final Flashcards
1
Q
Black Sabbath - “War Pigs”
A
- first full-on metal band
- power trio + Ozzy Osbourne (lyrics)
- disregard harmony
- does not represent the virtuosic aspect of metal
- prominent drums
- lyrics - social commentary, war, occult images
2
Q
Cake - “Short Skirt/Long Jacket”
A
- alternative rock
- distinctive style –> heavy bassline, manachi trumpet
- dry, sarcastic humor
- prominent bassline
- call and response
- choked repetitive, catchy guitar riff
- sounds like a party
- lyrics - paradox/contradiction
3
Q
John Denver - “Take Me Home, Country Roads”
A
- singer-songwriter
- tuneful melody with tinge of melancholy
- written about Maryland backroads
- lyrics - nostalgia for home
- folk <==> country rock
4
Q
The Doors - “Riders on the Storm”
A
- bluesy sound
- keyboards
- lyrics - existentialism, dark, relfect Morrison’s poetic/philosophical interests
- off of LA Woman (71) –> last album before Morrison died
- utilized groundbreaking recording techniques
- laidback tempo
5
Q
The Doors - “The End”
A
- blues
- from The Doors (67)
- lyrics - existentialism
- instruments introduced stepwise
- Morrison’s vocals dominate
- keyboards
- experimental - sounds, form, length
6
Q
Snoop Dogg - “Who Am I? (What’s My Name)”
A
- rap
7
Q
Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five - “The Message”
A
- innovator/pinoneer in rap music
- turntable techniques that would revolutionize rap - the sound collage
- completely recontextualized cut and pasted sound clips
- presents a brutal picture of life in the ghetto
- shows that rap music was more than just party music and could be serious social commentary
- 16-beat rhythms
- electronically generated sounds
- rapping - no singing
8
Q
Jimi Hendrix Experience - “Voodoo child”
A
- power trio
- virtuosic soloing
9
Q
Michael Jackson - “Thriller”
A
- black pop
- Thriller (82) album and three music videos
- helped transform the music video from a song-with-video into a mini-film that used a song as the focal point
- denced with virtuosity and expressiveness
- four-on-the-floor bass drum - heavy backbeat
- busy rhythms
- spooky music
- extensive use of electronic instruments in combo with conventional instruments
- denser, more complex texture than disco
- expansive form allows the action in the video to unfold
10
Q
Jane’s Addiction - “Jane Says”
A
- The founding fathers of “Alt Nation”
11
Q
Jefferson Airplane - “White Rabbit”
A
- underground acid rock
- first San Fran band to break into the mainstream
- spanish tinge
- crescendo
- psychedelic sound <==> LSD
- lyrics - repetitive, about drugs, psychedelic images
12
Q
Janis Joplin - “Ball and Chain”
A
- blues rock
- born in Texas in 1943 –> Cali
- Big Brother and the Holding Company–>San Fran, huge hit at Monteray Pop Festival
- died from heroin OD at age 27
- woman empowerment songs
- recorded at Monteray Pop Festival on June 18, 1967
- serious blues influence in this recording
13
Q
Lady Gaga - “Paparazzi”
A
- pop
14
Q
Led Zeppelin - “The Immigrant Song”
A
- hard rock <==> metal
- bluesy
- proto-metal
- fantasy elements
- from Led Zeppelin III (70)
- simultaneous guitar/bass riff emphasizes the beat
- talented musicians
- loud, strong beat
15
Q
Madonna - “Express Yourself”
A
- sexy pop
- combines provacative, shocking and controversial themes and images with bright, accesible music
- shows rapid evolution of the music video
- simple, catchy melody
- trendy sounds and rhythms
- skillful production
- club music
- complete control over her career –> making key decisions about every aspect of production and promotion
16
Q
Metallica - “Master of Puppets”
A
- 80’s trash metal
- also popular outside of core metal cultures
- style changes thruout career
- virtuosic playing
- LOUD
- extended instrumental “solos”
- sectionalized form
- speedy, dark sound
- lyrics - about how drugs can effect your life
- updated metal sounds
- almost no exposure on radio or television
17
Q
Bob Marley and the Wailers - “Get Up, Stand Up”
A
- reggae
- brought international awareness to the reggae genre and its message
- rastafarianism
- the plight of Jamaican people
- choked guitar
- percussive “riffs”
- shows Marley’s political side
- last verse–>speak-singing style is a precursor to rap
18
Q
Nine Inch Nails - “The Day the World Went Away”
A
- industrial rock = pre-existing sounds + white noise
- Trent Reznor - only official member
- strong new-wave synth pop influence
- dynamic contrasts–>high to low
- simple
- fins “the groove”
- depressed, melancholy feeling
- anger–>heavy distortion
- lyrics - one verse, about death?
19
Q
Nine Inch Nails - “Mr. Sef Destruct”
A
- industrial rock = pre-existing sounds + white noise
- new-wave synth pop influence
- intro is a sound sample from a George Lucas film
- dynamic contrasts
- HEAVY, electric distortion
- in-your-face screaming vs whisper-singing
- lyrics - speak to the potential self-destruction in all of us
- sets up the concept of the “downward spiral”
20
Q
Nirvana - “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
A
- Alternative goes mainstream
- grunge = subgenre of heavy metal
- dynamic contrasts
- choked and distorted guitar
- prominent bass line
- syncopated guitar solo
- mumbled-singing style
- lyrics - heavy sarcsm reflects the generation
- a dark song, depressed
- schizophrenic shift from section to section
- extends the emotional range of punk
21
Q
Otis Redding - “Try A Little Tenderness”
A
- soul singer on Stax Records
- backed by Booker T and the MGs
- improvisational
- reached #24 on Hot 100 list in 1966
- slow groove/laid-back –> picks up energy
- soul/gospel singing style
- performed at the Monteray Pop Festival in 1967
22
Q
Pink Floyd - “Speak to Me/Breathe”
A
- The Dark Side of the Moon (73)
23
Q
Pink Floyd - “Money”
A
- The Dark Side of the Moon (73)
24
Q
Pink Floyd - “Time”
A
- The Dark Side of the Moon (73)
25
Q
Radiohead - “How to Dissapear Completely”
A
- alternative-art rock
- styles - alt/grunge, post-modern, acoustic, prog. rock
- shows musical influences for Johnny Greenwood
- high pitch sound over everything
- acoustic - soothing, dream-like
- sound layers are individually different but integrated seemlessly
- dramatic sound
- strings –> clashing cluster chords
- lyrics - repetitive
26
Q
Radiohead - “2+2=5”
A
- alternative art rock
- styles - alt/grunge, post-modern, acoustic, prog. rock
- shows radiohead’s “pop sensibility”
- getting away from the concept album
- less studio effects
- syncopated rhythm
- four distinct sections - rhythm and tempo change with each
- lyrics - political, challanges authority
- aburptly cuts off at the end
- title is reference to George Orwell’s 1984
27
Q
Rage Against the Machine - “Wake Up”
A
- hard rock
28
Q
Rolling Stones - “Sympathy for the Devil”
A
- blues and rock band
- Dylan-esque folk song - lyrical sophistication –> questioning humanity
- riff-based
- syncopation
- rhythmically dense
- blues sensibility
- samba rhythm–>latin percussion
29
Q
Rolling Stones - “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
A
- blues and rock band
- riff based
- syncopation
- drummer accents the bass
- 8-beat rock rhythm
- catchy melody
- rebellious, free-spirit attitude
- upbeat tempo contrasts with drawn out singing style
30
Q
Rolling Stones - “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
A
- blues and rock band
- break-thru hit in 1965
- riff based
- syncopation
- the rhythm emphasizes the backbeat and keeps time
- dense rhythmic texture
- blues sensibility
- chorus/verse form
31
Q
Sex Pistols - “God Save the Queen
A
- punk rock
- reaction to 70’s culture, class warfare
- stripped down music
- 8-beat rock rhythm
- anti-establishment attitude
- 1977 hit
- youth-based reaction to mainstream culture
- very quick tempo
- simple - distorted power chords up and down the fretboard outline simple riff
- guitar and bass in tandem –> relentless rock rhythm
32
Q
Simon and Garfunkel - “The Boxer”
A
- singer-songwriters
- unique vocal harmonies
- lots of instruments - bass, harmonica, trumpet, picalo, etc
- unconventional new sounds
- crashing sounds is an elevator shaft sound
- lyrics - hopelessness…carry on anyway
- nonlexical syllables –> vocables
33
Q
Townes Van Zandt - “Pancho and Lefty”
A
- blue-collar country music of the 70’s
- Outlaw Movement –> anti-polished, Nashville sound
- singer–songwriter
- greatest hit - many cover versions
- ballad
- lyrics - clever storytelling
- studied at CU-Boulder–>left because of substance abuse
34
Q
The Velvet Underground - “I’m Waiting for the Man”
A
- avant garde
- house band for Andy Warhol’s club, The Factory
- underground music
- stripped down rock music
- lyrics - about waiting for a drugdealer
- influeced punk music
35
Q
Village People - “Y.M.C.A.”
A
- quintessential disco
- repetitive, cyclical harmony
- dance incarnation of the 16-beat rock rhythm
- electronic instruments and strings
- quick tempo - 120 beats per minute
- stock characters
- coded messages about the gay community
- YMCA became a meeting place for gays
- macho stereotypes/hyper-maleness = gay pinups
- their look was more important than their sound
36
Q
‘Weird Al’ Yankovic - “White and Nerdy”
A
- parody of “Ridin’ Dirty” by Chamillionaire
37
Q
Monteray Pop Festival
A
- first major rock festival
- June 16-18, 1967 –> summer of love
- international
- major artists - Hendrix, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, The Animals, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Otis Redding,
- bridge between two musical scenes: SanFran <==> LA
- organized as a charity event to get all the bands to play for free
- model for other rock festivals
- notabl absent - the Stones, the Beatles, motown acts
38
Q
Altamont Free Concert
A
- December 6, 1969
- artists - santana, CSNY, Jefferson Airplane
- Hells Angels as security
- represents the end of the 1960’s ==> beginning of the darker 70’s
39
Q
Counterculture
A
- late 60’s
- political and social movement
- free love, free drugs
- hippies
- protests
- music –> acid rock
- “turn in, tune in, drop out”
- Timothy Leary –> LSD
40
Q
Metal
A
- loud, angry, occult, gothic
- looked down on
- playing at extremely high speeds and tempos
- virtuosity
- speaking/shouting instead of singing
- uses modal system instead of typical major/minor
- visual aspect - black and red colors
- symbols - the occult, folklore, mythology, fantasy
41
Q
Reggae
A
- origins - ska + rock steady, African influence
- choked guitar
- relaxed tempo
- flexible, fast shuffle-based reggae rhythm –> the rhythm of the song can be buoyant and lazy at the same time
- Rastafarianism
- describes typical living conditions in Jamaica
- lyrics - hope for change
- Bob Marley brought international awareness
42
Q
Rastafarianism
A
- colors - green, red, yellow
- dredlocks
- Jah = God
- marijuana - to bring you closer to God
- Prince Rastafari - Ethiopian king claimed to be lineage of Solomon
43
Q
Disco
A
- 70’s dance club music
- dance incarnation of 16-beat rock rhythm
- ebraced all races and groups - including gays
- repetitive, cyclical harmony
- sex and drugs
- discos - place where rich and famous would mingle with poorer unknowns
44
Q
Punk
A
- angry musical reaction to 70’s culture and class warfare
- stripped down rock music - 8-beat rock rhythm
- anti-establishment, crowd-rowsing attitude
- fashion culture but ironically, against consumerism
- gothic-inspired, bondage-themed fashion
45
Q
Alternative
A
- Started in the 1980’s and popular in the 90’s
- self-promotion, “indie” labels
- tour-driven
- started out as underground
- generation x - kids from the 60’s and 70’s
46
Q
Acid Rock
A
- psychedelic sounds
- experimentation
- blues influence
- utilized recording techniques
- distortion
- music to enhance the trip
- music of the counterculture –> hippies, mary jane, LSD
47
Q
Grunge
A
- music for generation x (children of babyboomers)
- lyrics - sarcastic, depressed, realistic
- target audience - angry young people who were not ready to buy into “the system”
- fused punk disaffection with the power and distortion of heavy metal
48
Q
Industrial Rock
A
- roots in two avant garde trends in classical music
- musique concrete - the assembling of musical compositions from pre-recorded sounds
- electronic music
- Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails
- Reznor conveys in music and words and voice the alienation of the individual in contemporary culture
- sense of alienation created by technology
