After some interesting conversations I've recently had with friends, family, and colleagues about a number of topics; all of which revolve around music in one way or another, I decided to define Rock & Roll. . . There were a few debates about trends in modern Rock music which I wanted to investigate. Also, after a week in which a major music icon (Michael Jackson) passed away, it made me think of a similar or parallel argument that has gone on in a different realm of entertainment for years, whether we're aware of it or not.
First of all, I have always thought of music as a subjective entity. In fact, I think of all art as subjective; one person could love a song or a painting, while someone else might think the very opposite. Other than album sales, songs downloaded, or attendance at live shows, there aren't many objective ways to define what's good or bad about music in general. Of course, there are outside variables that can weigh in, but only in a shallow sort of way. Such as, if the lead singer of a band is attractive or they hold the same sort of political or moral views on the world around us.
Sports, on the other hand, is sort of the opposite. The same variables hold true -- there are rarely 'absolutes' in either. This made me think of two things: one is how ridiculous the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is. I've been there and while it wasn't a wasted day, in my mind, the voting -- year to year -- seems quite haphazard. Obviously, personal opinions are at play. Payola is probably at play, too, in one way or another! As I browsed the site and looked at who had made the 2008 cut, I thought "what a silly group of inductees!" Well, not all of them... Madonna and John Mellencamp, though? Sure, they've sold a lot of records, but they're completely undeserving. In fact, the entire Hall of Fame part ought to be put to rest. Having a Rock & Roll Museum is one thing, but a Hall of Fame for music? Even Leonard Cohen -- who I like very much -- performs music that doesn't really fit into the definition of Rock & Roll. The entire form of music, is one of rebellion and teen angst, for the most part. Why do old gray haired, bald men get to vote? Money, I suppose. The thing is, it's not the final voting as much as the inductee list to choose from. It's as though they're voting for the lesser evil, of sorts. Sounds familiar... And Billy Joel? Don't get me started...
Every professional sport has a Hall of Fame. Still, it's not a cut and dry process as to who gets in and who's left out. However, there are many more statistics which actually can help judge whether or not a player has succeeded over the span of a career. What made me think about comparing the two was the death of Michael Jackson, believe it or not! He's in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Why, then, was O.J. Simpson -- who was found "innocent(!?)" of the murder he was charged with, according to our courts -- not let in to the NFL Hall of Fame? His statistics were certainly good enough to get in. Or how about Pete Rose? Of course, he's admitted to gambling now (sort of...), but his statistics are better than many who are already in the 'Hall.'
Now, I realize that our country -- some more than others -- is still in mourning over the loss of Michael Jackson. However, if we go by accusations alone (and trust me, there are plenty of them to go along with hard evidence), he's not the most law-abiding citizen, either. In fact, the word 'pedophile' has been linked to the self proclaimed 'King of Pop' for many years. He's not even in the 'Royal Family of Rock & Roll!' Why should he get in? Or why should his name be allowed to stay within this 'club?'
This entire comparison came to me due to a comment I got in my email inbox. It was a friend raving about the band Deerhunter. I responded, that I preferred both Deertick and Deerhoof, if we were going to keep it to the 'Deer' bands. Actually, I'm really not much of a fan of any of them -- however, I haven't heard all of their catalogues. Recently, the whole 'animal' band names have been annoying me. Not only that, but many of them seem to sound quite similar. That's not to say I dislike them or I could come up with what they have, artistically. Have we run out of original melodies? Has Rock & Roll been pushed to limit, much like Rap has? More and more bands are sounding like they've been influenced by the same group of artists from the past. Recently, The Beach Boys, The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield are what spring to my mind. I can think of FAR worse bands to be influenced by, but when I first heard Panda Bear's Person Pitch, I thought they sounded like a Beach Boys tribute band who wrote their own songs, but used the same blueprint. Same with Grizzly Bear. Same with Fleet Foxes. I like the harmonies, but recently Rock & Roll seems to betaking a page out of Neil Yong's softer songs. The grunge days of "Like a Hurricane" are over. J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. admitted to being heavily influenced by Neil. Definitely the later '70's and '80's Neil Young, though. Now bands seem to be going back to the softer psychedelic side of him: maybe "Broken Arrow" or "Expecting to Fly."
Before I stray too far from my initial points, I must say, these are subjective thoughts and opinions on my part. The amount of bands these days has multiplied to an astonishing number, but somehow the music sounds similar from many of the bands from the past. That's not a vote for Prog Rock to make a comeback, however! Maybe it's just that a new generation, who never heard the original influences praise the music that is more accessible to them. At the same time, though, there is one large quote from the sober Keith Richards with a Boston accent that takes up much of the first page (Joe Perry). Aerosmith has unabashedly copied the Rolling Stones and made a career of it. Of course those 'in the know' realize that Aerosmith is just a poor man's version of the Rolling Stones (trust me, I'd say that more emphatically if the Stones hung up their guitars and stopped all the stadium touring!).
These are my subjective opinions. The bands that influence the most from a younger generation ought to have a room unto themselves (V.U.) in The Rock & Roll Museum. Just an idea.... And why draw exclusively from the most popular? Most influential would be an award I'd think musicians would covet far more than an induction into this Ship of Fools!
Subjective:
-Existing in the mind;
-belonging to the thinking subject rather than to the object of thought pertaining to or characteristic of an individual;
-personal;
-individual: a subjective evaluation.
- So we can define subjective knowledge as that which exists in the mind and pertains to the one who holds the knowledge.
Objective:
-not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice;
-based on facts; unbiased: an objective opinion. intent upon or dealing with things external to the mind rather than with thoughts or feelings, as a person or a book. being the object of perception or thought;
-belonging to the object of thought rather than to the thinking subject of or pertaining to something that can be known, or to something that is an object or a part of an object;
-existing independent of thought or an observer as part of reality.
- We could combine these definitions and define objective knowledge to mean knowledge about things external to our minds that does not depend on feelings, interpretations, or prejudice. In other words, it is unbiased knowledge about the world around us.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Mission Statement:
"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.
Rock & Roll by definition. . .
n. A form of popular music arising from and incorporating a variety of musical styles, especially rhythm and blues, country music, and gospel. Originating in the United States in the 1950s, it is characterized by electronically amplified instrumentation, a heavily accented beat, and relatively simple phrase structure. via Answers.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/rock-n-roll)
n. A genre of popular music originating in the 1950s; a blend of Black rhythm-and-blues with White country-and-western; "rock is a generic term for the range of styles that evolved out of rock'n'roll." via Babylon.com (dictionary.babylon.com/rock%20and%20roll)
n. Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll or rock ’n’ roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in blues, rhythm and blues, country, folk, gospel, and jazz. The style subsequently spread to the rest of the world and developed further, leading ultimately to modern rock music. The term "rock and roll" now covers at least two different meanings, both in common usage. The American Heritage Dictionary[1] and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary[2] both define rock and roll as synonymous with rock music. Conversely, Allwords.com defines the term to refer specifically to the music of the 1950s.[3] For the purpose of differentiation, this article uses the latter definition, while the broader musical genre is discussed in the rock music article. Classic rock and roll is usually played with one or two electric guitars (one lead, one rhythm), a string bass or (after the mid-1950s) an electric bass guitar, and a drum kit. In the earliest rock and roll styles of the late 1940s and early 1950s, either the piano or saxophone was often the lead instrument, but these were generally replaced or supplemented by guitar in the middle to late 1950s. The beat is essentially a boogie woogie blues rhythm with an accentuated backbeat, the latter almost always provided by a snare drum. The massive popularity and eventual worldwide view of rock and roll gave it a unique social impact. Far beyond simply a musical style, rock and roll, as seen in movies and in the new medium of television, influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language. It went on to spawn various sub-genres, often without the initially characteristic backbeat, that are now more commonly called simply "rock music" or "rock". via Wikipedia.com (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_roll
| Rock and roll |
| Stylistic origins | |
|---|
| Cultural origins | 1940s, |
|---|
| Typical instruments | |
|---|
| Mainstream popularity | One of the best selling music forms since the 1950s |
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| Derivative forms | Rock - Rockabilly - Soft Rock - Pop |
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ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
A.) AC/DC; Paul Ackerman Aerosmith The Allman Brothers Band The Animals Louis Armstrong Chet Atkins
B.) LaVern Baker Hank Ballard The Band Frank Barsalona Dave Bartholomew Ralph Bass The Beach Boys The Beatles The Bee Gees Benny Benjamin Chuck Berry Black Sabbath Chris Blackwell Hal Blaine Bobby “Blue” Bland Blondie Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys Booker T. and the M.G.’s David Bowie Charles Brown James Brown Ruth Brown Jackson Browne Buffalo Springfield Solomon Burke James Burton The Byrds
C.) Johnny Cash Ray Charles Leonard Chess Charlie Christian Eric Clapton Dick Clark The Clash The Coasters Eddie Cochran Leonard Cohen Nat “King” Cole Sam Cooke Elvis Costello & the Attractions Floyd Cramer Cream Creedence Clearwater Revival Crosby Stills and Nash King Curtis
D.) Bobby Darin The Dave Clark Five Clive Davis Miles Davis The Dells Bo Diddley Dion Willie Dixon Fats Domino Tom Donahue The Doors Steve Douglas The Drifters Bob Dylan
E.) The Eagles Earth, Wind & Fire Duane Eddy Nesuhi Ertegun Ahmet Ertegun The Everly Brothers
F.) Leo Fender The Flamingos Fleetwood Mac The Four Seasons The Four Tops Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers Aretha Franklin Alan Freed
G.) Milt Gabler Marvin Gaye Gerry Goffin and Carole King Berry Gordy, Jr. Bill Graham Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five The Grateful Dead Al Green Woody Guthrie Buddy Guy
H.) Bill Haley John Hammond George Harrison Isaac Hayes Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss Billie Holiday Holland, Dozier and Holland Buddy Holly John Lee Hooker
I.) The Impressions The Ink Spots The Isley Brothers
J.) Mahalia Jackson Michael Jackson The Jackson Five James Jamerson Etta James Elmore James Jefferson Airplane Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller The Jimi Hendrix Experience Billy Joel Little Willie John Elton John Johnnie Johnson Robert Johnson Janis Joplin Louis Jordan
K.) Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff B. B. King The Kinks Gladys Knight and the Pips
L.) Lead Belly Led Zeppelin Brenda Lee John Lennon Jerry Lee Lewis Little Richard Little Walter Lovin’ Spoonful Lynyrd Skynyrd
M.) Madonna The Mamas and the Papas Bob Marley Martha and the Vandellas George Martin Curtis Mayfield Paul McCartney Clyde McPhatter John Mellencamp Joni Mitchell Bill Monroe The Moonglows Scotty Moore Van Morrison Jelly Roll Morton
N.) Syd Nathan Ricky Nelson The O’Jays Roy Orbison The Orioles Mo Ostin Johnny Otis Earl Palmer Parliament-Funkadelic Les Paul Carl Perkins Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Sam Phillips Wilson Pickett Pink Floyd Gene Pitney The Platters The Police Doc Pomus Elvis Presley The Pretenders Lloyd Price Prince Professor Longhair
Q.) Queen
R.) Ma Rainey Bonnie Raitt Ramones Otis Redding Jimmy Reed R.E.M. Righteous Brothers Smokey Robinson Jimmie Rodgers The Rolling Stones The Ronettes
S.) Sam and Dave Santana Pete Seeger Bob Seger Sex Pistols Del Shannon The Shirelles Paul Simon Simon and Garfunkel Percy Sledge Sly and the Family Stone Bessie Smith Patti Smith The Soul Stirrers Phil Spector Dusty Springfield Bruce Springsteen The Staple Singers Steely Dan Seymour Stein Rod Stewart Jim Stewart The Supremes
T.) Talking Heads James Taylor The Temptations Allen Toussaint Traffic Big Joe Turner Ike and Tina Turner
U.) U2
V.) Ritchie Valens Van Halen The Velvet Underground The Ventures Gene Vincent
W.) T-Bone Walker Dinah Washington Muddy Waters Jann S. Wenner Jerry Wexler The Who Hank Williams Jackie Wilson Howlin’ Wolf Stevie Wonder
Y.) Jimmy Yancey The Yardbirds Neil Young The (Young) Rascals
Z.) ZZ Top Frank Zappa
www.rockhall.com/inductees/inductee-list/
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www.answers.com
www.babylon.com
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