The History of Rock and Roll

I was instructed to write the history of rock and roll in 500 words by the editors of the newspaper I worked on in high school. Clearly, this is impossible but I gave it my best shot.

The beginning of rock and roll is muddled and unsure, the product of a ton of different figures and music styles that came together to make it what we know today.

Another big player in the making of rock was Robert Johnson. He was a Blues musician in the 1930s whose main hit was “Terraplane Blues Artists like The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin have all covered his songs.

The beginning of rock would not have gone anywhere without Sam Philips and his record label Sun Records. He recorded Ike Turner and Elvis Presley as well as Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.B. King. Philips recorded both black and white artists at a time of segregation.  He was a true cultural pioneer.

 Ike Turner with his group The Kings of Rhythm released the song “Rocket 88” in 1951, and it’s considered to be the first rock and roll recording by many. Elvis Presley made rock and roll famous and became known as The King of Rock and Roll. His first single, was “That’s All Right” in 1954, but his hit was “Heartbreak Hotel” the following year. Elvis’ music went on to influence The Beatles who brought a whole new wave of rock and roll to the world.

Rockabilly mixed early rock and roll with hillbilly music to create its own sound. Two major rockabilly stars were Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent who inspired later bands like The Stray Cats. “Blue Suede Shoes” as sung by Carl Perkins made rockabilly an international sensation in 1956 and launched rockabilly onto bigger recording labels. Jerry Lee Lewis is considered “the first punk” by classic.about.rock.com and had the big hit “Great Balls of Fire”.

            Punk rock began in the 1960s and 70s as a backlash against the music industry’s commercialism. Patti Smith, The New York Dolls and The Velvet Underground headed this movement that also brought along The Ramones and Talking Heads. Another major punk rock performer is Iggy Pop whose songs include “Search and Destroy” and “TV Eye” which shows off an amazing, earth-shattering scream.

 England also contributed a lot to the punk scene with The Sex Pistols who left a huge mark on the scene with their call for anarchy, total lack of conformity, and their ultimate tragedy. Punk rock’s initial purpose was to prove that anyone could get into the music business without being able to play an instrument. The Police were also considered a type of punk that actually knew how to play their instruments, and had other influences. Since they could really play they were looked down upon by many punk rockers.

Rock and roll went through a lot in the coming decades.  From Jimi Hendrix to Bruce Springsteen, from hair rock to new wave, from alternative to grunge, from Metallica to Pearl Jam, there were many twists in the road.

When The Strokes came out with their album “Is This It” in 2001, they were hailed as the band that was bringing back the original meaning of rock and roll. Their album led to the most recent alternative music movement including bands such as Arcade Fire, Interpol, The Academy Is… and Panic at the Disco. England produced bands similar to The Strokes, like The Libertines whose album “Up the Bracket” came out in 2002. Their style is mimicked by The Arctic Monkeys and The Kooks. The White Stripes also led this movement, and are credited with the revival of garage rock.

             The history of Rock and Roll may be a jumble, but it’s a rich history.  Its original form has branched out and broken off into other genres. If anything, Rock and Roll proves that all music is connected.  It has been influenced by genres that came before it, and it went on to be incorporated into other styles to create new sounds. As the song says, "Rock and roll is here to stay." 

Patrick Wolf/ The Bachelor (Written 2009)

If there is any one apparent thing about British musician Patrick Wolf, it’s that he is dramatic. From his clothes to his music he’s a showman and very different from mainstream artists. This has become more apparent through every one of his albums.

His fourth, “The Bachelor” came out June 1 and sparked even more interest because he released it off of his own record label, Bloody Chamber Music. The worry was that his music would be too over the top now that he had total freedom, but it turns out he knows how to keep himself under control without losing his theatrical flair.

Wolf shows how personal his lyrics are and his constant personal struggle in his song “Blackdown”.  This song is accompanied by his beautiful piano playing that adds to the emotion in his voice as he discusses how he needs to face the fact he must become a man and is looking back at all the things he did when he was younger. There is a dark feel to it but then there is hope.

The song speeds up with hand claps and a much brighter and all around jauntier tune as he sings, “Desire, desire deep down inside of me you are not the maker nor the master of me help me to better support my family to better, better of a brother be”.

“Oblivion” is one of the songs that have a girl speaking, giving Wolf guidance. This song also has his trademark electronic sound as well as his amazing ability to change his voice to show different characters and their feelings.          

There is a battle going on in the song that he is involved and he asks, “Father, where’s my gun, I need no one, I need no one”. The father replies, “Oh my stubborn son, just said you need no one. Don’t you see danger, danger, danger, heading to oblivion”. However, Wolf is pushed on into oblivion by the woman.

“Battle” is an explosion cymbals and grungy guitar with Wolf calling his listeners to join the tribe and battle a series of things such as homophobes, Conservatives, and for equal rights. Backup singers shout “tribe” while he says, “battle means victory”. There is a frenzy feeling to this song as he continues to call everyone forward to change the world and the “tribe” in the background continues to shout “battle”. This song gets you pumped, but edges into mob hysterics.

Patrick Wolf certainly isn’t for everybody. What is impressive is how personal and passionate he is and that his ability to get every emotion across with the use of the instruments and his vocals; it easily borders on over the top. This album is a lot more listener friendly than his others so is a good start for anyone interested. For a sample, check out myspace.com/officialpatrickwolf.

B

The Decemberists/The Hazards of Love (Written 2009)

All I remembered about the last album I heard from The Decemberists was that a few of their songs told excellent stories. Their entire new album “The Hazards of Love” is an epic love story told through beautiful lyrics and expressive musical arrangements.

It must be said, the first minute of this CD leaves something to be desired as it’s just silence. All that’s left to follow up for the song “Prelude” is a keyboard that sounds like it’s from a haunted house. I was positive this album was going to be truly horrible.

Suddenly, it has carried over to the next song, “The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)” with beautiful acoustic guitar and vocals. The first character, Margaret is introduced. She comes upon a wounded fawn and tries to help it. Then, “the beast began to change” and Margaret ends up pregnant.

“Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)” has a major White Stripes vibe with female vocals. Margaret has gone to find her lover and does find him in “The Hazards of Love (Wager All)”. Then, a new character is introduced, his mother, the queen.

“The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid” has the mother and son argue with vocals singing back and forth. They each have their own sound backing them up too. The son’s being the beautiful acoustic guitar and the mother the intimidating White Stripes sound. In the end, the son convinces her to let him have this one night with Margaret and he will return to his mom the next day.

“The Abduction of Margaret” brings a twist to the story. Margaret is captured by a man working for the queen. The rest of the album goes through how Margaret’s lover goes to save her and “with this long last rush of air we speak our vows and sorry whispers, when the waves came crashing down, he closed his eyes and softly kissed her” they die, escaping the hazards of love.

There is a whole second story about the narrator that is shown in “The Rake” and “The Hazards of Love Three (Revenge!)” about his own marriage. His wife his four children and dies in childbirth. He comes to resent his children and kills them. It adds a whole new depth to the story.

This CD amazed me. I definitely recommend it, if you’re looking for an impressive mixture of lyrical work and musicianship.

The Little Ones/Morning Tide (Written 2008)

It is time for some power pop. For those of you who do not know what power pop is, it's a genre of music that has very catchy songs. It has a lot of harmony vocals, infectious guitar riffs, and a piano or keyboard up front. The Little Ones have a definite power pop vibe and have  finally put out their first album, "Morning Tide." There were high expectations after their impressive EP "Lovers Who Uncover" for an equally captivating album, and they deliver. They do it sneakily though.

             "Morning Tide" is the first track. The brightly clanging guitar and tuneful piano are a great background for the lead singer's beautiful voice. The equally pretty voices of the backing vocals mixed in makes it an awesome way to start. This can only set you up to expect good things.

            Suddenly,  the second track "Ordinary Song," crashes in with even more harmony and appeal. The two catchiest lines "I met you on the radio, radio" and "why tonight" are mixed together toward the end of the song. It brings the lovely voices of the lead singer and backing vocals together. A subtle mix of spot-on drums, pretty electric guitar and even a little bell action support the beguiling vocals.

            "Waltz" is aptly named because it does feel set at a waltz pace. The piano up front and center helps to set that tone, and once more, a sweet guitar riff mixes in with what sounds like the clear dinging of a tambourine. There are so many instruments to help back up the vocals that sing: "did you hear the phone ring mister, did you get the diamond ring sister?"

            All these songs are appealing because of  the divine voice of the lead singer in front of the relaxed and entrancing beat of the instruments. It's easy to tap your foot and hum along. The harmonies in practically every song complete these memorable little numbers. You'll know a few lyrics from this album by the time you're done listening because of how the music is composed and mixed with the vocals.

            If you are looking for a CD where each song really stands out, you won't find it here. This doesn't mean this is a bad album. The beauty of the CD is how each song carries on into the next. It is impressive how each song supports one another but is still different enough to not sound alike.

            I definitely suggest listening to this album. If you want a quick preview check out their MySpace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=51969124.

B+

The Kooks- Inside In/Inside Out (Written 2008)

British band, The Kooks broke into the music scene with their album Inside In The Inside Out. Being charged with trying to ride the music wave that the now non-existent band The Libertines began, The Kooks had a lot to prove. The Kooks are more than a Libertines copycat. They do their thing excellently. No matter what; you can’t slap down great sounding music.

            First, the boys in this band are quite young so the songs are about the things that young men think about. Every song is a love song whether it’s bad or good love. You know there is a girl behind each tune. Still, each one has its own outlook on love and sound. They’ve got the rough guitar sound, they’ve got the British accent but they still bring their own twist to it.

It is interesting how The Kooks open up their album, however. It’s slow- just an acoustic guitar and singing. It makes you think that the album is going to be boring. It’s just going to be some guy lamenting about his love life while trying to appear as some rock star. There is more to it than that.

The next song, “See The World”, has such a in your face guitar that makes it clear they are to be taken seriously as a band. The simple chord sounding hard with all the reverb (the echoing guitar sound you hear in songs such as “Ants in my Pants” by the Phantom Surfers.) that lets you know there is a lot more to The Kooks than just love songs.

Next up is The Kooks big hit from this album “Eddie’s Gun”. It is about being hit on by a girl but not knowing what to do. “Did you see the way she looked at me? She’s got an eye for an awkward guy like me”. The playful yet repetitive guitar sound coupled with the exasperated lyrics hooks the listener and pulls them into the story of the song. Once again, men and women can identify with such a catchy song.

“I Want You” is a song that anyone in high school and above could understand. The opening line “take me back to the place where I loved this girl for all time” makes everyone remember that first love. It starts off slowly with a nostalgic vibe but then kicks into an energetic sound that demands your attention.

            “You Don’t Love Me” describes the heart break of being cheated on. This is another hit for The Kooks and for good reason. The angry yet simple lyrics along with a mean guitar add to the feeling of betrayal and get the point across so strongly. The emotion conveyed makes this song a stand out. “You don’t love me they way that I love you because if you did girl you would not do those things you do”. You get where they’re coming from, don’t you?

I would recommend that people listen to this CD if they’re into a slightly indie rock n’ roll scene. If you are interested go check out this site: www.thekooks.com/home.

I give this album an A.