Rock N Roll

Country music has an unfair stigma attached to it. Many people think it is UN cool, UN hip and well, boring. However, even though most rock fans would hate the thought of listening to country music, they should be aware that they probably already are listening to it.

It is hard to deny the influence that country music has had on rock music today. Sounds of country twangs, guitars and voices can still be heard in a large variety of rock artists now. The Eagles, Neil Young and the Doobie brothers are all rock artists that credit country music with their sound and style.

It is thought that the first person to make country rock songs was Gram Parsons who died living the typical rock and roll lifestyle. However, country music ion rock music goes all the way back to the beginning of rock music in the 40’s and the 50’s.

Neil Young has a huge country sound to his music and is probably the most well known country rock artist in the world. Bob Dylan was another artists that successfully fused the country sound and the rock beat into his music – and very successfully too.

Whatever your opinion on country music, there is no denying the fusion between country and rock works perfectly.

Arena rock or stadium rock as it was also known was to play huge crowds in huge venues and have the loudest bands. It began in the 70’s when bands such as Queen, Led Zeppelin, Foreigner and Boston were playing to sell out crowds in the biggest arenas available.

It was also in the 80’s that crowds saw bands and artists playing at even larger venues and to even bigger crowds. Arena rock saw the commercialism of rock and roll and wowed audiences all over the world.

Other Arena rock bands and artists were Skid row, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister and many others. They were typified by streamlining the sound of rock music with almost mainstream popularity.

Power ballads mixed with rock and roll sounds were the forefront of the arena rock motion and gave us nearly a whole decade’s worth of love songs that were not your typical mushy sounds. They mixed in love lyrics with heavy beats, loud guitar riffs, banging drums and electric keyboards or pianos.

Other songs that made the arena rock popular were titles such as Eye of the tiger, caught up in you and Open arms.

Heavy metal was still trying to ignore the popularity of arena rock and wanted to be kept under separate categories. Def Leppard was a hard rock band that made the transition from hard rock to popular arena rock perfectly. They soon became mainstream and had some very popular hits.

Blues rock was popular during the late 60’s and throughout the 70’s. The name Blues Rock is a magic fusion between blues music and rock and roll music. In the blues rock sound, the guitars take centre stage and create a fast paced and heavy sound. Long guitar riffs are prominent in blues rock and artists love to show off their guitar playing skills!

The main artist/band that people associate with the sound of blues rock is John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers in the 60’s. John Mayall employed some of the world’s best musicians of the generation: people such as Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton. Mick Taylor and Peter Green to name but a few. People he employed in the Bluesbreakers went on to create some of the best bands in the 1970’s – Free, Fleetwood Mac, Cream and Savoy Brown.

Black musicians also enjoyed a revival in interest during the blues rock era in the 70’s. Artists such as Buddy Guy, Freddie King and Ronnie Earl became famous, international music stars.

It was in the mid 70’s that blues rock started to wane a little and other forms of rock music were to become the new sound – Heavy metal, hard rock and southern rock were to become insanely popular.

Some blues rock tracks are Born in Chicago by Paul Butterfield blues band, Have you ever loved a woman by Eric Clapton and Tell Mama by Savoy Brown.

Little Richard is America’s original and best wild child within rock and roll. Born Richard Wayne Penniman in 1935, Little Richard had his very first taste of everything showbiz when he sang with the church choir.

He was only 16 years of age when he recorded and made his first song. He was signed with RCA Records in Atlanta and began laying down tracks. He had no success with the record label or the songs he had made, but that was only the beginning.

Eventually, he signed with Specialty, which was just becoming a huge label at that time and he never looked back. He had hits such as “Long Tall Sally”, Rip It Up”, Ready Teddy” and many others. He had hits both in the US and eventually in the UK charts.

In 1957, Little Richard cut his amazing career short by going back into the church and leaving rock and roll behind him for good. There are a few theories and speculative reports as to why he would give up a lucrative career so fast, but they are all rumours. Some people think he was involved in gangland activities and needed to leave rock and roll fast, some others simply believe it was the work of god. Only little Richard knows why he gave up his amazing career so quickly and easily, and it looks like no one else will ever know.

Whatever the reason, rock and roll should just be thankful he was involved at all – he created amazing songs that still pass the test of time.

The 50’s was when rock and roll was really discovered by the masses. Rock and roll in the 50’s is usually divided into two camps – Primal, party music (Big Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris) and Rockabilly music (Elvis Presley).

Rockabilly combined the sounds of blues music found in the south and country music. Elvis Presley made rockabilly popular with his good looks, swaggering style and guitar riffs combined with a lush voice. Rockabilly songs focused on fats cars, gorgeous girls, and love found and lost again.

Rockabilly seemed to wane towards the end of the 1950’s as new music emerged in the 60’s. Rock changed forever in the 60’s with the British invasion of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Artists new they had to evolve the sound of rockabilly music to keep the kids and the adults entertained.

Rockabilly did enjoy a comeback in style during the 70’s and the 80’s. Many artists use rockabilly music as the basis of their sound and adapt it to the age they are in. Rockabilly was the rock and roll music that changed a generation – kids love it and parents couldn’t stand it. Rockabilly gave kids a sense of freedom, rebellion and a new found wave of sexuality.

Rockabilly is the foundation of the rock and roll music we love today, and is also the backbone of everything you hear in the charts now.

Rock and roll has provided us not only with fantastic music and brilliant stars, but also given us some of the best and most intriguing conspiracy theories!

The most famous case would be that of Elvis Presley. Many people actually believe he didn’t die and is walking around living a normal life now. The circumstances of his death have been widely documented, but many people question what actually happened. Some believe that he was over worked, stressed and wanted peace and quiet again. So, he faked his own death to escape the media and the life he had.

The rumours are rife around the world that he is still alive and they still continue today. There are books about his death and whether or not it was real, there are websites dedicated to finding out if he is alive or not and there are millions around the world who think they see him on a regular basis.

Elvis could not have known how huge he would have become around the world; he wanted to be able to walk around like a normal guy out with his family, something which he couldn’t do anymore. The big question is how much he wanted to be ‘normal’.

Many stars and other singers have questioned whether or not his death was real or not – stars such as Ronnie McDowell and Merle Haggard have all wondered whether or not he is actually dead or alive.

Do you think he is still alive?

Bob Dylan used his music in the 1960’s to convey social messages and to protest against the Vietnam war and other social upheavals.

A few of his songs, more notably, “The Times They Are a-Changin’” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” became the soundtrack for many civil right movements that took place. It is mainly his lyrics that take centre stage rather than the accompanying music. His influences can be heard heavily in his lyrics, particularly his literary, political, philosophical and social influences.

Bob Dylan is still touring the world and thrilling huge audiences. One of his latest albums called Modern Times is massive hit and has won the acclaimed title of Album of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine.

Dylan uses a guitar, harmonica and a piano to wow his audiences with his sound. His sound is not only unique, but so is his attitude. From his protesting days in the 60’s to his subtle political messages now, Dylan has always wanted to be able to express himself and his views freely.

Dylan is still touring now and his tours have been penned as the never-ending tour. Some people believe that as his vocals are not as strong as they used to be, he should stop touring. However, many of his fans and the fact that the tour sells out night after night, would clearly disagree with the critics.