Rock N Roll

Soft rock is still alive and kicking, even all these years after it first came on the scene. Soft rock is like anything else, it enjoys a great start, fizzles out a little and keeps enjoying revivals. It was though, in the 70’s and the 80’s that soft rock enjoyed its most popular time.

Soft rock is the sound of mellow instruments, kind lyrics, gentle arrangements and songs all about romance, love and heartbreak. The main reason this form of rock music was so soft was to appeal not only to the teenagers, but to the parents. Soft rock is sometimes thought of as boring, offering the rock fans nothing but dull lyrics and easy sounds. However, there is a huge amount of quality, timeless songs that came from the soft rock era.

Many rock fans though of soft rock as far too easy going to be cool. Soft rock purposely avoided being involved in controversy and sometimes received criticism because of this.

The main artists within the soft rock era were James Taylor, Bread, Foreigner, Firefall, Chicago, America and many others. Their soothing, dulcet tones with the combination of the soft guitars and the gentle beats were what made them popular. The quality of the songs and the lyrics were second to none.

Rock and roll music has evolved into lots of different types of music over the years. Soft rock is just one of the ways in which it has changed through the times.

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.

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 keeps defining eras throughout history. Not only has it been associated with hatred, protests and drugs; it is also strongly associated with peace, love and happiness.

Love and peace took a prominent place on the stage during the 60’ and the 70’s. Social issues and problems were often addressed using music and this made it possible to convey messages of peace and love all over the world.

Folk artists such as Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie made a huge impact on the social messages that the music conveyed. Other artists such as John Lennon, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s also made songs that held strong, social and personal messages.

Spiritual messages have also featured heavily in rock and roll music. Many artists have explored many areas of spirituality in their work, artists such as Pete Townsend and the Beatles to name but a few.

Many bands and artists have used God and religion as a foundation for their music and many are very religious. Some artists have even become born again Christians after overcoming drug and sex addictions due to their fame and money.

Rock and roll music has changed the world that we live in forever. It can be accredited with spreading and promoting the message of love and peace, but many still believe that it is nothing short of evil. While everyone is entitled to their opinion on all forms of music and the message they convey to the masses, most would agree that rock and roll has given the world something that many could not – soul.