Rock Of Ages

Funk is my favorite genre of music. Jazz is a constant source of inspiration. But, Rock continues to influence what ever I write. It was always on the radio growing up and it just has something that keeps pulling me back.

Rock, like Rock n Roll, Jazz and Funk came from R&B, which was derived from the Blues, so it comes from good lineage. It all started with Chuck Berry. In 1955, while in Chicago to catch a Muddy Waters show, when the performance was over, Berry approached Waters and asked who he should see about making a record. He was directed to the offices of Chess Records, a Blues label. Berry didn't have any tapes on hand, so he went home and recorded some. He wrote a song that used a Blues scale, but he raised the tempo and dropped the repeated first line of every verse. The result was a song called "Ida Sue," which was later renamed "Maybellene." Chess loved the song and quickly released it. The record soon cross over from the R&B chart over to the Pop chart where it reached #5. With that, history was made.

Berry's hit began the Rock n Roll explosion that took place afterward. Soon, artists such as Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and the Comets would follow. In the beginning, R&B and Rock n Roll were almost interchangeable. Artists from one chart often crossed over to the other with ease.

The sound of Rock n Roll stayed pretty much the same on into the the 1960s. The increasing electrification of the instruments that were played began to change things. And, the arrival of the Beatles would introduce the artist as song writer. R&B began to drift toward Soul and Gospel. And, the Funk of James Brown had an effect on Rock n roll as well as artist began to dropped the the 2 & 4 beat emphasis to go for a more straight ahead sound. The improvisational guitar solo at the center of most songs became longer and sometimes, they represented the heart of song. The Folk music influence brought the singer/songwriter to the forefront, as the social upheaval of the decade began to produce, "message songs." All of these things met up at Woodstock, in 1969. I can't really say that this is when and where Rock n Roll became Rock, but I think that a pretty good case could be made. Nothing in Rock was quite the same after that. Artists most noted from that time were Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Rolling Stones.

The creative freedom that was won in the early 1970s was actually due in part to the successes of the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. The first artist of that decade to win such freedom was Stevie Wonder. While Stevie was an R&B artist, it didn't stop artists in other genres from following suite. In fact, creative freedom would serve to help 70s Rock artists to make some of the most memorable music ever made. Nothing went untried. Synthesizers increased their creative potential as well as the use of arranging and composing techniques. Ideas came from their lives, imaginations and experiences. Rock lived and breathed on the Top 40 chart. But, there was no one sound. 70s Rock represented a very diverse group of artists who goal seemed to be, not to sound like anyone else. This held true until Disco would change almost everyone's style by the end of the decade. All of the experimenting and collaborating came to a screeching halt as the major labels hurried to capitalize on Disco's success. Some artists caved in, while some others left the business for a while. Rock would survive, but a lot of what made Rock artists of the 70s so unique would be lost, as creative freedom would be traded for an artist's chance to grab at the brass ring. Some 70s artists were, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Eagles, and Peter Frampton.

The 1980s got of to a quirky start. Disco was gone and the drum synthesizer quickly became popular. Also, the gated reverb used by Phil Collins on "In The Air Tonight," swept the industry, as artists went looking for a sound that the major labels would except. Eventually, artists who began to make a name for themselves in the 70s found a way to break thought the muddle to become, in some cases, super stars. The advent of the music video and MTV and VH1 helped to make some artist's careers. While not as innovative as 70s music, in my opinion, Rock of the 80s was still an entertaining mix of music and persona. Rock eventually rebounded and and thrived as the result of the arrival of the, "power chord," and a growing interest in "Heavy Metal." But, in the late 1980s, Rap was on the rise, and about to become the "darling of the music industry. Once again, things were about to change. Some 80s artist were Metalica, Motley Crue, Van Halen, and Bon Jovi.

Five years after receiving it's first ever Grammy in 1989, Rap was had become a sensation, and the major label were all over it. The same Rock artists who were a staple in the 80s were all but left to fend for themselves in the 1990s. Again, some artists embraced Rap while some others left the business, or they went independent. But, in 1992, the Grunge sound of Seattle broke through in the guise of Nirvana's Nevermind CD. In my opinion, their success changed Rock, maybe even more than Rap. While it was popular for a time, Grunge wasn't very stylish at all. In my opinion, at times it appeared to resemble the three chord Rock similar to that of a garage band. But, at least it encouraged young and up and coming artists to keep trying. Meanwhile, mergers and acquisitions created a situation where many labels were dropping artists from their rosters, as they looked to better manage their bottom lines. Those acts with stage presence, in my opinion, seemed to be the ones who got signed. By the end of the 90s, the internet was becoming the place to find the kind of Rock that you were looking for. Some 90s artist were, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, and No Doubt.

Here in the 21st century, many artists, both those well known as well as those who are still relative unknowns, have taken their music online in search of an audience. The DIY movement is in full swing, offering music lovers and fans around the planet the widest variety of music across every possible genre. Somewhere out there, the first internet sensation is busy toiling away at their craft. Who knows what kind of music they will present? But, it's always possible, that when they do finally arrive, they just might bring with them, the next Rock n Roll explosion.