ROCK ON

There is a great article in this week’s Entertainment Weekly (#773, 7/9/04) entitled “The Return of Good Alt-Rock” by Michael Endelman and Brian Hiatt.

As a baby boomer I was born at the inception of Rock. As a young child I watch Elvis gyrate his hips to the beat of his music that was new, hip and a bit scandalous for its day. The inception of Rock ‘n Roll was here! The Platters took the baton from the Ink Spots, Jerry Lee Lewis was rolling his eyes and jumping with Great Balls of Fire, along with Chuck Berry and Fats Domino. We were Rocking Round the Clock, while listening to tributes to lost loves, Peggy Sue and Donna.

As I crossed the teenage years, I watch bandstand, although too young to actually take part. In just ten years there were golden oldies with love ballads to reminiscence about In the Still of the Night, or bopped to At the Hop.

As I got older Motown dominated the charts, The Supremes, The Ronettes, The Four Tops, etc., Folk Rock had a following with Dylan and Biaz protesting the changing times; until the British invasion got into full swing. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Byrds brought new dimensions to Rock, and then came … Sgt. Pepper, the album that changed the rock music world forever!

Peace, love and rock and roll. Emergence of The Cream, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, and Janis, Jimmi, led the way to a new spin off – Heavy Metal. The Stairway to Heaven climbed higher and higher.

My point is that each decade developed new sounds from disco to grunge to alternative, keeping Rock/Pop fresh, new and exciting.

The well written and researched article to which I refer in the first paragraph, continues the rock journey as it highlights the up-and-coming alternative bands that are breathing fresh air into the genre. There is a new invasion from overseas, this time from Scotland, which include Franz Ferdinand and Idlewild. Other bands making sound waves are Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Shins, and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, some of which are featured on the O.C., the pop hipster TV series.

All and all, I must say, as old as I am, I’m not stuck in one musical era or decade. Although I enjoy some more than others, they all interest me as a part of a living, evolving reflection of pop culture and history. Rock on...
- posted by rosemary @ 5:47 AM