Is Rock-n-Roll Dead? Urban Music Trends & My Reaction

[Huckleberry]

It seems today that the music market is saturated with so many bands/musicians, it's easy for those who are talented to get lost in the wave.

Definitely! When I lived in the Phoenix area there were so many talented artists playing in local clubs and bars, microbreweries and such. Somehow they get skipped over and never make it to a wider public audience. I think its partly because of saturation and because record labels don't go for artists that don't fit their formula. While I was grateful that I could see these bands in my neighborhood on a regular basis it is a shame that people from other places will probably never have that opportunity.

Huck

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Nothing gets your toe to tapping more than an accordian.

You just made my list of the all time best quotes. Also, I will never let you forget this.

You will receive your golden peanut by mail.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

It's just evolving, and sometimes it takes forms that don't last long (disco, punk) thank goodness, really.

Hey! Punk is still around. It's just that nowadays most punk bands actually try to sound good, thank goodness. Bad Religion were one of the progenitors of the genre and they're still making music and very popular.
I love rock n roll. I like bubblegum style rock, hard rock, punk, metal... my preferance leans towards the punk and blues styles mostly. Most of the new rock music out I don't care for because they tend to sound like they are a product more than music. It all seems to be much too similar. The good contemporary rock bands are mostly small time gigs on independent labels who aren't having caniptions about profit margins and people downloading their music. I generally hear them referred to as Indie as opposed to underground.

 

[loseyourname]

Heck, even some of the better artists from the 60's and 70's never get recognized. Everyone mentions Pink Floyd, the Beatles, and others that were influential, but you can easily argue that artists like The Velvet Underground, Nick Drake, Love, Big Star, Television, and the Stooges were just as good, if not better. They've received critical recognition, but they still never get played on the radio, even on the 'oldies' and 'classic rock' stations.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

...and don't forget the greats like Bobby Sherman.

Edit:

 

[Mariko]

Well, I started out listening to the likes of Dion & the Belmonts and The Kingston Trio. These days I'm more likely to be listening to Metallica (S&M is THE BEST) or J.S. Bach (heard of him?), or Korn, or Aghora, or Cold Play (you kids probably think they're "oldies" too, right?) so I think my mind is pretty open when it comes to music.

But look at Billboard or the Grammys & it's all about Usher, 50 cent, Alicia Keys. That seems to be where all the attention is these days, except when the emphasis is on nostalgia. Hip-hop, rap & that whiney stuff they call R&B.

R&B! R&B used to mean Chuck Berry or Jerry Lee Lewis.

Well i think you are indeed open minded and its great you leave your ears open to experience and enjoy new music, that's IMO great-I know also that this "bubble gum pop" or anything really commercialized has always been around and while its artists come and go its the true originals that seem to sway the listeners of today and tomorrow.

 

[Danger]

I have 45's of Dave Clark Five, Crispian St. Peter, the Honeycombs, etc. (I still think of Aerosmith as a 'new' band.)
My mother was in her sixties, not to mention a preacher's wife, when I was in high school. She's never been good with machines, either using them or liking them. The radio and vacuum and whatnot were about the limit of her ability, and she definitely never went near the stereo. She also professed to hate 'bang bang on a dishpan' music, as she referred to rock. Imagine my surprise at coming home one day and finding her truckin' around the house with 'Smoke on the Water' just cranked. It must have taken her half an hour to figure out how to get the thing going.
Not so surprisingly, around half of my favourite bands are Canuk. I wonder how many of you know about any of them down there. I mean the really good ones that are national heroes to us. Trooper, Doug and the Slugs, Rush, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Barenaked Ladies, The Trajically Hip, Helix, Quarterflash, The Killer Dwarves, Headpins, Reostatics, Men Without Hats, Ducette, Great Big Sea, Susan Aglukark, Diana Krall, Steppenwolf (I know you've heard of them and Shania Twain), Ducette, Soul Decision, Loverboy, Lighthouse, Edward Bear, Mahogany Rush... cripes, I'm not even half-through the list. You non-Canuks like any of them, or have even heard of them?

 

[loseyourname]

I know that you'll never make up for Celine Dion and Bryan Adams.

 

[Danger]

I know that you'll never make up for Celine Dion and Bryan Adams.

I like Adams okay; her highness is getting a bit much. Thanks for the reminder, though. I didn't mention Corey Hartk, Kim Mitchell or Tom Cochrane & Red Rider.

 

[Smurf]

Not so surprisingly, around half of my favourite bands are Canuk. I wonder how many of you know about any of them down there. I mean the really good ones that are national heroes to us. Trooper, Doug and the Slugs, Rush, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Barenaked Ladies, The Trajically Hip, Helix, Quarterflash, The Killer Dwarves, Headpins, Reostatics, Men Without Hats, Ducette, Great Big Sea, Susan Aglukark, Diana Krall, Steppenwolf (I know you've heard of them and Shania Twain), Ducette, Soul Decision, Loverboy, Lighthouse, Edward Bear, Mahogany Rush... cripes, I'm not even half-through the list. You non-Canuks like any of them, or have even heard of them?

I havn't even heard of most of those.

 

[Danger]

I havn't even heard of most of those.

You are kidding, right?

 

[Smurf]

Trooper, Barenaked Ladies and the Guess who. Everyone else is lost to me.

I think we have a shortage of national heros if that's the best you can come up with.

 

[Moonbear]

Not so surprisingly, around half of my favourite bands are Canuk. I wonder how many of you know about any of them down there. I mean the really good ones that are national heroes to us. Trooper, Doug and the Slugs, Rush, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Barenaked Ladies, The Trajically Hip, Helix, Quarterflash, The Killer Dwarves, Headpins, Reostatics, Men Without Hats, Ducette, Great Big Sea, Susan Aglukark, Diana Krall, Steppenwolf (I know you've heard of them and Shania Twain), Ducette, Soul Decision, Loverboy, Lighthouse, Edward Bear, Mahogany Rush... cripes, I'm not even half-through the list. You non-Canuks like any of them, or have even heard of them?

Of the ones I recognize (I bolded them), I like them, or seem to recall liking them. Haven't heard any of their music in a while, so can't quite remember what they sound like. Well, Barenaked Ladies is more recent, so I'm sure I like them. There are a few others in that list that sound vaguely familiar, but I can't say for certain I know them.

 

[gnome]

While you're on the subject of great Canadian musicians, don't forget about Guy Lombardo.

Oh, and take Paul Schaffer. Please!

 

[gnome]

All kidding aside, of course The Guess Who, BTO and Steppenwolf were big here "back in the day". I've heard Rush, but I don't think they ever got much attention down here. Barenaked Ladies were getting a lot of play a couple of years ago. They're good, but I haven't heard them lately. Shania Twain, sure, but I can do without country most of the time.

As for the rest of your list, I don't think I've ever even heard the names.

 

[hypatia]

ummm Danger we are older then dirt.

 

[Danger]

There are a few others in that list that sound vaguely familiar, but I can't say for certain I know them.

Here's a list of some of the songs from each. Maybe you've heard some of them and just didn't know who they were by.

Trooper–Raise a Little Hell; The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car; Santa Maria; Two For the Show
Doug and the Slugs–Too Bad; Chinatown Calculation; Makin' It Work; Real Enough
Rush–Tom Sawyer; Spirit of the Radio; Closer to the Heart; Xanadu
The Guess Who–American Woman; Star Baby; Laughing; Stand Tall; Clap for the Wolfman; Hand Me Down World; Glamour Boy
BTO (that's Randy Bachman from Guess Who)–Takin' Care of Business; Let It Roll (Down the Highway); You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet; Blue Collar
Barenaked Ladies-Another Postcard With Chimpanzees; If I Had a Million Dollars; Lovers in a Dangerous( ) Time; It's All Been Done Before
The Tragically Hip–Blow at High Dough; At The Hundredth Meridian; Ahead By a Century; New Orleans Is Sinking

Helix–Make Me Do Anything You Want; Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
Quarterflash– I screwed up here; they're not one of ours. I got mixed up because they sound very much like Tokan
The Killer Dwarves–Dirty Weapons; I'm Alive; Hardluck Town

Okay, this has taken me a couple of hours. I'll just post as is, then add later.

 

[Danger]

ummm Danger we are older then dirt.

And dirtier...

 

[hypatia]

come to think of it, yea, you do make dirt seem clean.

 

[Astronuc]

I've heard Rush, but I don't think they ever got much attention down here.

They received plenty of attention in the 70's and 80's, and their songs still get air time today.

Velvet Underground (formed in 1964) and Lou Reed were quite popular in the underground rock scene. By 1965, the Velvet Underground was a quartet: Reed, John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison (an old friend of Reed's), and drummer Angus MacLise. Cale, a Welshman, was classically trained and played bass, viola, and organ.

Lighthouse (1968-1974) had a popular tune, "One Fine Morning", which sounded a lot like Blood, Sweat and Tears (with English-born Canadian, David Clayton-Thomas).

Re: Rush - don't forget "Limelight" and "Subdivisions" from their Signals album.

Triumph (formed 1975) is another great Canadian rock trio. Just A Game

Mahogany Rush (formed 1969) is another power trio from Canada (Montreal) comprised guitarist Frank Marino, bassist Paul Harwood and drummer Jim Ayoub. Marino was heavily influenced by Hendrix.

Steppenwolf was formed in LA in 1967, so they are not Canadian (sorry), but John Kay (born Joachim Krauledat, Germany) did start out in a Toronto band, Sparrow.

Diana Krall is an excellent jazz pianist.

 

[Zantra]

She hates time make it stop
when did Motley Crue become classic rock?
And when did Ozzy become an actor?
Please make this stop
Stop!
And bring back

Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
way before Nirvana
there was U2 and Blondie
and music still on MTV

 

[Danger]

Steppenwolf was formed in LA in 1967, so they are not Canadian (sorry), but John Kay (born Joachim Krauledat, Germany) did start out in a Toronto band, Sparrow.

This is one of those technical points. Although Kay is German-born, he grew up in Canada. He left home at 17 or so and worked as a carnie at the Calgary Stampede. To this day, Steppenwolf plays free venues in Calgary as a show of gratitude for the way he was treated here. Candy and I caught them at McKewan Hall at U of C a few years back. We were in the front row, 3 metres from the band. Anyhow, I claim them in the name of Queen and Country.

 

[FredGarvin]

Lighthouse (1968-1974) had a popular tune, "One Fine Morning", which sounded a lot like Blood, Sweat and Tears (with English-born Canadian, David Clayton-Thomas).

Astronuc, I didn't think I would EVER hear of another person that could reference to Lighthouse. Their two best songs, IMO were "Pretty Lady" and "One Fine Morning". I have both on my computer right now.

What a huge production that group was. They were the precursors to BS&T and Chicago.

 

[Zantra]

This is one of those technical points. Although Kay is German-born, he grew up in Canada. He left home at 17 or so and worked as a carnie at the Calgary Stampede. To this day, Steppenwolf plays free venues in Calgary as a show of gratitude for the way he was treated here. Candy and I caught them at McKewan Hall at U of C a few years back. We were in the front row, 3 metres from the band. Anyhow, I claim them in the name of Queen and Country.

Ok you can have them if you take back celine dion. We don't want her.

 

[Danger]

Ok you can have them if you take back celine dion. We don't want her.

Only if you throw in Alexander Graham Bell too.

 

[loseyourname]

I don't know about other major cities, but Rush is extremely popular in Los Angeles and gets played on both classic rock stations way too much. They aren't that good. Their music is highly progressive and frankly, contrived and corny. They're fun for camp value and that's it.

 

[Danger]

Their music is highly progressive and frankly, contrived and corny. They're fun for camp value and that's it.

Do keep in mind, though, that most of it's a lot older than you are. To those of us who listened to it when it was new, it's still great.

 

[loseyourname]

Velvet Underground (formed in 1964) and Lou Reed were quite popular in the underground rock scene. By 1965, the Velvet Underground was a quartet: Reed, John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison (an old friend of Reed's), and drummer Angus MacLise. Cale, a Welshman, was classically trained and played bass, viola, and organ.

If you believe All Music, the three most popular 'underground' bands in rock's classic era were the Velvet Underground, Big Star, and Husker Du (though they came a bit later). Velvet Underground has received way more attention than either of the other two, which I've always found odd. Big Star and Husker Du always sounded to me like a nearly perfect synthesis of rock sentiments with a great pop sound, sort of like combining the feel of the Rolling Stones with the production value and musical greatness of the Beach Boys. I think Big Star's lack of success can be attributed to their short time spent together as a band and their record label. Stax was always known for R&B/Soul and they just didn't fit in. I suppose Husker Du might never have become as popular as they deserved because REM filled their niche to some extent.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Not so surprisingly, around half of my favourite bands are Canuk. I wonder how many of you know about any of them down there. I mean the really good ones that are national heroes to us. Trooper, Doug and the Slugs, Rush, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Barenaked Ladies, The Trajically Hip, Helix, Quarterflash, The Killer Dwarves, Headpins, Reostatics, Men Without Hats, Ducette, Great Big Sea, Susan Aglukark, Diana Krall, Steppenwolf (I know you've heard of them and Shania Twain), Ducette, Soul Decision, Loverboy, Lighthouse, Edward Bear, Mahogany Rush... cripes, I'm not even half-through the list. You non-Canuks like any of them, or have even heard of them?

And I'm relatively young.

 

[loseyourname]

Do keep in mind, though, that most of it's a lot older than you are. To those of us who listened to it when it was new, it's still great.

Their most prominent albums were produced between '76 and '84. I was born smack dab in the middle in 1980. I wouldn't call that a lot older than me. Granted, I never heard their music in context right when it first came out, but that hardly means I cannot judge it. It just isn't very good music, regardless of how novel it may have sounded at the time.

By the way, Danger, you seem to have forgotten the single greatest rock artist to ever come out of Canada: Neil Young.

[edit: I should really mention that I'm not that down on Rush. I do enjoy some of their songs. I've just never understood why they get so much airtime and there are actually people that talk about them as if they're really significant and have made amazing music. On the progressive rock scale, I'd place them somewhere between Styx and Jethro Tull, no higher.]