Post by doomsdaymachine on Aug 13, 2012 21:21:12 GMT -5
What ruined rock 'n' roll? In my opinion, the simultaneous rise of the
concept album and rock criticism in the late 1960s.
No longer was it enough to praise a rock 'n' roll record as having a
great beat that you could really dance to. Now every lyric - and there
certainly was no more room for a good rockin' instrumental - had to
have 18 layers of hidden meaning, open to endless interpretation.
Entire orchestras of moonlighting classical musicians now adorned the
album-length farts known as "progressive rock" (an oxymoron if ever
there was one).
And who was there to tout these turgid exercises in pretentious self-
indulgence as "high art?" The rock critic, who had a nice, cushy job
and was determined to keep it.
Since it was tremendously convenient to have singer, songwriter and
producer all wrapped up in one person, the critic made d**ned good and
sure that the only rockers deemed "legitimate" were those who wrote
their own material. Who cared if Lou Reed wasn't half the singer that
Elvis Presley was? He wrote his own songs, and Elvis didn't. That
meant he was more "legitimate" than the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
And what of a black artist like Smokey Robinson, who did write and
produce his own stuff? Irrelevant. After all, Smokey's lyrics weren't
politically or socially conscious, or even drug-inspired. No, they only
dealt with love and romance and other plebeian emotions, and therefore
weren't even worthy of acknowledgment.
Albums were now deemed the format of choice while singles were disdained
as sell-outs to crass commercialism. (Never mind that a hit album's
chart life could last for years while even a #1 single was usually off
the Hot 100 within a few months.) Adding insult to injury, the music
that gave birth to rock 'n' roll - namely, black rhythm and blues,
along with its successors soul and funk - were relegated to the
sidelines as incidental to the "important" music being made
by white males with guitars.
Thankfully, with the easy availability of digital downloads, the
"albums uber alles" mentality is on its way out as people may now
cherry-pick the individual tracks they want on their laptops, iPods
and Smartphones. No longer is it necessary to purchase a full-length
LP or CD for the one or two tracks you really want off it.
As such, the AOR wanker is going the way of the dinosaur; but don't
expect him to go quietly. Those windbags are as hard to kill as
Rasputin!
concept album and rock criticism in the late 1960s.
No longer was it enough to praise a rock 'n' roll record as having a
great beat that you could really dance to. Now every lyric - and there
certainly was no more room for a good rockin' instrumental - had to
have 18 layers of hidden meaning, open to endless interpretation.
Entire orchestras of moonlighting classical musicians now adorned the
album-length farts known as "progressive rock" (an oxymoron if ever
there was one).
And who was there to tout these turgid exercises in pretentious self-
indulgence as "high art?" The rock critic, who had a nice, cushy job
and was determined to keep it.
Since it was tremendously convenient to have singer, songwriter and
producer all wrapped up in one person, the critic made d**ned good and
sure that the only rockers deemed "legitimate" were those who wrote
their own material. Who cared if Lou Reed wasn't half the singer that
Elvis Presley was? He wrote his own songs, and Elvis didn't. That
meant he was more "legitimate" than the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
And what of a black artist like Smokey Robinson, who did write and
produce his own stuff? Irrelevant. After all, Smokey's lyrics weren't
politically or socially conscious, or even drug-inspired. No, they only
dealt with love and romance and other plebeian emotions, and therefore
weren't even worthy of acknowledgment.
Albums were now deemed the format of choice while singles were disdained
as sell-outs to crass commercialism. (Never mind that a hit album's
chart life could last for years while even a #1 single was usually off
the Hot 100 within a few months.) Adding insult to injury, the music
that gave birth to rock 'n' roll - namely, black rhythm and blues,
along with its successors soul and funk - were relegated to the
sidelines as incidental to the "important" music being made
by white males with guitars.
Thankfully, with the easy availability of digital downloads, the
"albums uber alles" mentality is on its way out as people may now
cherry-pick the individual tracks they want on their laptops, iPods
and Smartphones. No longer is it necessary to purchase a full-length
LP or CD for the one or two tracks you really want off it.
As such, the AOR wanker is going the way of the dinosaur; but don't
expect him to go quietly. Those windbags are as hard to kill as
Rasputin!
