I disagree wholeheartedly. Rock is about rebelling against the conventions of society? That's rubbish. Rock is "about" self expression. It's about turning an internal emotion into music with an edge. It's a style of music that exagerates feelings and opinions. It is often a hyperbole of the individual or group that performs it. And the type of person that ultimately turns into a rock and roller more often than not will be a liberal, it's just in the chemistry of their composition as a human. And because of the popularity of these people and the permanent stage they live on their political and personal views come out. I liked what Cooper had to say. He was self depracating and included himself in the ironic statement.
Rubbish??? I think not. Perhaps if you are one of the multitude of bands today that recycle everything that's come before... and I mean recycle, not "being influenced by" or doing a "cover" that is your interpretation. I mean recycle as in making music that's a cookie-cutter copy of the music of the '50's and '60's, and the '70's, until things started going downhill. That's the era I consider the "rock and roll" era, or just Rock. After the mid-'70's, you have to start looking much harder to find "original" rock and roll. Really, everyone has borrowed so much from their predecessors, and each other, which most from the time will freely admit, that creative may be a better term than original. I'm constantly hearing parts of current music, the music that purports to be rock, that makes me think of something I've already heard. And that's OK, assuming I like it, because that's the way it's always been. Almost any famous group from what I consider the "golden age" of rock, the timeframe I mentioned, borrowed from someone earlier or from each other. And they were, for the most part, damned creative about doing it. To get to what you're busting Jeff's chops about, I can assure you that the bands of that period, the '50's, '60's and early to mid-'70's, were doing their damnedest to "rebel against the conventions of society." I can't speak to the groups who came later, or the groups of today, because I "tune" most of them out, but I can sure as hell speak to the "golden age" I mentioned, because I was there, rebelling against the conventions of society to the best of my modest ability. Some of my biggest heroes were the musicians making my music. You just couldn't be more wrong, Chance, unless you're speaking to today and the '80's. (isn't it still the '90's?? add that decade as well!) And I'm sure there are many groups today and in the '80's doing the same damn thing. Most of them just aren't too good at it. Go rent the "director's cut" of Almost Famous. It gives a pretty good view of what it was like at the tail-end of the era.
No. No it doesn't, and learn to spell the word "Pentecostal" which means "having to do with the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Pentecost." Furthermore, if you're trying to say that Christians that are "Pentecostals" are snake handlers.. well you're off there too. That would be extreme hillbilly types in the Virginias that do that. And it is near sac-religious at best. On the other hand, the irony of this article is immense. How can AC call out rockers by getting political himself? And YES... "School's Out" does say "For-EVER!" AC is a filp-flopper.
I guess you aren't into anything punk (Devo, Talking Heads, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, The Clash, Dead Kennedys, Big Boys, Germs, Stranglers, Vibrators,,,,,,) .
I didn't say it wasn't there... I just said it was much harder to find. No, I'm not a big fan of punk. I was a big fan of Velvet Underground. Does that count?
Rock music is about passion. That passion can be political or sexual or....well that's about it. Just like the rest of society some rockers are more intellectual and some are less. Just because you rock doesn't preclude you from thinking and just because you rock you aren't assured of depth. One thing is for sure though, passion decreases with age and money and Alice is old and rich.
No kidding! Rebelling against the conventions of society with passion! But I'm going to keep rebelling against the "decreasing sexual passion with age" thing, Gene. It's about all I've got left.
sorry, no offense meant. my momma was a "charasmaniac" and used to "speak in tongues" (instant multi-lingualism), but wasn't of the pentecost persuasion...there was an awful lot of laying on of hands and titheing unto pat roberts tho...she was absolutely sure i was going to burn in hell for listening to paranoid , although it could've been the black light that freaked her out.
Well, of course it is about self expression. But, often times, that self expression INCLUDES political expression. Rock music, since its inception, has always pushed the boundries of society sometimes positively and other times not. It has been the backdrop for wars and social upheaval. It goes all the way back to Elvis being shown only above the waist on TV because people were afraid of what his hip shaking would do to the youth of America. How many rock stars count the parents of their fans among their listeners? Each successive generation discovers some new way to piss off their parents through the music they enjoy. When you are a teenager and hormones are raging, it is often in music that you find solace. THAT is pushing the conventions of society because it is responding to that energy that comes from not wanting to do what your parents did and not wanting to do what adults would like. If "sex, drugs and rock and roll" isn't a form of escapist rebellion, I don't know what is.
This topic actually crossed my mind the other day. It would be disturbing if a rock star's vote was able to sway someone into voting one way or another. If I was Kerry, I wouldn't even accept their endorsements. All it would take is the celeb saying one stupid thing and everyone would be like "that stupid guy supports Kerry". Of course there are probably people out there who would be like OMG! [Insert Celebrity] thinks Kerry is great! I'm voting Kerry! Anyways, on another note, Rock is officially dead. You don't know about the MAN, man? Man you gotta break the rules so you don't conform to the MAN, man. Man are you on crack? The MAN is what's killing society. Now imagine a rockstar endorsing "THE MAN". Hey Man, vote Kerry Man. Kerry's the man who will be the head of the MAN! Man! Sorry, couldn't help myself =p
That is what I love about you JB. We can disagree about things without getting personal or insulting. I love this. Saying that "often times that expression includes political expression" is very far from saying Rock and Roll is about rebelling against the conventions of society. I guess what I was trying to illustrate is that saying Rock and Roll is about rebelling and sticking it to the man is cliche. If that element comes out in a song then so be it but that is not the essence of the genre to me. Actually after thinking about it I should have added "any more" to the end of my take as I have read your post a few times and essentially agree with you. I think nowadays there is a lion's share of stuff out there that is about commercialism more than antisocial behaivour.
If rock & roll wasn't supposed to be rebellious, Christian rock would be tolerable. Rock has to have an edge of some sort to be good.
But, what is on the radio today for the most part doesn't really represent the spirit of rock music. That has been dying a slow death thanks incredible over-commercialization and a monolithic music industry that has shrunken to such a degree that only the most sugar coated and formulaic music gets any kind of a shot. 30,000 records are made every year. About 30 become hits and most of that is due to the constant stream of publicity by the labels based on songs they are convinced they can sell by artists they are convinced they can control. The origin of rock music is rebellion against the norms of society. It is at the heart of almost all great rock music. But, we haven't seen very much of that in the past 20 years, which coincides, not coincidentially, with both the decline of record sales and, arguably, the weakening of the genre as a whole.
