Rock and Roll

For my topic, Who Really Started Rock 'N' Roll, I read a book entitled, Rock and Roll: Examining Pop Culture. It was a really interesting book. The book itself was broken up into chapters, different ones about separate areas of rock music. It includes a wide spectrum of topics, not just limited to the music itself. Things from drug use by rock musicians to chapters about the effect that the Internet has had on rock music. To give a feel for the way it reads, it states in one chapter, “Rock music is junk food for the soul-a diet of sex, drugs, and non-stop pleasure-seeking which all to often is a deadly poison." (100) The book also lists some things that a reader might not realize. Things such as the genre originated from white musicians imitating African American beats and rhythms. Another interesting fact would be that political rock, rock poking fun at the government, was more common than disco, country rock, and other moneymaking genres. Not only until the 1970s did new genres flourish.

One particularly enjoyable thing about reading this book, was finding out how parents thought rock was destroying control and order within their youth. I got a real kick out of their opinion. They thought because of the suggestive lyrics, the children were being influenced badly. Something that also surprised me was that I, too, was someone who before reading this, didn’t realize who gave Elvis his rhythm, or The Beatles theirs. It was stars like Little Richard, and Chuck Berry who can be credited with this.

Another aspect of this book that I found interesting and clever was the fact that it was not written by one single person. The book is made up of a collection of different articles by different writers. This made the book perfect for my blog. There is an assortment of nineteen different subjects and categories. Each one sure to interest someone.

Origin and Facts of the Guitar

Guitars have been around for a long time. They even date back to the 14^th century. In its earliest form it was given three double courses, pairs, of strings plus a single string, the highest. The guitar is in some cases said to have originated in Spain. It became popular in other countries a few centuries later, and by the late 17^th century a fifth course of strings had been added below the other four. Only until the 18^th century did the guitar take a more modern form of appearance. Guitar makers broadened the body, made it curvier around the waist, thinned the belly, and changed the internal bracing to give us what we have today. “The electric guitar, developed for popular music in the United States in the 1930s, usually has a solid, nonresonant body. The sound of its strings is both amplified and manipulated electronically by the performer. American musician and inventor Les Paul developed prototypes for the solid-bodied electric guitar and popularized the instrument beginning in the 1940s.”

From "Guitar," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 96 Encyclopedia

Les Paul died last year.

Being a musician myself, and having learned to play the guitar, I have grown to appreciate more of what went into play with the making of the guitar. Without someone just messing around with wood I would have never gotten to play. I love playing guitar, I myself play a Les Paul, and it looks phenomenal.

Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly played rock and roll for only two years, but the wealth of the material he recorded in that time made a major and lasting effect on Rock music. Buddy composed his own music, and he coined the now-standard rock-band lineup of two guitars, bass and drums. Holly’s collection of songs includes such standards of the rock and roll canon as “Rave On,” “Peggy Sue,” “That’ll Be the Day,” Oh Boy!” and “Maybe Baby.” Buddy was also an influence on the Beatles and Hollies.

I don’t really listen to oldies that go this far back. Its normally if I’m stuck riding in the car with my grandparents. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy his music. It’s pretty fantastic, It’s also very impressive too, and to think he was the one who started the modern band line-up is awesome too. I am quite a fan of that myself. I sat down and tried to find one of his songs that I liked. Most of them are quite simple, I came across the song entitled “Everyday.” It starts off like, “Everyday it's a-gettin' closer,” “Goin' faster than a roller coaster,” “Love like yours will surely come my way,” ”A-hey, a-hey-hey.”

Picture: http://thesilverplatter.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/buddy_holly.jpg

Lyrics: http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/bigfish/everyday.htm

Main source: http://rockhall.com/inductees/buddy-holly/bio/

Critical Review 2

One of the books I am reading is on "Indie Rock". I wanted to read this to find out more about a genre of music i like, that came from Rock "N" Roll roots. Indie Rock is a form of rock that branches off to include more instruments and a crisp and soothing, unique sound. The Book is called The History of Indie Rock. The book started off explaining where the genre took off, which was in Seattle, WA. The band to name was "Death Cab for Cutie", Death Cab was the first band to be considered a popular or well known Indie band. They provided there audiences with dreamy pop sounds, created by melding music with vocals and guitar. One thing that the book says, that I thought was interesting was, "Until recently being on an independent label had been the defining characteristic of the indie rock genre." (p.9) I later read that indie music wasn't very popular starting off, not many people knew about it. Or it didn't catch thier ear.

After reading a bit of The History of Indie Rock, I have gained a greater appreaciation to the genre. I listen to a few Indie bands, but it wasnt ever really one of my main playlists I would listen to on my ipod. One band I like is Soundgarden, and because of this book I think I may start listening to them more.


Source: The History of Indie Rock
By: Jennifer Skancke
Chapter 1: "What is indie rock?"