The Drugs of Rock and Roll

So I’ve always wanted to know while growing what the drugs in the “sex, drugs and rock and roll” phrase is. So here was my chance to find out. My search uncovered that early rock groups such as the Beatles start with the drug cannabis and were also one of the first bands to publically announce that they actually used the stuff. But by releasing this information into the public domain it gave rebellious youths all over the world the idea that drugs are cool because the Beatles do them. Strangely enough this revolution started around the same time as the hippie movements across the world.

It wasn’t until the late 1960’s – 1970’s that bands started to publically admit that other drugs were being sampled and even that some bands had become addicted to certain ones.much of the rock and roll cachet associated with drug use dissipated as rock music suffered a series of drug-related deaths and Although some amount of drug use remained common among rock musicians, a greater respect for the dangers of drug consumption was observed. At the peak of the drug/ rock and roll revolution drugs such as cocaine and heroin on top of the publically know use of cannabis and LSD.

So to summaries the drugs that were ushered in with the rock and roll revolution are still around today and youths still are following in the footsteps of their favorite bands and singers to try bigger and newer things. While there has been a step decline in the use 0of recreational drugs due to having a better knowledge of their effects on the human body. They are still out there.

Source = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_impact_of_rock_and_roll

Which Fad Next? Cycles in Rock's Dominant Cultural Icons and Styles: What does it all Mean?

In the world of rock, credibility stems from quite a few sources of musical legitimacy. Whilst in previous decades pioneers of an individual style could hope to enjoy cultural primacy if the audience of the time chose to embrace their particular form and performativity of the medium, now in the 21st century such trends and homogeneity in the preference of rock musical styles appears to be long gone. So what are the causes of this, the framework within which musical content is received, interpreted and either judged to be worthy of consumption or discarded? Moreover, what are the implications of this process of musical selection?

Peterson (1975) seized upon some trends in the world of musical culture in his treatise on the subject 'Cycles in Symbol Production: The Case of Popular Music' when he noted that "Periods of Market Concentration are found to correspond to homogeneity, periods of competition to periods of diversity". Such a statement seems axiomatic, but gains most importance when considered in light of the current form and function of the Rock Music industry and the current limbo in dominant cultural images of Rock Culture. As has been mentioned before, artists and musical content not traditionally associated with the form and conventions of Rock music, especially in regards to popular music of the 60's, 70's and 80's are now slowly amalgamating into a socially and culturally imagined "golden age of rock", as people find themselves unable to relate or embrace the current form and function of rock music.

This inability to reconcile the passing of older trends and a loss of a sense of belonging to Rock culture as its communities and factions split, diversify and develop is, i would contest, why we now see many popular music groups of diverse backgrounds and associations all vying to resurrect their own particular incarnation of the genre itself. This in turn it seems, is carried out either as a way of legitimising their own preferences and rationalisations of the genre or as a extension of their own innovations in the genre itself. We've been able to see this throughout the past decade or so with the popularity of widely divergent sounds and aesthetics of the rock album and the rock band itself, such as Bloc Party, JET, Kings of Leon, MGMT and countless others.

The question remains then, who gets to decide what's rock and what's not? If the artist's themselves are not fit to decide, who then? Industry? The fan? Who could honestly say nowadays that they without problem, fit into someone's neat definition of Rock Music or Rock Culture? Moreover, if so many definitions of Rock exist and the band persona is no longer so limited by perceived convention, this could open the way for a far more accepting and vibrant form of the culture.

Teen Idols

A teen idol is defined as a rock artist who attracts a large following of mostly female teenagers because of their sex appeal, popularity and music talent. They exist today, but the origins of such idols developed in the 1940’s as rock first began to hit the music scene in America.

Although popular with the female fans, many avid rock historians see teen idols as a threat to rock’s survival.

“Wimpy, overwhelmingly bland and safe, their connection to rock & roll was often tenuous, and their commercial ascendancy has even been discussed as a conspiracy by the music business and sundry other moral authorities to rob rock & roll of its vitality” (http://www.history-of-rock.com).

Was it that these idols were taking away the classic elements of rock? Instead of the vulgar lyrics and risqué style of older and more legendary rock artists, these idols made their claim to fame with sheer sex appeal and good looks. They didn’t have to wear face paint like KISS or bite the head off a bat like Ozzy in order to attract a following. They were able to lure women with charm – something that wasn’t a common trait in most rockers.

This should stand to see why avid rock historians disapprove of teen idols. In their defense, rock music was and is the music that defied the norms. Adding pretty faces with good manners doesn’t fit with the stereotypical rock image.

References

Wikipedia – searched ‘teen idols,’ accessed on May 28, 2009

History of Rock Web site, www.history-of-rock.com

Tencaious D: Adding the element of humor in today’s rock & roll

We’ve seen the transformation of rock throughout the years – from AC/DC to Nickelback. The difference is clear because we can see how rock stars have evolved and we can hear how their songs have changed. There is no perfect definition of the modern rock star, because they’re all so different in today’s standard.

I’m here to examine one type of the modern rock star specifically: the funny one. Now, you may be asking yourself, ‘how can humor possibly be mixed with rock & roll?’ To be honest, I’m not sure I could be the one to answer that for you. But, let’s take a look at Jack Black and see how he managed to combine the two.

In 1994, Black teamed up with friend Kyle Gass and created the comedy rock band, Tenacious D. They began playing at local comedy clubs and many of their hits were spoofs of 1970s and ‘80s metal bands.

The popularity of this unorthodox rock band grew and before long, they were signed with Epic Records. Comedic rock groups were relatively new at this time and Tenacious D captured many fans with its “bizarre, hilarious songs (that) could only come from a twisted mind like Jack’s” (Mitchell, 2008, p 5).

The success of Tencious D helped Black land several major movie roles, almost all as quirky as his personality. After shining on the big screen, Black returned to Tenacious D in 2006 and released the film, Tencious D in The Pick of Destiny.  As part of the movie release, Black and Gass took Tencious D on tour and sang in front of audiences around the country.

Tencious D is still popular among fans and modern rockers. By adding humor, it’s stirred another element into present day rock & roll. Below is one of Tencious D’s songs, ‘Kickapoo.’ Have a listen. The humor elements are pretty obvious, as well as the element of modern rock & roll.

References

Susan K. Mitchell, 2008, “Jack Black”

YouTube, Tenacious D’s ‘Kickapoo’ song, accessed on May 26, 2009.