Are we attending the funeral of rock music?
I recall in 1958 at the age of 14 years having a photograph of the God of Rock, Elvis Presley, greasy black hair, slight curl on the lip and a posture of defiance.
I pinned the photograph under the lid of my wellworn wooden desk, used by pupils since the 1920’s, at the John Fisher Roman Catholic Boys School for day pupils and boarders in Purley, Surrey, England. The photograph stayed there for a year until I quit school for good in 1959 for a decent education in the world.
Rock music took deep root for a whole generation in the 1960’s representing a challenge to the orthodoxy of the status quo, a break away from Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole and their all so pleasing voices. During the 1960’s, rock as a force for rebellion moved across the pond from the USA to Britain. No more conformity of the ballads of Bobby Avalon, the Everly Brothers and Bobby Darren. Rock n’roll returned to its roots in protest. The Brits led the way. The Beatles, the Stones, the Animals. The Who and other bands thumped the stage and pounded our lives for change.
Remember in 1965 the Rolling Stones, “I can’t get no satisfaction.”
When I’m drivin’ in my car
And a man comes on the radio
He’s telling me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination
I can’t get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that’s what I say
I can’t get no satisfaction.
Rock music had something to say about freedom, protest, love and lifestyle. Guitars and the drums beat a chord in our lives and certain lyrics empowered our voices to live outside the box in a rather wild, slightly mad culture of “peace, man” along with the triple gem of sex, drugs and rock n roll. Authentic rock music has changed, adapted, evolved through the five decades while keep alive the vibrancy of the message. sometimes with the power of the poetic and the prophetic.
Are we attending the funeral of rock music? It certainly looks like it. Take the figures. Only three rock songs appeared in the UK Top 100 singles of 2010 – the lowest number since 1960, says research by Music Week magazine. One of the three rock songs with an apt title, Don’t Stop Believin‘ by Journey reached 25 in the charts. It is five years since a rock band in the UK captured the imagination, namely the Arctic Monkeys.
While the singles charts do not accurately reflect public tastes, it is a sign that the young generation of music lovers have largely moved away from rock. Some of us remain loyal to rock. My MP3 player has around 30 albums – Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Leonard Cohen, REM, Van Morrison and other rock/protest singer/song writers make up most albums along with world music and classical music making up the other albums.
A Stones Roses guitarist commented that modern bands were playing it too safe.”It’s all about technique. Best musicians in the world can try things that are dangerous. I think what’s wrong with British music at the moment is people are too career-orientated.
“They’re afraid, or record companies will not allow them to take risks, and that just makes everything so uniform.”
Rock music can move our soul, fire the passion and shift us out of our complacency. If rock music faces the death sentence, let us encourage a rebirth.
Remember the words of The Beatles 1967 Album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Well it was 20 years ago today,
Sergeant Pepper taught a band to play,
They’ve been going in and out of style,
But there are guaranteed to raise a smile,
So may I introduce to you,
The act you’ve known for all these years,
Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band!
We’re Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, we hope you will enjoy the show,
We’re Sergeant Peppers Lonely hearts Club Band, sit back and let everything go,
We’re Sergeant Peppers Lonely, Sergeant Peppers Lonely,
Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band!
It wonderful to be here,
its certainly a thrill,
You’re such a lovely audience
we’d like to take you home with us, we’d love to take you home!
I don’t really wanna stop the show,
But I thought you might like to know,
That the singers gonna sing a song,
And he’d like you all to sing along,
So may I introduce to you,
The one an only Billy Shears,
And Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band!
Rock on!!!