EVOLUTION OF ROCK

The following is supposed to be my take on how Rock and Roll has progressed over the years. (With a little help from Wikipedia :p :p) Let’s hope it is as successful as some of Darwin’s theories about evolution 

PART 1

A lot of people wonder why a lot of other people love music which a lot of firang people have composed over the past 4o years. It’s no surprise that at a first listen most people cannot comprehend the lyrics of a rock song; let alone comprehend what it stands for. That is at the stage when you think that its just noise, with a bunch of long-haired maniacs trying to get themselves a neck brace. They had a famous saying in the 70’s, that Rock n Roll isn’t just music; it’s a way of life. And how true they were, that now, even 40 years later, every teenager is affected by it – in his/her own manner.

The roots of rock can be recognized in one word: Rebellion. It was never made to be pleasing to the ear, like techno, never made to make girls swoon, like pop and never made to earn a whole lotta moolah like hip-hop; it was made to be identified with, to make a connection with the uncivilized part of each man and woman. It spoke of breaking the rules, not just to be cool, as many people think; but to recognize the fact that no one can govern a person’s life, he can do whatever he wants. It asked a simple question, why so many rules and restrictions? Why the need for society to impose its thoughts on people who wanted to be free? Darn right, it was as anti-social as one could get, but contrary to what a lot of people think now, it did and still does make perfect sense. The first rockers were caged souls, literally. They were black slaves who started playing such songs as a form of rebellion against the white man. The expression “Rock and Roll” has its origins here. The term “rocking” was used by black gospel singers to indicate spiritual rapture, while “roll” – literally meant “sex”. The earliest form of “rock and roll” was inspired from pre-existent genres like jazz, rhythm and blues and beat music. It emphasized more on the backbeat of the song, with a quicker guitar riff and wailing vocals. A highly sonorous piano was also used here. Little Richard was one of the first artists to combine these elements in his mid-fifties works.



This innovation of this new sound cascaded into the late 50’s and culminated to the rise to the most popular rocker the world has ever known, Elvis Presely. Such was his voice, style and charisma; he alone propelled rock n roll into the limelight. John Lennon once said,” If there wasn’t an Elvis, there’d never be The Beatles”. Till Elvis, rock and roll was more of an anonymous movement; it never really captured the attention of the masses, kinda like what today’s underground movements are like. But with hits such as “Jailhouse Rock”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Hound Dog” and many more, the public was captivated. His live performances were known to be legendary, for his amazing stage presence, charming good looks and of course, his infamous body gyrations. Elvis had a huge cultural impact. Of course, he did have some detractors as well, with some of his peers such as Frank Sinatra proclaiming that he had mainly recycled the black man’s music; but all it did was enhance Presley’s persona and gave him even more mainstream attention. And even today, we can comfortably say that “Elvis hasn’t left the building”, as he inspires generation after generation.


Elvis did inspire The Beatles, but theirs is a more traditional rise. In the late 50’s, the rock and roll movement was strong in Britain, with a lot of upcoming bands. The Quarrymen, as they were initially known, played in clubs in Hamburg for a few years, until the popularity of the hit single “Love Me Do”. They bagged a record deal and became The Beatles, creating some of the most impactful and historically significant albums ever; such as Please Please Me (1963), With the Beatles (1963) and A Hard Day’s Night (1964). In 1963, they crossed over into the American market and created what is known in popular culture as “Beatlemania”. Just like Elvis, the unexpected popularity and wealth didn’t suit the Beatles, and thus their forays into frequent drug usage, and alcoholic revelry. This was very much evident in their music, which evolved into psychedelic rock. Here, instrumentals were common, while songs with lyrics were sometimes conceptual, abstract, or based in fantasy and science fiction. Their studio mates, Pink Floyd were, at the same time creating The Piper At the Gates of Dawn (1967) – a psychedelic masterpiece. This album was the vision of Syd Barrett, unfortunately known more for his personal demons rather than his ground-breaking music. This however, was just the beginning of Pink Floyd, as they pushed the boundaries of psychedelic music, venturing into progressive rock and occasionally dabbing in other genres for weird and different sounds. Some of these examples are evident in “Echoes” – a 17 minute epic. A few years earlier, The Beatles had just released Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) – their most recognizable and influential album ever. Due to internal struggles soon, and the departure of John Lennon, The Beatles soon broke-up. Pink Floyd, however, had better luck. The release of The Dark Side of The Moon (1973) catapulted them to international stardom and their legacy in rock and roll history was assured. With albums like Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979), they achieved cult status.


------This is just PART 1……please stay tuned for PART 2….it’ll be uploaded the moment I finish writing it :p :p