rock final

billy joel

-classically trained piano player from long island, NY -released a strong of stylistically diverse albums from 1977 to 1980 -continued to release albums in the 1980s and 90s -musical attributes: -singer and piano player with a band -variety of musical styles -elaborate production -rock and roll vocal style -virtuosic musicianship -genre: singer songwriter

the Ramones

-major part of new york punk scene in the 1970s -played at a popular punk venue called CBGB's -no real commercial success in america ( no albums in the top 40) -musical attributes: -short simple songs played very fast -pulsing/chugging guitar riffs -vocals with i don't care attitude -genre: punk rock

rush

-Canadian progressive rock band formed in mis 1970s -first 3 albums were not big sellers. 4th album, 2112, was a success -the first side of 2112 was a seven part suite that told the story of a man who finds a guitar in a dystopian society -Rush is considered progressive rock bc their sound evolved from a hard rock/heavy metal sound in the 1970s to a mainstream hard rock style that used synthesizers and various other electronic instruments -still active and releasing albums -Musical attributes: -power trio (influenced by cream) -wide variety of musical styles -virtuosic musicianship - high pitched male lead vocal (Geddy Lee) -heavy use of drum fills (neil Peart) -odd meter songs ( songs that don't count to 3 to 4) -intelligent lyrics written by drummer Neil Peart -genre: progressive rock

green day

-SF based band led by singer/songwriter/ guitarist billy joe armstrong -70s punk influence with polished pop sound -gained commercial success with their debut album cookie in 1994 -had the most longevity of any of the pop punk bands -expanded their critically acclaimed album american idiot (2004) into a broadway musical -musical attributes: -driving, distorted, low register guitar riffs and simple guitar parts -punk vocal style with english accent and harmonies -high energy tempos (fast) -defiant punk style lyrics -power trip -named band after love for weed -punk first.. then started to change type of music -genre: pop punk

metallica

-SF based heavy metal band founded in 1981 by singer/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich -one of the most commercially successful bands of all time -considered on one of the founding big 4 bands of thrash metal (including Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer) -built a loyal following in the underground heavy metal scene with her first 4 albums -created a rift with fans when they released their 5th album, which feature a more produced sound and radio ready pop song -sued Napster for pirating their music in 2000 resulting in Napster becoming a pay to play music service (vs. free music service) -musical attributes: -rock rhythm section with heavy distortion and 2 guitar -featured guitar riffs and solos -heavy drums with heavy use of fills -classical music influence -lyrics focus on aggression, death and insanity -dynamic lead vocals with a unique tough sounding quality -genre: heavy metal/thrash metal -Dave mustainin the group first, then kicked out

after the summer of love

-SF scene starts to unravel after 1967 -crime, drugs and racial violence take their toll -city govt bans concerts in Hiaght ashbury -scene starts to lure people who ere less interested in utopian ideals and more interested in taking drugs, eating for free and the sexual revolution

background : SF in the late 1960a

-SF was a melting pot of musical and cultural styles -rock and roll world and political world were interwoven -cast of characters included labor union, armed forces, hippies, policemen, artists, craftsmen, hells angel, gurus, jesus freaks, doctors and indians -youth were disillusioned and began dropping out and turning on -UC berkeley , San francisco state university and stanford and numerous small colleges were centers for countercultural thought -Haight-Ashbury neighborhood scene revealed aroud drugs, free sex, the love and peace philosophy and music. estimated 1500 bands in the scene -concerts were held in halls and involved psychedelic light shows -SF sound was diverse and included fold music , old R&b styles and blues based British bands -typical characteristics of SF bands were: - drug oriented lyrics/music and psychedelic art -sound system were loud creating vibrations in the rib cage -instrumental improvisations up to 20-30 mins (often guitar)

Tom Perry and the heartbreakers

-band formed in Gainesville, FL in 1976 -strong connection to the music of the 60s -didnt embrace the modern sound of synthesizer -stayed with the classic rock and roll sound -Tom perry released a string of solo albums that were extremely successful -musical attributes: -traditional rock instrumentation -catchy electric guitar riffs and solos -simple, straight forward music and lyrics -dynamic vocals that range from laid back to rock and roll shouting -catchy hooks (vocal and instruments) -genre: new traditionalist

Steve Miller

-began his career in chicago playing with bluesmen including Muddy waters -formed his own band and was part of the san fransico scene in 1966 -big break came in 1973 with his ninth album the joker -musical attributes: -laid back vocal delivery -blues and country influences -catchy guitar intros and riffs -genre: mainstream rock

Janis joplin

-born in port arthur, Texas. grew up listening to blues -dynamic vocalists that could go from soft singing to shouting -was the lead singer fro the band big brother and the holding company -died at age 27 in hollywood hotel room of a heroin overdose -joplin was a white should singer and a female mainstream rock singer at the same time -overnight sensation -genre: mainstream rock

jimi hendrix

-born in seattle on nov 27th, 1942 -early career was playing guitar on the chitlins circuit with notable r &b acts including little richard, the isley brothers, wilson pickett and ike and tina turner -moved to england in 1966 and formed the jimi hendrix experience -musical attribute: -hard, raw, blues and r&b based rock style -revolutionary guitar sounds including wah was, tremolo bar, uni vibe , and distortion -used guitar effects with control and deliberated musical purpose -the jimi hendrix exp released 3 albums that are considered rock masterpieces bet 1966 and 1969 -headlined woodstock festival in 1969, where he performed the star spangled banner -died in 1970 at age 27 from inhalation of his own vomit -changed the sound of rock guitar forever -lefthanded guitar player -1st guy to make guitar distorted part of song (not add ons) -loved bob dyaln -reinvented guitar, which later was the standard guitar sound -genre: acid rock/ hard rock

The who (art rock , hard rock)

-british band with some classical music background -arrived to america after the first british invasion -tommy, a rock opera, is their most well known work. it is a theatrical concept using rick music to carry out a storyline -genre : art rock , hard rock

Iron Maiden

-british heavy metal band formed in 1975 -still active with 38 albums to date -following several line up changes, the band hired lead singer Bruce Dickinson in 1982 and released a string of classic heavy metal albums -protested by religious groups for allegedly having satanic messages in their lyrics -larger stadium concerts with elaborate stage set -principal songwriter and band leader is bass player Steve Harris -musical attributes: -traditional rock rhythm section with 2 guitars -heavy use of distortion -long epic song forms -dueling lead guitar parts -gallop rhythm in bass and guitar parts -long anthemic songs -virtuosic, operatic, dramatic singing with harmonies -lyrics that include the occult, death and biblical references -eddie is the dead of the mascot -genre: heavy metal

overview of jazz rock and art rock

-by the time rock music has been born, jazz was already a highly intellectual art form -rock and roll was getting more attention. consumers were buying more rock music than jazz music and was forcing jazz out of the radio airplay -young musicians born in the 40s who grew up with exposure to rock music began to combine jazz music with rock beats -other musicians would also blend rock and roll with classical music and with theatre

the grateful dead

-combined all the major characteristics of the SF sound -had extremely loyal fans called deadhead that they considered family =founding member, vocalist and leaders the band was jerry garcia -played at parties called acid tests that included LSD, , costumes and loud rock music -used electronically generated sounds to create improvisations -lived in a building on Haight Ashbury neighborhood -emphasis was on live performances -Jerry garcia: messiah for acid rock -cheery garcia ice cream from ben and jerry -genre: SF

Jefferson airplanes

-first SF band to get signed to major record label -second album ( surrealistic pillow) was released in 1967 and featured the singles somebody to love and white rabbit -lead vocalists grace slicks become first female rock star vocalist -genre: SF

the sex pistols

-first major british punk band formed in 1975 -based their sound on the NY Dolls and the Ramones -Focused on rebelling against every form of rock and society in general -released one album before disbanding -musical attributes: -Vulgar lyrics -ugly vocal timbre( on purpose) -loud, simple, songs -genre: punk rock

megadeth

-formed by singer/guitarist Dave mustain in 1983 after he was kicked out of metallica -one of the big 4 founding thrash metal bands -built a large underground fan base an then signed to major label =sold 5O million records to date -musical attributes: -rhythm section with 2 guitars -long song form (early) mixed with pop song form (later) -driving drums with heavy use of drum fills -dynamic screaming vocals with a sinister tone -lyrics based on death , war, politics and religion -heavy use of distortion and palm muting( chugging ) in the guitar parts -genre: heavy metal/ thrash metal

red hot chili peppers

-formed in 1983 in hollywood ca -equally influenced by punk funk and rock -band struck commercial success with their 1991 album, blood sugar sex magik which was produced by rick rubin -pioneered innovative video techniques on MTV -continued to release albums and play live shows -musical attributes: -funky rock punk and rap influence -less distortion than other alternative bands -rap influence in singer anthony Kiedis's vocals -virtuosic rhythm section featuring bassist Fleas, drummer chad smith and guitarist john frusciante sexual lyrics -genre: alternative rock

journey

-formed in SF during 1973 by former members of santana -lead singer steve perry added in 1977 and was largely responsible for their commercial success -stylistically diverse albums including ballads and hard rock material -musical attributes: -virtuosic lead singer with unique time (steve perry) -virtuosic lead guitar lines and solos -vocal harmonies -Ballads (slow songs) -dynamic songs -genre: mainstream rock

Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR)

-founded by SF based singer/guitarist john fogerty -didnt sound like other late 1960s bay area bands because they used southern musical styles and fostered a southern style image -had multiple hits with cover versions of r&b songs including susie q and heard it through the grapevine =musical attributes: -blended elements of rock, blues , country, rockablilty and folk -long improvised guitar solos -protest lyrics -shouting r&b vocal styles -wrote important protest songs against the vietnam war including who will stop the rain and fortunate son -disbanded in 1971 due to tensions between tom and john fogerty -genre: southern rock

the police

-founded by singer/bass player sting who was middle school english teacher until he was 30 years old -dominated early 80s rock with singles in the american top 20 -creative differences and band tensions led to the demise of the band in 1985 -musical attributes: -power trip -heavy punk and reggae influence -complex drumming -sophisticated musical arrangements -self consciously poetic lyrics and high pitched vocals -guitar parts that create sounds instead of solos -genre: new wave

Nirvana

-founded by singer/guitarist/songwrtier kurt cobain in seattle, WA -embraced a return to simplicity approach and reacted against virtuosic heavy metal bands -dressed casually and projected themselves as amateur instrumentalists when they were in fact gifted musicians and songwriters -their 2nd album, nevermind, was the definitive alternative album of the 90s -the band ended in 1994 when kurt cobian committed suicide -musical attributes: -simple catchy guitar patterns that repeat throughout the song -lyrics are delivered with calculated carelessness -intense, aggressive choruses -simple lead guitar parts -heavy dynamic sound with distortion and loud drums -genre: alternative rock

the doors

-founded in 1966 by Jim morrison (vocals) and Ray Manzarek (keyboards) at ucla where the both studied film -became the house band at the famous whiskey a go go club in hollywood -signed with elektra records in 1966 and released their first album in 1967 -first single light my fire was a #1 hit in 1967 -musical attributes: -blues based mainstream rock -morrisons vocal timbre had a dark quality -majority of the doors songs were in minor keys, which gave them sad dark sound -lyrics were often centered around death, violence, darkness and menacing sexuality -group improvisation with key board solos and vocal improvisation -by 1969 Jim morrisons performance become erratic and he's charged with public drunkenness and self exposure -morrison moves to Paris in 1971 and dies of a heart attack in age 27 -has no filter -popularized leather pants for rock and roll -genre: blues based mainstream rock

Pink Flyod

-founded in london in 1965 by Syd Barrett, who became unstable and was replaced in 1968 by David gilmore -Dark side of the moon (1973) established pink floyd as progressive rock superstars and stayed in the charts for over 14 years -the Wall (1979) went to #1 and spawned cult classic movie -musical attributes: -lyrics deal with alienation, paranoia , and insanity -long instrumental passages and studio experimentation -electronic instruments -heavy use of film and lighting in live shows -wide variety of musical styles including jazz, soul and electronic experimentation -genre: progressive rock -fantasy lyrics -roger waters

Jusas Prist

-influential british metal band form in 1970 -adopted amore simplified sound in 1980 and found success with the album British Steel -style included black leather, chains, and motorcycles -band was sued for allegedly having subliminal messages in their songs -Movie Rockstar was based around vocalist rob Halford's departure and super fan Tim "Ripper" Owens becoming his replacement -musical attributes: -traditional rock instrumentation -catchy electric riffs that are played in the intro and continued throughout song -fast pulsating rhythm -distorted guitar -dramatic opera like shouting vocal style -rebellious lyrics -genre: heavy metal

U2

-irish band who's career started in the mid 1980s -had a string of successful albums that continue to this day -worked with producers brian eno and daniel lanois in order to add electronic music to their sound -lead singer, bono, became an outspoken advocate for humanitarian issues -musical attributes: -simple songs that were arranged in innovative way -poetic lyrics that focused on social/ political issues and love -textural guitar parts create atmosphere behind the vocals -driving bass and drum parts -genre: new wave

santana

-led by mexican born guitarist carlos santana -multicultural group that combined latin and african rhythm and intruments (congas and percussion) with rock rhythms and instruments (drums, guitar, bass, organ) creating latin rock -musical characteristics included carlos santana's distorted guitar timbre, heavy latin percussion and long improvisations -genre: latin rock

bruce springsteen

-new jersey based singer songwriter who was inspired by earlier rock traditions -voice of the working class guy -played large concerts to a devoted fan base -the song born in the USA paints a vivid picture of the decay of values in the american heartland -musical attributes: -large ensemble consisting of a rhythm section, horns, keyboards and vocals -long anthemic songs -shouting rock vocal style -common man lyrics that talked about factory jobs, car and love -simple songs with simple chords -genre: new traditionalist

earth wind and fire

-one of the finest musical bands of the 1970s -founded by a motown and chess session drummer named maurice white -large band consisting of maurice, his 2 brothers and 6 other musicians -placed 8 consecutive albums in the top 10 -inducted into the rock and roll hall of frame in 2000 -musical attributes: -rock instruments with horns and percussion -short punctuating horn hits similar to stax -smooth vocals, vocals harmonies and falsetto singing -complex rhythms -tight coordination amon drums, bass, guitar and keyboards -philip baley -precision -genre jazz rock

jame taylor

-raised in an affluent musical family in bottom, Ma -moved to london in 1968 and was signed by paul mcCartney to apple records -sang in soft rick style with a touch of country influence -musical attributes: -acoustic guitar and vocals are the focus of the music -lyrics focused on story telling and the depression of lost love -soft vocals with smooth timbre -no electronic instruments -genre: singer songwriter

the clash

-released their first album in 1977 -less outrageous than the sex pistols in terms of lyric and stage antics -broke the top 10 with the single rock the casbah' in 1982 -musical attributes: -simple, loud, distorted guitars -repetitive melodies and harmonies -incorporated many other styles into their music including reggae, funk and surf rock -protest lyrics (jobs,police, america, rock music, violence, and racism) -genre: punk rock

the decade of non direction

-rock and roll was fragmented into many sub genres -1970s was the "me first" generation that was "finding themselves" -more options were available in many aspects of life including television channels (cable), food, magazines, and books (self help) -radio stations discovers formatting and begin to program certain styles of music based on a target audiences that typically purchased certain products -6 companies controlled the music industry -sophisticated market research was used to identify sub genres and create musical products -synthesizer and other forms of electronic technology become popular -sound systems (live shows) and recording studios reach new levels of sophistication

fleetwood mac

-rounded in 1967 as a british blues band led by guitarist peter green -transitioned into a softer band of rock in the early 1970s -the album Rumors held the #1 position for 31 weeks in 1977 -musical attributes: - featured multiple lead singers and songwriters -guitar, bass, piano, drums, vocals -wide variety of musical styles -singers stevie Nicks had unique vocal timbre -genre: mainstream rock

rage against the machine

-run DMC's cover version of the aerosmith song walk this way opened the doors for rap and rock music in the mainstream and influenced bands like rage against the machine -los angeles based bands that fused rap vocal style with heavy metal riffs and funk grooves -guitarist tom morello earned a B.A degree in social science at harvard university - first album rage against the machine was released in 1992 and spawned a rap rock movement -the bank was committed to social and political causes outside of their music -tom morello was the first guitarist to imitate a DJ scratching turntables with his guitar -singer sack de la rocha left the band in the late 90s and the remaining members formed the and Audio slave with Soundgarden vocalist chris cornell -musical attributes: -rap/ screaming vocal style -no synthesizer or drum machine -poltical/ social lyrics that are heavy funk, metal , funk and jazz guitar riffs -electric guitar sounds like turntable scratching -genre: rap rock

Peter Frampton

-singer/guitarist that achieved superstardom from 1976 to 1977 -made his na with a live double album called Frampton Comes Alive -Pioneered the use of the voice box guitar effect -career took a downward turn following his role in the movie Sgt. Peppers Lonely hearts club band -musical attributes: -live recording -voice box (talk box) guitar effect -guitar solos -anthemic songs -genre: mainstream rock

sly and the family stone

-sly stone was a DJ in SF -sly and the family stone was a seven member band -slys style combined many elements including the borns and bass lines of the stax sound and the guitars of the SF sound -usually 2 or 3 lead singers that were mixture of male and female voices -got protesty -down hill very fast -genre: SF

carol king

-stared her career co writing songs with her husband gerry goffin -wrote a staggering number of hits for other artists in the early 1960s -divorced gerry goffin in the late 1960s and launched her solo career -king's second solo album (tapestry) went to #1 for 15 weeks and stayed in the top 40 for 304 weeks -musical attributes: -unique vol timbre -piano accompaniment -soft rock style -r&b and gospel influences -genre: singer songwriter

chicago

-the original name for the band was chicago transit authority and was later shorten due to a lawsuit -became house band at the whiskey A go go -wrote many top hits in the 70-80s -used similar lineup and had many musical similarities as blood, sweat and tears -attained more mainstream/pop sound in the 80s -continued performing after writer and bassist peter cetera left the group -genre jazz rock

Elton John

-was a flamboyant piano player and performer reminiscent of Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis -songs were written by elton John (music) and Bernie Taupin (lyrics) -released 11 albums between 1971 and 1976, seven of which went to #1, others charted in the top 10 -musical attributes: -strong falsetto singing -strong piano playing -genre: mainstream rock