10 Records that changed the World of Popular Music
There have been many good records, but most did not change the world of music. There have been some that did and here is my top 10. (Please feel free to argue and let me know your top 10. It is all subjective after all.) These either changed the direction of music or were the pinnacle of their genre. each record comes with a brief explanation which I will expand on later posts.
1. Tutti Frutti. (Little Richard)
There are many early rock and roll records that could claim to have laid the fundamentals for what was to follow. However Tutti Frutti is my choice for its sheer power and energy. Coupled with with the fact that this was a major hit for a black artist at a time when that was almost unheard of means that Tutti Frutti just has to be on my list.
2. Move It. (Cliff Richard)
Sir Cliff. This is widely acknowledged as one of the first rock and roll records made outside of the USA. No matter that S.C.R. was a pale shadow of Elvis, this record told the youth in Britain that we could play real rock and roll and make it ours. there are those that would argue for Rock Island Line by Lonnie Donegan but for my money this record deserves its place in history.
3. Revolver (The Beatles)
Revolver is perhaps the most contentious inclusion in this list. There is no Sgt Pepper, no White Album, in this list, this is The Beatles at their best. This is the pinnacle of good, catchy pop songs, never equalled and often copied. It is also the only Beatles album I own……
4. Trout Mask Replica (Captain Beefheart)
Suddenly it was alright to meld Blues and Jazz and shake them both up to produce something not of this world. It was also alright to use free form lyrics, stream of consciousness writing. It was alright to be an artist and to work in rock. With this album rock came of age.
5. Velvet Underground and Nico (VU & N)
The cliche is that not many people bought this album but everyone who did started a band. Well, I bought this album when it was released and did not start a band. The list of those that now claim this as a major influence makes the inclusion of this, flawed, magical album inevitable, and deserved.
6. Horses (Patti Smith)
1975 and music is boring. Born of a passion for Hendrix, The Who, and other rock acts from the 60’s Patti Smith launched herself on the album buying public with this stunning debut. the breadth of her vision and the execution of that vision is a sensation. Punk attitude with an artist’s honesty. Simply a must have album.
7. Thriller (Michael Jackson)
before Thriller most albums spawned one or two singles. After Thriller albums would be packed with possible singles. For better or worse this album changed the music industry for ever. (Personally, I think it was for the worse, and I hate this album).
8. King of the Delta Blues (Robert Johnson)
RJ was not the father of the blues as some claimed in the 60s, but he was a very close relative. The reason that this album has to be included in this list is not that it was unique when the tracks were recorded in 1937. The reason is that this album changed white music forever when it was released as a double album on CBS in 1967. It was the first time that most of us white kids had heard real, traditional blues. That so many of us still listen to it and that the music still speaks to the following generations proves how influential this record was, and is. It led directly to the revival of the fortunes of John Lee Hooker, Muddy waters and the rest. If ever a record changed the world of music it is this one.
9. Apache (The Shadows)
Love it or hate it (guess which camp I am in!) This record changed the face of music in the UK. hank Marvin was voted the best guitar player in the NME for years. Strat rock in the UK was born and countless budding guitarists bought Bert Weedon’s ‘Play in a Day’……..
10. My Favourite Things (John Coltrane)
I had not heard this record for years. About 18 months ago I walked into the studio to prepare for my radio show. The proceeding programme was on and this was on. I was stunned at how good this still sounded. There is genius at work here. JC takes a small insignificant and mundane song and turns it into something sublime. This made improvisation not only acceptable it made it fundamental for any musician. If only more musicians were as good at it as JC.
Well, that is my list. What is yours?
Commercial Radio Stations, The End of Civilisation?
This is not as stupid a question as it first appears. At least, not if you think that music is important. I believe that music is one of the foundations of society. It predated written communication and probably the spoken word. Rhythm and melody is with us before we are born. Babies in the womb respond to music. They respond to the rhythms of the heartbeat of their mothers. We assimilate basic rhythms as we grow up, music becomes part of us.
Our lives are dominated by sounds and music almost as much as they are by light and images. We pay musicians and singers a fortune to use their skills and talents to reflect and sometimes change our lives. Well, some of them get paid a fortune. In history balladeers were feted and valued, and this is how it should be. Music has developed from the streets be it Blues, rock and roll, Punk, Folk etc. In the modern world there is a disease. It is that growing and spreading scourge of all thinking human beings, disposable, irrelevant, musical pap.
Bubblegum for the ears has always been around. One of the main culprits responsible for the growth of this rubbish has been the MOR commercial radio stations. These radio stations use music is the filler between inane quizzes and adverts. These stations provide a diet of extended jingles and tell us that it is music. They demand shorter tracks to play, they ignore any music that may make us think (they do not want us to do that). They ignore any music that may make us upset. Their prime requirement is to have a safe platform for their adverts.
Music, real music, must challenge and excite. The purpose of music, of all art, is to reflect, challenge and change. The growth and development of civilisation goes hand in hand with questioning. One of the prime sources of that questioning is music. Real music exists but it is under threat from the dumbing down of the broadcast media. That way lies the end of civilisation as we know it.
Phil Stutt runs http://www.realrockandblues.com/ a site that celebrates real music. Comments and articles on the subject of real rock and blues welcomed. I am passionate about music that engages, challenges, and is creative. I hate lift music and the aural wallpaper to which we all seem subject to these days. http://www.realrockandblues.com/ is a Celine Dion free site!
Remember, music matters, keep it real!
I Will be a Millionaire this Time Next Year……
The Internet is a wonderful place to make lots of money. We all know that. We know that because we have been told so many times it must be true. We have been told that by many people all wiling to share their secrets to a six figure income (OK, so that is six figures in US$ which is ‘only’ a five figure income in £ but that is still not to be sneezed at). It is very kind of them to offer their secrets and always at the knock down cost of $97 (or $47). Sometimes it seems too good to be true or am I being cynical?
Making money was not my prime motivation in setting up realrockandblues.com, It would be nice, don’t get me wrong, but it was not and is not my prime motivation. Now that I have been made redundant and had to take a job at a lower wage (some 25% down on basic) it is more important. That said, sales of books, Cd’s and Zippos on EBay and Amazon are covering the shortfall at the present.
What I am interested in today is the number of offers that are out there that promise “A Six Figure Income for 2 Hours Work a Day” or “Make Money While You Sleep With My Unique Money Making Strategy”.
Being cynical I think that the way to make money on the Internet is to sell the dream to those with no idea and little hope. Having said that I am very willing to be proved wrong. I will be looking at some of the offers that come my way and share my views in the coming weeks and months. I will tell you about those things that seem to be reasonable (there has be some kernel of knowledge in these packages, doesn’t there?) and any tips that I glean. Any comments about your experiences or offers that you have come across would be welcomed, mail@realrockandblues.com.
Here’s to a peaceful and profitable future. Let’s all get rich!
Phil
Commercial Radio Stations, The End of Civilisation?
This is not as stupid a question as it first appears. At least, not if you think that music is important. I believe that music is one of the foundations of society. It predated written communication and probably the spoken word. Rhythm and melody is with us before we are born. Babies in the womb respond to music. They respond to the rhythms of the heartbeat of their mothers. We assimilate basic rhythms as we grow up, music becomes part of us.
Our lives are dominated by sounds and music almost as much as they are by light and images. We pay musicians and singers a fortune to use their skills and talents to reflect and sometimes change our lives. Well, some of them get paid a fortune. In history balladeers were feted and valued, and this is how it should be. Music has developed from the streets be it Blues, rock and roll, Punk, Folk etc. In the modern world there is a disease. It is that growing and spreading scourge of all thinking human beings, disposable, irrelevant, musical pap.
Bubblegum for the ears has always been around. One of the main culprits responsible for the growth of this rubbish has been the MOR commercial radio stations. These radio stations use music is the filler between inane quizzes and adverts. These stations provide a diet of extended jingles and tell us that it is music. They demand shorter tracks to play, they ignore any music that may make us think (they do not want us to do that). They ignore any music that may make us upset. Their prime requirement is to have a safe platform for their adverts.
Music, real music, must challenge and excite. The purpose of music, of all art, is to reflect, challenge and change. The growth and development of civilisation goes hand in hand with questioning. One of the prime sources of that questioning is music. Real music exists but it is under threat from the dumbing down of the broadcast media. That way lies the end of civilisation as we know it.
The Only Song to be Investigated by the FBI? (Or, How Louie Louie Corrupted the Youth of the USA, or not)
The USA was a strange place in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Youth culture was in its infancy and the establishment was disturbed at is growth. The establishment was disturbed by many things. There was fear at the growth of communist influence in Cuba and Latin America. There was fear of a perceived increasing threat from communism at home. Homophobia was rife. Institutionalised racism was being challenged. Rock and roll was threatening the morals of the young and Louie Louie was at the forefront of the threat, or not.
Louie Louie was written by Richard Berry in 1956. It told the story of a Jamaican sailor being upset at being away from his girlfriend. In the song the sailor poured out his woes to Louie Louie (a bartender). It was a popular song, but not a hit. By 1963 the song was a popular tune played by many bands in the Washington area. Two of them recorded versions within days of each other, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and The Kingsman. For a while the Paul Revere version seemed the most popular but eventually the Kingsmen’s version won out. That is when the problems started.
The trouble with the Kingmen’s version was that it was impossible to understand the lyrics. Jack Ely, the lead singer, could have been singing about anything. Rumours began to circulate that the lyrics were dirty and obscene. Alternative lyrics were produced and passed round. Governor Matthew Welch of Indiana banned the song from being played on local radio stations in his state. Robert Kennedy (Attorney General of the USA) received a letter from a concerned parent in February 1964. Having heard that the song was obscene this parent thought that he had deciphered the lyrics and he was convinced the lyrics were indeed rude.
The FBI, keen to uphold the morals of the country opened a file on the song (I will not make the obvious comments about Edgar J Hoover and his personal peccadilloes wanting to protect the morals of 1960s middle American youth). That the lyrics were obscene was accepted as fact. The FBI investigated and interviewed everyone involved including Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Kingsmen, Richard Berry and those connected with the record company. It must have passed them by that the singer with the Kingsmen that they interviewed was not the singer on the record. Jack Ely had been sacked from the band just after the recording. They never interviewed him. They played the record at different speeds to see if they could identify the lyrics and consulted various experts for advice.
The result of 30 month’s investigation into this scandal? There was a report sent to the Director of the FBI on 25th May 1965 which said “The department advised that they were unable to interpret any of the wording on the record and, therefore, could not make a decision concerning the matter. Also that the AUSA at Tampa, FLA and Hammond, Indiana, have declined prosecution.”
The file was closed and Middle America survived this Crisis.
Something Strange and Wonderful
happened the other day. My partner read my blog. I happened to forward an email to her and, as part of my signature, there is a link to my blog. She followed it. She read the piece on depression. being a ‘typical man’ I have difficulty in talking about my feelings and emotions. This blog is, basically, a diary and a means of formulating my feelings into words. It does not really occur to me that someone may read it. I know that they do, well some people do, as they write to me. However, it is not written for the audience. The audience is secondary, if no one read this I would keep writing.
The effect of her reading the blog is that I have ‘said’ to Jane what is going on in my head. It had been impossible for me to do that face to face. I am so relieved that this has happened. naturally, the next steps as the secrets are no longer secret are to explore their implications. That is what to come. I may be pleased that the dialogue has started. That does not mean I welcome the dialogue itself.
Freedom to Read
One of the great things about living in a democracy is that we all have the freedom to worship (or not in my case) and to think.
I buy and sell CDs, Books, and Zippos on Amazon and Ebay. Until recently I did not have any ethical concerns about doing this.
However, if I had copies of any of the books that were available legally in the 70s or 80s such as ‘Kill Without Joy’, ‘Silent Death’, or ‘The Anarchist’s Arsenal’ would I be acting ethically to by selling them? Would anyone who bought them be breaking the law? people have been prosecuted, and found guilty, after down loading ‘material capable of aiding terrorists’ from the Internet.
I am uncomfortable with this law. When did reading become a crime? Is there a list of acceptable and unacceptable books? Is the decision as to what is acceptable made on a case by case basis? Does that mean that a white, middle class, middle aged male may own a book but a working class, Asian, young male may not?
I freely admit that I owned these books and looked at the Anarchist’s Cookbook on the web in the 80s. However, I did not kill or injure anyone, or use any of the material for criminal acts. I bought the books because they were, well, interesting. (I also doubt whether much of the contents is correct. How would I know? I never tried to make Ricin, but I would not follow the instructions contained on a web site). If I owned them now would that be illegal? Should anyone who currently owns copies of these books burn them? That would bring back memories of intolerance and bigotry.
There are classes of material that I am happy to have banned. The obvious example is child pornography. Child pornography is rightly banned. The basis for banning it should be because of the exploitation of the children photographed. The point is that child exploitation is wrong and illegal. Viewing such material encourages and condones a dreadful and illegal act. Racist material is also wrong and I am happy for that to be also banned.
Knowledge is power. There should be no limit placed on it. There should be limits placed on actions. The planning or conducting terrorist acts is where the illegality should rest. Anyone planning to commit terrorist attacks should be prosecuted. The prosecution should have to show their intentions in terms of plans and actions, not their reading habits alone.
I fear that our freedoms are being restricted, in the name of freedom. It seems to me that there has been little public debate about the price we have to pay for our freedoms. There are people who want to restrict our freedoms and use terrorism as their weapon. What I can not decide is whether they are winning.
There Are Worse Things Than Listening to Dolly Parton.
I was watching Euro 2008 on the TV. During the advert break there was an advert for DP’s latest release and Jane said ‘There are worse things than listening to Dolly Parton’. There was a silence, she looked at me and said ‘Did I say that out loud?’ Naturally, being a caring new man I offered euthanasia, or more alcohol.
However she is right.
Garth Brookes springs to mind.
Frank Zappa said that no music is bad music – he obviously never listened to C&W. I have a good friend who loves C&W but he listens to old C&W. He listens to what is effectively country blues and folk. I have no problem with that. I like quite a lot of it. The music talks about real issues, there are no dogs dying in the sunset, it is real music by real people. I have a similar feeling about R&B. R&B used to stand for Rhythm and Blues, now it stands for some music that is not rock, not folk. By the 1970s, the term rhythm and blues was being used as a blanket term to describe soul and funk. In the 2000s, the term R&B refers to contemporary R&B, which is a modern version of soul and funk-influenced pop music that originated as disco faded from popularity. R&B is not ‘pop’ it is, should be, real music for real people.
In other words, R&B is not was it was. R&B just like C&W has sunk to a level where the terms have no meaning. What would Etta James’ classification be? What of Woody? They would be too feisty for today’s classifications. Today, both C&W and R&B have lost their meaning, it is not just me being an old fart. Marketing has taken over reality. The same is happening to the Blues, and real rock. The objective today is to sell CDs. The marketing men want to sell ‘product’ I reject any idea that real music is product. Go and see any local band that plays in your local pub. They may well play sub standard blues rock, or worse, another recycled version of Freebird (a local problem).. At least these people are doing it live.
I play guitar, but so badly that it is painful. Even if I could play like Buddy Guy I would not have the guts to stand up on a Friday or Saturday night and put my limited talents in front of people. All praise to them. Live music (with the exceptions of new C&W or Irish folk played by people from Manchester) is one of the great things in my life. Please support it. They are better people than we are, well, they have more front. Perhaps, just perhaps, they may turn out to be the next Wreckless Eric. There is no higher praise.
What Makes a Good Song?
Some time ago I was going to write a piece for my website (realrockandblues.com) about good songwriters. I abandoned it when I became bogged down trying to define ‘a good song’. The trouble is that a good song can be good in-spite of the lyrics, melody, or any of the fundamentals. Some songs, particularly rock blues, have a basic format which serves them well, making the quality of the lyric writing less important. The lyrics merge into the overall sound and can often be ignored as words. The sound of the singer becomes another instrument in the overall mix.
When trying to dissect what makes a good song the quality of the lyric writing is less important than many believe. If you concentrate on the quality of the lyric writing the question quickly becomes is songwriter ‘A’ a better poet than songwriter ‘B’? There is some merit in asking this question but it misses the point about good songs. Why are some people able to create good songs while others produce pap?
I have no doubt hat Dylan is a good songwriter (and poet). Some of his lyrics are sublime. ‘You don’t have to be a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows’ is a line that works on more than one level. It has both a political and natural interpretation. His facility with words is, has been, impressive. However, that is not to say that all his songs are good, or even average. Leonard Cohen is a great poet. His songs? Well, when I was 17 and consumed by teenage angst, worrying about some girl, dreaming of things to come, angry at the state of the world, yes, they were great songs. Now, they are just turgid, to me. I am sure that there are some people who still like them, mainly teenagers wracked with angst etc.? Whether a song is good depends as much on the listener as anything else. However, that is another debate.
I began writing this on Saturday and today is Sunday. The Sunday Times has a review of an Aimee Mann release that said ‘If the stars were awarded purely for song writing, you would be reading a four star review right now. Aimee Mann’s standards rarely drop. The problem with @#%&*! Smiles, however, is that most of the songs are lost in bland and unchallenging arrangements….’ This is a professional critic confusing the quality of the poetry with the quality of the songs. The lyric is only part of the whole, bland arrangements can destroy potentially good songs.
No one would ever accuse the Glimmer Twins, Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson, Wreckless, T V Smith et al of being great poets. They did all make wonderful and evocative songs that have stood the test of time.
Good songs depend on making an emotional connection. They also depend on making a difference to the listener, a lasting difference. That is why blue moon and June songs do not do it for me. I want more. I do not want bland, unchallenging arrangements. If the lyrics are out in front of the mix I do not want humdrum. Neither do I want the sense that I am supposed to be in awe of the songwriter’s word craft. For me Chuck Berry’s ‘Coffee coloured cadillac’ beats all David Grey’s cleverness everytime.
What do I want from a song? Melody? Not necessarily. A driving beat? Sometimes. Clever lyrics? Not often. Give me something that grabs my attention. Something that keeps me guessing, starts me thinking, and is honest. I want a song or a piece of music to expand my experience, to change me.