Raga-Rock 101: Heart Full of Soul

Ragas of course are Indian classical pieces played on a variety of instruments, mosr notably sitar and tabla.Raga-rock was probably born with the Kinks 'See My Friends"or the Yardbirds "Heart Full of Soul" the first two singles to feature this musical style.

At times musicians actually taught themselves to use the sitar, but many played the guitar to sound like one, eg: Jeff beck

The master of western sitar was not George Harisson or Brian Jones, as many might think, but jazz-fusion master John Mclaughlin, both in Mahavishnu Orchestra and the much more Indian influenced Shakti (brilliant!)

If you actually like the original Indian music, Ravi Shankar is the most well known of course (at Woodstock hippies clapped to his tuning), his album East Meets West is pretty astounding played with Japanese Koto, Colin Walcott is a great intro for Western ears (Jazz on ECM), tabla = Zakir Hussein, Indian Vocals = Pandit Jasrah; a whole world to explore

Here's ten of the best of raga-rock

1. "The End," The Doors.
2. "Within You Without You" The Beatles
4. "Paint It, Black" Rolling Stones
3. "Eight Miles High" The Byrds
5. "Hole in My Shoe" Traffic
6. "Venus in Furs" The Velvet Underground
7. "Smell of Incense" West Coast Art Experimental Band
8. "Fat Man" Jethro Tull
9. "White Bird" It's a Beautiful Day
10. "The Hurdy Gurdy Man" Donovan

Image: Courtesy Verve

Folk Metal 101: Hardcore Tull or Nerd's Paradise ?

Safe to say in the past twenty years we have seen the blending of every single genre of music humanly possible, there's disco-punk, symphonic metal, psychedelic techno, african indie, etc
Lately I have been exploring another pretty unlikely combination, Folk Metal, a genre of metal that blends the following;

* a large variety of folk instruments (pipes, bagpipes, lute, mandolin, violins, oud and more)

* hardcore guitar and vocals, borrowed from power metal, death metal, prog metal....

* medieval themes, fantasy, mythology....

The origin said to be the English band Skyclad, debuting in 1990, with Wayward Sons of Mother Earth

This was followed in the mid 90's by Curachan and Subway Sally (Europe) and Orphaned Land (Israel), followed by a mini explosion from what is becoming the home of metal, Finland (eg: Finntroll).

Where to start: probably Elvenking from Italy or Falconer if you want to hear the music in English and steer away from death and doom influences; kind of like a pop version of folk metal. Finntroll if you want to dive straight in.

Image: Courtesy Napalm

Sludge Metal 101: Serious Dudes !

Take Black Sabbath's Sweet Leaf, make it heavier, slow it down some more, smoke some more dope, make it little more distorted and you have what it typically known as slugde metal.

It originates in the deep South of the USA and is considered to have been first invented by The Melvins, who we have featured a few times on Rock Revival.

Bands like Crowbar and Corrosion of Conformity lead the pack, but Electric Wizard, Down and Isis are also good places to start. I'm not sure it would really help to go into the differences between Atmospheric Sludge (blends in Post-Rock, it's also kown as Post-Metal), Sludge/Doom, or Southern Sludgecore, but rest assured they are all filled with doom.

It's pretty interesting that sludge originates in the home of the blues; there is a blues feel, but you can also hear Southern Rock, hardcore punk and metal.

Here's some tracks to start with ?

1. Weedmonkey: Weedeater

If your pissed off about anything you won't need therapy after this; or maybe you will ?

2. Clean My Wounds: Corrosion of Conformity

Proof that it's not all slow; a killer track

3. Funeralopolis: Electric Wizard

Personally I stay away from their death themes; this is an exception, definitely Sabathesque

4. Isis: Carry

Smarter than the average ? If you like Mogwai but want to be kicked in the head three quarter of the way through try this

5. December's Spawn: Crowbar

Woahhh ! Serious dudes, not a hint of irony here !

Image Courtesy Rise Above

Aussie Rock 101

In the 1950's Aussie rock served mainly as a response to developments in the UK or US: Johnny O'Keefe was the aussie version to Elvis and Bill Haley, the Atlantics and Denvermen responded to the Shadows and the Ventures and the Easybeats offerred a taste of Merseyside in Sydney.

The mid to late 60's was pretty similar, offerring the great bluesman Billy Thorpe and the Masters Apprentices (who made the transition from bubble gum to hard prog by the early 70's).

Sunbury, Australia's Woodstock, held in Melbourne between '72 and'75, marked a critical turning point. Queen were famously brought in in 1972, but aussie audiences were becoming more confident in their own musicians, telling them to 'go back to pommyland you pooftahs"

In this period new and exciting acts came fast and thick: Daddy Cool, Chain, Max Merritt and the Meteors, Russell Morris, ect cementing aussie music as something to be proud of.

Bt the mid to late 70's aussie music was on the move, not just by ACDC, who came to dominate the world, but by Skyhooks,

Sherbert, Dragon, John Paul Young, spurned on by the music show Countdown, a virtual religion amongst Aussie youth. The formation of the double Jay radio station in '75 also guaranteed the longevity of aussie rock, still creating taste to this day as JJJ.

Cold Chisel, The Angels and Rose Tattoo established aussie pub-rock and hard rock during this time, as did the Saints as the best aussie punk band there has ever been. By the late 70's, however, the Little River Band and Split Enz would be the only bands apart from ACDC to have made it is any signifiant way overseas.

Things did not slow down in the 1980's: post-punk provided Nick Cave and the Church and Kylie and INXS were unleashed on the world. Midnight Oil provided political rock and Cold Chisel (Australia's Bruce Springsteen) provided some of the best songwriting ever to come from down under.

This was certainly the boom period for aussie rock; from the lesser known brilliance of Paul Kelly (Australia's Bob Dylan) to the aboriginal band Yothu Yindi.

Since the 80's Australia has punched well above it's weight: teenage grunge stars, from the pop of Savage Garden to the garage rock of the Vines aussie music has been an essential part of the international scene.Silverchair have become a highly influential art-rock outfit, Jet, Wolfmother and Airbourne have revived classic rock and many more bands are waiting in the wings.

Here's 20 Brilliant Tracks

The Angels: Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again
Masters and Apprentices: Because I love You
Midnight Oil: Short Memory
Hunters and Collectors: Throw My Arms Around You
The Whitlams: Aphrodisiac
Rene Geyer: It's a Man's World
The Divinyls: Aint Gomma Eat My Heart Out
The Saints: Stranded
Billy Thorpe: It's Almost Summer
Spectrum: I'll Be Gone
Paul Kelly: From LIttle Things Big THings Grow
Augie March: ONe Crowded Hour
The Go Betweens: LOve is a Sign
Nick Cave: The Mercy Seat
Silverchair: Tomorrow
Wolfmother: The Joker and the Thief
Baby Animals: Rush You
The Sunnyboys: Alone With You Tonite
Cold Chisel: Khe San
Hilltop Hoods: The Nosebleed Section

Image: Courtesy Elektra

Coming Soon

Math Rock 101
Noise Rock 101
Post-Punk 101
Dream Pop 101
Britpop 101
Stoner Rock 101
Doom Metal 101
Funk-Rock 101
Emo 101
New Wave 101

Glam Metal 101

Glam Metal, Sleaze, Hair Metal, Pop Metal, call it what you will, but it’s probably the most derided, but one of the most popular forms of rock in the 1980’s and early 90’s.
This is what you have to do if you want to join the club:

1. Grow your hair long, bend over so it touches the ground, apply a whole can of hair spray. Then stand up.

2. Make your stage uniform out of scraps of denim and leather, mesh stockings and spandex

3. Watch Spinal Tap and don’t get it

4. Take all the good bits out of metal and replace them with pop choruses

While glam-metal artists took their leads from the New York Dolls, Marc Bolan and the Sweet, the first true glam metal act was probably the Finnish band, Hanoi Rocks in the early 80’s.

In America the movement started at the Sunset Strip, LA, thanks to Motley Crue.

The first British glam-metal artist of the 80’s was probably Wrathchild, who have faded into obscurity.

One of the reasons for the rise of Glam was the development of MTV, making rock a more visual genre and therefore spawning outlandish looks.

By 1983 MTV and the radiowaves were awash with glam: Cinderella, Warrant, Twisted Sister, Def Leppard all striking a blow for hard rock fans everywhere.

Bon Jovi and Europe where to follow a couple of years later, as were a second wave of Sunset Strip bands, Poison (maybe the worst), Faster Pussycat and LA Guns

Decadence on the road was another core ingredient: (see the Book Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal for details)

“Sleaze” is a sub-category of Glam, headed up by Guns N’ Roses in the late 80’s and returning with Buckcherry, Vains of Genna, the Darkness and many more in the 00’s.

For the most part, though, Glam Metal was killed off by Grunge in the early 90’s.

Top Ten tracks

1. We’re Not Gonna Take It: Twisted Sister
2. Kick Start My Heart: Motley Crue
3. What You Give: Tesla
4. Shake Me: Cinderella
5. DRFSR: Warrant
6. Fastback 69: Buckcherry
7. She’s Only 17: Winger
8. Dream Warrior: Dokken
9. Photograph: Def Leppard
10. Shut Up Baby I Love You: Skid Row

Image: Courtesy Atlantic

Post-Punk Revival 101

In the late 70's and early 80's, after punk, came Psychedelic Furs, Gang of Four, Joy

Division, XTC, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Raincoats and many more bands that retained the
punk ethos while adding complexity and an art school mentality known as Post-Punk.

The last ten years has seen a revival of this form, dominating indie rock, all spiky guitars and attitude, often from the North of England (Tokyo Police Club are a UK exception from Canada).

Top 25 Tracks

1 Kill the Director- The Wombats
2 Fake Tales of San Francisco- The Arctic MOnkeys
3 Good Weekend- Art Brut
4 Citizens of Tomorrow- Tokyo Police Club
5 Decent Days and Decent Nights- The Futureheads
6 Is This It- The Strokes
7 Cassius- The Foals
8 Apply Some Pressure- Maximo Park
9 Brainiac- Bonsai Superstar
10 The Rakes- Capture
11 Love and Pain- Clor
12 Man's Needs- The Cribs
13 Skinny Girls- The Fratellis
14 Indie Rock and Roll-The Killers
15 Do You Want To- Franz Ferdinand
16 Girls on TV- Be Your Own Pet
17 The Maccabees- Colour It In
18 The Faint- Danse Macabre
19 Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt-We Are Scientists
20 Interpol- Turn on the Bright Lights
21 Life Without Buildings- Any Other City
22 New Young Pony Club- Fantastic Playroom
23 Editors- An End Has a Start
24 Dogs Die in Hot Cars- Please Describe Yourself
25 A-Punk- Vampire Weekend

Image: Courtesy Mute

Post-Rock 101

The term post-rock goes back to 1994, when music critic Simon Reynolds coined it in Mojo Magazine:

"Using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures rather than riffs and power chords." He further expounded on the term"

“Perhaps the really provocative area for future development lies... in cyborg rock; not the wholehearted embrace of Techno's methodology, but some kind of interface between real time, hands-on playing and the use of digital effects and enhancement. ”

There are obviously alot of differences between bands identified as post-rock (not all like being lumped in with each other) but here is my attempt at listing some of the key characteristics

a. Power chords replaced by timbre and texture on guitar; hence not focussed on rebellion

b. Use of repetition with subtle changes

c. Lengthy instrumental pieces which build up over timed.

d. If vocals are present they infrequent, soft and droning (Sigur Ros even use Hopelandic, a nonsensical language)

e. Abandonment of verse-chorus-verse structure in favor of soundscapese.

f. Use of the Krautrock 'motorik' beat

Here five bands to get you going;

1. Efterklang: Danish Band, Efterklang means remembrance and reverberation which desrcribes their sound, like the glitch sound beneath Radiohead's sound

2. Godspeed You Black Emperor: Massive orchestral sound with rock instruments, intoxicating if you can stick with it

3. Mogwai: One of the most important post-rock bands, guitar-based elaborations on a single theme, once wore tee-shirts with Blur are Shite on them (Blur were a Britpop band, the complete opposite of Mogwai)

4. Explosions in the Sky: very popular Texan band, proving the longevity of the movement

5. Tortoise: One of the prime forces behind the emergence of post-rock, sometimes jazz-infused

Image: Courtesy Play It Again Sam/Matador

Power Metal 101

This is a bit of deviation for Rock Revival, given it's a more contemporary than the genres considered so far. Think what would happen if the Vikings had discovered progressive rock and stormed the beaches with electric guitars rather than axes, if the enemy was Death Metal, with it's cookie monster voices and chaos and defeat came depending on how fast you could play. Then you would have Power Metal.

Speed metal symphonies, clean crisp vocals, themes that would make Rick Wakeman proud and a fondness for worse accents than Klaus Meine on Scorpions Acoustica.

One Power Metal band, Manowar, takes itself EXTREMELY seriously, succeeding with Guiness Book of Records as the loudest band ever recorded live; when they tried they did'nt bother having an audlience.

Others, like Sonata Artica from Finland have flashes of brilliance, like their cover of Still Loving You (also Scorpions).

Blind Guardian are probably the most amusing, covering The Beach Boys Barbara Anne in Power Metal stylie (what ?) and doing a wonderful job of souped up medieval fare.

This genre is most popular in South America, Japan, Scandinavia and Quebec (?), but is has grown in popularity with the rise of Dragonforce.

Now before any of the older readers get all precious, this music is the natural successor of Rainbow, King Crimson and Rush....

The idea of it can be tough for me, but the other day I checked my recently played tracks on my ipod and found tracks identified as Power Metal were as common as those in my early-1960's list; so what do I know, it's metal without the devil and prog that finally has it's tongue firmly in it's cheek.

Jazz Fusion 101

While fusion is much derided in rock cirlces it's an important genre to include in Rock Revival's look at different species of rock (see list under Genres); there's also some bloody good music which I will try to demonstrate.

The father of Jazz fusion is probably Miles Davis, the man who was a leader in the cool form of Jazz until his In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew albums in 69 and 70 respectively. Bitches Brew in particualr was seminal: a combination of avante garde jazz and Hendrix that had never been heard before.

The alumni of this album went on to define fusion in the early 70's: John McLaughlin in the Mahivishnu Orchestra, Chick Corea in Return to Forever, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and also Wayne Shorter's Weather Report (Mahivishnu would in turn produce the great electric violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and Weather Report produce the important bassist, Jaco Pastorius).

By this time, the mid-70's jazz fusion didnt just mean jazz and rock, but jazz, soul, world music, ambient music, etc.

In the 80's came a massive commercialisation of fusion with some tragic consequences (Earl Klugh, Kenny G, David Sanborn), with the exception of one of the best jazz vocalists of all time, Al Jarreau.

Pat Metheny, John Scofield and Bill Frissel (all brilliant guitarists) have maintained a constant prescence to this day. Medeski, Martin and Wood and the great bassist Victor Wooten are also great examples of contemporary It's also still thriving in the form of jazz infused prog rock (check Mars Volta)

Top 10 Tracks (except Miles, too obvious)

1. Jeff Lorber Fusion- Wizard Island (the funkiest piece of jazz ever recorded ?)

2. George Benson- The Ghetto (the master of timing)

3. Jean-Luc Ponty- Aurora Pt 2 (he actually played with Zappa)

4. Mahivishnu Orchestra- Meeting of the Spirits (a solo to rival amy by Hendrix)

5. Pat Metheny- Phase Dance (ambient rock and roll)

6. Marcus Miller and Jaco Pastorius- Teen Town (the bass as the lead guitar !)

7. Chick Corea- Armando's Rhumba ( my favourite jazz musician)

8. Medeski, Martin and Wood- Hey Joe (live version) (a miraculous version of the Hendrix song)

9. Spyrogyra- Morning Dance (if this doesnt make you happy, see a therapist)

10. Herbie Hancock- Rain Dance (proves there's so much more to him than Rockit)

Image: Courtesy Atlantic

Grunge 101

Grunge was not just an exception in the 80’s but clearly a by-product of the most commercialised era in rock and roll to that date. Born in Seattle, it was essentially a combination of punk and metal, following an established trend in rock of hybrid forms of music breaking boundaries (prog = classical plus psychedelic, southern rock= country plus hard rock).

The first bands to put one and one together were Green River, Mudhoney and a band that is arguably the best Grunge ever, The Melvins (check out the track ‘Rovolve’) in the mid 80’s. Think Led Zeppelin plus Black Flag. Think an indie Black Sabbath.

The sound was grunge (Sweat Leaf) and the subject mater was social alienation (punk). Punk fans swore and gobbed at their idols (spat); Grunge fans crowd surfed, stage dived and head-banged. Lumber-jack shirts were essential.

By the late 80’s grunge was going mainstream: Pearl Jam and Nirvana were on everybody’s lips, by 1992 Nirvana played on MTV Unplugged !

Nivana’s Nevermind was a paradox of Grunge: was it a ‘sea change’ in rock, or a sell-out of Grunge ? Was Seattle the new Liverpool ? if so, did this mean the end ?

By the 1990’s Grunge has been killed of by Brit-Pop, remaining in the public consiousness only through the deification if Kurt Cobain.

Top 10 Grunge tracks of all time:

1 The Melvins Revolove
2 Alice in Chains Junkhead
3 Mad Season Artificial Red
4 Mudhoney Touch Me I’m Sick
5 Nirvana Very Ape
6 Pearl Jam Alive
7 Silverchair Tomorrow
8 Soundgarden Black Hole Sun
9 Gruntruck Tribe
10 Tad Jack Pepsi

Image: Courtesy Man's Ruin

Popular Progressive 101

In the 1970's Yes, Rush and Pink Floyd may have ruled our record collections and, at times, the album charts, but they were still not sing-a-long favourites. It's tough to think of Emerson, Lake and Palmer at Number 1 or 18.44 of Yes's Closer to Edge.

Classic progressive rock bands took effort, you had to listen to the albums a number of times before you 'got it', soaking up the complexity until you could enter the world that they had created. Prog rock also came under alot of critisism as pretentious or overblown, something that, in the late 70's would eventually contribute to the rise of punk and disco.

It was possible, however, to maintain what was excellent about prog and mix it with popular music to great effect. Keep the classical influence, the concept album, the use of synthesisers, the sophistication, take away the long solos and the 25 minute tracks and add pop song melodies and chorus's and you get Popular Prog (otherwise known as Crossover Prog).

Here are some of the greatest bands in this genre:

1. Alan Parsons Project

Made brilliant concept albums from 1975-1987, including I Robot (based on Asimov), Pyramid (based on Ancient Egypt) and the recently remastered Eve (based on Women).

Track: Games People Play (1981)

2. Supertramp

Massive stars in the U.S. Their biggest selling was Breakfast in America (18,000,000)

Track: Take the Long Way Home

3. Electric Light Orchestra

Essentially a vehicle for Jeff Lynne, they holds the record for having the most Billboard Top 40 hits of any band in U.S. chart history, without ever having No. 1 single. In 1977 Jeff wrote the entire double album, Out of the Blue in three and a half weeks; there were 4 million pre-orders.

Track (brilliant track): Mr Blue Sky

4. Manfred Mann's Earth Band

A long way from MM early band (Do Wah Diddy), their most popular album was THe Roaring Silence, with the hit, Blinded by The Light, written, believe it or not by Bruce Springsteen

5. Marrillion

Starting a bit later than the rest, 1979, they have often been compared to Late Genesis. They are still going, releasing an album last year called 'Somewhere Else', with one due this year with a working title of M15

Track: 'Kayleigh'

6. Kansas

'Carry On Wayward Son' and 'Dust in the Wind' are still played on classic rock radio and are certified Gold singles, they've produced an amazing 21 albums and were a massive arena-rock spectacle

Tell me what I've missed and i'll add it to the post

Image: Courtesy Jet, United Artists, Columbia

Punk Rock 101

OK, lets start this one with a clear idea of what punk is not.

1. The Suburu Impreza (they claimed in a 1993 ad that their car was ‘like punk rock’)
2. Any music that is exactly the opposite of punk (see above)
3. Anyone who rides a skateboard
4. Songs with that horrible whiny American accent
5. People who think Nirvana are punk
6. Anyone who hasn’t gone through puberty

Punk rock started in the early 1970’s in the United States with bands like the Stooges, the New York Dolls, Richard Hell and the Ramones all producing uncompromising, do-it-yourself music. This music was a massive break from the psychedelic movement of long jams and love-ins. It was aggressive, fast and short. ‘Blitzkreig Bop’ (as the Ramones would say) for the ‘Blank Generation (Richard Hell).

Despite the early influence of these US bands, punk really took off in the UK, prompted in part by Malcolm McClaren’s formation of the Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols start an avalanche of punk in the mid-70’s, from bands like The Vibrators, The Slits, X-Ray Spex, The Subversives, and The Adverts. Punk music in the UK was a political act, a cure for working class boredom, for those who couldn’t and didn’t want to participate in the commercialized culture and who certainly didn’t want to listen to Pink Floyd.

A few years later these politics would lead to a second wave in the UK, the skin-head culture and nazi-punks who spat on Oi! bands like Sham 69, Cocksparrer, the 4- Skins. This would develop into hardcore punk in the US, particularly Californiaa. There you get Black Flag, the Dead Kennedies, the Circle Jerks and the Vandals.

What about now? Which bands hold true to the origins of punk? My vote is for the great straight-edge band, Anti-Flag, but definitely not Avril Lavigne.
If you want to hear real punk music try:

1. Roadrunner Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
2. The Ruts Babylon’s Burning
3. No More Heroes The Stranglers
4. Sunday Morning Nightmare Sham 69
5. You Broke My Heart The Vibrators
6. Gary Gillmore’s Eyes The Adverts
7. Johnny B Goode The Sex Pistols
8. Promises The Buzzcocks
9. American Psycho The Misfits
10. Anti-Flag Die for Your Government

Image: Courtesy Virgin

Prog Rock 101

How to recognise progressive rock?

- The band’s first four albums are all about a blind albino who takes over the world
- There are three drummers in the band
- Each track is over 50 minutes long with a 10 minutes mellatron solo
- You have to listen to it 12 times before you finally ‘get it’.

Progressive rock is a much parodied but important genre in the history of rock, one that emerged from the psychadelia of the 60’s and became enormously popular in the 1970’s. Prog rock is essentially a mix of classical music and rock, characterised by virtuoso solos, frequent changes in time signatures, concept albums, and less reliance on the guitar than in hard rock.

The first prog rock bands were lesser known British artists like Soft Machine (1966), Gong (1967), The Nice (1967) and Caravan (1968). By the 1970’s, however, prog was a major force, fronted by the Big Six; Emerson Lake and Palmer, Pink Floyd, Genesis, King Crimson, Yes and Jethro Tull.

In the late 70’s prog rock came under attack by punk and disco, both serving as an alternative to the seriousness of this genre. Prog did not die, however, but became commercialised at this time. Bands like ELO, Supertramp, Styx, Marillion and Kansas all demonstrated that prog could retain it’s appeal by getting rid of it’s perceived excesses.

The 1990’s saw a renaissance of prog, that has remained to this day. Bands like the Flower Kings, Porcupine Tree, Spock’s Beard, Mars Volta and Coheed and Cambria have retained the principles of the original first wave of prog. A new genre, prog metal, has also emerged since the 1990’s. Dream Theatre, Opeth, Queensryche et al. quote both Rush and Black Sabbath as influences and are helping prog reach a new audience in the Metal Nation that is the United States.

Some significant albums in prog history

In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson
Close to the Edge: Yes
Selling England By the Pound: Genesis
Brain Salad Surgery: Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Dark Side of the Moon: Pink Floyd
The Power and the Glory: Gentle Giant

Heartland Rock 101

What do Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, John Cougar Mellencamp all have in common. They are identified in rock terminology as Heartland Rock.

Heartland Rock is fundamentally American music, focussed, to some degree, on blue-collar concerns, as opposed to the high brow reach of Prog or the superficiality of New Wave.

Many of it’s proponents are from the mid-west (John Mellencamp was originally into Glam but moved back to Indiana), providing a parrallel to the countrified sound of Southern Rock. While the themes of Southern rock were often booze and women Heartland Rock concerned itself with personal isolation and exclusion from the American Dream (think ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’:Bruce Springsteen, ‘Against the Wind’: Bob Seger, ‘Small Town; John Mellencamp).

It can be difficult to pinpoint the many influences on the development of Heartland Rock: Creedence Clearwater Revival were definitely significant, as was the blue-collar tradition of Woodie Guthrie and Leadbelly. At it’s heart, though, it was straight-up rock and roll blended with a keen awareness of american country, folk and rhythmn and blues.

There are many lesser known artists who deserve mention:

The brilliant John Hiatt, who’se songs have been covered by Dr Feelgood, Bonny Raitt, Iggy Pop

Steve Earl, whose songs, while strongly country, could fit into any Springsteen album (‘Guitar Town’ or ‘Copperhead Road”)

John Cafferty, unfairly derides as a Springsteen wannabe

Los Lobos, who cover many genres but have redefined Americana based on their hispanic roots

Top 10 Heartland tracks

1. I Ain’t Ever Satisfied: Steve Earle
2. Thunder Road: Bruce Springsteen
3. Have a Little Faith In Me: John Hiatt
4. Night Moves: Bob Seger
5. White Line Fever: Joe Ely
6. My Girl: John Hiatt and Loudon Wainwright
7. Pink Houses: John Cougar Mellencamp
8. Free Falling: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
9. The River: Bruce Springsteen
10. C.I.T.Y: John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band

Image: Courtesy Columbia

Glam Rock 101

Glam rock, once also known as Glitter Rock, emerged in the early 1970's, a post-hippie phenomenon and antidote to all the earnest seriousness of that era. The dream was over, the stars were dead and out of the smoke of Altamont, comes what: teenage transvestite revolution, science fiction escapism, high heeled fellatio, excactly what the Doctor ordered !

The man who bridged the transition from hippies to glitter kids was probably one time model, Marc Bolan, the first to wear feather boas, glitter and top hats and write songs that noone was meant to take seriously. The second was his friend David Bowie. Ziggy Stardust was born straight after the Apollo moon landings (1969-1972) and used his gay shock tactics to great effect.

Not everyone was as talented or inspired as Bowie; this is the era that spawned the Sweet (Ballroom Blitz), Slade, Mud, Gary Glitter (I was in his fan club at aged 10 but did'nt know his secrets) and the Bay City Rollers.

The great cult favorite, Mott the Hoople were also present, with All The Young Dudes provided by Bowie, as were Roxy Music who'se Brian Ferry became the epitome of jaded style and European cool.

It was another 20 years until we saw Glam again. David and Brian were probably sorry too as Ratt, Twisted Sister, Poison and Cindarella hit the airwaves.

Here are ten songs to get you started.

1. Marc Bolan and TRex: Ride a White Swan

2. David Bowie: Starman

3. Alvin Stardust: My Coo-ca-choo

4. The Sweet: Fox on the Run

5. Skyhooks: Living in the 70's

6. Mud: Tiger Feet

7. Roxy Music: Do the Strand

8. Gary Glitter: Rock & Roll (Hey)

9. Bay City Rollers: Shang-a-lang

10. Elton John: PInball Wizard

Image: Courtesy RCA Rykodisc Virgin

British Folk: 101

American folk dominated the music scene in the 60's and early 70's, with Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Simon and Garfunkel taking the music from the coffee houses of New York and San Francisco to the mainstream.

British folk also peaked during this period but artists retained a more traditional feel than their American colleagues.

Dylan, himself, was actually influenced by British folk, deriving 'A Girl From the North Country' from folk legend Martin Carthy

Paul Simon also learned from Carthy. He spent a year in the UK learning about British folk and Carthy taught him 'Scarborough Fair', Simon and Garfunkel's most enduring hit

For many, the leading British folk band will always be Fairport Convention, a band that spawned the solo careers of Richard Thompson and Sandy Denny and set the wheels in motion for Steeleye Span, The Albion Band and more.

The Incredible String Band are also important; they were the most psychedelic of the genre, remaining acoustic but introducing a host of exotic instruments and influences. Pentangle also had a cult following, introducing a jazz swing into traditional folk.

Top Ten

1. Tam Lin: Fairport Convention
2. Womankind: The Incredible String Band
3. Songs From the Wood: Jethro Tull
4. Light Flight: Pentangle
5. The Clvary Cross: Richard Thompson
6. Alison Gross: Steeleye Span
7. Falling: Kate Rusby (contemporary)
8. Scarborough Fair: Bert Jansch and Martin Carthy
9. Geordie: Sandy Denny
10 Lady Eleanor: Lindisfrane

Image: Courtesy Park

Country-Rock 101

Many rock fans will recoil at the idea of country music, thinking immediately of Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton or Glen Campbell. Country music, however, has had a massive influence in the history of rock music, with bands like the Eagles, the Doobie Brothers and Neil Young falling squarely in the genre of country rock.

The originator of country rock is arguably the American songwriter and guitarist, Gram Parson’s. He played pure country but is notorious for introducing it to rock musicians through his relationships with the Byrds, Keith Richards and others. He did this through the beauty of his music, but also through his rock and roll lifestyle, dying at the age of 26 of an overdose, leading contemporary singer, Lucinda Williams to write a song about him called Drunken Angel.

If Gram Parson’s is the most critically acclaimed originator of country rock, Neil Young is probably the most popular. His work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and his solo albums all had a heavy country influence, something he has continued with the release of Prairie Wind in 2005, an album reminiscent of his most famous album, Harvest.

The Band also had a heavy country influence, blending it with rhythm and blues and rock and roll to create iconic American music. Bob Dylan recorded a number of country-style albums, most notably Nashville Skyline (1969). Other important country influenced artists of this era were Creedence Clearwater Revival, Poco, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, New Riders of the Purple Sage and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

Nowadays country rock is best known as Americana or alternative-country, a genre that started in the early 90’s with bands like Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown and the Old 97’s. These artists mixed country with punk and rock, and sang bleaker and more serious songs than their mainstream country counterparts. The most famous alt-country star is probably Ryan Adams, the Godfather of alt-country, releasing more than ten albums in less than a decade of recording.

Here are my top ten country rock and alt-country tracks if you want to get a start on coming to grips with this genre.

Country Rock
Lay Me Down David Crosby and Graham Nash
Whiteline Fever The Flying Burrito Brothers
Long Distance Love Little Feat
Dead Flowers Gram Parsons
Fortunate Son Creedence Clearwater Revival
Riverside America
Black Water Doobie Brothers
The Weight The Band
Hole in the World The Eagles

Sky, Blue and Black Jackson Brown

Alternative Country
Two Broken Hearts Richmond Fontaine
Friend of the Devil Lyle Lovett (Grateful Dead Cover)
Come Pick Me Up Ryan Adams
The Long Ride Home Patty Griffin
Take Me Back to Mullenberg County John Prine
Song For You Whiskeytown
Tear Stained Eye Uncle Tupelo
How to Fight Loneliness Wilco

Psychedelic Rock 101

What do you get if you cross a folkie with the Beatles and add LSD? You get psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock first emerged in the mid-1960’s, in part from the Beat Generation, famous for be-bop Jazz, folk, bluegrass and poetry. The shock of the Beatlemania in the US, the ready availability of LSD and a growing interest in mysticism and Eastern culture all coincided to produce a new form of electric music.

The most significant city in the development of psychedelic music was San Francisco where The Grateful Dead hosted LSD parties or acid tests which grew large enough to be hosted at the famous Fillmore venue. Many other important bands followed, including Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Moby Grape. This musical movement, coupled with a growing dissatisfaction in the Vietnam War lead to a swelling counter-culture in San Francisco culminating in the Summer of Love in 1967.

Many bands were to follow these pioneers, lesser known ones like 13th Floor Elevators, the Electric Prunes, Third Bardo and Bubble Puppy, but eventually mainstream acts like the Beatles (Sgt Peppers) and The Rolling Stones (Their Satanic Majesty’s Request) were to release fully fledged psychedelic albums. British psychedelia reached it’s zenith with bands like Pink Floyd, Cream and a heavy acid rock, the precursor of heavy metal, made it’s presence felt with Iron Butterfly and Blue Cheer.

So what are some of the key ingredients in psychedelic rock


* A creative use of studio recording techniques to create effects that mirror a trip,
including ‘phasing’, ‘swooshing’ and ‘filtering’.

* The use of Indian instruments or sounds, particularly the Sitar and Tabla

* Improvisation, or extended jamming, inspired by the free jazz of John Coltrane

* Steam of consciousness lyrics and topics alluding to drug use or social issues.

Here is my choice for the top ten psychedelic tracks:

1. Season of the Witch Donovan
2. Eight Miles High The Byrds
3. Dark Star The Grateful Dead
4. The End The Doors
5. What’s Wrong Sweetwater
6. I had too much to dream last night The Electric Prunes
7. Time Has Come Today The Chambers Brothers
8. Tomorrow Never Knows The Beatles
9. Smell of Incense West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
10.Paint It Black The Rolling Stones

Blues-Rock 101

Blues-rock typically refers to white artists of the late 1960’s and 1970’s, who picked up the mantle of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, BB King and many more, to create an enormously popular style of electrified blues. Blues-rock is essentially a blend of blues and rock: the guitar has a faster and heavier sound than Chicago blues and includes extended jams, influenced in part by Psychedelic rock.

The most significant early figure in blues-rock is John Mayall, who, having formed the Bluesbreakers in the mid-1960’s went on to employ some of the most important young musicians of his generation: Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and many others. Members of the Bluesbreakers would go on to form the most influential bands of the 70’s, including Cream, Savoy Brown, Free and Fleetwood Mac.

Alex Korner is also considered to be a critical figure who’s band, Blues Incorporated included Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, Danny Thompson (later of Pentangle), Dick Heckstall-Smith (later of Colloseum). Jimmy Page, Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart were also young fans of who would sometimes play with the band. These artists, initially inspired by blues-rock, would go on to become the rock heroes of the 1970’s.

Other notable blues-rock heroes are Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Irishman, Rory Gallagher, ex-Procol Harum guitarist, Robin Trower, Texan Johnny Winter and Canned Heat.

One paradoxical outcomes of the Blues-Rock explosion of this period was the renewal of interest in black musicians. Freddie King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor and Ronnie Earl became international figures, due to the popularity of blues-rock amongst white audiences and due to the active support of blues-rock artists.

Blues-rock stagnated in the mid-1970’s, due in part to the rising popularity of southern rock, hard rock and heavy metal. In the 1980’s the major stars was Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robert Cray and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, replaced by the Black Crowes, the Black Keys, Gov’t Mule and Joe Bonamassa in the 90’s. Joe Bonamassa is particularly reminiscent of the early heroes of Blues-Rock, earning him Guitar One Magazine’s accolade as the best guitarist of his generation.

Here are ten tracks to get you started

1. Whiskey Headed Woman Tommy Bolin
2. Bad Penny Rory Gallagher
3. Have You Ever Loved a Woman Eric Clapton
4. Ramblin on My Mind John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers
5. Born in Chicago Paul Butterfield Blues Band
6. The Sky is Crying Stevie Ray Vaughn
7. Endless Parade Gov’t Mule
8. Current Situation Joe Bonamassa
9. Be Careful With a Fool Johnny Winter
10. Tell Mama Savoy Brown

Rockabilly 101

It's true that there is nothing new in rock, only creative amalgamations of what has gone before. This may be the case in the 2000's, with the reworking of New Wave and Garage Rock, but it was also true 50 years ago with the birth of rock and roll. Prior to the mid-50's popular music can be (very) roughly split into blues, country and rhythm and blues. Rhythm and blues, in turn, was created by the secularisation of gospel ( ie: Ray Charles career defining sex-song I Got a Woman was originally Jesus is All the World to Me).

In the Southern states of the US black and white musicians began to interact; add frenetic hillbilly to boogie woogie piano, soul shouters and the electrified guitar and rockabilly was the natural result.

Add the white-boy charisma of Elvis, the pop appeal of Rock Around the Clock, the guitar dominance of Chuck Berry and the wild antics of Jerry Lee Lewis (he has to be the first punk) and you have all the ingredients for a national teenage movement.

It's hard to imagine what it would have been like at aged 16 in 1955 hearing this music for the first time in the security of conservative America. Elvis, the new black and white minstrel, brings the negro into your living room and Jerry Lee gives hope to 14 year old girls every where by eventually marrying one.

Top Ten Rockabilly tracks

1. Hound Dog (try the original Big Mama Thornton Version)

2. Tutti Frutti: Little Richard ( ? precursor to Glam)

3. Matchbox: Carl Perkins

4. Summertime Blues: Eddie Cochrane (by the way, have you heard the Blue Cheer version)

5. Great Balls of Fire: Jerry Lee Lewis (Black Oak Arkansas version)

6. Johnny B Goode: Chuck Berry ( ? the Sex Pistols version)

7. Blue Suede Shoes: Carl Perkins

8. Susie Q: Dale Hawkins

9. Rave On: Buddy Holly

10. Chantilly Lace: Big Bopper

Image Courtesy RCA/Victor