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Rock Dresses Up?

Rock Dresses Up?. Art Music of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Art Rock. Basically, any band or artist who reaches out to Classical music, or to other forms of modern art (visual, theatrical, etc) or both to make an artistic statement. The Who.

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Rock Dresses Up?

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  1. Rock Dresses Up? Art Music of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s

  2. Art Rock • Basically, any band or artist who reaches out to Classical music, or to other forms of modern art (visual, theatrical, etc) or both to make an artistic statement

  3. The Who • Physicality, stage behavior important characteristic of band • Windmill strumming of Townshend; leaps and splits • Daltry strutting, mic twirling • Townshend calls “pop art” • Openly hostile on stage - early punk aesthetic • “Anti-anti Beatles”

  4. Tommy • Concept album with operatic conventions in mind: tells story without spoken dialogue • Minimal plot • Doesn’t incorporate symphonic sounds, additional instruments: performable (and performed) live

  5. Pinball Wizard • Beatles-like form: verse and refrain with contrasting middle eight

  6. The Doors • Literary orientation • Lead singer Jim Morrison a beat poet • Free association • Themes of exploration of altered states - sex, drugs, death

  7. The Doors - Style characteristics • Blues-based mainstream rock • Narrow range, highly repetitive melodies • Most songs in minor keys • Long, extended solos,esp. for keyboard • Poetic lyrics, dealing with dark subjects

  8. Light My Fire • Five bar intro establishes organ riff/melodic hook • Verse (8 bars long) • Refrain (7 bars long) • Long instrumental solos • Based on version of organ riff • Repeats ideas, adds and extends • Passes idea to guitar - same type of repetitive development

  9. Types of Art Rock • Music created for rock group and classical ensemble • Ex. Eleanor Rigby – Beatles + string quintet • Ex. Moody Blues – Nights in White Satin – rock band + symphony orchestra • Other groups of this type • Procul Harum • Electric Light Orchestra • Deep Purple (sometimes)

  10. Art Rock - types • Fusion of rock + classical music • Inspired by experiments of Sgt. Peppers and Pet Sounds • Exploration of musical avant-garde

  11. Avant-garde classical music • Avant-garde – intelligentsia that develops new or experimental concepts • Musical avant-garde in the 20th c. exploring questions like • “What is music”? • Are all sounds valid as musical sounds? • How can you incorporate non-Western musical ideas into Western music?

  12. John Cage (1908-1990) • In early career, writing revolutionary, but easily understood, music • Later works more philosophical, testing boundaries of music • Chance music: notes determined at random • 4’33”: musicians do nothing for duration of piece

  13. Edgar Varèse (1883-1965) • Interested in using “non-musical” sounds in music • In late ’30 begins composing music using electronics • Idea: all sounds available for musical use • Record, manipulate sounds from natural environment • Called musique concrete

  14. Minimalism • Pieces created out of minimum of musical material • Single idea repeated incessantly, slowly changes over time • Ex. Solos in “Light My Fire” • Ex. Steve Reich, “Check It Out” from Street Life

  15. Steve Reich - “Check It Out” • Combines musique concrete and minimalism • Short intro: chords • Three note motive (like riff, but less rhythmically interesting) introduced; basis for rest of movement • Shortly after, recorded sound introduced – sample “Check It out” • Number of repetitions, permutations of 3-note motive • More sampled, electronically manipulated sounds

  16. Velvet Underground • Associated with NY art scene - Andy Warhol acts as mentor • Primary rock influence Bob Dylan, but fused with lofty poetry, minimalism • Ex. Heroin

  17. Frank Zappa (1940-1993) and the Mothers of Invention • Zappa studied classical music in college • influenced by avant-garde composers like Varèse • Gained notoriety with Freak-Outs – multi-media happenings with slides, music, dancers,etc. • Recording of one of these, Freak Out (1965) arguably first concept album • Best known as rock satirist

  18. Zappa, What’s The Ugliest Part of Your Body? • From album We’re Only In It For The Money (1967) • Juxtaposition of textures, tone colors • Stylistic contrast • Section A: Doo-wop influenced, musical irony (words and music don’t match) • Section B: avant-garde classical • Section C: ??? Psychedelic pop??? • Rhythmic contrast as well

  19. Pink Floyd Created in 1965 as blues band • Became more classically, psychedelically oriented when Gilmour replaces Barrett in 1968 • Evident in • Song cycles: Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here • The Wall – operatic • Use of musique concrete on albums • Complex time signatures, layering of sound, sound mass, complex forms

  20. Pink Floyd - Money • Cash register sounds at beginning – musique concrete • Seven beats per measure: 3+2+2 = additive meter

  21. Progressive Rock • Adopts not only techniques, but also forms and stature of Classical music • Examples • Genesis (early) • Emerson, Lake, and Palmer • King Crimson • Yes

  22. Yes • Classically trained musicians, interested in creating rock structured like Classical music • Most songs long, multi-sectional, approximate Classical genres like sonata, suite, concerto

  23. Yes – Roundabout • Introduction • Crescendo (building) of sound • Dissolves into guitar playing harmonics • Creates “ringing” sound • Classically influenced melody • A – Verse • 10 bars long; extra 2 beat bar at beginning and ending create unbalanced feeling • A – Verse (repeated) • B section • Another A B exchange • A theme and vocal line + repeating pattern established = minimalist influence

  24. Yes – Roundabout • Interlude – same as intro, but repeating pattern continues • Organ solo • A and B repeated • Choral section • Sound mass • Seven beat measures • Outro = intro

  25. Glam Rock • Offshoot of art rock • Rock as theatre and spectacle • Bands, but primarily singers, assume persona on stage, in studio • Exs. • T Rex (Bang a Gong) • Kiss • Queen • Alice Cooper • David Bowie

  26. David Bowie (David Robert Jones, 1947 - ) • During early career, assumed different persona for nearly every album • Above: Aladdin Sane, 1973 • Below: Thin White Duke, 1976

  27. David Bowie – Hang On To Yourself • During reign of most enduring Bowie character, Ziggy Stardust • Introduced with album of same name • Hang On To Yourself • Role playing throughout song • Lyrics constantly shift tense, persona • Vocal tone altered for every section • Vocal and instrumental hooks saturate texture • Hallmark of the Bowie style • Spare, uncluttered texture

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