The first time I heard "Teenage Riot" it was 3 in the morning. I was maybe 14 or 15, and I couldn't sleep, so I was listing to bootlegs of bands on YouTube. It just sort of popped up in the sidebar. And I clicked on it. Enthralled, I went from "Teenage Riot" to "Incinerate" and then "The Diamond Sea". And the rest was history. I was in love with Sonic Youth.
Taking 10 full years to build up commercial steam the came with the 1990 release of the album Goo (on Geffen records), Sonic Youth were originally champions of the New York Post-Punk scene in the 80's,* creating aggressive, out there, and ultimately awesome noise rock. Often treating their guitars more like machines then instruments, they obtained their sound through sevral nonstandard methods, including shoving objects under guitar strings, tons of nonstandard tunings, and tons and tons of feedback. While the band had a few pretty commercial singles, the meat of their work was really buried in the albums. This, as well as Sonic Youth's more artistic, noise driven approach to music allowed them to enjoy the reputation of a well respected band that absolutely everyone has heard of, of but few people have actually listened to.
Like many others, and basically everyone in punk, Sonic Youth drew their inspiration from the original protopunk icons (The VU, Iggy, Patti Smith, ext). And like many others, it's very easy to hear the Velvet Underground in their playing, in those layers of noise and long jams, and in the energy of the band itself. But Sonic Youth is unique, and for good reason. Moore's guitar playing is truly one of a kind, and really went on to define noise rock and alternative guitar in general. And with the entire band in full swing, churning out noise, sonic youth was truly a force to be reckoned with.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Crafts, Blog 6
Radiohead was an English rock band that was formed in UK. The band consists of five members who are Tom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, and Philip Selway. Personally, I only know Radiohead for one of their most well-known songs, Creep. Radiohead released Creep in 1992 as their debut single and it blew up worldwide. I thought this band was a one-hit-wonder kind of band but turns out they released a couple of other albums and grew a fanbase locally and internationally.
In 1993 Radiohead released their debut album titled Pablo Honey. The only song from this album that grew some popularity was Creep. My Iron Lung and The Bands were two other albums that were shortly released from Radiohead. "High and Dry," "Just" and "Fake Plastic Trees" were three songs that successfully made their way to the charts.
The group did some touring around North America and Europe. In 1997 Radiohead released their third album titled OK Computer and helped the band gain some recognition from Rolling Stone magazine. This album was Radiohead's first number one UK chart debut and brought the band some international success earning Grammys and some other awards.
Radiohead continued to work hard and release new music and some may even argue they brought a new sound to their albums which won them more awards. By 2012, Radiohead gained more success as they worked on more music, movies, and some side gigs. Radiohead is very much so successful to this day. The band was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, again in 2018 and again in 2019. Radiohead took a minute to gain their popularity but overtime got the recognition they've been longing for and deserve.
In 1993 Radiohead released their debut album titled Pablo Honey. The only song from this album that grew some popularity was Creep. My Iron Lung and The Bands were two other albums that were shortly released from Radiohead. "High and Dry," "Just" and "Fake Plastic Trees" were three songs that successfully made their way to the charts.
The group did some touring around North America and Europe. In 1997 Radiohead released their third album titled OK Computer and helped the band gain some recognition from Rolling Stone magazine. This album was Radiohead's first number one UK chart debut and brought the band some international success earning Grammys and some other awards.
Radiohead continued to work hard and release new music and some may even argue they brought a new sound to their albums which won them more awards. By 2012, Radiohead gained more success as they worked on more music, movies, and some side gigs. Radiohead is very much so successful to this day. The band was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, again in 2018 and again in 2019. Radiohead took a minute to gain their popularity but overtime got the recognition they've been longing for and deserve.
Blog Post 6- Hanlon
U2 is an Irish rock band from Dublin, Ireland. The band formed in 1976 when the members were attending the same school, Mount Temple Comprehensive School. The members of U2 are lead singer Bonoe, on lead guitar the Edge, bass guitar played by Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. on drums. With the release of their second album, War, in 1983 U2 found commercial success. Their songs had a message and showed they cared and worried about the world around them. Examples of these songs include Sunday Bloody Sunday and Pride (In the Name of Love). The group have long been social advocates for charities and social organizations such as Amnesty International, Jubilee 2000, the ONE/DATA campaigns, Product Red, War Child, and Music Rising. These two songs were some of the first I remember my parents playing. U2 became international superstars with release of their 5th album, The Joshua Tree, in 1987. To this day my dad keeps a copy of this album in his car, has it downloaded on his phone, has several CDs of it at home, along with the record he bought when it was first released. My favorite song from this album is Where the Streets Have No Name because of the wild up to the first lyrics. It gets everyones heads bobbing and feet tapping. Its a feel good song. Or at least it is to me.
U2 is also well known for its live performances. Bono is energetic and interacts with the crowd as much as possible. My dad has been to at least 15 of their concerts and he says the best place to see them is in Dublin because they go on for hours. This can be seen in both the music video for Where the Streets Have No Name as well as their live aid performance. U2 has 22 grammy awards and is ranked 22nd on Rolling Stones 100 greatest artists of all time. Below I have provided videos for Where the Streets Have No Name and their Live Aid performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzZWSrr5wFI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvBgRSSlVBA
U2 is also well known for its live performances. Bono is energetic and interacts with the crowd as much as possible. My dad has been to at least 15 of their concerts and he says the best place to see them is in Dublin because they go on for hours. This can be seen in both the music video for Where the Streets Have No Name as well as their live aid performance. U2 has 22 grammy awards and is ranked 22nd on Rolling Stones 100 greatest artists of all time. Below I have provided videos for Where the Streets Have No Name and their Live Aid performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzZWSrr5wFI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvBgRSSlVBA
Kruk, Blog #6
Alright, here's to hoping this blog is a little shorter than my last. In 1975, well-known artist Prince started performing. He started off in a band created by the husband of his cousin called 94 East. The band consisted of himself, Pepe Wille (the founder), Marcy Ingvoldstad, Kristy Lazenberry, and Andre Cymone. A year later, Prince created a demo tape that got passed around until it landed with Warner Bros. Records. From here the singer became popular and rose to the top, almost like Michael Jackson did. Some of Prince's best songs are easily recognizable to anyone over the age of 12. Songs like "Purple Rain", "Raspberry Barret", "Let's Go Crazy", and "I Wanna Be Your Lover" did extremely well. He released 39 records in his lifetime, the first of which being For You, and received 32 awards. Prince died from an accidental fentanyl overdose on April 21, 2016.
Prince wasn't always a solo artist. After being a part of 94 East, he made his own band called the Revolution. The band consisted of Lisa Coleman (keyboard), Doctor Fink (keyboard), Bobby Z. (drums), Brown Mark (bass), and Dez Dickerson (guitar). At first, the band was rarely used. This changed though in 1986. Purple Rain, Prince's film, won him an award and made over $164 million in the United States. Some of the most popular songs from this film were "Let's Go Crazy" (my personal favourite), "When Doves Cry", and of course, "Purple Rain". These songs, along with many others, are what made Prince such a recognizable artist. In 2010, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time as well as put into the Grammy Hall of Fame in December of that year. On February of 2016, Prince embarked on his final tour. The Piano and a Microphone tour was a solo tour that went through Australia and New Zealand. It continued onto the United States where it was cut short by his illness and death.
Prince's death was a bit controversial. I remember that I was at the New Hampshire outlets when Twitter gave me a notification that he had been pronounced dead. A lot of investigation went into his passing because it was an accidental overdose rather than a suicide. It is unknown whether he got the fentanyl through a prescription or through other means. The law enforcement agencies were issued two warrants - one for Prince's house and one for the local Walgreens. On April 19 of 2018, it was announced that there would be no criminal charges for Prince's death. The other thing that was brought forward after his death was the fact that there was no will. The saddening part is that over 700 people took advantage of this and claimed to be distant relatives. They did extensive DNA sampling before anything else was done. Various people mourned his passing, including former President Obama. Prince's sales spiked once he was pronounced dead, which is usual for singers and songwriters. The cast of Hamilton paid their respects by singing some of his songs post-show as a memorial, which I never knew about despite loving Hamilton. Along with them, Bruno Mars, the Time, and Morris Day performed a tribute to him at the 59th annual Grammys.
Prince is an icon that will never be forgotten, much like Michael Jackson. It's sad that a talent like him passed at a young age, especially compared to the average death age in America. Although between the awards and inductions he received as well as his amazing music, Prince went down in history. I never listened to him as much as I probably should have, but I really appreciated his music and personality. My favourite song by him is "Let's Go Crazy" due to the fact that when I was in 2nd grade my teacher would play this song during our breaks. I linked that along with Raspberry Baret.
Prince wasn't always a solo artist. After being a part of 94 East, he made his own band called the Revolution. The band consisted of Lisa Coleman (keyboard), Doctor Fink (keyboard), Bobby Z. (drums), Brown Mark (bass), and Dez Dickerson (guitar). At first, the band was rarely used. This changed though in 1986. Purple Rain, Prince's film, won him an award and made over $164 million in the United States. Some of the most popular songs from this film were "Let's Go Crazy" (my personal favourite), "When Doves Cry", and of course, "Purple Rain". These songs, along with many others, are what made Prince such a recognizable artist. In 2010, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time as well as put into the Grammy Hall of Fame in December of that year. On February of 2016, Prince embarked on his final tour. The Piano and a Microphone tour was a solo tour that went through Australia and New Zealand. It continued onto the United States where it was cut short by his illness and death.
Prince's death was a bit controversial. I remember that I was at the New Hampshire outlets when Twitter gave me a notification that he had been pronounced dead. A lot of investigation went into his passing because it was an accidental overdose rather than a suicide. It is unknown whether he got the fentanyl through a prescription or through other means. The law enforcement agencies were issued two warrants - one for Prince's house and one for the local Walgreens. On April 19 of 2018, it was announced that there would be no criminal charges for Prince's death. The other thing that was brought forward after his death was the fact that there was no will. The saddening part is that over 700 people took advantage of this and claimed to be distant relatives. They did extensive DNA sampling before anything else was done. Various people mourned his passing, including former President Obama. Prince's sales spiked once he was pronounced dead, which is usual for singers and songwriters. The cast of Hamilton paid their respects by singing some of his songs post-show as a memorial, which I never knew about despite loving Hamilton. Along with them, Bruno Mars, the Time, and Morris Day performed a tribute to him at the 59th annual Grammys.
Prince is an icon that will never be forgotten, much like Michael Jackson. It's sad that a talent like him passed at a young age, especially compared to the average death age in America. Although between the awards and inductions he received as well as his amazing music, Prince went down in history. I never listened to him as much as I probably should have, but I really appreciated his music and personality. My favourite song by him is "Let's Go Crazy" due to the fact that when I was in 2nd grade my teacher would play this song during our breaks. I linked that along with Raspberry Baret.
Friday, August 9, 2019
Gazo- Blog 6.1
The Wallflowers is a band located out of LA. the group started in the early 90s with Jakob Dylan as the lead singer and Tobi Miller as guitarist. From what I've read, the band member have otherwise changed over time, but Dylan remains consistent. After their inception in the early 90s, their break through came in 1996 with their album "Bringing Down The Horse" which features the song "One Headlight". Most of us would recognize the song, probably from the Subaru car commercials. Other songs on the album are pretty good too. I really like "God Don't Make Lonely Girls". The song "6th Avenue Heartache" was the first single released from the album and really grew in fame from VH1 and MTV. As radio play picked up, so did the record sales.
Stylistically, I would compare the Wallflowers to The Red Hot Chili Peppers, but with a 'twangy' opening riff. When I first listened to them, several of their songs open with a riff that sounds a bit like modern country music, but with a smooth, soothing harmony. Interestingly Jakob Dylan is the son of Bob Dylan and I can see the paternal influence. While his sound lyrically is different, I can make a comparison between the band and musical sound of Bob and Jakob. I think the Wallflowers are a good middle ground for 90s rock, meaning its smooth and relaxing, but musically, it's all there! I've never really listened to this group before, but i've grown to appreciate their work.
One Headlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzyfcys1aLM
6th Av Heartache
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXDiGtgPL6E
Three Marlenas... reminds me of Kenny Chesney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RloXtzcCAf8
Stylistically, I would compare the Wallflowers to The Red Hot Chili Peppers, but with a 'twangy' opening riff. When I first listened to them, several of their songs open with a riff that sounds a bit like modern country music, but with a smooth, soothing harmony. Interestingly Jakob Dylan is the son of Bob Dylan and I can see the paternal influence. While his sound lyrically is different, I can make a comparison between the band and musical sound of Bob and Jakob. I think the Wallflowers are a good middle ground for 90s rock, meaning its smooth and relaxing, but musically, it's all there! I've never really listened to this group before, but i've grown to appreciate their work.
One Headlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzyfcys1aLM
6th Av Heartache
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXDiGtgPL6E
Three Marlenas... reminds me of Kenny Chesney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RloXtzcCAf8
Mulderrig, Blog #6 - Prince
Prolific and pioneering within the world of hip-hop and rock
& roll. A star so big, the world simply knew him by his first name: Prince. Born Prince Rogers Nelson in
1958 in Minneapolis, a young-man standing 5’2” played basketball for his high
school. He was a gifted child and was often referred to as skipper by his peers
for his cheerful attitude. It wasn’t long until music called to Prince. Before
he was eight years old, he had already written his first song, and by 19 years
old he had completed his first album. At the age of 21, Prince made his first nationally
televised appearance on American Bandstand.
Prince is probably best known for his bold performances and outrageous outfits and style. He admitted in an interview his sense of style and fashion came from overcoming hardship and bullying in his adolescent years. In an interview with ABC News, Prince told a reporter that he used to suffer from epileptic seizure as well as to being teased and bullied in school, and that the flashy outfits were a way to compensate for those experiences.
However, what I find most fascinating about Prince is his dexterity as a musician. He simply was not content with one genre or type of music. To me, that is Prince’s legacy. His ability to have hit after hit on the Billboard charts, while simultaneously combining funk, R&B, dance, rock & roll, and pop. Moreover, Prince was someone who truly loved what he did, and all the hard work that goes into song writing and producing an album. He completed a total of 39 albums (more albums than years as an artist), and won seven Grammy awards.
It wasn’t until his 1984 appearance on television when he played his hit “Purple Rain.” The soundtrack would go on to win him an Academy Award. His talent as an artist and performer was unparalleled. Prince was famously known for his ability to play a multitude of instruments (i.e. guitar, piano, bass), as well as sing all the lyrics on his albums.
Transcending racial barriers, gender, and even a name, Prince eventually changed his name to a symbol (seen here). Ultimately, becoming known as “the artist formerly known as Prince.” Many people saw this as ‘too much’ and many other believed this new persona overshadowed the music.
He eventually went back to the name Prince, and settled down not too far from his home town in Minneapolis. Even though he passed away at the young age of 57, his music will live on as a timeless classic.
Maguire Blog 6
For
my last post I will be writing about the Beastie Boys. The Beastie Boys is made
of three guys, Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch and Adam Horovitz. These guy play
the hip-hop rock music we know and love by the Beastie Boys. When the band was
coming up they were made of four people Mike Diamond, John Berry, Adam Yauch,
and Kate Schellenbach. The guys stage names are Mike D (Michael Diamond), MCA(Adam
Yauch), and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovtiz). They were originally a hardcore punk rock
band after the band made a few songs people decided to leave. John Berry and
Kate Schellenbach ditched the band to both go their own way. Kate Schellenbach
actually went on tour with Madonna and became very successful! At this point the
Beastie Boys had fully dove into hip hop. This experimental genre was something
new. In a way it reminds me of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus with their Old
Town Road song. It’s experimental with the country and rap. Anyway with some
recognition from their highly successful album “Cooky Puss” they signed with a
record label by the name of Def Jam records, ever heard of them? This label is highly
known in the hip hop world they have signed Jay-Z, Kayne West, Nas, 2 Chainz,
Rick Ro$$, Pusha T, Logic, Wale, Tyga and the list continues to go on. They are
a big deal in hip hop and help get new rappers feet on the ground in the
industry. In fact rappers have left Def Jam and have started their own labels.
Jay-Z left and started Roc Nation and the boss Rick Ro$$ went and started MMG
(Maybach Music Group). This label makes people successful no doubt about it and
they helped the Beastie Boys a tremendous amount, the band has sold 50 million
records throughout the world they are one of the most popular rap groups and
have gone platinum seven times. For their style of rock and roll and hip hop
they were even inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2012. Sadly
this same year Adam Horovitz announced he had cancer and was going to pass away
soon. In 2014 the band announced they had officially disbanded. The Beastie Boys
have provided us with so many great songs for sporting events like “Fight For
Your Right” this song is played at hockey and football games and the people go
crazy. Then another hit was “Brass Monkey” and “So What’cha Want” The Beastie
Boys were a fantastic band and were revolutionary in experimental in rock and
roll rap. When you watch the music videos these guys are having a blast and they remind me of Blink 182 music videos they are just having fun filming these videos check them out they are goofy but it shows they are having a good time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0dxhSPoBjY - Brass Monkey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk - Fight For Your Right
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru3gH27Fn6E - Whatcha Want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0dxhSPoBjY - Brass Monkey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk - Fight For Your Right
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru3gH27Fn6E - Whatcha Want
Gazo Post 6
The Beastie Boys is a band from NYC that formed in the early 80s. The members include "Mike D", "MCA" and "AD Rock". They produced music simply with guitar, bass, drums and vocals. They produced their best work in the late 80s with "License to Ill" which was released in 1986. The band continued to produced content and create controversy throughout the 90's and into the early 2000s. The Beastie Boys put out a song titled "Hey Ladies" in 89 and followed with works in the early 90s that I remember my mom playing on the radio when I was really young. Songs such as "So whatcha want" and "Sabotage" often come to mind. The last portion of the Beastie Boys work was really highlighted with some positives. Their song "Intergalactic" was awarded the Grammy for best rap performance by a group in 1999.
One of my most favorite Beastie Boys stories surrounds their tour for License to Ill, in which they travelled with a 20ft tall hydraulic penis and incorporate female fans by having them dance in cages. Also while in Liverpool, the group was charged by the courts for provoking the crowd after a riot erupted at their show.
For me, Beastie Boys are one of the most interesting musical groups. They have merged hip hop and rock music into a very unique sound. Some of their music is funny, some of it is very serious, but when a Beastie Boys song comes on, you really know it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qORYO0atB6g
One song I forgot to mention above is "No Sleep Till Brooklyn". One of their most iconic songs. I've linked the music video below which is pretty interesting as it pokes fun at traditional rock bands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Y0cy-nvAg
"Fight for your right" is classic Beastie Boys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk
One of my most favorite Beastie Boys stories surrounds their tour for License to Ill, in which they travelled with a 20ft tall hydraulic penis and incorporate female fans by having them dance in cages. Also while in Liverpool, the group was charged by the courts for provoking the crowd after a riot erupted at their show.
For me, Beastie Boys are one of the most interesting musical groups. They have merged hip hop and rock music into a very unique sound. Some of their music is funny, some of it is very serious, but when a Beastie Boys song comes on, you really know it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qORYO0atB6g
One song I forgot to mention above is "No Sleep Till Brooklyn". One of their most iconic songs. I've linked the music video below which is pretty interesting as it pokes fun at traditional rock bands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Y0cy-nvAg
"Fight for your right" is classic Beastie Boys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Diamond Blog 6
For my sixth and final blog post I have decided to write upon one of the most interesting and genre defying bands of the 1990s, Rage Against The Machine. They are definitely a rock and roll band, but their sound is so much more unique than that broad definition, they blend metal, quasi hip hop, and punk into a sound that is unlike other artists. The band was formed in 1991 in the outskirts of Los Angeles, their lineup consisted of: Zack de la Rocha on vocals, Tom Morello on guitar, Tim Commerford on bass, and Brad Wilk on drums. Their initial run of their career lasted almost a decade and it was in this time span where they released all four of their studio albums. The band disbanded officially in 2000, when Zack de la Rocha decided to leave the band due to growing differences and his desire to start a solo career. The remaining three members of the group were soon joined by Soundgarden frontman and legendary rock icon Chris Cornell, it was here where they formed their new rock supergroup: Audioslave. Rage would later reunite in 2007 at the same festival where they gained their mainstream success, Lollapolloza. Since then they have went on a few tours throughout the years and formed a sort of on an off again relationship with their group as a whole.
There were many artists from many different spheres and genres of music that influenced Rage Against The Machine, they have cited The Beastie Boys, The Sex Pistols, Public Enemy and Fugazi as key influences on the band. Their sound and their songs are full of loud political and revolutionary anthems that call out things like, corporate greed, government oppression, and cultural imperialism. Their choice in creating music that expresses these types of messages stems from the activism that each of the band members participates in both as a whole and as individuals. They also use music to voice their message because they believe that their music, and music as a whole has the power to cross nations borders and infiltrate society as every level possible, thus spreading their message to the greatest audience possible. It seems like they have succeeded in getting their message across, they have sold millions of albums, gone on international tours, and as of 2017 they have been nominated for introduction into the rock and roll hall of fame.
One of their greatest hits and possibly most well known of their songs is Killing in the Name, a song written against institutional racism and police brutality. The cover art of this single depicts the Bhuddist monk Thich Quang Duc who is famously known for burning himself alive as a protest against Buddhists in Vietnam, some what of a parallel to some instances that have occurred throughout U.S. history. The song is abrasive and full of anger, the climax of the song ends in de la Rocha screaming the lyric "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me!" over an over again as the instrumentals violently play alongside. The song reflects racial tensions in the United States, its release was six months after the L.A. riots that occurred when LAPD beat and killed Rodney King. Funny enough the song returned to the charts again almost two decades later when it became a movement to have this song replace the number one hit on the X-Factor charts. For the past five years leading up to 2009 the winner of the British X Factor competition was the top artist on the charts at Christmas. A campaign was started to have Killing in the Name replace this song as it would be quite ironic; the band and many other leading musicians got into the fun and supported the campaign. The X factor contestants even supported the campaign as well, and in 2009 it was Rage Against The Machine who was played at Christmas.
There were many artists from many different spheres and genres of music that influenced Rage Against The Machine, they have cited The Beastie Boys, The Sex Pistols, Public Enemy and Fugazi as key influences on the band. Their sound and their songs are full of loud political and revolutionary anthems that call out things like, corporate greed, government oppression, and cultural imperialism. Their choice in creating music that expresses these types of messages stems from the activism that each of the band members participates in both as a whole and as individuals. They also use music to voice their message because they believe that their music, and music as a whole has the power to cross nations borders and infiltrate society as every level possible, thus spreading their message to the greatest audience possible. It seems like they have succeeded in getting their message across, they have sold millions of albums, gone on international tours, and as of 2017 they have been nominated for introduction into the rock and roll hall of fame.
One of their greatest hits and possibly most well known of their songs is Killing in the Name, a song written against institutional racism and police brutality. The cover art of this single depicts the Bhuddist monk Thich Quang Duc who is famously known for burning himself alive as a protest against Buddhists in Vietnam, some what of a parallel to some instances that have occurred throughout U.S. history. The song is abrasive and full of anger, the climax of the song ends in de la Rocha screaming the lyric "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me!" over an over again as the instrumentals violently play alongside. The song reflects racial tensions in the United States, its release was six months after the L.A. riots that occurred when LAPD beat and killed Rodney King. Funny enough the song returned to the charts again almost two decades later when it became a movement to have this song replace the number one hit on the X-Factor charts. For the past five years leading up to 2009 the winner of the British X Factor competition was the top artist on the charts at Christmas. A campaign was started to have Killing in the Name replace this song as it would be quite ironic; the band and many other leading musicians got into the fun and supported the campaign. The X factor contestants even supported the campaign as well, and in 2009 it was Rage Against The Machine who was played at Christmas.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Gazo- Blog Post 5
Bruce Springsteen is a legend; "The Boss". Everyone knows the name and at least a couple songs of his. Springsteen was most active through out the 70's, known well for lyrics that revolve heavily around political and social issues of the time period. Originally compared to the likes of Bob Dylan, Springsteen really took off in the early to mid 70s with his song "Blinded by the Light" (1973). Springsteen played with a band called the "E Street Band" who have also played with other artists and even made music without Bruce, but have helped him along the way to develop and perform music.
Springsteen has a very distinct style that shouts out to me as "Americana". I always think of his songs like "Born in the USA" and "Badlands" as some of his most important works that focus on aspects of American life. Some other songs such as "Dancing in the Dark", "Murder Incorporated", and "Glory Days" are all well known and tell important stories about life, society and america in general. His gruff voice and poetic lyrics with the keyboards in the background that build around the lyrics really create an iconic sound. One of my all-time favorites, Bruce has been here for a while and won't be going anytime soon. Interestingly, there is a movie coming out surrounding the lyrics and story of an pakistani living in England who connects with Bruce Springsteen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vQpW9XRiyM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxuThNgl3YA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZD4ezDbbu4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmmHvnS0IKM
Springsteen has a very distinct style that shouts out to me as "Americana". I always think of his songs like "Born in the USA" and "Badlands" as some of his most important works that focus on aspects of American life. Some other songs such as "Dancing in the Dark", "Murder Incorporated", and "Glory Days" are all well known and tell important stories about life, society and america in general. His gruff voice and poetic lyrics with the keyboards in the background that build around the lyrics really create an iconic sound. One of my all-time favorites, Bruce has been here for a while and won't be going anytime soon. Interestingly, there is a movie coming out surrounding the lyrics and story of an pakistani living in England who connects with Bruce Springsteen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vQpW9XRiyM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxuThNgl3YA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZD4ezDbbu4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmmHvnS0IKM
Todd Blog Post 6
Jeff Buckley was a singer/songwriter/guitar player who died way too early at the age of 30. Buckley was born in California and spent some time playing guitar around Los Angeles. He started to garner attention by playing covers in New York City and was later signed by Columbia records.
Jeff Buckley only recorded one album, "Grace", which is an absolute classic in my opinion. The biggest hit from "Grace" is Buckley's cover of "Hallelujah", which he plays on a guitar. It's hauntingly beautiful, both the guitar playing and his singing. Jeff Buckley has a crazy vocal range that allows him to easily sing this song, which if you've ever tried, is really difficult. However, my absolute favorite song on the album is not "Hallelujah". My favorite song is "Lover, You Should've Come Over". I can't tell you how many times I played that when I was in high school. I was pretty angsty and dramatic. I would feel sorry for myself in my car and listen to Jeff Buckley, so I definitely have a connection to his music.
Although considered a classic now, "Grace" didn't sell very well when it was released. Buckley began writing a follow-up album to his debut but it was cut short by his tragic death. on May 29th, 1997, Buckley's band flew to meet him in Memphis, Tennessee, and that night Buckley decided to go swimming in a channel off of the Mississippi River in all of his clothes and boots on. He was with roadie of the band at the time, and when the roadie looked up, Buckley had disappeared. Apparently, Buckley was swimming down the river fully clothed singing the chorus of "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin, when he must have been swept away or something, there aren't many details because no one witnessed it. His body was found close to a week later off the shore of the river, and his death was ruled an accidental drowning.
After Buckley's death, "Grace proceeded to go Gold in the U.S. and other countries and even went 2x platinum in Australia. Rolling Stone magazine included Buckley in it's "Greatest singer of All time" list, and he still features on many "greatest" lists that media outlets put out. His tragic death brought the end to the beginnings of an amazing career and an amazing singer/songwriter/musician.
Jeff Buckley only recorded one album, "Grace", which is an absolute classic in my opinion. The biggest hit from "Grace" is Buckley's cover of "Hallelujah", which he plays on a guitar. It's hauntingly beautiful, both the guitar playing and his singing. Jeff Buckley has a crazy vocal range that allows him to easily sing this song, which if you've ever tried, is really difficult. However, my absolute favorite song on the album is not "Hallelujah". My favorite song is "Lover, You Should've Come Over". I can't tell you how many times I played that when I was in high school. I was pretty angsty and dramatic. I would feel sorry for myself in my car and listen to Jeff Buckley, so I definitely have a connection to his music.
Although considered a classic now, "Grace" didn't sell very well when it was released. Buckley began writing a follow-up album to his debut but it was cut short by his tragic death. on May 29th, 1997, Buckley's band flew to meet him in Memphis, Tennessee, and that night Buckley decided to go swimming in a channel off of the Mississippi River in all of his clothes and boots on. He was with roadie of the band at the time, and when the roadie looked up, Buckley had disappeared. Apparently, Buckley was swimming down the river fully clothed singing the chorus of "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin, when he must have been swept away or something, there aren't many details because no one witnessed it. His body was found close to a week later off the shore of the river, and his death was ruled an accidental drowning.
After Buckley's death, "Grace proceeded to go Gold in the U.S. and other countries and even went 2x platinum in Australia. Rolling Stone magazine included Buckley in it's "Greatest singer of All time" list, and he still features on many "greatest" lists that media outlets put out. His tragic death brought the end to the beginnings of an amazing career and an amazing singer/songwriter/musician.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Hartley, Blog #2 (makeup)
I've loved Rock and Roll for as long as I can remember, and probably a few years before that. But there are few artists that have had an effect on me greater then that of Chuck Berry. And in terms of rock and roll itself, well, nobody had a greater impact.
Berry was truly the king of rock, and he rocked hard. With his catchy songs about romance and American life, Berry set the stage for both Rock and Roll and most popular American music. And with prowess on the guitar- his fast licks, frequent downstrokes, and distinct style- Berry defined all of Rock and Roll, and what it meant to play it. In short, Berry was so crucial to Rock and Roll that you can't really play it without borrowing from him.
And Berry was much more then a musician. He was an entertainer, and one of the best. His wild showmanship, crazy dances, and frantic energy that sent him back and forth across the stage is emulated by many frontmen today, and still defines the essence of the rock frontman: the wildness in rock and roll, the freedom from the judgement of others. Berry was really the one who put all the pieces of rock and roll together, really defined it, really made it into what it is.
But I guess for me, the most amazing thing about Berry is his ferocity. Despite being really one of the first popular rock artists, Berry rocks harder and faster then a lot of punks. He sings loud, to the point where both his voice and the mic often start breaking up. He dances like crazy, flies back and forth across the stage while playing, more energetic then anyone. And he plays hard, and fast, and rocked hard, from the start of the set till the end.
Berry was truly the king of rock, and he rocked hard. With his catchy songs about romance and American life, Berry set the stage for both Rock and Roll and most popular American music. And with prowess on the guitar- his fast licks, frequent downstrokes, and distinct style- Berry defined all of Rock and Roll, and what it meant to play it. In short, Berry was so crucial to Rock and Roll that you can't really play it without borrowing from him.
And Berry was much more then a musician. He was an entertainer, and one of the best. His wild showmanship, crazy dances, and frantic energy that sent him back and forth across the stage is emulated by many frontmen today, and still defines the essence of the rock frontman: the wildness in rock and roll, the freedom from the judgement of others. Berry was really the one who put all the pieces of rock and roll together, really defined it, really made it into what it is.
But I guess for me, the most amazing thing about Berry is his ferocity. Despite being really one of the first popular rock artists, Berry rocks harder and faster then a lot of punks. He sings loud, to the point where both his voice and the mic often start breaking up. He dances like crazy, flies back and forth across the stage while playing, more energetic then anyone. And he plays hard, and fast, and rocked hard, from the start of the set till the end.
Monday, August 5, 2019
Todd Blog Post #5
The Clash are probably my favorite band from the 1970's. My Dad is a huge Clash fan, and as a result, I listened to them all the time growing up and that's why I'm so fond of them.
The Clash were formed in London in 1976, and the main members (even though there was turnover in later years) were lead vocalist and rhythmic guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and lead vocalist, Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon. The Clash were one of the most prominent bands in the creation and commercial success of punk rock both in the UK and the United States.
In 1977, The Clash released their self-titled debut album, which made them very popular in the UK. My favorite songs from this album are "White Riot" and "Hate and War". They followed up their debut album with "Give Em Enough Rope", their second album released in 1978.
In 1979, The Clash released their essential album (in my opinion) titled "London Calling". This album catapulted The Clash in to punk rock superstardom around the world. "London Calling" was named the greatest album of the 1980's by Rolling Stone Magazine a decade later. My absolute favorite Clash song, "Lost in the Supermarket" is on this album and their wildly influential London tribute song "London Calling" (title track of the album) is still used today in many ways. There are tons of movies where people are flying in to Heath Row while this song plays. It was even in a Bond movie in the 1990's when Pierce Brosnan arrives in London. "London Calling from start to finish is a masterpiece. "Spanish Bombs", "Clampdown", "Hateful", "Rudie Can't Fail", and many other songs from this album are some of my favorites. The album cover for "London Calling" is also very influential. Many people have seen the album cover and may not even know what it's from but they recognize it. Paul Simonon is pictured smashing his bass guitar in the cover photo. It's awesome.
The Clash then went on to release "Sandanista" in 1980, which has a bunch of my favorites on it including "Police On My Back", "Somebody Got Murdered", and "Charlie Don't Surf". At this point, The Clash were absolute superstars in England and the United States.
The culmination of all their success came to a head when The Clash released "Combat Rock" in 1982, which spawned the hit single "Rock The Casbah" which turned in to a US top 10 hit and helped the album become 2x platinum.
The band released their final album in 1985 but by then the band's lineup had changed a good deal. Nicky "Topper" Headon left the band because he had a heroin addiction and the band never really achieved the same success again.
The Clash are one of my favorite bands and one of the most influential bands to ever live. If you haven't listened ever, and you want to blow off some steam, turn your speakers up really loud and play "Somebody Got Murdered".
The Clash were formed in London in 1976, and the main members (even though there was turnover in later years) were lead vocalist and rhythmic guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and lead vocalist, Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon. The Clash were one of the most prominent bands in the creation and commercial success of punk rock both in the UK and the United States.
In 1977, The Clash released their self-titled debut album, which made them very popular in the UK. My favorite songs from this album are "White Riot" and "Hate and War". They followed up their debut album with "Give Em Enough Rope", their second album released in 1978.
In 1979, The Clash released their essential album (in my opinion) titled "London Calling". This album catapulted The Clash in to punk rock superstardom around the world. "London Calling" was named the greatest album of the 1980's by Rolling Stone Magazine a decade later. My absolute favorite Clash song, "Lost in the Supermarket" is on this album and their wildly influential London tribute song "London Calling" (title track of the album) is still used today in many ways. There are tons of movies where people are flying in to Heath Row while this song plays. It was even in a Bond movie in the 1990's when Pierce Brosnan arrives in London. "London Calling from start to finish is a masterpiece. "Spanish Bombs", "Clampdown", "Hateful", "Rudie Can't Fail", and many other songs from this album are some of my favorites. The album cover for "London Calling" is also very influential. Many people have seen the album cover and may not even know what it's from but they recognize it. Paul Simonon is pictured smashing his bass guitar in the cover photo. It's awesome.
The Clash then went on to release "Sandanista" in 1980, which has a bunch of my favorites on it including "Police On My Back", "Somebody Got Murdered", and "Charlie Don't Surf". At this point, The Clash were absolute superstars in England and the United States.
The culmination of all their success came to a head when The Clash released "Combat Rock" in 1982, which spawned the hit single "Rock The Casbah" which turned in to a US top 10 hit and helped the album become 2x platinum.
The band released their final album in 1985 but by then the band's lineup had changed a good deal. Nicky "Topper" Headon left the band because he had a heroin addiction and the band never really achieved the same success again.
The Clash are one of my favorite bands and one of the most influential bands to ever live. If you haven't listened ever, and you want to blow off some steam, turn your speakers up really loud and play "Somebody Got Murdered".
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Maguire Post 5
Pink Floyd is one of the most iconic bands in history, and it was started by two architects studying at London institute of technology. The two founders were Nick Mason and the one and only Roger Waters. Shortly after they were joined by Waters childhood friend Syd Barrett and Nick Mason. They are known for their role in psychedelic rock. The band formed in 1965 and played one of their most famous venues recorded live in 1972. It is known as Pink Floyd at Pompeii, and the craziest part of this that there was no audience. When you watch all videos taken of this performance there is no one around, only the band the film crew and the recording crew. In these videos you really see the psychedelic part of Floyd, the video uses transitions of lava boiling with colors. One year later in 1973 huge album came out called "Dark Side of The Moon" this album had some of the best songs on it including "Money" and "Us and Them" This album also had the famous Prism that eventually became the Logo of Pink Floyd. This album shot right to the top of the charts and would stay in the top 200 for 15 years! "Dark Side of the Moon has sold around 50 million copies, this is one of the bands most successful albums. Roger Waters album "The Wall" sold 30 million copies! Also a rumor I would like to put to rest is about the song "Comfortably Numb" A lot of people think that this song is about heroin and doing heroin to feel better while on tour. The song is really about being in pain from being on tour. As we have seen depending on the artist going on tour certainly doesn’t add years to their lives. Some bands go absolutely crazy like Black Sabbath or Motely Crue or even The Rolling Stones if Mick Jagger has kids from ages 46 to 10 you know he was no saint when he was on tour, also look at AC/DC. Floyd was no exception, as we just learned they were really big in psychedelic rock. They did a lot of acid and tripped a bunch, as we saw with Jefferson Airplane this was the demise of the band. Syd Barrett a longtime friend of Waters developed schizophrenia and it became so bad that the band had to move on without him. Three years after the big release of “Dark Side of The Moon” the bands manager died of a heroin overdose. This didn’t stop the band and they kept making really good music and came out with “The Wall” in 1976 and that is loaded with hits and then next their “Animals” album came out it has one of my favorite Floyd hits on it called “Dogs” This song is 17 minutes of awesomeness! I’ll post the link below with links to other Floyd songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-E7_VHLvkE - "Live at Pompeii"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbdpv7G_PPg- "Have a Cigar"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXdNnw99-Ic - "Wish You Were Here"
Hartley, Blog #5.1
Beating the Ramones to the punch by almost a full year, Patti Smith's Horses was the first definitively punk album to come out of the New York punk scene, and thus, (arguably) the first definitively punk record (though the line between protopunk and punk is really too close to call).
Starting her career by modifying (covering just doesn't seem like the right word) jam band classics like Hey Joe and Gloria, Smith was know for inserting spoken word narratives into her songs (her cover of Hey Joe is great example of this). With a background in the avant-garde world, Smith's music was definitively more articulate and artistic then her contemporaries in the NYC punk scene. And when Horses was released in 1975, it catapulted Smith into rock and punk history.
To be honest I have a pretty hard time describing Patti Smith. She just sort of is, and is really unlike anyone else. Like many others at the time, she drew inspiration from the Velvet Underground/Warhol avant-garde scene, but arrived at a distinctly diffrent place from everyone else. Smiths' irreplaceable, powerful vocals and winding narratives, broken up with spoken word poetry and frantic pace fluctuations makes the entire experience of her music both surreal and horrifyingly honest, a reflection of the panic and desperation in life that, in Smith's music, is often far clearer then is comfortable. While she is best known for her covers of other's songs, i'm not even sure you could call what she does covering, as she definitively changes the nature of every song she picks up.
I don't really know what else to say about Smith, besides that you should listen to her music. There's a reason she's iconic. And there's a reason her music is important.
Starting her career by modifying (covering just doesn't seem like the right word) jam band classics like Hey Joe and Gloria, Smith was know for inserting spoken word narratives into her songs (her cover of Hey Joe is great example of this). With a background in the avant-garde world, Smith's music was definitively more articulate and artistic then her contemporaries in the NYC punk scene. And when Horses was released in 1975, it catapulted Smith into rock and punk history.
To be honest I have a pretty hard time describing Patti Smith. She just sort of is, and is really unlike anyone else. Like many others at the time, she drew inspiration from the Velvet Underground/Warhol avant-garde scene, but arrived at a distinctly diffrent place from everyone else. Smiths' irreplaceable, powerful vocals and winding narratives, broken up with spoken word poetry and frantic pace fluctuations makes the entire experience of her music both surreal and horrifyingly honest, a reflection of the panic and desperation in life that, in Smith's music, is often far clearer then is comfortable. While she is best known for her covers of other's songs, i'm not even sure you could call what she does covering, as she definitively changes the nature of every song she picks up.
I don't really know what else to say about Smith, besides that you should listen to her music. There's a reason she's iconic. And there's a reason her music is important.
Patti Smith- Hey Joe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEkmoawOih0
Patti Smith- Gloria (in Excelsis Deo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3Sq3HL2OV8
Patti Smith- Smells like Teen Spirit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ciiCyxOJA
Hartley, Blog #5
Few things can be said about David Bowie that have not already been said. As one of the greatest songwriters and performers of all time, Bowie's career (as Bowie) spanned more then 50 years, 27 studio albums, and countless genres. Constantly reinventing himself in diffrent styles and personas, Bowie's music varied wildly throughout the years, all while retaining a distinctively Bowie flavor.
I think it's important to remember that Bowie's first 4 albums were not particularly successful. (Though they did feature hits like Space Oddity, Life on Mars, and The Man Who Sold The World, many of which charted.) These were Bowie's formative years as a songwriter, and played very clear tribute to his influences with Lou Reed inspired tracks like "Queen Bitch" and more blatant tributes like "Song For Bob Dylan".
After the release of Bowie's fourth album, Hunky Dory, Bowie's work became increasingly theatrical. Obsessed with making a perfect rock idol, Bowie created the character Ziggy Stardust, an incredible, larger then life glam rock icon loosely based on Lou Reed and Iggy Pop (Ziggy is just iggy with a Z). Enthralling, appealing, and headed directly for self destruction, the otherworldly Ziggy became the focus of the 1972 album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars" catapulting Bowie into stardom and remaining one of the great rock albums to this day. After a few years of touring, Bowie shed the role of Ziggy Stardust and moved on to something new.
To even briefly summarize the contributions of Bowie to music as a whole would take a lot of time, and i'm quickly realizing that, as I've only covered the very beginning of Bowie's career. I would really recommend diving into Bowie's discography if you have the time, but there is really far to much here to cover.
Flowing the gender non-conforming footsteps of Lou Reed and Iggy pop, Bowie was quickly hailed as queer icon, and remains one to this day. Often cross-dressing in both performances and daily life, Bowie was fundamental in creating the idea of androgynous glam rock icon. Songs like "Rebel Rebel" actively celebrates gender nonconformity and queer people, as does Bowie's entire career.
Bowie obviously created a ton of important music in the rest of his career, most notably the Berlin Trilogy (Produced by Brian Eno), though there are a ton of really great records made by Bowie. But this blog post is already far too long. Two days before his death in 2016, on his 69th birthday, Bowie released Blackstar, his theatrically planned swan song. An incredible album about his life, death, and image, Bowie wrote and conducted his own funeral, as well as his own legacy. The album hit public ears basically as Bowie died, making his death as incredible, theatrical and otherworldly as his life.
I think it's important to remember that Bowie's first 4 albums were not particularly successful. (Though they did feature hits like Space Oddity, Life on Mars, and The Man Who Sold The World, many of which charted.) These were Bowie's formative years as a songwriter, and played very clear tribute to his influences with Lou Reed inspired tracks like "Queen Bitch" and more blatant tributes like "Song For Bob Dylan".
After the release of Bowie's fourth album, Hunky Dory, Bowie's work became increasingly theatrical. Obsessed with making a perfect rock idol, Bowie created the character Ziggy Stardust, an incredible, larger then life glam rock icon loosely based on Lou Reed and Iggy Pop (Ziggy is just iggy with a Z). Enthralling, appealing, and headed directly for self destruction, the otherworldly Ziggy became the focus of the 1972 album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars" catapulting Bowie into stardom and remaining one of the great rock albums to this day. After a few years of touring, Bowie shed the role of Ziggy Stardust and moved on to something new.
To even briefly summarize the contributions of Bowie to music as a whole would take a lot of time, and i'm quickly realizing that, as I've only covered the very beginning of Bowie's career. I would really recommend diving into Bowie's discography if you have the time, but there is really far to much here to cover.
Flowing the gender non-conforming footsteps of Lou Reed and Iggy pop, Bowie was quickly hailed as queer icon, and remains one to this day. Often cross-dressing in both performances and daily life, Bowie was fundamental in creating the idea of androgynous glam rock icon. Songs like "Rebel Rebel" actively celebrates gender nonconformity and queer people, as does Bowie's entire career.
Bowie obviously created a ton of important music in the rest of his career, most notably the Berlin Trilogy (Produced by Brian Eno), though there are a ton of really great records made by Bowie. But this blog post is already far too long. Two days before his death in 2016, on his 69th birthday, Bowie released Blackstar, his theatrically planned swan song. An incredible album about his life, death, and image, Bowie wrote and conducted his own funeral, as well as his own legacy. The album hit public ears basically as Bowie died, making his death as incredible, theatrical and otherworldly as his life.
Space Oddity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYYRH4apXDo
Queen Bitch (Live W Lou Reed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbxp1hC8vts
Ziggy Stardust: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXq5VvYAI1Q
Rebel Rebel (Live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF551z9KlA8
Heroes (Live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsYp9q3QNaQ
Hudson, Blog 5
The Go Go’s are a band that I think many people are still familiar with or have herd of today, as they are still to this day the only all-female band to wright their own songs and sing their own instruments, and make it to the top billboards. The new wave band was founded in 1978 in Los Angeles by Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, background singer), Elissa Bello (drums), and Margot Olaavarria (bass). The First album the Go Go’s released was titled “Beauty and the Beast” and came to be regarded as the cornerstone album of the new wave genre hitting number 1 on billboard and staying there for a total of six weeks. After this album was released in 1981, they were actually nominated for a Grammy award for the best new artists. Following this nomination, they released another album called vacation and again where nominated for the Grammys! Although the Go Go’s broke up in 1985 they continued to produce music and tour and released the album complication “Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's” which included three new songs. In 2011 the Go Go’s where given the 2,444th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and they had their last tour in 2012. The Go Go’s I think are great examples of true talent, as each band member also had a solo career of some sort, and also made huge accomplishments together as a group.
Crafts, Blog Post 5
Fleetwood Mac was originally a British Blues Band who started in 1967 by Peter Green, a blues guitarist. It wasn't always smooth sailing for Fleetwood mac as they faced a handful of different members while trying to make a name for themselves. Personally, the "original" members aren't who comes to mind when I hear the name, Fleetwood Mac. In 1968, Fleetwood Mac released an album titled Fleetwood Mac (yes, very original if you ask me.) This album featured a more bluesy feel. The members on this album were Peter Green along with Jeremy Spencer, Bob Brunning, and Mick Fleetwood.
After coming and going of members, a handful of albums and name disputes, in 1974 we see Fleetwood Mac make a name for themselves. The only original member in 1974 was Mick Fleetwood. Lindsey Buckingham and his girlfriend, Stevie Nicks, joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974 and the band was now complete. The members were Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and John and Christine McVie. Personally, these are the members I think of when hearing the name Fleetwood Mac.
After signing with a new record label, it was smooth sailing for Fleetwood Mac. In 1975 the band released their tenth album titled, you guessed it, Fleetwood Mac. This album was a turning point for the band and featured Stevie Nicks Landslide, Rhiannon and Say You Love Me. This album was a huge success and sold over seven million copies and landing at number 1 in the United States. Like many bands especially in this time era, we saw drug and alcohol abuse from Fleetwood Mac as a response to high stress.
From there, Fleetwood Mac released more albums with more hits. In 1977 Fleetwood Mac released their album titled Rumors. This album had classics Dreams and Go Your Own Way. This album caused the band much success and won the Album of The Year at the Grammys in 1978. From there Fleetwood Mac released more albums but I think Fleetwood Mac and Rumors were the turning point and best albums they released.
In the mid-90s, the band took a pause and stopped playing together. However, in March of 1997, they got back together and still tour to this day. Fleetwood Mac is a band that will forever be known and will go down in history.
After coming and going of members, a handful of albums and name disputes, in 1974 we see Fleetwood Mac make a name for themselves. The only original member in 1974 was Mick Fleetwood. Lindsey Buckingham and his girlfriend, Stevie Nicks, joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974 and the band was now complete. The members were Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and John and Christine McVie. Personally, these are the members I think of when hearing the name Fleetwood Mac.
After signing with a new record label, it was smooth sailing for Fleetwood Mac. In 1975 the band released their tenth album titled, you guessed it, Fleetwood Mac. This album was a turning point for the band and featured Stevie Nicks Landslide, Rhiannon and Say You Love Me. This album was a huge success and sold over seven million copies and landing at number 1 in the United States. Like many bands especially in this time era, we saw drug and alcohol abuse from Fleetwood Mac as a response to high stress.
From there, Fleetwood Mac released more albums with more hits. In 1977 Fleetwood Mac released their album titled Rumors. This album had classics Dreams and Go Your Own Way. This album caused the band much success and won the Album of The Year at the Grammys in 1978. From there Fleetwood Mac released more albums but I think Fleetwood Mac and Rumors were the turning point and best albums they released.
In the mid-90s, the band took a pause and stopped playing together. However, in March of 1997, they got back together and still tour to this day. Fleetwood Mac is a band that will forever be known and will go down in history.
Bittel 5
During their heyday, British rock group Queen consisted of four members: the flamboyant Freddie Mercury, whose stage persona and wide vocal range made him one of the most influential lead singers in rock and roll, lead guitarist and vocalist Brian May, who penned major hits “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “We Will Rock You”, drummer Roger Taylor, who also brought his talent for writing and falsetto vocals to the group, and bass guitarist John Deacon, who stuck with the band after splits with two previous bass players.
To call Queen a major influence on rock and roll would be a major understatement. Estimates of their total sales range from conservative estimates of 170 million units to potentially 200 or 300 million units, putting them ahead of acts such as AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, and Mariah Carey. Despite this, their first album, “Queen” sold poorly, though critics gave positive reviews of the performance. Their second album, “Queen II”, was released in 1974 and shot the band into the public eye, reaching number five on the UK Album Chart, though these progressive rock albums today are most popular among diehard fans.
Queen’s next release strayed from the progressive sound which they had been known for since the inception of their parent group, Smile, and reached number 2 in the UK with “Sheer Heart Attack” and their next album, “A Night at the Opera” went triple platinum in the US. The first track from the album “Bohemian Rapsody”, a six-minute rock ballad, was #1 on the UK charts for 12 weeks and became one of the first tracks to be accompanied by a huge promotional music video. These albums departed from the heavier progressive and psychedelic metal that US and UK markets had become familiar with, their incorporation of pop-rock gave their group greater airtime on radios but their long rock ballads and incorporation of expensive operas in “Attack” and “Opera” helped cement their legacy as a legitimate rock group. Their music became so renown that, during the peak of their popularity, they broke the attendance record at London’s Hyde Park, performing a show in front of 150,000 fans.
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, the group began to focus on area rock and released pump-up hits “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You”, then scored their first number one hit album in the US with the rockabilly inspired “The Game”, as well as the singles “Under Pressure” and “Another One Bites the Dust”. Waning popularity at home pushed Queen towards international markets until the band began to slow after Freddie Mercury developed AIDS. Following his death in 1991, the group has continued to tour with vocalists Paul Rogers and Adam Lambert, making live appearances such as on American Idol in 2011.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Despite being released in 1975, the Bohemian Rhapsody music video holds the distinction of being one of the 164 videos to reach 1 billion views on Youtube.
To call Queen a major influence on rock and roll would be a major understatement. Estimates of their total sales range from conservative estimates of 170 million units to potentially 200 or 300 million units, putting them ahead of acts such as AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, and Mariah Carey. Despite this, their first album, “Queen” sold poorly, though critics gave positive reviews of the performance. Their second album, “Queen II”, was released in 1974 and shot the band into the public eye, reaching number five on the UK Album Chart, though these progressive rock albums today are most popular among diehard fans.
Queen’s next release strayed from the progressive sound which they had been known for since the inception of their parent group, Smile, and reached number 2 in the UK with “Sheer Heart Attack” and their next album, “A Night at the Opera” went triple platinum in the US. The first track from the album “Bohemian Rapsody”, a six-minute rock ballad, was #1 on the UK charts for 12 weeks and became one of the first tracks to be accompanied by a huge promotional music video. These albums departed from the heavier progressive and psychedelic metal that US and UK markets had become familiar with, their incorporation of pop-rock gave their group greater airtime on radios but their long rock ballads and incorporation of expensive operas in “Attack” and “Opera” helped cement their legacy as a legitimate rock group. Their music became so renown that, during the peak of their popularity, they broke the attendance record at London’s Hyde Park, performing a show in front of 150,000 fans.
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, the group began to focus on area rock and released pump-up hits “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You”, then scored their first number one hit album in the US with the rockabilly inspired “The Game”, as well as the singles “Under Pressure” and “Another One Bites the Dust”. Waning popularity at home pushed Queen towards international markets until the band began to slow after Freddie Mercury developed AIDS. Following his death in 1991, the group has continued to tour with vocalists Paul Rogers and Adam Lambert, making live appearances such as on American Idol in 2011.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Despite being released in 1975, the Bohemian Rhapsody music video holds the distinction of being one of the 164 videos to reach 1 billion views on Youtube.
Decker Blog 5
Growing up my dad's favorite band was The Police, so he has a lot of different CD's that he kept and eventually brought into my life when I was growing up. He liked their style music, for how their music was a little laid back and was enjoyable to sing along to. My family used to play rock band on the Wii and majority of songs available were talked about in this class, including many songs from The Police. Without ever realizing it, my family was singing, drumming and playing the guitar to some of my dads favorite songs.
The Police were formed in London in 1977 and emerged as a new wave of music in the early 1980's. The band members were Sting, who was a song writer, bass player and lead vocalist, Andy Summers on guitar and Stewart Copeland on the drums. They started out as a punk rock band but quickly incorporated reggae, pop and new wave into their styles. In October 1978 they released their first album, getting some criticism from the UK, especially for their song Roxanne due to the content it is about, but it made its way over to the US where it was number 32 on the charts, creating a re release in the UK. In 1979 The Police released their second album titled "Regatta de Blanc" which quickly became the top of the UK charts and was the first of 4 consecutive Number one albums. This album earned The Police a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental, since they performed "Message in a Bottle" on Rock Goes to College. These awards sparked the world tour beginning soon and began the second British Invasion with The Police heading the way.
In 1983 The Police released "Synchronicity" which was the last released album from the group with their hits "Every Breath You Take" , "Wrapped Around your Finger" and "King of Pain". This album was number one in both the UK and the US where it was nominated for album of the year, and "Every Breath You Take" won a grammy for song of the year and Best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals. The Police continued their world tours until the disbandment began in 1986. Sting went solo and recorded and toured his own songs with great success. Summers recorded as a soloist and working with other artists. Copeland produced movie and tv soundtracks with great success as well. They crossed passed periodically through their endeavors and all remained successful without each other. In 2007 and 2008, they reunited and set out on a reunion tour marking the 30th anniversary of their start.
In 2003, The Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame where they performed their three best selling songs "Roxanne", "Message in a Bottle" and "Every Breath you Take".
the police performance at the Rock and Roll hall of fame induction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpc69oAnDxY
The Police Roxanne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T1c7GkzRQQ
The Police were formed in London in 1977 and emerged as a new wave of music in the early 1980's. The band members were Sting, who was a song writer, bass player and lead vocalist, Andy Summers on guitar and Stewart Copeland on the drums. They started out as a punk rock band but quickly incorporated reggae, pop and new wave into their styles. In October 1978 they released their first album, getting some criticism from the UK, especially for their song Roxanne due to the content it is about, but it made its way over to the US where it was number 32 on the charts, creating a re release in the UK. In 1979 The Police released their second album titled "Regatta de Blanc" which quickly became the top of the UK charts and was the first of 4 consecutive Number one albums. This album earned The Police a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental, since they performed "Message in a Bottle" on Rock Goes to College. These awards sparked the world tour beginning soon and began the second British Invasion with The Police heading the way.
In 1983 The Police released "Synchronicity" which was the last released album from the group with their hits "Every Breath You Take" , "Wrapped Around your Finger" and "King of Pain". This album was number one in both the UK and the US where it was nominated for album of the year, and "Every Breath You Take" won a grammy for song of the year and Best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals. The Police continued their world tours until the disbandment began in 1986. Sting went solo and recorded and toured his own songs with great success. Summers recorded as a soloist and working with other artists. Copeland produced movie and tv soundtracks with great success as well. They crossed passed periodically through their endeavors and all remained successful without each other. In 2007 and 2008, they reunited and set out on a reunion tour marking the 30th anniversary of their start.
In 2003, The Police were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame where they performed their three best selling songs "Roxanne", "Message in a Bottle" and "Every Breath you Take".
the police performance at the Rock and Roll hall of fame induction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpc69oAnDxY
The Police Roxanne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T1c7GkzRQQ
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Kruk, Blog #5
The Australian rock band, AC/DC, was formed in 1973 by Angus and Malcolm young. They are a widely known rock-and-roll band that has topped the charts many times. They are the 10th highest selling artist in the United States and 14th worldwide. In 2004 AC/DC was ranked no. 72 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of all Time". In 2010, VH1 ranked them no. 23. With over 200 million records sold worldwide and 71.5 million albums sold in the U.S., AC/DC has been considered one of the best rock bands of all time.
Before the release of their first album, High Voltage, AC/DC went through a lot of lineup changes. The original bass player, Mark Evans, was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977. Their lead singer and co-songwriter, Bon Scott, died of alcohol poisoning shortly after releasing the Highway to Hell album. The brothers were considering disbanding but instead decided to bring in Brian Johnson. The other original member of the group was Phil Rudd, their drummer. The lineup fell apart again during the Rock or Bust world tour due to various reasons. Malcolm Young became ill in 2014, which led to him retiring and being replaced by his nephew, Stevie Young. In November of 2017, Malcolm died. On November 6th, 2014, Phil Rudd was charged with threatening to kill, possession of meth, and possession of cannabis. He was replaced by Chris Slade shortly after. On March 7, 2016, Brian Johnson was ordered to stop touring by his doctor because of his rapid loss of hearing. His last tour was in Kansas City on February 28, 2016. Axl Rose, leader of Guns N' Roses, replaced Johnson for the tour. Due to all the chaos with the lineup, Cliff Williams announced his retirement. Angus Young remains the only original member of the band. Even after all that, it is said that they are still going to be releasing music in the coming years.
One of AC/DC's first successes was when Atlantic Records gave them an international deal in 1976. This helped them gain recognition and bring their albums High Voltage, T.N.T., and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap to the top. During this time, the band toured throughout Europe and then Australia where they eventually paused so they could rebuild their finances before their next album was released. In 1977 they returned to Europe to tour with Black Sabbath. Aside from Ozzy Ozbourne and Bon Scott though, the members didn't get along. AC/DC wound up touring with Rainbow later on in the year. They were a large influence on later bands such as Iron Maiden (who are touring right now) and Saxon. They became widely popular in the US as well, becoming supporting acts for rock acts such as Moxie, Aerosmith, KISS, and Styx. In 1988 AC/DC was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association's hall of fame. They became insanely popular and signed onto a deal with Sony Music. In 2003, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There are so many achievements that this band made that it's nearly impossible to list them all. They were, and still are, widely successful.
A large chunk of their songs were hits and well-known by almost everyone who was alive anywhere between the late 50s and early 2000s. Due to how many of their songs are popular and huge hits, I'm just going to list some of my personal favourites and why they are. Hell's Bells will always be one of my favourite rock-and-roll songs. I think this comes from my parents enjoying this song so much during the band's tours. They have been to two AC/DC concerts and always loved to tell me how they would bring out a huge gong before playing Hell's Bells. I have a t-shirt from one of these tours that my mom got a really long time ago when I was young. She got it in her own size so I could grow into it, which I now have and is one of my favourite shirts to wear. I think AC/DC is one of my favourite bands comes from all the memories I've had listening to them with my parents. Another song I really enjoy is Shoot to Thrill, and no, not because of Iron Man 2 (although I love Marvel movies). I grew up listening to that along with Highway to Hell, Back in Black, Thunderstruck, T.N.T., You Shook me all Night Long, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, For Those About to Rock, Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be, Moneytalks, Rock N' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution, Stiff Upper Lip, and What Do You Do For Money Honey on repeat. These are very memorable songs to me because of how I grew up. Of course, I don't think as many 17-year-olds would be this excited over AC/DC, but it reminds me of my childhood with my family. With their almost-certain return to touring in late 2019/early 2020, my parents promised to bring me to one of their concerts with good seats so I can experience what they call "a REAL concert".
Overall, I'm so glad I grew up listening to this type of music. AC/DC is my favourite rock band and always will be, considering I don't like modern rock as much as I do 80's and 90's. I'm really hoping they announce their tour dates soon because I will be sitting and waiting until then. Their live performances are amazing and the band itself if extremely successful. If you haven't heard many of their songs, I'd recommend listening to more.
Before the release of their first album, High Voltage, AC/DC went through a lot of lineup changes. The original bass player, Mark Evans, was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977. Their lead singer and co-songwriter, Bon Scott, died of alcohol poisoning shortly after releasing the Highway to Hell album. The brothers were considering disbanding but instead decided to bring in Brian Johnson. The other original member of the group was Phil Rudd, their drummer. The lineup fell apart again during the Rock or Bust world tour due to various reasons. Malcolm Young became ill in 2014, which led to him retiring and being replaced by his nephew, Stevie Young. In November of 2017, Malcolm died. On November 6th, 2014, Phil Rudd was charged with threatening to kill, possession of meth, and possession of cannabis. He was replaced by Chris Slade shortly after. On March 7, 2016, Brian Johnson was ordered to stop touring by his doctor because of his rapid loss of hearing. His last tour was in Kansas City on February 28, 2016. Axl Rose, leader of Guns N' Roses, replaced Johnson for the tour. Due to all the chaos with the lineup, Cliff Williams announced his retirement. Angus Young remains the only original member of the band. Even after all that, it is said that they are still going to be releasing music in the coming years.
One of AC/DC's first successes was when Atlantic Records gave them an international deal in 1976. This helped them gain recognition and bring their albums High Voltage, T.N.T., and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap to the top. During this time, the band toured throughout Europe and then Australia where they eventually paused so they could rebuild their finances before their next album was released. In 1977 they returned to Europe to tour with Black Sabbath. Aside from Ozzy Ozbourne and Bon Scott though, the members didn't get along. AC/DC wound up touring with Rainbow later on in the year. They were a large influence on later bands such as Iron Maiden (who are touring right now) and Saxon. They became widely popular in the US as well, becoming supporting acts for rock acts such as Moxie, Aerosmith, KISS, and Styx. In 1988 AC/DC was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association's hall of fame. They became insanely popular and signed onto a deal with Sony Music. In 2003, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There are so many achievements that this band made that it's nearly impossible to list them all. They were, and still are, widely successful.
A large chunk of their songs were hits and well-known by almost everyone who was alive anywhere between the late 50s and early 2000s. Due to how many of their songs are popular and huge hits, I'm just going to list some of my personal favourites and why they are. Hell's Bells will always be one of my favourite rock-and-roll songs. I think this comes from my parents enjoying this song so much during the band's tours. They have been to two AC/DC concerts and always loved to tell me how they would bring out a huge gong before playing Hell's Bells. I have a t-shirt from one of these tours that my mom got a really long time ago when I was young. She got it in her own size so I could grow into it, which I now have and is one of my favourite shirts to wear. I think AC/DC is one of my favourite bands comes from all the memories I've had listening to them with my parents. Another song I really enjoy is Shoot to Thrill, and no, not because of Iron Man 2 (although I love Marvel movies). I grew up listening to that along with Highway to Hell, Back in Black, Thunderstruck, T.N.T., You Shook me all Night Long, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, For Those About to Rock, Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be, Moneytalks, Rock N' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution, Stiff Upper Lip, and What Do You Do For Money Honey on repeat. These are very memorable songs to me because of how I grew up. Of course, I don't think as many 17-year-olds would be this excited over AC/DC, but it reminds me of my childhood with my family. With their almost-certain return to touring in late 2019/early 2020, my parents promised to bring me to one of their concerts with good seats so I can experience what they call "a REAL concert".
Overall, I'm so glad I grew up listening to this type of music. AC/DC is my favourite rock band and always will be, considering I don't like modern rock as much as I do 80's and 90's. I'm really hoping they announce their tour dates soon because I will be sitting and waiting until then. Their live performances are amazing and the band itself if extremely successful. If you haven't heard many of their songs, I'd recommend listening to more.
Friday, August 2, 2019
Diamond Blog 5
The band that I have chosen to write about is the Irish rock band U2, whom have been active as a group for over 40 years. They formed in 1976, a four person group their band consisted of: Bono on the lead vocals, The Edge on lead guitar, Adam Clayton on bass, and Larry Mullen Jr. on drums; remarkably they have consisted of the same lineup their entire career instead of replacing members as time went on, like so many other great rock bands of their generation. They sound has evolved throughout the years, but the themes and messages behind their songs rings true even still today. They have sold over 170 million records worldwide and as of 2005 they are members of the rock and roll hall of fame. They hold the record for most Grammy awards won as a group with 22, almost double the amount of the next closest group Union Station whom have 14.
As a group a large part of their music is about bringing light to certain crisis and humanitarian efforts to help rid the world of diseases around in povirshed areas around the globe. Bono, being the frontman of the band has been extremely vocal and he was actually named the most politically effective celebrity of all time. The band has raised millions of dollars in donations for causes like finding a cure for AIDS and they have been members of both collaborations of Band Aid which stretched over 30 years apart. The band isn't also afraid to get political, as evident by their first major hit Sunday Bloody Sunday, whose lyrics and sound detail an eyewitness account of the 1972 Bloody Sunday incident in Derry, Ireland where British troops massacred Irish civil rights protestors. Having grown up in Ireland during the time of this event and other civil conflicts, this song became an anthem against anti sectarianism violence.
One of their most powerful and poignant performances came on the grandest stage of all in a time where many people needed healing. U2 was selected as the Super Bowl Halftime show performance for Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002, just months after the 9/11 attacks shocked the globe. They preformed three songs, the first was a rendition of Beautiful Day, whose lyrics gave solace and reached out a hand to those stuck in the darkness. During their performance they projected the names of all those who had been lost in the attacks on a large sheet behind them, and at the performance climax Bono unzipped his jacket to reveal an American flag. Having been voted the greatest Super Bowl performance of all time, the band offered something that they always did to those in need, a helping hand.
As a group a large part of their music is about bringing light to certain crisis and humanitarian efforts to help rid the world of diseases around in povirshed areas around the globe. Bono, being the frontman of the band has been extremely vocal and he was actually named the most politically effective celebrity of all time. The band has raised millions of dollars in donations for causes like finding a cure for AIDS and they have been members of both collaborations of Band Aid which stretched over 30 years apart. The band isn't also afraid to get political, as evident by their first major hit Sunday Bloody Sunday, whose lyrics and sound detail an eyewitness account of the 1972 Bloody Sunday incident in Derry, Ireland where British troops massacred Irish civil rights protestors. Having grown up in Ireland during the time of this event and other civil conflicts, this song became an anthem against anti sectarianism violence.
One of their most powerful and poignant performances came on the grandest stage of all in a time where many people needed healing. U2 was selected as the Super Bowl Halftime show performance for Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002, just months after the 9/11 attacks shocked the globe. They preformed three songs, the first was a rendition of Beautiful Day, whose lyrics gave solace and reached out a hand to those stuck in the darkness. During their performance they projected the names of all those who had been lost in the attacks on a large sheet behind them, and at the performance climax Bono unzipped his jacket to reveal an American flag. Having been voted the greatest Super Bowl performance of all time, the band offered something that they always did to those in need, a helping hand.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)