My Rock Stuff (2)
Well, it’s such a sore area – what we all like in the music scene. I’m no afficianado or expert but as a friend said,’I know what I like’.
I met a few music snobs along the way. You will too. Hmmmmm. Begone folks!
Kids I hope you like music – Sandy is into it, Sandy, I hope you keep going after studies, learning the instruments is a superior super power. Stick to it, I wish I had!!
On TV and radio just now, has been for a few years , is the debate amongst fans about which decade was the best for music – 60’s through to 2025’s. It’s good fun, not a bad note amongst them, calling for the best song of any year in any decade. Great debate…..
And of course the 70’s always comes out the winner, yes it does….the early years after Woodstock – see last contribution – and it’s when I started seeing bands live, not as many as I would have liked but convinced me of the power and strength of live music.
BUT there were brain sparking songs on every decade, every year and month of these 50+ years, kids, I just attached to the 70’s as it’s when I was tapping my toes to a tune or two and in a few ways music made sense. Point to note my bonnie grand weans, in a hundred thousand further ways it was an opaque mystery through themes, lyrics and metaphor. Songs I knew for years I discovered their sense and meaning many years later. Some I still don’t get for sure. This from the genius of song and tune writers.
As an aside I often day dream how these musical geniuses, composers, inventors will be remembered, recalled in the future? In future centuries? Will they be the Beethovens, Bachs, Heydns of the 20th century into 25thcenturies? Will the media be trusted to find the worth in the depth of their work or continue as now, find a ten minute headline finding something they didn’t do!!?
Anyway, to the point, or at least one of them. In 1971 ish here are some songs that rang my bell – and this is only some of them.
I dare you, search them out and enjoy!
Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven
Black Sabbath – Children of the Grave (and Paranoid of course)
Don Mclean – American Pie (the day the music died) – plane crash losing Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, Big Bopper and others.
Three Dog Night – Joy to the World.
Jethro Tull – Aqualung (great album too)
Rolling Stones -Brown Sugar
George Harrison – What is Life?
YES – Roundabout
T-REX – Bang a Gong
America – Horse with No Name
David Bowie – Life on Mars
Rod Stewart – Maggie May
John Lennon – Imagine
The Who – Baba O’ Riley
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon.
…… and be sure each of these bands had so many other great tunes – the lyrics of the time were and remain awesome – as the Americans say. C’mon kids, go searching in whatever tech invention is the one you use.
There was a class of rock described by media and more as ‘Progressive Rock’. Prog Rock. Look it up, hear the synthesisers, the beats!!!!
Some of these I listened to were and still are are –
King Crimson
Van Der Graf Generator
Caravan
Focus
Genesis
Jethro Tull
Yes
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Mike OldfieldRenaissance
Camel
Gentle Giant
Pink Floyd
Frank Zappa
Rush
Kids I do hope you get a glance of this some day and maybe a wee follow up. For your enlighten meant of course (also look up age of enlightenment in Scotland – 1740’s.)
My first live rock concert was head banging to Deep Purple – they played their Deep Purple in Rock Album, oh man, just magic.
I’m a Speedking and Sweet Child in Time. X
Oh and if your bag is Middle of The Road, their song Chirpy Chirpy Cheep, then so be it. Love xx