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Is "Rock" US or British?


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My understanding is Rock and Roll dropped the "and roll" when it evolved beyond teen dance music to become "important" and "serious". As soon as it asked the audience to listen to the meaning of the lyrics and the level of musicianship it became Rock. Jazz music evolved the same way decades earlier, but the name stayed the same.

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10 hours ago, stobro said:

My understanding is Rock and Roll dropped the "and roll" when it evolved beyond teen dance music to become "important" and "serious". As soon as it asked the audience to listen to the meaning of the lyrics and the level of musicianship it became Rock. Jazz music evolved the same way decades earlier, but the name stayed the same.

"Important" and "serious" are a bit humorous when you think about the state of mind of many of those who were creating the music. 

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For those of you with a sense of humor:

Rock music played through guitar amps powered by 6v6, 6L6, or 6550 vacuum tubes is American. 

Rock music played through guitar amps powered by EL34, EL84, or KT88 vacuum tubes is British. 

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59 minutes ago, Biz Prof said:

For those of you with a sense of humor:

Rock music played through guitar amps powered by 6v6, 6L6, or 6550 vacuum tubes is American. 

Rock music played through guitar amps powered by EL34, EL84, or KT88 vacuum tubes is British. 

Someone needs to market 666 tubes for people who play metal. 

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On 5/4/2020 at 7:54 PM, ghamerinfrance said:

This is what I mean...Spider murphy gang....and In Munchen steht ein hofbrauhaus...wo die Kinder mussen raus.....Daniel and Dirk all agree :)

oh man this is the darkness of German music... (funny time in my youth in the early 80´s) :-)

If we talking about Rock: Scorpions, Accept , Rammstein (o.k. not mine, but successful) and more..

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On 5/4/2020 at 6:33 PM, LucSulla said:

You have to qualify what Rock 'n' Roll is to say when it happened, though RnR is most certainly American.  I'd argue it's just boogie woogie repackaged with a marketing term and marketed toward white, suburban teenagers.  The main elements of rock - the blues heritage, a back beat, and even distorted, electric guitar - you can find Bob Wills doing in the mid 40s - hell, he has twin, lead guitar in some stuff.  Seriously, how is that far off from Rocket 88?  Is it because a fiddle comes in?  If I didn't know what year it was from, I would assume it was early rock in the 50s.

I don't think Bob Wills invented it either.  That basic vibe had been around since blues was going uptempo and electrified, and I'd argue Rock 'n' Roll is equal parts a marketing term and a music, at least in the beginning.  Kinda like grunge back in the early 90s. 

Whatever rock 'n' roll was, it was nearly dead by 1964 in America.  The Beatles saved it.  I'm aware of tortured logic like this link below, but I think it's trying to contrarian for its own sake.  Motown and Stax (and I fucking LOVE Stax) weren't rock 'n' roll, and had the Beach Boys never made Pet Sounds they'd just be another of many California Surf rock bands.  I'm sure I just pissed off any Beach Boys fans here, but in my opinion, "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Be True to Your School" is just gentrified, suburban pop that took the already somewhat neutered version of RnR Chuck Berry had evolved from folks like Little Richard (and Chuck is on record saying he's a country music guy who started playing rock because he saw a niche for taking what folks like Little Richard were doing and making it a little more safe to sling to white suburban kids - opening interview he gives in the Time Life History of Rock 'n' Roll series).  I mean, Berry has a writing credit on "Surfin' U.S.A."

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/did-the-beatles-save-rock-n-roll/

I'm not sure anyone down here really gave a damn about being true to your school and California girls in 1963 in the same way that people on the west coast did, but, if my west-coast mother and Mississippi-father are a good gauge, even people who didn't give a damn about the Beach Boys gave a damn about The Beatles for the most part.  Throw the Stones in there too, and you pretty much mop up everyone who would love Rock music in the mid to late 60s. 

However, I think to say America or the UK made "rock" is to over simplify.  It wouldn't exist at all if it weren't for the blues, so there's that.  And while America is home of the blues, mainstream America didn't give a shit about in the way they would until the blues artists we were taking for granted went to the UK to play for a bunch of teenagers who had developed a serious blues culture around bootleg albums.  Then a few years later, those UK kids came over here and delivered a new take on an old thing.   At what point does rock 'n' roll happen?  Who knows for sure?  When did it become rock?  Who knows that as well?  What I do believe is that the Rock of the late 60s that birthed all these subgenres would not have happened without the ongoing dialog between the USA and the UK.  There's been a feedback loop there that has existed since the 50s that I think is far more important than the actual creation moment of rock. 

These questions/issues are exactly what I was trying to get at, just better said.

 

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On 5/6/2020 at 8:12 AM, Biz Prof said:

For those of you with a sense of humor:

Rock music played through guitar amps powered by 6v6, 6L6, or 6550 vacuum tubes is American. 

Rock music played through guitar amps powered by EL34, EL84, or KT88 vacuum tubes is British. 

Say that over at TGP, and see what happens.  ;)  :lol:

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I'll take a pass on that, of course. As you well know, the arrogant attitudes prevalent over there are like a farting contest. About 95% essence and 5% substance, and it stinks up the room regardless of who initiated it.

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It really is Germany!

The Beatles played in Hamburg long before they became a thing or The Thing and Elvis served in Germany...🤣

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2 hours ago, Gino said:

It really is Germany!

The Beatles played in Hamburg long before they became a thing or The Thing and Elvis served in Germany...🤣

It's the amphetamine y'all had.  It's good for the rock.  I'm pretty sure a hopped up Jerry Lee Lewis invented punk rock in Hamburg as well. 
 

 

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15 hours ago, LucSulla said:

It's the amphetamine y'all had.  It's good for the rock.  I'm pretty sure a hopped up Jerry Lee Lewis invented punk rock in Hamburg as well. 
 

 

Piano Punk

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