Rock Final Flashcards
(48 cards)
1
Q
Black Sabbath - “War Pigs”
A
- first full-on metal band
- power trio + Ozzy Osbourne (lyrics)
- disregard harmony
- does not represent the virtuosic aspect of metal
- prominent drums
- lyrics - social commentary, war, occult images
2
Q
Cake - “Short Skirt/Long Jacket”
A
- alternative rock
- distinctive style –> heavy bassline, manachi trumpet
- dry, sarcastic humor
- prominent bassline
- call and response
- choked repetitive, catchy guitar riff
- sounds like a party
- lyrics - paradox/contradiction
3
Q
John Denver - “Take Me Home, Country Roads”
A
- singer-songwriter
- tuneful melody with tinge of melancholy
- written about Maryland backroads
- lyrics - nostalgia for home
- folk <==> country rock
4
Q
The Doors - “Riders on the Storm”
A
- bluesy sound
- keyboards
- lyrics - existentialism, dark, relfect Morrison’s poetic/philosophical interests
- off of LA Woman (71) –> last album before Morrison died
- utilized groundbreaking recording techniques
- laidback tempo
5
Q
The Doors - “The End”
A
- blues
- from The Doors (67)
- lyrics - existentialism
- instruments introduced stepwise
- Morrison’s vocals dominate
- keyboards
- experimental - sounds, form, length
6
Q
Snoop Dogg - “Who Am I? (What’s My Name)”
A
- rap
7
Q
Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five - “The Message”
A
- innovator/pinoneer in rap music
- turntable techniques that would revolutionize rap - the sound collage
- completely recontextualized cut and pasted sound clips
- presents a brutal picture of life in the ghetto
- shows that rap music was more than just party music and could be serious social commentary
- 16-beat rhythms
- electronically generated sounds
- rapping - no singing
8
Q
Jimi Hendrix Experience - “Voodoo child”
A
- power trio
- virtuosic soloing
9
Q
Michael Jackson - “Thriller”
A
- black pop
- Thriller (82) album and three music videos
- helped transform the music video from a song-with-video into a mini-film that used a song as the focal point
- denced with virtuosity and expressiveness
- four-on-the-floor bass drum - heavy backbeat
- busy rhythms
- spooky music
- extensive use of electronic instruments in combo with conventional instruments
- denser, more complex texture than disco
- expansive form allows the action in the video to unfold
10
Q
Jane’s Addiction - “Jane Says”
A
- The founding fathers of “Alt Nation”
11
Q
Jefferson Airplane - “White Rabbit”
A
- underground acid rock
- first San Fran band to break into the mainstream
- spanish tinge
- crescendo
- psychedelic sound <==> LSD
- lyrics - repetitive, about drugs, psychedelic images
12
Q
Janis Joplin - “Ball and Chain”
A
- blues rock
- born in Texas in 1943 –> Cali
- Big Brother and the Holding Company–>San Fran, huge hit at Monteray Pop Festival
- died from heroin OD at age 27
- woman empowerment songs
- recorded at Monteray Pop Festival on June 18, 1967
- serious blues influence in this recording
13
Q
Lady Gaga - “Paparazzi”
A
- pop
14
Q
Led Zeppelin - “The Immigrant Song”
A
- hard rock <==> metal
- bluesy
- proto-metal
- fantasy elements
- from Led Zeppelin III (70)
- simultaneous guitar/bass riff emphasizes the beat
- talented musicians
- loud, strong beat
15
Q
Madonna - “Express Yourself”
A
- sexy pop
- combines provacative, shocking and controversial themes and images with bright, accesible music
- shows rapid evolution of the music video
- simple, catchy melody
- trendy sounds and rhythms
- skillful production
- club music
- complete control over her career –> making key decisions about every aspect of production and promotion
16
Q
Metallica - “Master of Puppets”
A
- 80’s trash metal
- also popular outside of core metal cultures
- style changes thruout career
- virtuosic playing
- LOUD
- extended instrumental “solos”
- sectionalized form
- speedy, dark sound
- lyrics - about how drugs can effect your life
- updated metal sounds
- almost no exposure on radio or television
17
Q
Bob Marley and the Wailers - “Get Up, Stand Up”
A
- reggae
- brought international awareness to the reggae genre and its message
- rastafarianism
- the plight of Jamaican people
- choked guitar
- percussive “riffs”
- shows Marley’s political side
- last verse–>speak-singing style is a precursor to rap
18
Q
Nine Inch Nails - “The Day the World Went Away”
A
- industrial rock = pre-existing sounds + white noise
- Trent Reznor - only official member
- strong new-wave synth pop influence
- dynamic contrasts–>high to low
- simple
- fins “the groove”
- depressed, melancholy feeling
- anger–>heavy distortion
- lyrics - one verse, about death?
19
Q
Nine Inch Nails - “Mr. Sef Destruct”
A
- industrial rock = pre-existing sounds + white noise
- new-wave synth pop influence
- intro is a sound sample from a George Lucas film
- dynamic contrasts
- HEAVY, electric distortion
- in-your-face screaming vs whisper-singing
- lyrics - speak to the potential self-destruction in all of us
- sets up the concept of the “downward spiral”
20
Q
Nirvana - “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
A
- Alternative goes mainstream
- grunge = subgenre of heavy metal
- dynamic contrasts
- choked and distorted guitar
- prominent bass line
- syncopated guitar solo
- mumbled-singing style
- lyrics - heavy sarcsm reflects the generation
- a dark song, depressed
- schizophrenic shift from section to section
- extends the emotional range of punk
21
Q
Otis Redding - “Try A Little Tenderness”
A
- soul singer on Stax Records
- backed by Booker T and the MGs
- improvisational
- reached #24 on Hot 100 list in 1966
- slow groove/laid-back –> picks up energy
- soul/gospel singing style
- performed at the Monteray Pop Festival in 1967
22
Q
Pink Floyd - “Speak to Me/Breathe”
A
- The Dark Side of the Moon (73)
23
Q
Pink Floyd - “Money”
A
- The Dark Side of the Moon (73)
24
Q
Pink Floyd - “Time”
A
- The Dark Side of the Moon (73)
25
Radiohead - "How to Dissapear Completely"
* alternative-art rock
* styles - alt/grunge, post-modern, acoustic, prog. rock
* shows musical influences for Johnny Greenwood
* high pitch sound over everything
* acoustic - soothing, dream-like
* sound layers are individually different but integrated seemlessly
* dramatic sound
* strings --\> clashing cluster chords
* lyrics - repetitive
26
Radiohead - "2+2=5"
* alternative art rock
* styles - alt/grunge, post-modern, acoustic, prog. rock
* shows radiohead's "pop sensibility"
* getting away from the concept album
* less studio effects
* syncopated rhythm
* four distinct sections - rhythm and tempo change with each
* lyrics - political, challanges authority
* aburptly cuts off at the end
* title is reference to George Orwell's _1984_
27
Rage Against the Machine - "Wake Up"
* hard rock
28
Rolling Stones - "Sympathy for the Devil"
* blues and rock band
* Dylan-esque folk song - lyrical sophistication --\> questioning humanity
* riff-based
* syncopation
* rhythmically dense
* blues sensibility
* samba rhythm--\>latin percussion
29
Rolling Stones - "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
* blues and rock band
* riff based
* syncopation
* drummer accents the bass
* 8-beat rock rhythm
* catchy melody
* rebellious, free-spirit attitude
* upbeat tempo contrasts with drawn out singing style
30
Rolling Stones - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
* blues and rock band
* break-thru hit in 1965
* riff based
* syncopation
* the rhythm emphasizes the backbeat *and* keeps time
* dense rhythmic texture
* blues sensibility
* chorus/verse form
31
Sex Pistols - "God Save the Queen
* punk rock
* reaction to 70's culture, class warfare
* stripped down music
* 8-beat rock rhythm
* anti-establishment attitude
* 1977 hit
* youth-based reaction to mainstream culture
* very quick tempo
* simple - distorted power chords up and down the fretboard outline simple riff
* guitar and bass in tandem --\> relentless rock rhythm
32
Simon and Garfunkel - "The Boxer"
* singer-songwriters
* unique vocal harmonies
* lots of instruments - bass, harmonica, trumpet, picalo, etc
* unconventional new sounds
* crashing sounds is an elevator shaft sound
* lyrics - hopelessness...carry on anyway
* nonlexical syllables --\> vocables
33
Townes Van Zandt - "Pancho and Lefty"
* blue-collar country music of the 70's
* Outlaw Movement --\> anti-polished, Nashville sound
* singer--songwriter
* greatest hit - many cover versions
* ballad
* lyrics - clever storytelling
* studied at CU-Boulder--\>left because of substance abuse
34
The Velvet Underground - "I'm Waiting for the Man"
* avant garde
* house band for Andy Warhol's club, The Factory
* underground music
* stripped down rock music
* lyrics - about waiting for a drugdealer
* influeced punk music
35
Village People - "Y.M.C.A."
* quintessential disco
* repetitive, cyclical harmony
* dance incarnation of the 16-beat rock rhythm
* electronic instruments and strings
* quick tempo - 120 beats per minute
* stock characters
* coded messages about the gay community
* YMCA became a meeting place for gays
* macho stereotypes/hyper-maleness = gay pinups
* their look was more important than their sound
36
'Weird Al' Yankovic - "White and Nerdy"
* parody of "Ridin' Dirty" by Chamillionaire
37
Monteray Pop Festival
* first major rock festival
* June 16-18, 1967 --\> summer of love
* international
* major artists - Hendrix, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, The Animals, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Otis Redding,
* bridge between two musical scenes: SanFran \<==\> LA
* organized as a charity event to get all the bands to play for free
* model for other rock festivals
* notabl absent - the Stones, the Beatles, motown acts
38
Altamont Free Concert
* December 6, 1969
* artists - santana, CSNY, Jefferson Airplane
* Hells Angels as security
* represents the end of the 1960's ==\> beginning of the darker 70's
39
Counterculture
* late 60's
* political and social movement
* free love, free drugs
* hippies
* protests
* music --\> acid rock
* "turn in, tune in, drop out"
* Timothy Leary --\> LSD
40
Metal
* loud, angry, occult, gothic
* looked down on
* playing at extremely high speeds and tempos
* virtuosity
* speaking/shouting instead of singing
* uses modal system instead of typical major/minor
* visual aspect - black and red colors
* symbols - the occult, folklore, mythology, fantasy
41
Reggae
* origins - ska + rock steady, African influence
* choked guitar
* relaxed tempo
* flexible, fast shuffle-based reggae rhythm --\> the rhythm of the song can be buoyant and lazy at the same time
* Rastafarianism
* describes typical living conditions in Jamaica
* lyrics - hope for change
* Bob Marley brought international awareness
42
Rastafarianism
* colors - green, red, yellow
* dredlocks
* Jah = God
* marijuana - to bring you closer to God
* Prince Rastafari - Ethiopian king claimed to be lineage of Solomon
43
Disco
* 70's dance club music
* dance incarnation of 16-beat rock rhythm
* ebraced all races and groups - including gays
* repetitive, cyclical harmony
* sex and drugs
* discos - place where rich and famous would mingle with poorer unknowns
44
Punk
* angry musical reaction to 70's culture and class warfare
* stripped down rock music - 8-beat rock rhythm
* anti-establishment, crowd-rowsing attitude
* fashion culture but ironically, against consumerism
* gothic-inspired, bondage-themed fashion
45
Alternative
* Started in the 1980's and popular in the 90's
* self-promotion, "indie" labels
* tour-driven
* started out as underground
* generation x - kids from the 60's and 70's
46
Acid Rock
* psychedelic sounds
* experimentation
* blues influence
* utilized recording techniques
* distortion
* music to enhance the trip
* music of the counterculture --\> hippies, mary jane, LSD
47
Grunge
* music for generation x (children of babyboomers)
* lyrics - sarcastic, depressed, realistic
* target audience - angry young people who were not ready to buy into "the system"
* fused punk disaffection with the power and distortion of heavy metal
48
Industrial Rock
* roots in two avant garde trends in classical music
* 1. musique concrete - the assembling of musical compositions from pre-recorded sounds
* 2. electronic music
* Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails
* Reznor conveys in music and words and voice the alienation of the individual in contemporary culture
* sense of alienation created by technology
