MUSC 309: Blues to Rock
MUSC 309 Lecture 14: Rock
I. British Blues revival
A. Fans of traditional, New Orleans style jazz and skiffle also interested in
Blues
1. Creates market for blues re-issues on LP
a. Country blues
b. Chicago blues artists of ‘50s like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker,
Howlin’ Wolf
c. Landmark in English rock: release of Best of Robert Johnson (1961)
d. Can all be considered “deep blues”
i. Clear ties to country blues
ii. Little influence from commercial music styles
2. Blues clubs begin proliferating throughout Britain
3. Skifflers and Trad musicians begin forming bands to perform blues repertoire
a. Cyril Davies and Alexis Korner form Blues Incorporated
i. First English R&B band
ii. Modeled on experiments by Trad jazz bandleader Chris Barber
iii. Training ground for a number of young players
aa. Mick Jagger
bb. Ginger Baker
cc. Jimmy Page
dd. Charlie Watts
ee. Eric Clapton
b. Followed by other “R&B” acts
c. Begin with relatively straight cover versions of Chicago blues
d. Unlike American covers in 1950s, don't change character of music
e. Sincere attempts to emulate style, but often lacking something
4. Eventually yields new rock styles: hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal
5. Blues influences on hard rock
a. Primacy of the guitar
i. Prior to revival, guitarists important members of rock bands, but
rarely featured
ii. Guitar solos also rare
iii. blues focused ensembles around the guitar
b. Guitar tone colors and techniques expand
i. Overdriven guitar sound
aa. Result of pushing amplifiers to limits
bb. Creates “snarling” hard rock guitar sound
ii. Virtuosity becomes important
c. Vocal style
i. Rough, harsh colors of blues singers
ii. Using entire voice, not just refined “singing” voice
aa. vocal glissandos, slurs, and shadings of tone and color
bb. groans, moans, and shouts
d. Improvisation
i. Extended, improvised solos become important part of rock
ii. “Jamming,” based on blues changes
e. More dynamic and aggressive showmanship
f. Increased focus on rhythmic complexity
g. Riff-based compositional style
i. Ex. Kinks, You Really Got Me
ii. Single guitar/bass riff provides melodic interest, rhythmic and
harmonic foundation
aa. Harmonic sequence – two-chord riff played at several
different pitch levels
bb. One for first half of verse, another for second, third for
chorus
iii. Use of power chords
aa three-note chord composed of the tonic, fifth note
of the scale, and an octave above the tonic
bb. Doesn't include the third, necessary component of tonal
harmony, so neither major nor minor
cc. Creates static harmonic feel
iv. Overdriven, distorted guitar sound
II. Rolling Stones
A. Childhood friends Jagger and Richards discover common interest in blues after
hearing Muddy Waters perform in England in 1958
B. Form Stones (named after line from Muddy Waters "Mannish Boy") with other
regulars of Ealing blues club in 1962
C. First hit in England - cover of Chuck Berry's Come On
1. Second - I Wanna Be Your Man, by Lennon/McCartney
2. Most early hits rock and roll, rather than blues, covers
a. But influenced by blues
i. Dense textures, low registers in all instruments
ii. Hard, yet precise drumming creates drive, swagger to songs
iii. Riff-based style, laden with power chords
iv. Rough vocal style
v. Prominent, often distorted guitar
b. Also favor interdependent texture
i. Melodic interest shared between voices and instruments
ii. Can't remove one without lessening whole
3. Manager Andrew Oldham shapes band into the "anti-Beatles"
a. Image as non-conforming rebels
b. Scraggly clothes, scruffy hair, aggressive manner
i. Particularly important - Jagger performing style
ii. Introduces sexual, aggressive strut, flamboyant "front man"
style to rock ( straight out of the blues
D. First U.S. #1 "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
1. Original by Jagger/Richards
2. What makes it work?
a. Riff, colored by fuzztone
i. distorted sound effect achieved by cutting through speaker cone ii. or electronic device that simulates same tone color
b. interesting syncopation
x x x x x x x x x x
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
c. "shuffle" eighth of riff against rock beat of bass, drums
d. Circular quality
i. Avoidance of tonic pitch in riff, vocals
ii. There is a hook - the word "satisfaction"- but rarely hear
aa. Instead, hear the riff or drum break
bb. Old blues trick to build tension
cc. Compare to Spoonful by Charlie Patton
e. Regular but irregular form
i. Verse and refrain
aa. But - really isn't a refrain, except "and I try…I can't get
no…."
bb. Verses same length, but phrases within different lengths
-- very conversational
cc. Also irregular - 18, rather than 16, bars
ii. One big build-up to end, but not end-weighted
iii. Tension finally released by word "satisfaction" on tonic pitch
4. Other things to note/listen for
a. Riff constitutes most melodic interest
b. Forceful drumming
c. Hard, aggressive statements of the beat
d. Against syncopation in all parts
F. Same qualities in Jumping Jack Flash, except
1. More conventional form = verse/chorus
2. Based on 12- bar blues progression with some reharmonization
3. Less reliant on melodic interest of riff
4. More rhythmic layering
a. Syncopated riff
b. Eight beat rock rhythm
c. Backbeat
d. Main beat emphasized by rhythm guitar and bass drum
5. Static harmonic rhythm in verse, much faster in chorus – like “it’s only rock
and roll”
G. Sympathy for the Devil
1. Never a top ten hit, but to many one of the most representative and powerful of
songs
2. Repetition at core of song
a. Intro, and LONG outro
b. verse-chorus form, with 17 bar long verse
verse is 17, rather than 16, measures long
a. But - that's not what shapes the song
3. Shaped by changes of texture, tone color
5. Congas establish samba rhythm (incorporates clave rhythm) at beginning
a. Maracas come in at the beginning of 4th bar
b. 8 beat rock rhythm
6. First verse-chorus
a. Sparse accompaniment of piano, bass, percussion
b. Bass becomes more active in second half of verse
c. Note - "extra" measure is instrumental - homage to 10-6 blues verses?
c. Refrain: based on different chords than verse
7. Second - Piano and bass parts become more active
8. Third - background vocals added
9. Fourth - Verse is guitar solo; vocals re-enter for refrain
10. Fifth - All parts more active, regular 16-beat rhythm under all
11. Outro - vocal improvisation over alternating guitar, piano solos
G. Stones part of first wave of the "British Invasion" of U.S.
1. Invasion groups split
a. Softer, pop-flavored rock and roll acts
b. Hard-edged, raw, basic R&B orientation
2. Beatles (at least in beginning) represented the first group
a. Gerry and the Pacemakers [Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying]
b. Herman's Hermits [I'm Into Something Good, Mrs. Brown You've Got
A Lovely Daughter]
c. Hollies
i. Bus Stop; Stop, Stop Stop
ii. Graham Nash goes on CSNY
3. Stones spearheaded the second; later followed by
a. Animals [House of the Rising Son, We Gotta Get Out of This Place]
b. Kinks [You Really Got Me]
c. Zombies [She's Not There; Time of the Season]
d. Troggs [Wild Thing]
e. Yardbirds
H. Yardbirds
1. One of premiere blues-influenced bands in Britain
a. Particularly recognized for excellence of young guitar player
b. Eric Clapton (b. 1945)
2. "For Your Love" marked move away from blues into psychedelic rock
3. Clapton leaves band in 1965
a. Replaced by Jeff Beck
b. Beck later reinforced, ultimately replaced by 2nd guitarist -- Jimmy Page
4. Joins John Mayall and the Blues Breakers
a. Respected blues (not blues-rock) band
b. Early personnel includes Mick Taylor (would replace Brian Jones in
Stones), Jack Bruce, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood
Mac)
c. Clapton refines blues sensibilities
i. Has more freedom to play solo lines
ii. Begins to receive serious critical, popular attention
aa. Mostly due to proficiency in blues styled solos
bb. Ex. guitar solo from Double Crossing Time, on
Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (1:03)]
iii. "Clapton is God" graffiti appears throughout England
d. Soon leaves band to form Cream
IV. Cream
A. Ginger Baker (b. 1939) and Jack Bruce (b. 1943) two other veterans of blues revival;
B. First "power trio"
1. Lead guitar, bass, drums
2. No chording instrument like guitar or piano
C. Format ideal for Clapton, who preferred long, extended solos, lead guitar fills
1. Rhythm guitar just got in the way
2. Trio format more similar to blues setup
D. Number of top 10 hits in U.K. and U.S.
1. Sunshine of Your Love
2. Strange Brew
3. Both blues-influenced psychedelic rock = hard rock
E. Ex. Strange Brew
1. Arrangement of the traditional blues “Lawdy Mama” with new lyrics
2. 12-bar blues
3. Riff-based accompaniment
a. Riff from the Buddy Guy/Junior Wells “Everything’s Gonna Be
Alright”
b. Complemented by Jack Bruce’s syncopated bass line
aa. Long, jazz-influenced ideas
bb. Makes bass more than just background instrument
c. Guitar solo
i. Lifted, nearly in entirety, from Albert King’s Cross Cut Saw
ii. Nonetheless, well executed, and contains
aa. string bending and vibrato, ala B. B. King
bb. “Loose” rhythmic quality – “floats” over foundation
ii. Inflection of notes for emphasis, rather than sharper accents
d. Rock rhythm present, but irregular emphasis
d. Double time drum patterns and break toward end
F. English blues-rock bands spark similar revival in the U.S.
G. Spearheaded by American guitarist who achieved early success in U.K. - Jimi Hendrix
(1942-1970)
IV. Hendrix
A. Raised in Seattle, listening to Delta, Chicago blues
B. Started career playing backup for Little Richard, B. B. King, and Ike and Tina Turner
C. Forms own group in 1966
1. One of members of the Animals encourages him to move to London
2. Forms power trio - Jimi Hendrix Experience
a. Noel Redding - bass
b. Mitch Mitchell - drums
3. Experience not really a collective ensemble - Redding and Mitchell there to
back Hendrix
C. American breakthrough at Monterey Pop festival
D. Quintessential moment version of Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock
E. Hendrix one of most influential guitarists in history of rock, until death in 1970
1. Expanding palate of rock sounds
2. Known for use of feedback - distorted squeal produced when sound coming
through amplifier taken in by a microphone or pickup on guitar, and then
fed back through amp
3. And other effects pedals
a. Electronic circuits through which sound from pickup routed
b. Alters sound that emerges from amp
c. Common: fuzztone, wa-wa
4. Deafening volume important part of style
5. All of the above influenced by electric blues artists Earl Hooker, T-Bone
Walker
6. Awesome technical mastery of instrument
7. Dynamic performing style
a. "Sacrifice" of guitar at Monterey Pop festival
b. Dominance of stage as soloist
D. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (1967)
1. 16-bar blues form
a. Adds fourth line to traditional aab lyrics
b. Extends length of each phrase, like country blues player
c. Doesn’t follow traditional 12-bar progression
i. Static harmonic rhythm for first part of song
ii. More variety, faster harmonic rhythm in second
2. Uneven, shuffle beat throughout, 4 to the bar
3. Hendrix on vocals
a. Laid back, blues-inflected vocal tone
b. 10-6 division of vocal line, as in Delta Blues
c. Verbal interjections
4. But focus is clearly the guitar solos
a. Loaded with feedback - so much that solo at times overlaps itself
b. Bends strings to emulate blues slide playing
c. Occasional double-note fills, riff-based episodes, single string playing
d. Varies tone color with pedals
5. Darker, textured sound becomes trademark
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