Rock Town Hall • Rock Music Discussion

Musicians Outside the Blues/R&B/Jazz/Country Traditions Who Should Have a Greater Influence on Rock ‘n Roll

Dec 032008

We ran a poll recently that asked “What musician is cited most frequently among rock nerds based on their relation to a famous band long before anyone has heard said musician’s own music?” The most frequent response was La Monte Young, the minimalist composer under whom John Cale studied and who presumably was a great influence on the music of the Velvet Underground. Young is a good example of what I’m seeking from you: Musicians outside the blues, R&B, jazz, and country (ie, North American) musical traditions who you would like to see have a greater influence on rock ‘n roll.

Be creative or call for greater influence by a previously cited influence, such as Pete Townshend’s “Baba O’Riley” influence, Terry Riley. How do you hear these non-North American sounds fitting into your rock ‘n roll? Paul Simon’s dipped outside the North American well with success. Prog-rockers have dipped into the European tradition with varying degrees of success. I know some of you listen to non-Western artists. Have you ever wished more of a particular artist’s sound could be worked into rock ‘n roll?

I look forward to your visionary comments.

Ben Vaughn Combo’s Gus Cordovox Demonstrates the Rockin’ Use of Accordion

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 032008

In answer to Al’s question from a previous thread, I present the following:

Man, remember when you could get three Cheez Stix for a dollar?

Behind the Music: Gumby: The Movie

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 012008

Researching a thread for Rock Town Hall can lead a Townsperson down unexpected alleys and confront us with shocking revelations. The following piece is just such an example. Beware, HVB.

Sometime in the early ’80s, Townsman Sethro and I attended a midnight movie showing of about 30 consecutive episodes of the childhood classic claymation show from our youth, Gumby. It was perfect midnight movie programming! Each time one short episode ended and the Gumby theme restarted we reached new levels of glee! All we were missing was a big box of Quisp.

As soon as my first son reached television-viewing age and could make some sense of cartoons that preceded his generation, I wanted to turn him onto Gumby. I bought him a set of rubber Gumby, Pokey, Blockheads, et al figures, much like the ones I had as a boy. I searched in vain for a good collection of Gumby episodes on VHS or DVD. At the time, there was nothing available along the lines of that midnight movie showing that didn’t come with Amazon warnings along the lines of, “These poor-quality tapes are practically bootlegs.” I did see something legit called Gumby: The Movie. I didn’t take into account that it was made in 1985 and may not have had all the aesthetic qualities of the Gumby I grew up with, but it seemed worth a try for exposing my boy to this important show.

Manson Family Pep Rally Revisited!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 012008

No offense, but does anyone know if a member of Jefferson Airplane was a lapsed fundamentalist of some faith or another? The composition and performance of this song seem to be an attempt at filling some tremendous spiritual void. Please discuss.

The Dream Is Over: San Francisco Burns Out

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 012008

So what have we learned? What happened to the dream of the ’60s San Francisco scene?

The idealistic, revolutionary Jefferson Airplane boarded a Starship and infiltrated the inner workings of M.A.N. Incorporated through a quartet of ’70s AM easy listening hits and, eventually, a couple of early ’80s Corporate Rock anthems.
Two members of the jazz-inspired Santana left to form Journey.
Carlos Santana replaced his once-musicially ambitious bandmates to form his own version of Journey.
The Dead, without changing much of anything, scored a Top 10 hit before Jerry kicked.

The burnout was inevitable, but of all rock scenes, who would have thought Haight-Asbury would turn into a bedrock of Winner Rock?

RIP Mike Terry

Posted by Oats

Dec 012008

One of my favorite elements of the classic Motown sound has always been the baritone saxophone. The man responsible for those distinct, swinging lines, Mike Terry, has died.

It was in 1963, with Heatwave and You Lost the Sweetest Boy, that the sound of Terry’s baritone started bursting out of young America’s transistor radios. Restricted by the production team of Lamont Dozier and Eddie and Brian Holland to short interludes before the final chorus, usually no more than eight bars long, he made the most of his opportunity with a heated approach that was short on melodic invention but long on rhythmic drive.

Incidentally, the Guardian obit says he died Oct. 30, which I assume is a typo and should read “November 30.”