Lesson Seven: Internet Killed the Record Store Star
This is the sixth chapter in an online home school curriculum designed to teach 20th Century Western History through the lens of Rock & Roll. For overview and other chapters, visit the main page. If rock & roll (and related genres) was a major factor in the culture of the latter half of the 20th century, it would be technology that would take centre stage in the new millennium. No aspect of life would be untouched by evolving tech in the first two decades of the 21st century, and music was no exception. Internet Killed the Record Store Star From the dawn of recorded music until the 90s, the music business experienced nearly continuous growth. But when a college student named Shawn Fanning figured out a way to trade music online, anonymously, easily and for FREE, it sent shockwaves through the recording industry. The industry reacted by taking legal action against ‘Napster’, but the proverbial genie was out of the bottle. Never again would trading money for a physical copy of an album be the dominant driver of the music business. Eventually subscription streaming services would emerge as the go to model, monetizing the new file sharing capabilities. A new generation of music fan would never understand the necessity of visiting the mall in order to hear a new release from their favourite artist. Direct Connect Before the internet era it was record companies, radio programmers and MTV who controlled the industry. In order to be heard by a large number of fans, new artists would have to convince executives to ‘break them’ to the public. A relatively small number of gatekeepers essentially decided which artists and what sounds would become popular. The new technology of the 21st century flipped this model on its head. Home studio software made it possible for independent bands to record themselves, removing expensive studios from the equation. File sharing made it possible to spread music instantaneously, without the involvement of physical distribution networks. Blogs ushered in a new wave of independent music journalists, creating an ever diversified landscape of press who were keen to magnify a wide range of sounds. Social media gave artists an opportunity to connect directly with their fans. Today major labels, mainstream press, radio conglomerates and giant management companies still play an important role in defining the pop landscape, but it has become ever-more achievable to find a fanbase through independent means. Many artists have utilized this model, from major acts to local favourites with a few hundred followers. No longer is ‘success’ in the music industry an all or nothing proposition. The days of living in poverty until suddenly being transformed into an international superstar by a man in a limousine are passe. Hip hop has been a beneficiary of this model. Artists independently release a steady stream of material, making full use of social media and cross promoting their music through frequent collaborations with other artists. Rock & roll bands have been slow to adapt, and as a result have seen a major decline in popularity. Rock & roll is alive and well in live concert settings, but as a commercial force has fallen behind other genres, particularly amongst the youth. A famous example of this is the case of Chicago rap-star ‘Chance the Rapper’, who famously cultivated a massive fan base without any help from a major label. The Fan is the Star Part of the historical function of rock & roll was as a driver of culture. People who felt voiceless turned to bands to magnify their message. Simply wearing a band’s t-shirt was a way to identify yourself with their message and culture. Today social media fills that void. We are all the stars of our own little media show, directly communicating our personas and viewpoints in real time. Music remains an important part of our lives, but as a means of self-expression it has arguably became less vital. Festivals such as Coachella are as much about fashion, food and selfies as music. Musicians understand this, and have utilized social media to grow communities of fans. Artists such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga and the Insane Clown Posse have cultivated fan groups called ‘Beyhive’ ‘Little Monsters’ and ‘Juggalos’. This sense of community makes their fans not simply passive observers of art, but an active part of it, providing a sense of co-ownership and amplifying their connection to the music. The Great Expanse Under the label system artists were often pressured to fit their sound and image into specified genres for the sake of marketing campaigns. In today’s world, where artists self-record and self-promote, the possibilities are endless. Rock songs with...
Lesson Six: Here We are Now, Entertain Us
This is the sixth chapter in an online home school curriculum designed to teach 20th Century Western History through the lens of Rock & Roll. For overview and other chapters, visit the main page. As the 90s kicked off, the time was right for more musical revolution. The slick 80s world of fun jams, hairspray and beautiful people was a sitting target. As cynicism and realism took root in mainstream culture, various music genres responded in their own unique way. And Now for an Alternative… As the 90s began the predominant rock & roll sound was still ‘Hair Metal’. These bands sold an image based on excess, sex and make up. But a new war was brewing in the Middle East, the HIV threat made free love a perilous proposition and a generation of so called slackers were fixing for something edgier. Enter Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder and the summer of 92. Is ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana an overrated song? Perhaps, but there’s no way to exaggerate the impact that song and video had upon pop culture. It didn’t sound like anything else at the time. It didn’t look like anything else either. Quicker than you could walk LA’s Sunset Strip hairspray was out, messy hair was in. Leather and power ballads were replaced by flannel and aggressive nihilism. Hollywood was no longer the centre of the rock & roll universe, that designation belonged to Seattle, a rainy town previously known mainly for coffee. So called ‘alternative music’ had bubbled beneath the surface for most of the 80s, but with the release of Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ album the press, MTV and a large swath of the population became obsessed with it, almost overnight. Poison, Motley Crue and Skid Row were out of a job, replaced in pop culture by anything dubbed ‘Grunge’. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Hole, Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins may not share a sound, a vibe or even an attitude, but as far as anyone was concerned they were ‘the Seattle Sound’ (even if some of those bands weren’t from Seattle). Before long a group of kids from Australia named Silver-chair would be releasing a ‘grunge album’ while a sugar-coated teenage pop star from Canada named Alanis would be taking over the world with an album full of angry songs inspired by a bad relationship that may or may not have involved a certain uncle from Full House. As ‘alternative music’ ruled the charts a popular question became ‘alternative to what?’. Nirvana lead-singer Kurt Cobain was hailed as a conquering hero, taking rock & roll back for the freaks and weirdos. He was anointed king, a role he was never comfortable with. It could have been a contributing factor in his 1994 suicide. Gangster Rap Rap music had been the sound of the New York streets until it was taken mainstream by the likes of MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice and others. Many feared that it would wind up as just another musical movement co-opted by an industry obsessed with mass marketing. Enter the West Coast. The Los Angeles of the early 1990s was a land of gang wars, police brutality and simmering tension. NWA, Ice-T and others brought that reality to records with gritty and obscene songs that shocked and outraged mainstream society. But it would be the duo of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg that would crack the perfect formula: presenting tales of gangsta life atop feel good funky beats. Combining brutal realism with sing-songy choruses Snoop Dogg became a real life comic book character. On the news channel he was facing an actual murder case. Flip to the music channel and he’s magically transforming between man and dog, attending parties with half naked woman in the magical land of Compton. In 1991 a group of LA police officers were video taped swarming and beating a black motorist named Rodney King. Rappers were quick to note that this video provided evidence of the situation they had been talking about for years. After a 1992 trial found the officers not guilty of police brutality, the anger simmering on the streets of LA exploded. Days of rioting followed, putting the eyes of the world on Los Angeles and shining a spotlight on the rappers who had been chronicling the situation on record. The events only further catapulted hip hop music into the mainstream. As Snoop, Cypress Hill and Tupac brought LA to the forefront of the hip hop world, NYC mounted a comeback with new artists such as Nas, Wu Tang Clan and Notorious BIG, creating some level of tension between the cities. Nobody really knows...
Lesson Five: Video Killed the Radio Star
This is the fifth chapter in an online home school curriculum designed to teach 20th Century Western History through the lens of Rock & Roll. For overview and other chapters, visit the main page. Decades are difficult things to explain, and any attempt to do so that spans less than 50,000 words should be considered a generalization at best. With that being said, let’s take a go at it! After the social struggles and political conflicts that characterized the 60s and 70s, the 1980s sold the dream of fun, money and patriotism. When US President Ronald Reagan promised to boost the economy and help people forget their troubles most Americans responded favourably. What followed was brighter clothing, bigger movies and more credit cards! Music was no exception to this trend, as 80s artists emphasized fun and superficiality. On Aug 1, 1981 a new American TV network debuted called MTV. The network, which took advantage of the rising cable TV trend to reach a national audience, relied almost solely upon music videos for content. Prior to this, music videos had primarily been afterthoughts. Serving as promotional clips for a new album, videos mainly aired as part of variety programming, or were packaged together for weekly local-market shows. MTV (and the Canadian video channel Much Music, which followed in 1984) blew the music video sky-high. Almost immediately they became the predominant way in which artists and labels marketed new music. Fans celebrated the addition of a visual element to the music-consumption experience, while critics complained of dumbed down music, shrinking attention spans and loose morality. Nothing would ever be the same. The Video Vanguard In its early days, MTV stuck to a strictly ‘rock’ format (or, according to its critics, a strictly white format). Videos mostly consisted of basic cinematography and toothless performances. When artists and labels began to realize the power of MTV, however, they began pouring creativity and money into music videos. A number of groundbreaking artists began to truly harness the star making potential of the medium. Michael Jackson had been a household name since he was a child in the 60s. His fame exploded into a whole new stratosphere with the release of his 1982 album ‘Thriller’. The nearly 14-minute zombie-themed mini-movie for the title track elevated the artform, outshining many full-length movies. Not only did the gloved one shatter the MTV colour barrier, but with a a combination of well-crafted music, incredible dancing and irresistible videos, he became the biggest music star on the planet. Madonna had been but another performer drowning in a sea of post-disco singers until she learned to harness the power of the music video in her quest for domination. The singer/dancer utilized a mixture of feel-good pop music and provocative videos to become one of the decade’s most enduring stars. Madonna pushed the envelope by combining sexually liberal themes and imagery with religious iconography. The old adage ‘controversy sells’ certainly applied. Perhaps no 1980s upstart received more critical praise than multi-instrumentalist and fashion icon Prince. With a stunningly consistent quality of music and a look all his own, Prince wasn’t content with mere music videos. The Minnesota native went so far as to star in his own semi-autobiographical movie, ‘Purple Rain’. Heavy Metal Party The 1980s were also somewhat of a heyday for heavy metal. While much of early metal was sludgy and focussed on dark themes, MTV helped make 80s metal (or ‘hair metal’) a boy-girl party beamed straight from Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip. Videos from bands like Motley Crue, Poison, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Whitesnake featured guys with big hair, girls with small outfits and lots of fireworks. A far cry from Black Sabbath’s tales of industrial doom, the 80s metal seen on MTV offered ‘Nothin’ But a Good Time’. Hair metal was not without its critics, though, who tended to fall into two camps: 1. Metal fans concerned that their favourite genre was being stripped of its original aesthetic. 2. An unlikely coalition of Christians and feminists who felt that metal’s hyper-sexualized imagery objectified women. For MTV fans, however, it was the perfect soundtrack for the feel-good 80s. The Emerging Underground While it’s tempting to look at the 80s as one big, bright party, things were happening just below the surface that would set the stage for the decade to follow. As Def Leppard and friends brought the glam to MTV, Metallica and other metal bands appealed to hardcore fans with a new level of thrash. While MC Hammer danced for mass audiences, Ice T and others elevated the level of gritty realism in hip hop. As Duran Duran blurred the line...
Lesson Four: 1977: The Metal, Punk, Disco & Hip-Hop
This is the fourth chapter in an online home school curriculum designed to teach 20th Century Western History through the lens of Rock & Roll. For overview and other chapters, visit the main page. During rock & roll’s early days in the 1950s, Baby Boomers were a major target market. By the 60s they were the primary listeners and creators. In the 1970s, however, the phenomenon which started a major cultural revolution was beginning to be hit with a few revolutions of its own. By the latter part of the decade there was a generation of young artists and fans that may not have even been alive when Elvis shook his hips on the Ed Sullivan show. A genre which had arose from a wide range of American roots music had now splintered, giving birth to the likes of heavy metal, punk rock, disco and hip-hop. Let’s look at these changes through the lens of one particularly momentous year: 1977. Heavy Metal Powerhouses Heavy metal enthusiasts don’t always agree on exactly how their genre developed, but any telling of the rise of heavy metal will mention pioneers ‘Black Sabbath’ who emerged in the late 60s. According to Wikipedia ‘With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness.’ Unlike the other genres mentioned below, heavy metal was already well established by 1977. Bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest continued advancing the music, and the culture that went along with it. Notable 1977 release came from bands such as Kiss, AC/DC and Motorhead. Kiss’ live album ‘Alive 2’ was released in 77, and featured this performance of ‘Shout It Out Loud’ Punk Rock Revolution The 1960s saw the emergence of garage rock: a style that often featured ‘basic chord structures’ and ‘an unsophisticated and aggressive delivery’. By the late 70s, this had evolved into a full blown ‘punk rock’ movement. Punk rock was many things, a musical style, an attitude, a sense of fashion. It rejected the righteous optimism that characterized the 60s hippy movement and was openly hostile towards commercialism and mainstream success. Anti-authoritarian ideology was a key component. By 1977 punk rock was getting headlines, particularly in the two major cities where its rise unfolded: New York and London, England. In NY, artists like the Ramones, Television and Patti Smith provided a new, stripped down snark. Meanwhile, in the UK, the likes of the Clash and the Sex Pistols were shocking the public on a regular basis. In late 76 the Sex Pistols had sent jolly old England to the brink of fuming rage with an obscenity laced prime time interview on the BBC. In 77 they upped the ante, releasing the song ‘God Save the Queen’, an attack on perhaps the nation’s most cherished institution. The Clash’s song ‘1977’ epitomizes the genre’s ‘tear it down and start again’ attitude toward rock and roll. Listen as singer Joe Strummer sneers ’No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones in 1977.’ Peak Disco Like most aspects of life, rock & roll eventually developed a sense of tribalism. The hippy movement was supposed to represent peace, love and protest. Punk rock was a backlash to materialism and self righteousness. Disco, by contrast, seemed to exist for the sole purpose of having a good time. As a result it had many detractors. Like rock & roll before it, disco music had a wide range of roots. New York City and Philadelphia saw dancers partying until the wee hours. For the first time live DJs became as important as the artists themselves, and the most popular ones mixed together danceable tracks from various genres in an effort to keep dance floors packed. The scene was said to be hedonistic, and featured liberal attitudes towards drugs and sexuality. What began as an organic underground movement inevitably went mainstream. 1977 saw two pivotal moments in the history of disco: the opening of the famous ‘Studio 54’ nightclub in New York City, and the release of the massively successful disco-themed movie ’Saturday Night Fever’, starring John Travolta. What goes up, however, must come down. As a growing number of gimmicky disco songs began dominating commercial radio, hard rock enthusiasts unleashed a backlash. The ‘disco sucks’ movement culminated in a baseball stadium riot in 1979, which came to be known as the ‘Disco Demolition Derby’ (seriously, look it up). At the time, disco was often criticized for being sugary, hollow, materialistic and devoid of meaning. Modern day reflections have altered this viewpoint. Not only has...
Lesson 3: Peace, Love & Generational Divide
This is the third chapter in an online home school curriculum designed to teach 20th Century Western History through the lens of Rock & Roll. For overview and other chapters, visit the main page. Peace, Love and Generational Divide: The Rise and Fall of the 1960s Hippie Era As the 1960s progressed, it became apparent that the Western World had entered a time of change. Many of the Baby Boomers we discussed in earlier chapters were off to college and becoming more concerned with social issues. The movement for African American civil rights was gaining attention, with leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gaining national prominence. Feminism and women’s rights picked up momentum. Many young people became vocally opposed to the United States war in Vietnam. All of these movements caused huge controversy, and all were reflected in the youth culture and music of the time. Young people imagined an idealized society that broke free of the problems they associated with their parents’ generation. It would take volumes of books to accurately depict these goings on (and indeed such books exist), but since the scope of this course is brief overview, let’s proceed with a ridiculously brief recap. Hippies, Woodstock and Psychedelic Rock Today, with social media, we can easily tell who agrees with our point of view on cultural issues, who sees life the way we do. Before such tools existed, people tended to look for other cues on who might be a kindred spirit, such as appearance or musical preference. Young people in the 60s grew their hair long, dressed more liberally and challenged traditional sexual ideas. Sometimes they lived together in communes, living arrangements that were designed as an alternative to mainstream society. In short, many of the Baby Boomers were certain that they were in the process of inventing a revolutionary new point of view that would fix many of the world’s problems. Part of the ‘hippy’ lifestyle involved the music of the day. So called ‘psychedelic rock’ provided a more freewheeling experience than the music of the past (the experience was often combined with psychedelic drugs). Perhaps the peak of this movement occurred in the summer of 1969 with the famous Woodstock Festival. The three day concert was stack filled with the who’s-who of the era’s popular musicians, and was held in a farmer’s field in upstate New York. Over 400,000 people attended, and many more tried, unable to reach their destination due to massive traffic jams. The concert was dubbed ‘3 Days of Peace and Music’ and for those in attendance it represented somewhat of a utopian alternative to mainstream society. For the media it served as an example of the scale of the youth movement. Artists included Joan Baez, Santana, the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, the Who, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix and many more. Jimi Hendrix’ electric guitar version of the American national anthem at Woodstock is one of the most iconic moments in the history of rock & roll. Females who played a major role in 60s music included Janis Joplin, Mama Cass and Jefferson Airplane front woman Grace Slick. Check out Jefferson Airplane’s performance of ‘Somebody to Love’ at Woodstock. Motown: America’s First Major Black Owned Record Label So called ‘race music’ was always central to rock & roll, but black artists often worked within the framework of white-owned companies. In 1959 African-American Berry Gordy Jr. founded Motown Records in Detroit. The label’s mix of soul and pop made it a powerhouse in the 1960s music scene, and helped further the racial integration of American music. In the label’s early years Gordy insisted his artists largely avoid politics and stick to universal themes such as love and heartache. Nonetheless, as the civil rights movement progressed, Motown’s success served as a powerful reminder of the potential of a culturally and economically integrated country. Artists such as the Miracles, the Four Tops, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye made Motown one of the predominant record labels of the era. Perhaps none of the artists better optimize Motown’s 60s success than Diana Ross and the Supremes. ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ is a relatable song about a relationship where one partner fails to return the other’s love, while also refusing to end the relationship. It’s just one of their major hits. For those wishing to do a deeper dive on the era’s premiere soul music, a good place to start is with collections of hits from the Motown label, as well as their contemporaries, Memphis’ ‘Stax Records’. Swingin’...
Lesson 2: The Brill Building, the Beatles & the British Invasion
This is the second chapter in an online home school curriculum designed to teach 20th Century Western History through the lens of Rock & Roll. For overview and other chapters, visit the main page. The Brill Building Sound The music industry has always represented a strange mix of art and business. At various times the power has shifted one way or the other. Prior to the emergence of rock & roll, much of the ‘big band’ business had been conducted in an area of New York City known as Tin Pan Alley. As rock & roll gained popularity, a lot of business was still conducted in this area, particularly in a building known as the ‘Brill Building’. Songwriters would go to work in the morning and report to their cubicles, each of which included a piano. Their job would be to write the next hit song, which would be assigned to various singers. The recording, publishing, legalities and promotion would often take place within the building. Under this system the singers themselves were considered replaceable, and held very little power. By today’s standards the songs seem innocent and sweet, but dealt with themes that are still relevant today, including the universal desire to be loved. In today’s world, breaking up is still hard to do, and it’s still possible to be overtaken by tears if your crush leaves the party with somebody else. Neil Sedaka was one of the few Brill Building songwriters who actually recorded his own songs. This one’s a classic. This Brill Building song by the Shirelles deals with an adult topic. A pop song today would likely deal with this theme explicitly, although the social norms of the day dictated that they address it in a more subtle way. When you listen to music, do you listen to the lyrics? The Beatles American teenagers were not the only ones who enjoyed the new rock & roll sound. Across the pond in Britain young people were soaking up the sounds of American music, and forming their own bands. The history of the United States and Britain is a complicated one. European settlers, many British, had founded the colonies that eventually formed the United States. America became its own independent country after overthrowing British rule in the War of Independence in the late 1700s. Although much had taken place since then, including the two empires fighting on the same side in the world wars, it was the power of rock & roll that really bridged the gap between American and British youth cultures in the 1960s. The most famous of the British bands are the Beatles, four young men from Liverpool, England who formed in 1960. Their early original songs centred around themes such as love, holding hands and letting your significant other drive your car. In February of 1964 the band made their first trip to the United States. They were expected to make a big splash, but nobody was prepared for the hoopla that ensued. An estimated 3,000 screaming fans greeted them at the airport in New York City. On Sunday, Feb 9, the group performed live on the Ed Sullivan Show, a night that is considered one of the most memorable in rock history. The Beatles poppy sound, floppy haircuts and playful nature made them instant favourites of the American press. Just three months earlier US President John F Kennedy had been murdered, a traumatic event for the nation. Some have suggested that a desire to embrace something fun and playful in such a troubled period of time contributed to the Beatles early American popularity. For the most part, the Beatles wrote their own songs, which inspired many other bands to do the same. This represented a shift from the ‘Brill Building’ way of doing things, swinging some of the power back toward the performers. During their ten years as a band the Beatles wrote an incredible number of memorable and beloved songs. Their early material could be described as sweet and catchy, while their later songs were increasingly experimental. Their massive catalogue of hits, together with the drama surrounding their evolution, personal relationships, love lives, drug use, social comments, conspiracy theories and ultimate break up make the Beatles a source of fascination to this day. Beatle John Lennon was murdered by a crazed fan in 1980, while George Harrison died of cancer in 2001. Paul McCartney remains an active musician, while drummer Ringo Starr pops up from time to time as well. Witness the Beatles famous Ed Sullivan performance below. The British Invasion While the Beatles may have been the most famous British band of the era,...
Lesson 1: Roots, Boomers and Swingin’ Hips
This is the first chapter in an online home school curriculum designed to teach 20th Century Western History through the lens of Rock & Roll. For overview and other chapters, visit the main page. Rock & Roll Roots and Origins Like most developments in culture, technology and art, rock n roll did not simply appear out of nowhere. The United States, particularly the American south, had a rich tradition of musical innovation dating back to the early 1900s and beyond. Various forms of music arose organically, including Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Country and Folk. Each of these musical genres enjoyed popularity, as did Rhythm and Blues, which was called ‘Race Music’ at the time, as it was predominantly an African American style of music. Eventually these forms of music began to borrow from one another, creating endless musical possibilities. From this, rock and roll emerged. One early song that leaned in a ‘rock n roll’ direction was 1938’s ‘Roll Em Pete’ by Big Joe Turner. Check it out! Are you a musician or a major fan? Dig into the pre-rock and roll genres listed in the paragraphs above. At first listen it doesn’t necessarily resemble today’s music, but valuable lessons in innovation and musicianship await those who study it more closely. Boomers, Urbanization & Technology As is often the case in history, several factors aligned to have unexpected long term results. World War 2 ended in 1945, which meant that a lot of young soldiers returned home to America, many of whom married and started families. Their children represented a new generation, and were referred to as ‘Baby Boomers’ Generally speaking, this period saw more people moving toward cities, which resulted in a greater number of white and black people living in closer geographical proximity. As a result, musical and cultural influences began to spread. Prior to WW2 one of the most popular forms of musical entertainment were ‘Big Bands’, which consisted of large groups of musicians playing a variety of instruments, including brass. During the war many musicians were fighting overseas, so the musicians who remained at home formed themselves into smaller groups. When the war was over, the trend stuck. After all, why split a pay check amongst 15 people, when you can split it amongst four or five? The Concept of the Teenager Ever since there have been human beings, there have, of course, been people between the ages of 13 and 19. But the concept of ‘the teenager’ as a demographic group, or even a term, did not become popular until after WW2. Traditionally young people wanted to move into adulthood as soon as possible and graduated from being ‘children’ to ‘working adults’ almost overnight. As the economy picked up, families could afford to support their children for longer periods of time. The job market was diversifying beyond traditional labor intensive jobs, and a greater emphasis was being placed upon getting a high school education. These factors resulted in larger numbers of young people with free time on their hand, and an interest in culture and socialization. Meanwhile, a rise in the popularity of record players meant that the recording industry was picking up steam. When radio stations began playing rock and roll music for these newly named ‘teenagers’, the scene was set for the rock and roll revolution. Early Rock Heroes There are so many examples of early rock and roll stars that I won’t even attempt to list them, although I encourage everyone to dig into it on their own. Chuck Berry’s was a rock n roll artist who gained a major following. Check him out here performing his song ‘Maybellene’ for a foreign audience. Note the guitar solo at 2:18. Another big early hit was ‘Rock Around the Clock’ by Bill Haley & His Comets. It marked the first time many people had heard music so uptempo. Although it seems relatively tame by today’s standards, it caused riots at the time! Another popular form of music was ‘Doo Wop’. Much (and sometimes all) of the elements in a doo wop song came from vocals, as opposed to instrumentation. This meant that any group of people could get together and form a band, even those lacking the money to purchase instruments. Some of the vocals revolved around making sounds, such as ‘doo wop’, which is where the genre got the name. Check out this performance of ‘In the Still of the Night’ by Fred Parris and the Satins. One event that shook rock n roll fans was the death of stars Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and ‘The Big Bopper’ in 1959. While on tour, their small private plane crashed....
Six Tips for Working from Home
The Coronavirus outbreak has a lot of people taking extraordinary measures, not the least of which being working remotely from a home office. I began working from home in 2008, and have, more or less, ever since. People often tell me that they don’t think they would be able to do it, but I’ve quite enjoyed it. The following tips are some tips I’ve thrown together, designed to help you stay productive – and sane! Have a Schedule. Relax It, But Definitely Have One! The first rule of working from home is that you are still working. Drill that into your head. If you’re in the middle of doing some work, and you impulsively jump up to start sweeping the floor or washing dishes, you are not being a good house cleaner, you’re being a shitty employee. Some remote workers remain tied to a time schedule. If that’s you, then I guess you don’t have the flexibility to make your own hours, so deciding upon a schedule is easy. Alternately, if you’re like me and your work is ‘task based’, it’s up to you to manage those hours. I will often break every few hours to do housework or go for a walk or watch a TV show. But when I’m working, I’m working. So remember, you’re not ‘sort of working’, you’re working! Have ‘The Talk’ Now that YOU understand that you’re still working, it’s important that your housemates understand that as well. You wouldn’t ask your significant other to run errands in the middle of their office hours, so the same respect should be shown for home office hours. Of course, if you’re making your own schedule, you are free to break at mid day to relax, do chores or run errands, but the time will have to be made up for in the evening. The important thing is to PLAN for your breaks, so that you can manage them. Don’t do a ton of crap willy-nilly. It’s not Saturday! Designate a Specified Room Having a specified room that you can go to is a key way to remain focussed. I am lucky enough to have an office in my house. Some people may have to set up makeshift rooms, but what they lack in comfort, they make up in symbolic importance. Having said that, I work at my desk, I work on the couch, in summer I’ll work on my front deck. Sometimes I’ll even take my laptop to the library or to a park and work from a picnic table. But when I really have to think or hunker down I hit the office and close the door. Be Professional. Do What You Must to Make It ‘Feel Like Work’ Some people that work from home still dress business casual. If that helps you get in the zone, go for it! Me? I’m t-shirts, hoodies and sweat pants (or no pants!) But if you’re taking business calls, please respect your clients and co-workers by doing so from a quiet space. If you’re going to be video chatting, put on a nice shirt. Don’t have pets crawling on you. Be professional. It shows the people you’re talking to that you’re still taking this seriously. Know When to Turn Off Part of the challenge with working from home is that it never feels like you’re at work. The other challenge is that it never feels like you’re NOT at work. Everybody’s responsibilities differ, but for your own sanity you must set boundaries. Checking your phone every 30 seconds during all hours of the day and night should not be expected in any but the most extreme emergency circumstances. Exercise and Socialize One great thing about working from home is that nobody will look at you strange when you stop to stretch for 90 seconds. You have more time to prepare healthy lunches. You can plan mid-day breaks to go for a walk. A downside is that many of us rely on our co-workers for socialization. I don’t know what the coming months will bring, but it promises to be a period of relative isolation. Find activities you can do with other people (like walks in the park) and do them! If it’s not possible to see other people, then share phone calls or video chats with loved ones. Working from home can be dangerous, especially for people who live alone. Back when I was single there were days where I would wake up in the morning and go to bed at night without ever having seen another person or even said a word out loud. Started to...
11 Thoughts About COVID-19: March 13, 2020
It appears as though we are staring down the barrel of a situation that is unprecedented in my lifetime. COVID-19, and all of its implications are at the forefront of people’s minds right now, and as of my writing, March 13, 2020, there are far more questions than answers. This is not a me thing, it’s an us thing, but I am one of us, and as such I wish to share some thoughts. The following are just that, thoughts, not answers. Chances are you’ve had some of the same thoughts yourselves. How Serious Is This? Will Somebody I Know Die? Until recent days I have been somewhat guilty of taking this virus as a bit of a joke. I’m sorry, I’m just naturally skeptical of societal hype. There is still a part of me that thinks that this is an overreaction on some scale, but I’m also coming to terms with the seriousness of it all day by day. Those of us who follow the news are always exposed to terrible events: people dying, wars. Like most of us I am concerned about the fate of fellow man on an ongoing basis, but there is a distance. Now I look at this pandemic and do the math. I know a lot of people. Is it possible that I’m going to attend a funeral because of this? Will we even be allowed to gather for funerals? I have asthma. Could I die? I generally see death as part of life, but that’s because I don’t generally assume I’m gonna die anytime soon. Times like this cause people to examine their own mortality. What Do I Need to Do? I think that I generally wash my hands as often and as thoroughly as the next person, maybe more so. I don’t lick any doorknobs. But I’m also not an obsessive. I try not to spit when I talk if I can help it, but I do have a filthy laptop. I think I sit somewhere between a hobo and Michael Jackson on the germaphobe scale. I’m also highly social. Who am I in the grand scale of all this? Identity crisis! Man v Man, Man v Nature, Man v Wife I am a social liberties person. An independent. But this is an ‘us’ thing. I am on board with washing the shit out of my hands. I get everything that’s going on. Where’s the line here? Is it somewhere north of ‘don’t sneeze into open air’, but somewhere south of following each other around with a taser and a magnifying glass and shocking everyone who opens a door without using their sleeve into compliance? Also, what about my wife? She tends to err on the side of caution. Me? I kinda want to go to public gatherings of 249 people just to demonstrate that life goes on. But we live together. My problem is her problem. Then again, she works in a large facility, while I work in the basement. Should I institute a point scoring system? What Can We Expect in the Coming Months? Kind of feels like 2020 might just be the year that got cancelled. What a buzzkill. Are we gonna shut down EVERYTHING? If restaurants and bars are closed are we at least gonna be able to visit each other at our private homes? Can I ride my bike around the river pathways? I’m down to live simple for a while, but please don’t tell me we’re going to be legally forbidden to leave the house! Can I at least play cribbage, drink beer and grill BBQ in the yard? Speaking of which… Am I a Selfish Asshole? To repeat an off cited platitude that has itself gone viral in the past several days: The health and safety of the public is the number one concern of this institution/restaurant/government/facility/blogger/rapper. Also, though, I’m kinda pissed that there are no sports on TV. Not pissed in the ‘how dare they do this?’ type of way, but more in the ‘well this certainly sucks!’ type of way. This is the best time of year for sports. Am I a jerk for even thinking about that? Also, there are a lot of funny memes on all this. I’m sorry, I have to laugh once in a while. We’re All Gonna Get It, Right? In the past week we’ve watched this go from ‘Holy crap, somebody in BC has it’, to ‘estimates say 30-70% of the general population will eventually get it.’ The new mantra is ‘flatten the curve’, the logic seemingly being that there’s no way to stop this...
Ricca Razor Sharp’s All Time Favourite Hip Hop Songs Countdown
You may not be surprised to learn that I love hip-hop music! It’s one of the main reasons I decided to become a hip-hop legend! 🙂 Throughout 2019 I compiled a list of my favourite 52 rap tracks of all time! Why 52? So that I could announce a new one every week of the year. In case you didn’t keep up, here they are, all in one place! As you will note, I am heavy on the 90s tracks, but the 80s are represented, as well as the new millennium. My list, of course, would not be exactly the same as your list, but please remember that the list is not called ‘The Best Hip Hop Songs of All Time’, but ‘Ricca Razor Sharp’s All Time Favourite…” so there’s really no way I could be wrong. Would love to hear your comments on where you agree or disagree with the list. To help you enjoy my favourite 52 hip-hop tracks, I’ve created a playlist on both Spotify and Apple Music (click to listen). The lists are more or less complete, but you will note there are a few instances where the songs from my list were unavailable. When compiling the list, I had only one rule: there could only be one song from any artist (although some people managed to make the list several times, as a result of featuring in other people’s tracks). Without further ado, the 52 hip hop songs that most tickle my fancy… 52. Beatnuts-Watch Out Now Song number 52 is from the Beatnuts, and is included entirely on the strength of the flute line. Was so good J.Lo stole it. Those of you who were at the Ship and Anchor on New Years Eve 2018 may remember this as the song Blades of Steel were jamming on when we first took the stage. 51. Slick Rick-Children’s Story Back in the day, there were only a handful of MCs in the public eye, and you could immediately tell each one based on their voice and vocal delivery. This one has the triple threat of Slick Rick’s smooth voice, some great storytelling, and a killer beat. So killer, in fact, that Montel Jordan would take a piece of that action years later. 50. Dream Warriors-My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style My 50th favourite hip-hop song of all time is CanCon: ‘My Definition of a Bombastic Jazz Style’ by Dream Warriors. The song features an awesome sample from Quincy Jones ‘Soul Bossa Nova’, famous for being the theme song to the Canadian game show ‘Definition’. The swinging loop is also familiar to fans of the Austin Powers movies. This song is a good one to add to any party playlist. 49. Goodie Mobb-Cell Therapy This swell rhyme and repetitively awesome beat is from the group that Cee Lo was in before he was judging network talent comps and the like. Addictive piano line, anti-authoritarian rap! Hooray! 48. Snap-The Power It’s getting, it’s getting, it’s getting kinda heavy. You may think this song lumps in more with the dance music of the early 90s, but to me, it’s just a bumping beat with a hard hitting rap and a smooth hook. Also, Google the song to read more about it’s convoluted history of stolen beats and borrowed rhymes. 47. Kanye West-Bound 2 Well, you love him, you hate him, you love him again. Gotta say I’m not always feeling his antics, nor half of his songs, but overall it wouldn’t be right to leave him off the list. Born when I was 16 days old, great at rap, and married to a total hottie, Kanye’s life basically mirrors my own. Coulda been any number of songs really, but this one really grew on me. 46. Pharcyde- Passin Me By A song of unrequited love. Featuring a stylish video, a smooth sample from Quincy Jones’ ‘Summer in the City’ and some great vocal stylings, this is definitely one of the most choice grooves of all time. 45. Warren G & Nate Dog-Regulate Favorite all time hip-hop track #45 is one that will be familiar to all fans of the old school: ‘Regulators’ by Warren G and Nate Dogg. This was a really fun song for Blades of Steel to cover, with Smoking’ Jay singing the hook from the Michael McDonald song that it sampled. This song brought out the mellow side of G-funk and is truly a classic. 44. Naughty By Nature-Uptown Anthem Any number of NBN tracks could have made the list, but I went with this one from the movie ‘Juice’ on account of its nice beat and uptempo rap. Truly...