Jimi Hendrix: The Unorthodox Guitarist 

"Music is my religion"

-Jimi Hendrix

Although most of his success was in the late 1960's, Jimi Hendrix was one of the greatest influences on 70's music mainly Rock & Roll.  He was named the number one guitarist by RollingStone Magizine.  "Hendrix was the guitarist's guitarist; the man who reinvented both the vocabulary and symbolism (Murray)." 

Johnny Hendrix most commonly known as Jimi Hendrix was born on November 27, 1942 in Seattle.  From a young age Hendrix was very interested in music.  Some artists that influenced him were B.B. King and Buddy Holly. Something people may not know is that he did not know how to read or write music.    He got his first guitar in the late 1950's and never quite playing it until his death on September 18, 1970.  When Jimi got older he got into trouble with the law and had to enlist in the army.  While in the military he would play his guitar and even joined a band that often played gigs at service clubs.  His military career was short do to an injury to his ankle after jumping out of a plane. Later in his career he wrote songs about the Vietnam War such as "Machine Gun" and "All Along the Watch Tower".  His music careers started in the U.K. were his songs topped the U.K charts.  He wasn't popular in the United States until he traveled back to his homeland.  He was involved in many bands such as Little Richard and Band of Gypsies and played many famous venues most notably Woodstock.  Unfortunately, Hendrix experimented heavily with drugs and alcohol and overdosed on sleeping pills in September of 1970.

Stylistically Hendrix was the first of his kind.  Hendrix produced sounds from his guitar that were unheard of before.  Distortion and feedback had been played with by other musicians, but Jimi Hendrix perfected it.  He played his guitar with his amp volume turned up along with tremble.  He made the use of the wah wah peddle popular in rock & roll, which musicians in the 70’s continued to use.  The wah wah peddle was used to bend the pitches of the guitar.  In his somewhat controversial version of “The Star Spangled Banner”, Jimi Hendrix displays all of his musical elements from the wah wah peddle to the distortion.  One rock guitarist Hendrix influenced was Eddie Van Halen who got his start in the late 70's. Also many other bands and guitarist during the 70's were influenced by Jimi's unorthodox methods.  Bands and guitarists today continue to be influenced by Jimi Hendrix.

Works Cited

"Jimi Hendrix Biography The Official Jimi Hendrix Site." The Official Jimi Hendrix Site. Sony Music Entertainment, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.<http://www.jimihendrix.com/us/jimi>.
Lawrence, Sharon. "Jimi Hendrix: The Man, the Magic, the Truth." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://books.google.com/books?id=Tu7NZKL-2nQC>.
Murray, Charles Shaar. "Jimi Hendrix and the Rock N' Roll Revolution." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://books.google.com/books?hl=en>.
"Ten Guitarists Influenced By Jimi Hendrix." Yahoo! Music. Yahoo, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/list-of-the-day/ten-guitarists-influenced-by-jimi-hendrix.html>.

AC/DC: Born in the 70s

One of the most widely known rock and roll bands is AC/DC, who was born out of the 1970s.  Originating in Australia and making its way in to the rock and roll world were brothers, Malcolm and Angus Young, who formed the band and went through several lineups before releasing their first record.  AC/DC's first album was released in February of 1975 called "High Voltage".    On their second album "T.N.T" they released the single "Its a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)", which became their perennial rock anthem.

"Its a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" - 1975

The bands first recorded album's were Australian only, it was not until 1976 that the band went international when they signed a deal with Atlantic Records.  Also to help aid the band in going international between 1974-1977 was regular appearances on ABC's pop music television show.  AC/DC were somewhat an influence on British Heavy Metal bands who emerged in the late 1970s.  Although AC/DC was more popular in the 80s, their style and sound was born in the 70s. 

Since their style was seen as a hard rock or heavy metal, they often got the “finger of blame” pointed at them for the influencing teenagers to act out in various violent ways.  It is evidence through the lyrics of many of AC/DC’s songs that they could have a very negative influence on the youth. 

“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” (1976)

“If you're havin' trouble with your high school head

He's givin' you the blues

You wanna graduate but not in 'is bed

Here's what you gotta do

Pick up the phone, I'm always home

Call me anytime

Just ring: three-six-two-four-three-six, hey

I lead a life of crime"

Also songs such as “Let There Be Rock” release in 1977 expresses the bands feelings towards rock & roll, “Sin City” release in 1978 describes the party life of a rockstar, and “Highway to Hell” released in 1979 says, “Hey Satan, payin’ my dues... I’m on the Highway to Hell.” The content of the lyrics mixed with a heavy rock and roll sound produces a music that becomes very popular and listened to by many teens all over the world.  Which in return has a major influence in the way kids started to experiment with drugs and alcohol.  Drugs and long hair “became a fashion accessory and a means of escaping reality.”

            By the end of the 1970s, AC/DC hit a major breakthrough with their album “Highway to Hell”.  This was also the last album that Bon Scott, lead vocalist, would record before his death in February of 1980.  The band considered breaking up, but Scott’s parents persuaded them to continue playing their music.  Fortunately, the Young brothers listened and replace Scott with Brian Johnson, who would help them finish the songwriting for their album “Back in Black.”  Since the 70s, AC/DC has been very successful and is still widely listened to today.  “AC/DC has sold nearly 71 million albums in the U.S. alone, making AC/DC one of the five top-selling bands in American music history.” 

Works Cited

“The Official AC/DC Site.”  The Official AC/DC Site.  N.p., n.d.  Web. 19 Nov. 2012.  http://www.acdc.com/

“MusicMight: Artists: AC/DC” Biography.  N.p., n.d.  Web. 19 Nov. 2012.  http://www.musicmight.com/artist/australia/ac+2+dc

“1970’s Decade Overview.”  American Hit Radio-1970’s.  N.p., n.d.  Web.  19 Nov.  2012.  http://www.americanhitnetwork.com/ahn/decade-overview.cfm/decade/1970

What do you get when Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Ron Paul Jones, and John Bonham all form a band? Who are those people? What? All you know is 'Lil Wayne and Lady Gaga? Well the answer is that you have one of the greatest bands ever to grace this earth: LED ZEPPELIN.



Don't act like you have never seen four classy hippies in a black and white photo.

 Led Zeppelin, though, was more than just a band. They were a symbol of the seventies, a period of transition. Jim Miller, editor of Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, even argued that "On one level, Led Zeppelin represents the final flowering of the sixties' psychedelic ethic, which casts rock as passive sensory involvement" (Wikipedia) This final flowering transcended into the good ol' rock n' roll we have come to love. 

The United States was going through a period of transition as the Vietnam War was finally winding down and coming to an end. The environmentalist movement was beginning to take shape as many worried about the pollution taking over the planet we lived on. People were calling for the government to stop spending incredible amounts of money on space exploration, and women were beginning to finally take up positions of high power in governments such as Margaret Thatcher, whom was voted as prime minister of England. (Hoeveler) 

And with these changes, Led Zeppelin strolled along with their own. Their first two albums were extremely rooted in blues. Here is an example: "You Shook Me" off of their first album, Led Zeppelin I.

From this, we can take two characteristics of blues: the long instrumental solo in the middle of the song and the bass line. The blues was so apparent in Led Zeppelin's first two albums that the band was even accused of using copyrighted music. As their albums progressed, you can notice how much Led Zeppelin is changing.  In Led Zeppelin III, the band managed to  (Wikipedia) Further changes were observed in Led Zeppelin IV, especially the use of acoustic guitar as is proven by "Stairway to Heaven," which became a top hit. Houses of the Holy further shows changes as the band "expanded its use of synthesizers and mellotron orchestration" (Wikipedia):

"The Crunge" (notice the blues influence is still present, though)

 

As the world was changing, so was Led Zeppelin with their musical style. They were constantly thinking of new ways to enhance their music and succeeded as all of their albums had reached the top 200 album chart. In my opinion, they set the tone for bands to come. Bands nowadays tend to create new types of music with each upcoming album, trying to make it as good as the first one yet making it different. Led Zeppelin did this with ease. What Led Zeppelin also did was impact fashion. Yeah, you see those hipsters walking around campus with their tight pants and shirts? Mr. Plant, Mr. Bonham, Mr. Page, and Mr. Jones were the ones to make that style look incredibly good. 

Sorry hipsters, Led Zeppelin were the first people to wear tight band shirts and pants on stage

All in all, Led Zeppelin could (should) be considered one of the most influential bands in history. They managed to make an old style of music and brought it to the popular scene in the form of rock 'n roll. And as the 70s changed, so did their music as they kept experimenting by adding the acoustic guitar, use of synthesizers, and mellotron orchestras. Just like many people before them, Led Zeppelin turned folk music into pop music. Except, nobody had made the it as popular as Led Zeppelin did evidenced by consistently selling out concerts ranging in the hundreds of thousands of Zeppelin lovin' fans. Led Zeppelin is quite simply, one of the most influential bands in history, if not THE most influential.

WORKS CITED: 

Why we'll always have the blues. (2012, Nov 17). Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved from http://lib-ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1152153193?accountid=7082

Hoeveler Jr., J. David. The Postmodernist Turn: American Thought and Culture in the 1970s. New York:    Twayne Publishers, 1996.

"Led Zeppelin." Wikipedia: the Free Encycopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 17 November 2012. Web. 18 November 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin>

Lynyrd Skynyrd

"'Cause I'm as free as a bird now, and this bird you cannot change."

During the 70's, Lynyrd Skynyrd was one of the most successful commercial and praised Southern Rock and Roll bands. The triple-lead guitar was the band's signature. The two songs "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama," were "anthems" of the American population. 

"Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded the original 'Sweet Home Alabama' in 1973, and it fast became a quintessential Southern rock anthem. The record was largely a response to Neil Young's 1970 song 'Southern Man'...and 'Alabama'...both of which included pronouncements against Southern racism" (Les Back 143-144). 

Sweet Home Alabama - 1973

During this time, racial tensions were high. Various organizations were formed due to their hatred of different races and religions. African American's were lawfully equal, but they were not equal in society. Segregation of races was very common, and integration was uncommon. In the studios that these songs were recorded, integration was common. All that was important to the group was the music that was being made. 

 Free Bird - 1973

Free Bird was a very popular song during the 70's. It was aired frequently on the radio and was well known throughout the country. Free Bird was also played in the movie,"Forrest Gump." 

Many of the ideas that were prevalent in the 70's such as racial equality, civil rights, women's rights etc. were all put in motion by events that occurred in the 60's including war and social changes. Music was a major way that these ideas were spread around. Songs that were performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd are an example of how these ideas were passed through culture. 

Simple Man - 1973

Works Cited

Back, Les. "Voices of Hate, Sounds of Hybridity: Black Music and the Complexities of Racism." JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/779464?seq=18>.

"Lynyrd Skynyrd History Official Website." Lynyrd Skynyrd History Official Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.lynyrdskynyrdhistory.com/>.

"American Cultural History." -1970-1979. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade70.html>.

  

The Wall

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Pink Floyd is considered one of the most influential bands of the 60’s and 70’s, this fame is due in part to their most famous and most widely debated over album, “The Wall”. Instead of making a few songs and selling them together in an album, Pink Floyd created an album about an entire life’s story where each song is another phase of the persons life. The album contains 26 songs so I am unable to analyze each one, but I encourage everyone to listen to it in order and to take away some meaning from it.

            The album is about Mr. Pink and it starts with the song “In the Flesh?”, this song represents Pinks birth into a harsh world and “the message sets up the theme of expectation and disappointment”. This is a short song and  the lyrics are;

So ya thought ya
Might like to go to the show
To feel the warm thrill of confusion,
That space cadet glow.
Tell me, is something eluding you, sunshine?
Is this not what you expected to see?
If you wanna find out what's behind these cold eyes
You'll just have to claw your way through this disguise.

What most people take away from this is that Pink wanted to go to the show (life) and feel the “warmth” or love and happiness it contained. Instead he was disappointed when the love eluded him and he found a world full of “cold eyes”. The third song in the album is called “Another Brick in the Wall part 1”, this is where we begin to see The Wall. What we associate with walls is the act of separating things, and even though this is not a real wall, it still does the same thing. In this song, Pink is a child and his father just left (presumably to go to war) and “leaving just a memory, a snapshot in the family album”. So this traumatic experience of his father leaving is when he begins to build his wall, to hide him from the harsh reality of the world. In the 4^th and 5^th songs, Pink describes how his teachers would try to beat the individuality out of the students and how this added more bricks to his wall. Eventually he builds a great big wall and completely isolates himself from the world, only to question if this was the right choice and he begins to feel the consequences of his self imposed reclusion. Late in the album Pink goes insane because of how his walls have kept him from living, he then realizes he put up the walls himself and orders them taken down. “The Moral of the Story: Though there will almost always be personal and social barriers erected out of fear, oppression, pain, and isolation, it's the job of every socially conscious individual and community to never rest in tearing down the walls that separate us.”

            Although there is a lot more metaphors and symbolism that have yet to be explained, the main them is pretty evident. And that is what is so special about this album, the fact that it is all related and it all serves the purpose of making the audience listen to the lyrics and to think about it as well as their own lives. This album changed the music industry forever and there will never be another one like it.

Works Cited,

 "LexisNexis® Academic & Library Solutions." LexisNexis® Academic & Library Solutions. N.p., 10 Mar. 1980. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr>.

 "In the Flesh? - Pink Floyd's "The Wall": A Complete Analysis." In the Flesh? - Pink Floyd's "The Wall": A Complete Analysis. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.thewallanalysis.com/main/in-the-flesh1.html>.