All the Sounds of the 70s

            Moving right along in our musical journey, we get into the 70s, during this week’s readings. You really start to see music develop more with technology and how it branches into many different genres. Though many think of Disco as the leading form of music in the 70s, there were many other great artists who broke out into the scene, or older artists who were still changing and developing their sound.

            Two of my favorite piano men were featured in the beginning of Chapter 11. Stevie Wonder, with his infectious hit “Superstition,” and Elton John with his glamorous “Crocodile Rock.” The minute one hears the opening drum beat of “Superstition,” that is all they need to identify this catchy song. Stevie Wonder, who was a popular Motown artist in his teens, started to redefine what type of music his talent was creating. With the use of his electric keyboard and the twangy guitar, you get the laid-back groove this song is known for. The repeated riff from the keyboard mixed with the brass hits makes this song one that is hard not tap your foot to. This song also shows that even with repetition, an audience can really be entertained. “As a result, in “Superstition,” Stevie Wonder successfully fused something old and something blue with the borrowed and the new to create an irresistible pop hit” (Starr & Waterman, 2014, p. 374). Elton John, another artist known for his rockin’ piano skills, had a very different type of piano hit with “Crocodile Rock”. This song, almost a throwback to the music of the 60s, plays upon the nostalgia and the sense of loss while still keeping its playfulness. “Musically, the flavor is clearly that of an upbeat teenage dance song, and even though there never actually was a famous rock ‘n’ roll dance called the “crocodile,” the song may be deliberately evoking the memory of other “animal” dances, like the monkey” (Starr & Waterman, 2014, p. 375). I grew up listening to Elton John and his rockin’ piano numbers. He always seemed to have a sense of lightheartedness in his music, all while still being a serious artist. I have attached one of my favorite performances of “Crocodile Rock”:

            There isn’t a lot of country music I really enjoy, but I feel when a folk singer performs a country song, that is the ones that I tend to enjoy more. John Denver did just this with his hit, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” I love the classic instruments that he uses, with the “boom-chick” of the guitar with the edgy sounds of the fiddle. There seems to be an element of imperfections that the music entails. You can even hear John Denver’s voice break when singing. To me, this makes the music more common and more relatable. “Although live albums were commonplace by this time, live singles were still relatively uncommon; however, the sense of immediacy and spontaneity so essential to the character and appeal of this recording obviously results directly fro the presence of an actual, enthusiastic concert audience” (Starr & Waterman, 2014, p. 376).

            “Psycho Killer” is a song that I actually came to like later in my musical life. Talking Heads is not a group that I know much from, but their popular hit “Psycho Killer” is a great representation of Punk, which became one of the new genres to develop during this time. Punk has hardness to it. It is not meant to be beautiful but gives a slightly daring vibe to its music. The voice of the lead singer, David Byrne, is not one that would be compared to a virtuoso singer, but this song would not have the same tonality without it. “Byre often delivers his lyrics in a nervous, almost schizophrenic stream-of-consciousness voice, like overhears fragments from a psychiatrist’s office” (Starr & Waterman, 2014, p. 432). To me, this is what drew people to this type of music. The madness people were experiencing in their own lives had refuge in this music.

            Hip Hop is probably my least-liked music that is available. However, taking a step back and looking at where this music originated from and listening to the artists from this era makes me enjoy the elements that are prone to hip-hop. It almost makes me wish hip-hop artists of today would go back the “old school” style. “The Message” performed by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five has very rhythmic word play and a catchy, laid-back groove enhanced by that synthesized sound. One of my favorite elements is the syncopation created by the lyrics, “Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge/I’m tryin’ not to lose my head.” The lyrics to this song also serve a bigger purpose than just a rhythm and rhyme scheme. “The lyric alternates between the humorous wordplay typical of hip=hop MC performances and various images of desperation ==threatening bill collectors, a homeless woman “living in a bag,” violent encounters in Central Park, a young child alienated by deteriorating public schools” (Starr & Waterman, 2014, p. 442). This give the music a greater purpose, where I feel that hip-hop music of today is borderline ridiculous.

            Hearing these constant changes in music within such a short time frame really shows you the talent of musicians that are right on the edge. It is easy to forget how far hard work and talent can take someone!

Resource:

Starr, L., Waterman, C. (2014). American popular music: From minstrelsy to MP3. New York: Oxford University Press.