How do you define "rock music" in 2007

[rob murray]

I thought I would start up a new thread to see if I can get a bit of clarity on the definition of "rock music" in 2007 : ie what exactly is rock music and which bands play it ? Most people can say what it is not ( "indie" ?? and thats debatable ) but what is it ? Answers please !

[fred]

I thought I would start up a new thread to see if I can get a bit of clarity on the definition of "rock music" in 2007 : ie what exactly is rock music and which bands play it ? Most people can say what it is not ( "indie" ?? and thats debatable ) but what is it ? Answers please !

It's all in the beat, the beat that started with the tribal drums in Africa and was taken to America by slaves. Middle of last century they put the beat to all sorts of music, country, blues, jazz, gospel and rock music was born, they all converged and immediately started diverging again, like an hour glass with rock and roll in the middle.

If it has the beat it's rock as what else you want to call it.

[Gleber2]

It's all in the beat, the beat that started with the tribal drums in Africa and was taken to America by slaves.

The beat that started in the Highlands and was taken to America by Highland refugees.

[Camel Spider]

Foo Fighters.

[Jeemag_USA]

From the british side of things I still think of these bands, just a few examples. (and yes I am out of touch a little bit). For me it is bands who ar playing guitar/drum/bass based music but cnnot be defined into any genre like Metal/Grunge/Thrash/Punk except I have made an exception in the american list.

Stereophonics
Radiohead
Manic Street Preachers

From the USA

Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Foo Fighters
Green Day
Nickelback
Linkin Park

I include Green Day even though most people in the music industry tag them as a Punk band, I don't think they sound anything like punk and feel they are more a guitar rock band. Along with Linkin Park I also think Incubus has helped in pushing the boundaries of rock music, I like both of them a lot. Another band that I thought were a great rock band from the UK that most felt were a punk band was ASH, I thought they were brilliant!

[loganbiffy]

From the british side of things I still think of these bands, just a few examples. (and yes I am out of touch a little bit). For me it is bands who ar playing guitar/drum/bass based music but cnnot be defined into any genre like Metal/Grunge/Thrash/Punk except I have made an exception in the american list.

Stereophonics
Radiohead
Manic Street Preachers

From the USA

Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Foo Fighters
Green Day
Nickelback
Linkin Park

I include Green Day even though most people in the music industry tag them as a Punk band, I don't think they sound anything like punk and feel they are more a guitar rock band. Along with Linkin Park I also think Incubus has helped in pushing the boundaries of rock music, I like both of them a lot. Another band that I thought were a great rock band from the UK that most felt were a punk band was ASH, I thought they were brilliant!

Incubus are a great band, seen them live too. I say Green Day are a Punk band as its only there most recent record that is more 'rocky' even thought a lot of the songs on it are punky, but there old stuff is most definatley punk.

Also don't really class The Chilis as rock, they were very funky before they released "By the Way" which is pretty shoddy along with their newer stuff too.

[fred]

The beat that started in the Highlands and was taken to America by Highland refugees.

An interesting theory but you know the early purveyors of rock and roll tended to have dark skins and tended not to wear kilts.

The snare drum of Led Zeppelin and the hand clap of the negro spiritual are one and the same animal.

[Gleber2]

An interesting theory but you know the early purveyors of rock and role tended to have dark skins and tended not to wear kilts.

The snare drum of Led Zeppelin and the hand clap of the negro spiritual are one and the same animal.

Quite a few theories that the spiritual singing is based on mouth music from Scotland

[Boozeburglar]

Taj Mahal, Tinawiren, Ali Farka Toure, Peatbog Faeries… Zeppelin, Sabbath, Van Halen, AC/DC, The Dead, Beefheart, all of them...




It is all a crossover. Whatever way you look at it.



I do feel Africa is the greater source, but is it really reasonable to suggest that Rock, Blues, Soul, Jazz, Gospel and all the rest somehow descended from a limited ancestry without integrating many other influences on the way?



It takes just a little to turn a soul song into a heavy metal song, relatively speaking. If you were to contrast Mongolian throat singing and the 1812 Overture played by a large orchestra; you begin to see how little 'popular' music formats vary.

[fred]

Quite a few theories that the spiritual singing is based on mouth music from Scotland

I'm sure it was influenced by many things all music is.

I know which I believe to be the greatest influence but people can look on youtube for traditional Scottish mouth music and traditional African music and judge for themselves.