Understanding the Essence of Hard Rock

The funny thing about rock music is that it is a victim of its own success. It really is. Most people have a vague idea of what rock music is.

Now, you may be thinking that popularity should be a good thing. How bad could it be? After all, people have some sort of expectation or people have some sort of initial starting point regarding how to define music.

Well, this is actually a double-edged sword. One the one hand, the popularity of rock music means that you don’t have to explain this form of music all that much.

People think they get it. A smile comes across their face or they nod their head. They think they get it. They think they understand where you’re coming from.

But this opens a can of worms. The problem is, when people think that they understand what you’re talking about, this is where all sorts of misunderstandings come in. You see, rock music is not monolithic in the United states. Not by a long shot. In fact, it went through many different stages.

Also, its personality as well as its configuration varies tremendously depending on which part of the United States it came from. This is especially true with rock coming from other parts of the world.

This is why understanding the essence of hard rock is not as obvious as many people think. It isn’t a simple matter of just listening to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and the early pioneers. It’s not even a small matter of listening to contemporary rock music. There’s a lot more to it.

The essence of hard rock ultimately does not revolve around the notes that you hear. It’s not about chord progressions or guitar distortions. If anything, it has more to do with the attitude of rock music.

Because if you look at the attitude a particular piece of music conveys, you can actually do some sort of musical radio carbon dating. The more cynical it is, the more recent that music is. That’s the bottom line because more idealistic, sincere music really belongs to an earlier age. It really does.

Back in the 1950s and early ’60s, people can still afford to dream. They were not as cynical before. They haven’t really quite tasted how bitter the world could be. They really haven’t been quite been disappointed yet as idealism crashes headlong into harsh reality.

But after the 1990s, for example, people’s attitude towards music changed. This also may have a lot to do with the internet. Because after all, the internet has pretty much broken apart the massive monopoly big companies used to have on recorded music.

This fragmentation, that enabled music producers from all four corners of the globe to come up with their own spin on rock, was both empowering and confusing at the same time. Since there’s no center of gravity, pretty much everybody was free to create their music.

This has led to an explosion and innovation and creativity. But it has also ensured that even the most innovative and refreshing bands like Brand New Sin, remain purely local phenomenons.

This is a serious issue because if you’re trying to cultivate artists, it would be great if their following gets bigger. But since everybody has become quite localized, this has actually discouraged a lot of innovation. Talk about a double-edged sword. Talk about a creative paradox that we’re all stuck in.

Thankfully

there is a work around.

The essence of hard rock now is all about touring. This is the saving grace of a fragmented global music industry.

Did the Internet Kill Rock Music?

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When it comes to rock music, there are really two eras: BI and AI. BI stands for before the internet, and AI stands for after the internet.

It’s very easy to see the impact of internet on recorded music. Prior to the internet, when you buy music, it is locked into some sort of media. Maybe it is a cassette, maybe it is an LP, maybe it is some sort of vinyl disc, or maybe it’s a compact disc.

Is Attitude the Only Thing Setting Hard Rock Apart?

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The funny thing about hard rock is that a lot of people think it has died a long time ago. I know that sounds hilarious, but that’s the absolute truth.

The problem with rock music nowadays is the fact that it really is a victim of its own success. People are so eager and so enthusiastic about rock music that they can’t listen to enough of it.

Did Commercialism and Over Categorization Kill Hard Rock?

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When rock and roll music made its debut in the early ’50s, it was the new kid in town. Either people loved it, or people were horrified by it. Either it was the best thing since sliced bread, or it was the fourth horseman of the apocalypse out to announce the end of the world.

It’s easy to see the beginning of rock music from a black and white perspective.