Punk and New Wave MUSC-21600: The Art of Rock Music Prof. Freeze 9 November 2016 The Origins of Punk • Mid-to-late 1970s: rise of corporate rock • AOR Radio; the “big” album (e.g., Frampton Comes Alive!) • RIAA’s “Platinum” Record and stylistic conservatism • Punk’s precursors • Garage bands (1960s) • Underground bands • Stooges (performance confrontation), Velvet Underground (aesthetic confrontation) • New York Dolls • Hard-driving rock + disaffected lyrics + Glam rock • “Personality Crisis” (New York Dolls, 1973) prefigures punk basics: • Simple forms with rebellious lyrics • Fast tempos, driving eighth notes, rock backbeat • Dominance of the riff • Harmonic simplicity (I – IV – V; apparent in 3-note bass) • Talent is optional; passion is essential • Rejection of overt moves to court commercial popularity The New York Scene Begins • Patti Smith • Poetry recitations to simple musical accompaniment • Rejection of traditional femininity • “Gloria (In Excelsis Deo)” (Patti Smith, 1975) • Equates sexual (lesbian?) and religious ecstasy (cf. Van Morrison, “Gloria”) • Latin for Glory to God in the Highest • The title of the Greater Doxology in the Catholic Mass • Begins w/recitation over bluesy accompaniment • Builds intensity: gradual increase in tempo (obvious symbolic import) • Climaxes in an energetic chorus • CBGB & OMFUG • Ramones • Retro rebels: t-shirts, leather jackets, jeans, teenage-oriented lyrics • “I Wanna Be Sedated” (Ramones, 1978) • Punk meets catchy pop melodies (“sick bubblegum music”) • Lyrics about drug-induced insanity • What musical traits of punk can you hear? • Breakneck tempo, rock rhythm, simple form, DIY attitude The Americans Invade • Britain in the 1970s: harsh socio-economic conditions • Malcolm McLaren • The Sex Pistols • Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious • Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977; UK-Album 1) • Nihilistic attitude • Gross antics, stage behavior • Monotonous and offensive lyrics, screamed • “God Save the Queen” (The Sex Pistols, 1976; UK 2) • Nihilistic view of Britain’s future + insulting view of Britain’s monarch • Form: Intro AABA AABA A CCC • Guitar riff; pulsing eighths in bass • Rotten’s monotone vocal delivery • New music at end in case you mistakenly still held on to a shred of hope. New Wave • Cf. Punk • Shared anti-mainstream sentiment, similar audience, focus on basic rock instrumentation • BUT fuses with other rock styles • Punk + art rock • Examples: Patti Smith, Devo, Talking Heads • “Psycho Killer” (Talking Heads, 1977) • Glam: David Byrne’s stage persona • Punk: anti-social, stream-of-consciousness lyrics • Monotone vocal quality, restricted melody, stuttering, French • Heavy, robotic beat (esp. metallic drum machine) • Disco/funk: bass riff • Jangling guitar • Punk/minimalism: transparent texture, riff-oriented texture.