it's hard to define the changes in all kinds of music that began in 50 years ago this week -- when the beatles' appearance on ed sullivan had the world shaking its head, going, "wow. i never thought of that!"
apart from the social, spiritual, sexual, and cultural changes that were begun, musically, this marked the revolutionary shift from rock and roll to rock; from nice to heavy, from the 50s to the 60s. it's that change that i explore this week.
this revolution does need to be discussed every once in a while, because it's easy to forget, simply because so much of the music of the last 50 years has sprouted from that seed. in addition to creating entirely new genres of music (more on those later), the beatles brought a heavier electric sound to what had been (for the entire half-century of popular music) a light and polite style.
on my show this week, you'll actually experience the transition from 50s cute sexism and goofiness (frank sinatra's "wives and lovers [hey, little girl]," dusty springfield's "wishin' and hopin'") to the beatles' heavy bass, drums, and guitars ("i feel fine," "you can't do that,"), which quickly opened the door for other heavy sounds as well (the dave clark five, the kinks, the animals, the yardbirs--even the beach boys got heavier).
in case you missed it the first time, be sure to enjoy hearing and experiencing this evolutionary, epochal shift.
here are the songs you'll be hearing: 1964
Many artists got serious with their music in 1968, marking the early years of progressive rock, classical rock, and ponderous instrumental jams. This week's show has none of that.
This week I start my show off with side one of The Kinks' best album, "Village Green Preservation Society." These are catchy tunes, with a satirical voice that never takes itself seriously. It is composer/singer Ray Davies' [in red] masterpiece, and considered one of the top 250 albums of all time. "People take pictures of each other just to prove that they love one another, and to prove that they really existed...."
My other featured album from 1968 is Lothar and the Hand People, one of the first bands to integrate the sounds of the synthesizer with strong vocals and unique compositions...and again, a great sense of humor--something all rock musicians should have. You'll love "Sex and violence" and their ode to laughter, "Ha ho."
DAIN DALLER's fifth installment of gypsy kerouac NO-FI FIELD GUIDE is in the house from the shores of the Big Muddy.
L i s t e N 2 A r T
[Rebroadcast at 1am Saturday May 26]
* * * *
11am-1pm Saturday it's JOSH YOUNG
deejay to the lawdy miss clawdy gawds
with GETTIN THE KINKS OUT
Aural Yoga for the emotionally replete
[Rebroadcast Thursday nights at 1am]
LISTEN TO JOSH YOUNG
LISTEN TO JOSH YOUNG
"You bring the razor blade,
I'll bring the speed...
It's going to be a long night
It's going to be a gang bang"
LISTEN TO JOSH YOUNG
LISTEN TO JOSH YOUNG
LISTEN TO JOSH YOUNG
"Lighting up the sky
Lighting up the sky..."
GETTIN' THE KINKS OUT
every saturday 11am-1pm/rebroadcast thursday night 1am