Rock On

My background is in classical music. I started playing the cello when I was six. It's what I've listened to, studied, and enjoyed the most but being a Boomer I grew up in the age of Rock and Roll. I was never an Elvis Fan but going to the movies on Saturday afternoon usually meant Elvis movies, John Wayne, Godzilla and since just about every kid in my neighborhood was in love with Annette Funicello I probably saw every beach movie ever made. Anyway Rock and Roll, hard rock, acid rock, progressive rock and the big rock candy mountain all had an impact on my musical development. As an adult I discovered Jazz and it's always struck a special chord within me but Jazz doesn't remind me of places and times like Rock does.

The Beatles, the Stones, the Beachboys, Yes, The Bee Bees, all remind me of different times in my life. I had never really thought of building a 'Classic Rock Collection', I 'm too close to it. With Classical and Jazz I kind of want to play teacher and show people what they are missing but Rock is kind of woven through my life in a way that's hard to step back from. I remember arguing about who was better the Stones or the Beatles but it was a matter of style. The Stones were the bad boys of Rock and Roll and it kind of said something about you if you preferred the Stones over the Beatles. So I was surprised how much I learned when I started looking at Rock and Roll from a collection development standpoint. Not so much 50's Rock. Elvis dominated everybody and those people I hadn't heard of I'd at least the songs, but the 50's was the age of the top 40. It was a rat race for the hit single and the cover to go with it but the 60's began the age of Album Rock. When I was looking at a history of the Rolling Stones, for example, I discovered they were a transitional band that went from top 40's to Album Rock, while in the US the Doors were already totally into the album concept. They would pick out what they thought was a good song from an album and ship it to the radio for a hit list. So anyone looking at what I bought last year to build the Rock collection will notice "Best of ..." up through the early 60's but afterwards I bought albums only. The Beatles Revolver Album, Tommy by the Who, and Pink Floyd's the Wall are all albums really should be listened to as a whole experience.

I didn't just buy best sellers. I got the Sex Pistols for example. They only produced one album and then crashed and burned on their first world tour but they took a wrecking ball to rock and changed Rock music forever. As far as I know I've never even heard a Sex Pistols song but I sure remember the Sex Pistols. Janis Joplin kind of falls into that category. She hasn't fared well with critics over the years but in her time she was a major force. I remember the Grateful Dead and knew a lot of deadheads but a Dead concert was more of an event that you had to experience. I'd be hard pressed remember a single Grateful Dead song but they were so important I had to add them to the collection.

The 80's are an interesting time musically with Punk, New Wave and the last vestiges of Rock. My own personal opinion is that MTV gave mortibound Rock a shot in the arm. Sweet Dreams by the Euryhmics is a great song but I wonder whether it would have had the same impact without the Music Video. That's why I included so many Music Videos in my DVD buy last year. Robert Palmer and ZZ Top were MTV staples and it would be a shame if their Music videos weren't a part of a Rock collection. I think what I got was choice but if I missed something let me know.