Section one: Your experience
For this part of the paper, I want you to reflect on your growth as a musician over the course of the semester. Consider some of your goals from the beginning, and consider the following:
- How do you feel our method of using free sources worked for you as a learning tool? - Considering our readings and class projects, how do some of your opinions about rock differ from when the semester started. If they haven't changed at all, please elaborate as to why.
- Reflecting on your goals for musical growth, how do you or don't you feel closer to achieving them after taking this course?
Free sources were obviously extremely important parts of the course and were very much an important part of everything. In my opinion, I wanted to work from the beginning on getting to know several of the bands we discussed quite better and all these are important parts of my education and upbringing in rock which has always been an extremely important part of my life.
For example I would like to write about a few bands in this essay and also wish to know more about them. Take the band Iron maiden for example which is probably one of the most popular ever and which was discussed extensively throughout the course. Iron Maiden with Steve Harris, Paul diAnno and Adrian Murray were truly a great band in the early 1980’s and created albums such as Killers and Iron Miaden itself. The songs on these albums such as The Phantom of the Opera were crucial to my development as a rock critic and musician. The course helped me understand what these albums really meant for the development of rock and how all this came together in one fell swoop.
Another album which was part of the sources which were discussed during the course was The Number of the Beast. This is an album which includes a classic theme song such as Hallowed be thy Name that truly describes the band and their capabilities for riffs and other rock tricks. Perhaps Iron maiden also have other songs which may thrill much more to the core such as the ones in the latter part of their career with Bruce Dickinson but to my mind this particular track is truly top notch and was really an intriguing part of our free sources.
Another band which I really enjoyed listening to and learning about was Metallica. From my early years, I have been a huge fan of this band and the ability to sample several of their albums throughout the course was one of the top qualities of the said course. Albums such as Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning are true classics of the gramophone and are imbued with the greatness of rock which one cannot deny. I can still recall the shudder I felt when hearing the Master of puppets track, which has the central section which is full of drama and mystery throughout. Other tracks which I felt are also great are the opening battery which also comes alive in the S and M album recorded many years later as well as the incredible energy of Welcome Home (Sanitarium) which is surely the signature Metallica track which I would definitely take with me to a desert island.
Other Metallica albums which I found hugely interesting where the finely titled ‘And Justice for All’ and the latest ones Load and Re-Load. These are perhaps stylistically different from those which I have described earlier but in a sense they are also a logical development from those of the past. James Hetfield’s guitar is slightly more pronounced even in Load and his vocals are perhaps tamer and calmer in these versions. Metallica continue to be one of the most important bands in this genre and have definitely changed my previous conceptions about rock music which perhaps were slightly too compartmentalized before.
Yet another band which was provided as part of the free sources in this course was the legendary Black Sabbath. With a line up including Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and the great zzie Osbourne, one could not fail to be incredibly enthused by everything they played and recorded. The first album called Black Sabbath was full of great songs such as Warpigs and the album’s title track was also quite a shocker. The band’s development continued to thrill me consistently especially with the issue of several new albums such as Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Paranoid and Live at Last which was one of the first records I ever bought in my youthful days as a rock enthusiast. The characteristic hues of Osbourne’s voice cannot fail to thrill and especially in the later albums, Osbourne is a signature to the band which continues to thrill even to this day. Black Sabbath also developed quite well in their later years when other band members joined the group such as the vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Here one cannot fail to be thrilled by the deep qualities of Dio’s voice especially in albums such as Mob Rules and Heaven and Hell where the music really comes together in more ways than one. Rock music can truly be understood when one follows these great bands who always have something to say whatever they do.
Section two: Suggestion box
- This is simple. I want suggestions from each of you for future occurrences of this course. What do you feel would be good additions, or subtractions, from how the class is designed and experienced? Is there anything you want to see more of? Anything you want to see less of? Is there anything you hoped that we would have covered?
The course as structured is interesting and intriguing as already pointed out although there could be some issues which could be tackled better. Musical theory for example is slightly bare and is not actually covered properly although one cannot be too picky in this regard either. Another aspect of the course which may be slightly abandoned and which could be expanded upon is musical history of rock bands with a particular emphasis on the speed metal scene which is more often than not overlooked. Here I will be making a few suggestions with regards to famous rock bands which could be studied as part of the course:
Helloween:
This German speed metal band was extremely popular in the 9180’s and is very instructive as a study for a proper revival. Albums such as the first mini LP Helloween, Walls of Jericho and the two Keeper of the Seven Keys demonstrate a thorough knowledge of guitar playing and an intense understanding of what speed metal is all about. Those wishing to study rock music would do well to be exposed to the methods of Helloween so some listening time during the course is certainly in order. The riffs and techniques of Kai Hansen are surely extremely important for anyone studying guitar playing in greater detail and some exposure to these methods are important. Another aspect which is perhaps slightly overlooked in the course is that of drum playing which is occasionally abandoned and left by the wayside so some exposure on the drumming techniques of the Helloween drummer would be a huge boon to those looking at this genre of playing as their future.
Judas Priest – history of rock and transformation of a band over the decades.
Incredibly, a band like Judas Priest is still going strong after almost three decades of being in the limelight although their contribution has been reduced over the years. However, they are an excellent case study for those prospective musicians who wish to learn the art of guitar playing in much greater detail with Glenn Tipton and KK Downing surely two of the finest guitarists who ever walked this earth and who continue up to this day to shock and awe with their incredible empathy and methods. The course could study some seminal albums such as Sad Wings of destiny, Sinner, Stained Class, defenders of the Faith and Painkiller to really understand what guitar playing is all about. Vocalists who are also looking for a career in this genre should look no further than the great Rob Halford who is a singer of incredible power in every department. The course could also look into the drumming techniques of Les Binks and other subsequent Priest drummers who took their art to the very top especially during live concerts. The rock course should seriously consider this band as one of the most seminal in this regard.
Running Wild
Another band which is perhaps overlooked and should be an intrinsic part of this course is the Swiss band Running Wild. Formed in the early 1980’s they issued several seminal albums chiefly on the subject of piracy and other similar topics. They were extremely popular in germany and to this day they retaina substantial following so they are surely ripe material for discussion in more ways than one. One interesting aspect which they retain are their album covers which is surely an important part of rock history and which should be taken more into account when studying about rock. Other elements which are good points for study are the way the albums develop into a readable story and where everything comes together quite brilliantly. Running Wild have an important album called The First Years of Piracy where they bring together a number of songs from their early years such as Fight the Oppression and Mordor which show some intriguing elements of speed metal although always worked about in the best possible way and also extremely musical in that respect. I feel that these bands should form part of the course and should also show a certain prevalence to accept methods which are not always accepted in this day and age but which provide some interesting material for discussion.
Another classic rock band which is perhaps overlooked is Rainbow which was formed after some elements of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath split up. Their albums are all classics of the rock genre and include Rainbow Rising and kill the King which surely demonstrate the best forms of musical playing and guitar riffs. The late drummer Cozy Powell is also an important and crucial element of the band and those drummers who aspire to a career in this genre should do well to study his methods and foibles. Yet again I believe that the course is not doing enough to make students understand the importance of bands such as Rainbow which form an intrinsic and essential part of the history of rock music.
Something which I would omit from the course is the excessive comparison to classical music in some parts of the curriculum. I would replace these with more practical sessions on current bands and other groups which are perhaps up and coming and which do not have the space and exposure that they would wish to have. Prospective rock musicians should be informed of the perils of strating up alone in the world of music as nothing is ever easy and nothing comes cheap either. Perhaps the course could concentrate more on the issue of becoming a rock musician and what this means to the lifestyle of each and every one of us.
Rock is a great genre and I really cannot say that this course is bad in any way as it has so far provided me with lots of interesting aspects of study and has also perfected my techniques in more ways than one. However there is always some room for improvement and as suggested here, there can be much more emphasis on the historical aspect of the course which is important for the understanding of the greatness of rock musicians. Notwithstanding all this, I do feel that the free sources provided during the course are helping us to have a much better understanding of rock music as a genre and all this is a huge plus point in this regard. Some retouching are obviously necessary and as already explained above, if these are put into place sooner rather than later, the course will continue to be a huge success and we can move forward in an excellent fashion.
Works cited:
Curtis JM, Rock Eras 1954-84; Madison, WI, Popular Press 1987, Print
Brewer RC: Bass Guitar in J Shepherd ed Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular music in the World Vol 2, new York, Continuum 2003, Print
Mattingly R; Drum set in in J Shepherd ed Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular music in the World Vol 2, new York, Continuum 2003, Print
Theberge P; Any Sound you can Imagine; Making Music/Consuming Technology; Middletown CT, Wesleyan university Press 1997, Print
