Are Rock Heroes Still Around?

[artpaul]

I wonder about this Rock Hero stuff and I have a couple questions:

It seems like there are more pop songs than rock now a days so I was wondering is it MTV ?

Did video kill the Radio Star ?

Also alot of Heavy Metal Bands end up taking drugs and breaking up and I was wondering why do Heavy Metal Bands have to go that route ?

Can't we have a Heavy Metal Band that plays Heavy Metal without taking Drugs ?

Also Garth Brooks was really big in the 90s do you think Country Music steals fans from Rock N Roll ?

[GregK]

Excellent questions! -I have watched a lot of the "behind the music" shows and I always wondered- why did these guys go the drug route? I really cannot speak for all the bands out there or all the artists- they all have their own stries as to why it happened. For some- myself included 9at the time I WAS partying- I've been sober for many years now- I'm a one drink now and then type of guy- my addiction is Starbucks!) -well for some they get into the drugs or drinking because they are young and bored and want something different- to rebel in a way- for some they see all the BIG STARS doing it- so they want to be just like them, maybe some of the artists or bands feel tired or sick or whatever and they STILL have to get on stage and do a show-so somebody says "take this and you'll feel good enough to do the show".
I think now there are Metal bands coming back into the mainstream- they were there 20 or 30 years ago now they are coming back with new cds and tours and most of them are doing it sober- I don't know about many new met bands.. seems to be a great shortage of them!

[GregK]

I don't think that country music killed rock and roll- so much as I think country music had INCORPORATED a lot of what was once more exclusive to rock. I don't know a whole lot of country- I grew up outside of Boston- at the time we had ONE radio station that played country for the entire area. But since I've moved south I've heard a lot more of it and it's odd in a way to hear some country artists using distorted guitars or even songs that seem to have much more "pop or rock" type arrangements (I'm really having trouble nailing down what I mean by this- but you notice a tremendous difference between Aerosmith and some of the older country tunes. When first heard Shania I thought it was a new Pretender's tune..so naturally I loved it!) Going back to what was said before- think 1Undread said it how these things move in cycles- that seems to be true because we had our Beatles and Stones days, our Led Zeppelin and the COUNTLESS BANDS of the 70's- we had the rise of MTV- which brought us Madonna, U2, the onslaught of 80's bands- then went to the later 80's with big hair -then everyone started looking at grunge so the big hair guys weren't interesting anymore- and then everything went over to country and now I'm seeing the rise of 80's style fashion again (saw an ac/dc t-shirt selling in a Target and laughed because I think I HAD the same shirt 20+ years ago!)
As for bad singers- I THANK GOD FOR THEM- I personally don't think of my singing as great- but I know I can sing better than a whole busload of musicians from the "bad singing rock star" school! So this is it folks- if you've ever listened to and/or liked any song by one of the countless artists or bands that fits into this category (and you know the ones I mean- I don't have to make a list for ya do I?) well- if you've listened to one of these countless songs- then PLEASE.. give a listen to my song ..think of it like making a vote for the underdog- the little guy- the guy busting his back in his spare bedroom -ok..enough of the shameless self-promotion...self plugging-right HERE http://www.musicforte.com/member/gregkroeter -thanks..GregK

[MrsPeabody]

[naturalblondie]

I think that rock heroes still exist. A lot of them come and go, but they still exist. In fact, I saw a clip of this puppet trying to be a rock hero.

http://drums.heyfash.com

I'm shocked that this puppet (Fash) already has a female audience. How did the girls know about him, and why are they obssessed with him? I just don't get it.

[GregK]

Ok- this has been REALLY FUN POST-so I'm opening it back up to see what responses we get.
It seems to me that there is something just a little bit odd as it pertains to the Rock Hero lately:
The latest "big thing" in rock for cd sales is a reissue of Black Sabbath tunes with Ronnie Dio singing.
The "Big rock concerts" to hit my area this year are Def Leppard with Styx, and Rush.

[GregK]

I'm noticing Eddie Van Halen and Alex Lifeson (Rush) on the cover of guitar playing magazines and one of the magazines said something like "Learn "Axis Bold As Love!" and I'm thinking- good God..I grew up playing to that album (or I think one of them was actually 8-track..)
So DID WE JUST DO THE TIME WARP??? Did it somehow become 1978 all over again (can I still fit in my Jordache jeans??) so what is the state of music coming to when the BIG things to grace us are reissues and stuff that has been around for the past 20-30 years?? Why don't we see anything/anyone NEW - is it because it's a whole new game now and the Rock Hero is now a Rap hero (or other type of music)- I don't think so.. I still see a few bands here and there doing great rock tunes (example- Jet..love these guys) OR perhaps it's because the only good stuff is now all Indie .. anyhow..your thoughts on this??

[SamDrummerBoy]

It's a very interesting time in music RIGHT NOW! It will be very interesting to see what becomes of the "major labels" and the cd stores. I heard somewhere that cd sales were down 20% last year from the previous year. A 20% drop in one year?????? ouch!

I think that the idea of "underground bands" making it big will be similar to "getting a big break" back in the day. It will probably happen, but not to most people. I found a band "Wilco" completely through underground sources. I downloaded a few of their concerts, and I was hooked. I'm not even sure if they are considered underground....... but I found them without any source of advertising. They are a pretty big name now days.

I think that the term "hero" can be applied to anyone that I think is a great musician. Anyone that has ever inspired me, or made me want to be a better musician. I don't think that the rock hero is gone. Not to me anyway. I wouldn't consider them all "rock" though..... A lot are jazz or instrumentalists that don't really have a genre to tie them down. I always think that it is funny to try to label my own music. I'm sure a lot of people know what I'm talking about. I like a lot of stuff from Classical to Heavy Metal or even some Punk. When I write I think a lot of times they colide and it becomes some new strange mixture.

Also GregK...... another interesting point you made earlier.......... If you put something down on tape/writing/cd/etc etc......... You apparently say it for the rest of your life. (maybe longer.) How do you decide that is who/how you want to be remembered? It's like the whole "using swear words" post........... What if you decide down the road you don't want to say those things anymore......... There's no going back. (am I putting way too much thought into this.......??????) ..........It's one of my biggest mental blocks to writing lyrics.


Interesting post


Later......

Sam

[GregK]

Wilco- good stuff.. they come around here every so often. Yes- the "underground scene" is always something rather amazing. Sometimes you can get quite a lot of good feedback from a buddy or friend- I wound up liking Zappa from one of my buddies playing his stuff and talking about him..and Zappa didn't get radio play (well- maybe old Dr. Demento shows) and I don't think Frank put his freaky mugshot on any posters..

as far as what you write, sing, lyrics etc- the GOOD thing- we all grow older. What we have written or sang or whatever- you can say what countless other musicians have said "Oh..I was an angry young man back then." or "I was drunk" -the sad thing is when it becomes the ONE thing your audience wants to hear the most! I remember Joe Walsh said of "Rocky Mountain Way"- "If I knew this was going to be the song I would have to play for the rest of my life- I would have written something better.".. wise words...wise words. -We'll discuss more on that- maybe even start a different post if needed! Signing off- everybody have a great weekend!- GregK

[Reconsiderate]

[cadenrachel]

Hi all
How can you say that ROCK IS DEAD? Some Rock heroes are still around. We have to know them

[JWhitt2004]

I definitely think rock heroes are still around...just harder to find. When it comes to artists that actually sing about something meaningful and something that "opens your eyes". For example, there haven’t been many artists to speak out about the war in their music, I actually just found one song that does, by Everlast. His song is based on a real letter from a solider who writes home, but by the time it reaches home, he dies. Just listening to the actual words from the letter is really touching and reminds you of our troops overseas.

[JWhitt2004]