Hard rock 2
The Art of Being Loud
The Big Four
• Session 1
– Led Zeppelin: rock critics’ favourite art band
– Deep Purple: both heavy and melodic
• Session 2
– Black Sabbath, kings of heavy metal
– Uriah Heep: underrated „black sheep”, rock
press hostility, accused of plagiarism
Kings of heavy metal: Black Sabbath
working class band from around Birmingham
•
Consider the part of Britain
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•
Black Country in the Midlands
Industry, smoke and soot
Eponymous debut album 1970.
Singer-two guitars-drum quartet
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Blues-playing origins
Guitarist Tony Iommi praised.
War Pigs, from Paranoid, 1970
–
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3b6SG
oN6dA
Their greatest hit, Paranoid also
from album Paranoid (from a TV
show)
–
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Eu6pF
mXCg
War pigs lyrics
Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh lord yeah!
Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor
Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in
chess
Wait 'til their judgement day comes
Yeah!
Now in darkness world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees the war pig's crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing spreads his wings
Oh lord yeah!
Further Black Sabbath music
•
Doom, gloom and the technique
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•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqUidIQ9j8w&fe
ature=related
Video collage:
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Reasons for the „dark and gloomy”
Sabbath sound, Tony’s fingers and the
importance of the band
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Even melodic: Solitude, from Master
of Reality, 1971
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Identify added instrument
•
–
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmV8niW5
GXs
Alternate version, words shorter but
more clearly heard:
•
•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Jfi81eubo
&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3KjvLA_lA0
&feature=artist
Video: Dirty Women from Technical
Extasy, 1976
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Watch and do not feel scandalised.
•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6ThBPs5i4
w
Solitude lyrics
My name it means nothing
My fortune is less
My future is shrouded in dark wilderness
Sunshine is far away, clouds linger on
Everything I possessed - Now they are gone
Oh where can I go to and what can I do?
Nothing can please me only thoughts are of
you
You just laughed when I begged you to stay
I've not stopped crying since you went away
The world is a lonely place - you're on your
own
Guess I will go home - sit down and moan
Crying and thinking is all that I do
Memories I have remind me of you
Black sheep Uriah Heep
• Reviled by rock press. Plagiarism?
• Music -- characteristics
– Strong vocals: D. Byron
– „Massive keyboard sound” of the electric organ:
K. Hensely
– Fantasy world matched by Roger Dean’s album
covers
• Some of their most famous
– July Morning from Look at Yourself, 1971.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F8POMDIGdk
– Sunrise from The Magician’s Birthday, 1972.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRXymJj6nMs&featur
e=related
– In concert
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpA5XK2CQWE
– Lady in Black, reworked and extended by
Hensley. Lives in the Midwest. Just like an
indian, eh?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMs7SLDFZdI
July Morning
There I was on a July morning
Looking for love
With the strength
Of a new day dawning
And the beautiful sun
At the sound
Of the first bird singing
I was leaving for home
With the storm
And the night behind me
And a road of my own
With the day came the resolution
I'll be looking for you
La la la la
I was looking for love
In the strangest places
Wasn't a stone
That I left unturned
Must have tried more
Than a thousand faces
But not one was aware
Of the fire that burned
In my heart, in my mind, in my soul
La la la la
There I was on a July morning
I was looking for love
With the strength
Of a new day dawning
And the beautiful sun
And at the sound
Of the first bird singing
I was leaving for home
With the storm
And the night behind me
Yeah, and a road of my own
Sunrise lyrics
Sunrise and the new day's
breakin' trough
The morning of another day
without you
And as the hours roll by
No one's there to see me cry
except the sunrise
The sunrise and you...
Tired eyes drift across the shore
Looking for love and nothing more
But as the sea rolls by
No-one's there to see me cry...
except the sunrise
The sunrise and you...
Sun-rise bless my eyes
catch my soul - make me whole
again
Sunrise .. new day.. hear my song
I'm tired of fightin' and foolin'
around
But from now on till who knows
when
My sword will be my pen
And I'll love you... love ya'... for all
of my time
Sun-rise.... bless my eyes
Catch my soul - make me whole
again
Sun-rise.... bless my eyes
Catch my soul - make me whole
again
Sun-rise.... bless my eyes
Catch my soul - make me whole
again... Sunrise
Lady in Black,
Hensley
version
She came to me one morning, one lonely
Sunday morning,
Her long hair flowing in the mid-winter wind.
I know not how she found me, for in darkness I
was walking,
And destruction lay around me from a fight I
could not win.
She asked me name my foe then. I said the
need within some men
To fight and kill their brothers without thought of
men or god.
And I begged her give me horses to trample
down my enemies,
So eager was my passion to devour this waste
of life.
But she would not think of battle that reduces
men to animals,
So easy to begin and yet impossible to end.
For she the mother of all men had counciled me
so wisely that
I feared to walk alone again and asked if she
would stay.
"Oh lady lend your hand," I cried, "Oh let me rest
here at your side."
"Have faith and trust in me," she said and filled
my heart with life.
There is no strength in numbers. I've no such
misconceptions.
But when you need me be assured I won't be far
away.
Thus having spoke she turned away and though I
found no words to say
I stood and watched until I saw her black cloak
disappear.
My labor is no easier, but now I know I'm not
alone.
I find new heart each time I think upon that windy
day.
And if one day she comes to you drink deeply
from her words so wise.
Take courage from her as your prize and say
Underrated Band
• A large part of their output was chart-focused
music, for example:
– Gypsy form debut album Very ‘eavy, Very ‘umble,
1970.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_5CgNbo0ns
– Bird of Prey, from Salisbury, their 2nd LP, 1971.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkkk9U8GtU8
• But progressive rock, as well, with jazz
influences, e.g. in The Park, in addition to July
Morning, Sunrise, etc.
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1gRCpV--1A
• Influence for Hungarian Ωmega
– Joint concerts in West Germany at the time.
Gypsy lyrics
• I was only seventeen
I fell in love with a gypsy
queen
She told me: "Hold on"
Her father was the leading
man
Said: "You're not welcome
On our land"
And then as a foe,
he told me to go
He took me to a little shack
And put a whip across my back
Then told her: "Leave me"
• I was out for quite a time
Came back with her on my
mind
Sweet little girl
She means all the world
Oh, I want my qypsy queen
Will she still be torn between
Her father and lover
One day I will go to him
Strong enough to fight and win
The kind of a man
That he'll understand
Bird of Prey
I can see that look that says
beware
Try to move in closer if you dare
So I must sit and play
My waiting game
And for a while I know
She'll do the same
Fly away
Watches like an eagle from its
eyrie
And like a bird of prey
She captures me
But I am older and
More wise than you
Bird of prey
Straight into me you flew
Fly away
Now every time I tried to set her
free
I'm glad to say she comes
Right back to me
But if I knew she didn't want to
stay
I wouldn't try to keep that
Lovely bird of prey
The Park
Let me walk a while alone
Among the sacred rocks and
stones
Let me look in vain belief
Upon the beauty of each leaf
There is green in every blade
The tree tops lean providing
shade
Maypoles spin in happy sound
All nature's strength around
And there's a horse that feels no
pain
Its iron strength to take the strain
Children rock it to and fro
And gaily drink its colour-glow
Above, the sky, devoid of cloud
Thinks not to cast a thunder
shroud
Upon this place so full of joy
A field of gold of loves employ
So, why my heavy heart? You say
When tears would stain
The sights so gay
My brother's dreams once here
did soar
Until he died at the hand
Of needless war
Homework
• Reviewing (listening to) complete
Powerpoint, including embedded
YouTube, lyrics, etc.
• Read all Handbook and Harmony
readings.
Questions for the revision
• What musical basis do you find for a different grouping for the
„big four” (Zep and Sabbath; Purple and Heep)?
• Consider the songs you listened to. State your preferences in
terms of the styles of rock (bands), describe and give
reasons.
• What is your interpretation of the fact that all of these bands,
one way or other, seem to have „had their days” by 1980?
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Death of John Bonham
Ozzy Osbourne’s leaving Sabbath
Reshuffles within their own ranks, e.g. Gillan for a stint with Sabbath
Multiple departures from Purple, death of last ace Bolin
Sacking of Byron, bassist Thain’s near-fatal shock, multiple
depratures, incl. Hensley’s in 1980.
Was it „Game over!” for blues-based electrified hard rock?