Rock and Roll is a combination of country music, rhythm, blues, bluegrass, country, reggae, jazz, gospel and psychedelic rock. It started in the 50’s and really hit the fan in the 60’s with artists like The Grateful Dead, The Eagles, Metallica, Guns ‘N’ Roses and many more.
Rock and Roll typically started with the piano and saxophone which then moved to the guitar and drums soon after. It is usually a dancing beat with a fast paced rhythm hence the name jam band that some of the bands acquired. The instruments usually consist of a drum set, two electric guitars, one lead and the other to hold the rhythm, and a bass guitar and sometimes an electric piano. Rock was not appreciated by the older generation because the youth would partake in juvenile activities such as, acting rebelling and choosing to ignore the racial and political norms. The earlier Rock and Roll songs talked about things such as cars, clothes, and school the latter rock started to bring in activtes that the musicians took part in such as sex and drugs. The counterculture played a big roll in Rock and Roll and how big it eventually became.
The counterculture of the 60’s was a cultural movement that began with the youth acting rebellious and partaking in sexual activity, drugs and women's rights. It also began the civil rights movement where everyone came together to fight for racial equality. With that came the hippie movement of living free and hitchhiking from place to place, as well as being a wanderer while spreading love and peace. The peace sign began during this period, where it started as the UK campaign for nuclear disarmament. After WWII, the Korean and Vietnam war, the soldiers and families could not go back to the way society was before the wars Women wanted to continue to have a say and men wanted to forget about the horrors of war. During this time the Vietnam war was happening, which was a war that was extremely unpopular, citizens were protesting there was propaganda posters saying “make love not war” that came about.
During August 15-18 in 1969 there was a three day music festival held in Bethel, New York on Max Yasgur’s farm with peace and music. There were over 400,000 in the audience and thirty two performers even though the weather during those days were constant rain. It became a defining event in the counterculture and a pivotal moment in popular now called Rock and Roll music. There was a documentary made about the 1970 Festival. There was an estimated of only 200,000 showing up. It started as a non-profit concert but soon after became free due to so many people attending. There was so much traffic and people that the performers had to be airlifted in and out of the venue. There were only two fatalities, one from an insulin usage and another from someone sleeping in a nearby hay farm and getting run over by a tractor, otherwise was a very peaceful event. Some of the performers were The Grateful Dead, Santana, Jimi Hendrex and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Another incredible festival that was a big part of the Rock and Roll music was “Live Aid”. Which was a duel music event on Saturday the 13th of July as a benefit concert. One in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom with 72,000 in attendance and another in John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States with 100,000 in attendance and were televised also. At JFK stadium performers included, The Beach Boys, Santana, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan.
The Grateful Dead is of my favorite bands. They were one of the most influential and successful Rock and Roll, or Jambands who toured all over the world. They even had a name for the people who followed them from show to show for years called DeadHeads. They began in the 1960’s in San Francisco, California. The Grateful Dead was also part of the psychedelic rock movement, which was a rock music inspired by hallucinogens, a mind expanding experience drug that makes you see and hear things that are not there, such as PCP, Marijuana and LSD. With the start of Psychedelic movement came along with it was the hippie movement a wider cultural expansion. They have a band now called “Dead and company” which consist of ex-Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann along with three others musicians. They started in 2015 and began touring. The Grateful Dead also have a cover band who consist of musicians who are huge dead heads and are a tribute to the Grateful Dead called “Dark Star Orchestra” or DSO for short they began in 1997. There continues to be cover bands playing all over, there was even a show right here in Richmond at The National venue.
In 1994 The Grateful Dead was inducted into the Hall of Fame and also a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2007. Some of Grateful Dead musicians include Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Bill Kreutzmann. The Grateful Dead would have a fall, spring and summer tours constantly for 30 years playing 2317 live concerts in 298 cities and have 36,086 songs with 11 members and only one band. Two of my favorite songs by The Grateful Dead are “Friend of the Devil,” because it talks about someone who goes through a lot and has the Devil, a couple of wives, 20 hounds and on the run from it all. It has a great beat and all the instruments sound have a beat that match well, the words and guitar chords is the reason it is there most popular song.
Another is “ Ripple” is has a little slower beat and melody then “Friend of the Devi” but is still a classic and another one of there top songs.
Rock and Roll has changed the way music is produced. It changed the way people view each other, the music industry, even the government. It started an entire counterculture environment and created a movement of peace and love, that the country as well as the world needed in dark times. One must wonder what the world would be if rock and roll had never started when it did.