Rock 'n' Rant

I’m not sure exactly when the music died.

It wasn’t February 3, 1959 – the day Buddy Holly and other
rock ’n’ roll greats died in a horrific plane crash – like that folk singer Don
McLean says. No, I’d say the date is closer to 1980.

In fact, there isn’t one day in particular when the music
died. Instead it was some sort of deadly music virus that hit the rock ‘n’ roll
in the ’80s.

Thus began the decade-long Dark Ages of Rock.

The 1980s brought us Devo, Bon Jovi, the Beastie Boys, New
Kids on the Block, Men at Work and “Love Shack.” The 1980s was the decade of
synthesizers, the decade of hair metal, the decade of hip-hop, the decade of
music videos, the decade of new wave and the decade of overproduction. If that
doesn’t prove my point, I don’t know what will.

The 1980s was the Decade of Crap.

The frightening event didn’t happen all at once. The music
industry had been leading away from the real rock of the Stones, Hendrix, the
Beatles and others for years with its embracing of punk, heavy metal and disco.

Yamaha introduced their first commercial synthesizers in
1981 and continued making them until 1989. For some reason every artist – rock,
pop, punk, disco, R&B and heavy metal – needed to have at least one of
those awful-sounding instruments in their recordings.

Most albums recorded in the 1980s suffered from
overproduction, or too much work by the producer and not enough by the band.
This happens when a song is overdubbed multiple times and all the little errors
are taken out. While it sounds like a good idea on paper, the music usually
ends up sounded fake. What makes a rock song sound like a rock song is the
loud, messy, fuzzy guitars and an untidiness that was lost in the ’80s. Instead
the music sounded like it came from a music factory, where everything came out
sounding “perfect” and clean. The music lost much of its personality.

One of the worst things about this era of music is today
almost all of it sounds outdated. Listen to a song from the ’80s and you’ll
surely wrinkle your nose – and you’ll know exactly when it was recorded. This
outdated sound is the first sign of a temporary fad, much like disco. Many ’60s
artists’ music like that of the Beatles sounds just as good today as it did
back then.

Music video changed the face of music, and suddenly the
industry became more concerned about the visual and commercial aspects than the
actual music.

Some of the late-’60s bands embraced the new music, like Led
Zeppelin did with their 1979 album “In Through the Out Door,” the rock legends’
last studio album before the death of drummer John Bonham.

Zeppelin played it safe – they hung up their instruments and
never recorded or performed together again. It was the only way they could have
stayed away from a decade of bad music.

Other bands weren’t so lucky.

After touring and recording non-stop for almost two decades,
the Rolling Stones made a handful of the worst albums of their career 1983 to
1989, spending most of their time on mediocre solo material due to a feud between
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Rod Stewart – the easily recognizable lead singer of
legendary rock bands like the Jeff Beck Group and Faces, as well as an
accomplished rock ‘n’ roll singer on his own – abandoned his roots and recorded
some of the most terrible music in the history of rock straight through the
’80s. Actually, I’m not sure he ever stopped.

ZZ Top added synthesizers to their gritty blues-rock,
ironically making the most popular – and outdated – music of their career. Bob
Dylan lost his identity and faded away. The Who recorded one horrendous album
and broke up. The list goes on and on.

The greatest bands in rock history disappeared in a matter
of years and were never replaced. The 1980s became the decade the music died.

Perhaps some of us are still waiting for it to be
resurrected.

**Rock ‘n’ Rant was originally formed as a project
for NDSU’s Comm 425: Specialty Writing class. Due to the requirements,
I am obligated sometime during the semester to write a movie review as
well as a restaurant review, which you see today. Rock ‘n’ Rant will
return to normal next Friday.

Walking into downtown’s Café Aladdin, you suddenly feel like
you stepped out of Fargo and into the Middle East. 

Sitting all alone in an abandoned strip mall on 6th Avenue
North Café Aladdin is just off Broadway, yet far enough away that you’d never
see it unless you were intentionally heading for the restaurant.

As soon as I walked into the café I thought about walking
out. The décor looks like it came straight out of the ’70s. Actually, it
probably did come straight out of the ’70s. The walls are bare except for a few
foreign decorations, and posters advertising authentic gyros are faded and
crooked. Metal tables looked old and wobbly. 

If cleanliness is your obsession, then Café Aladdin is your
worst nightmare.

I have to admit, the place has character. Glass cases under
the surrounding counters display authentic Middle Eastern soda cans and other
products with labels written in Persian – or so I’m guessing. 

An hour before close the restaurant was mostly empty, although
a steady stream of faithful customers – some of which were foreigners – continued
to flow through the restaurant.

Instead of being served by a waiter, customers can order at
the counter and the food is brought out when it’s ready, much like a Chipotle
or Noodles. Café Aladdin was a one-man show, and the same Middle Eastern man
who took my order cooked my food and brought it to me, and most likely owned
the place. 

The small plastic menu contains mostly gyros, with a few appetizers
and entrees that were mostly unknown to me. I tried to play it safe and ordered
a chicken gyro.

A warning before eating at Café Aladdin: it is not the Pita
Pit. 

Café Aladdin is the real deal, and the only authentic Mediterranean
restaurant of its kind in the area. It’s an odd feeling eating something your
taste buds have never savored before, and it takes a while to get used to –
especially the spices.

While strange at first, I entirely enjoyed my gyro. The only
thing I would recommend differently is eating at Café Aladdin for lunch instead
of dinner. The restaurant is not the place to take your date or even an
important client, but rather a great lunch place. In fact, Café Aladdin is more
the thrill of eating at a new, unique place than having the best meal of your
life. 

The gyros cost around $5 to $6 each, making it a relatively
inexpensive restaurant to eat.

If you love to try new places and don’t mind a lousy
atmosphere, Café Aladdin is a tasty lunch place. If you have a habit of
checking out the tables for stains before you sit down – or prefer dimly lit,
romantic cafes – then you are better off going somewhere else.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently compiled a list of
200 recordings “every music lover should own,” called the Definitive 200.
Starting with the Beatles’ 1967 concept album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band” and ending with Grand Funk Railroad’s rockin’ masterpiece “We’re an
American Band,” the list contains some of the most influential rock, folk,
country, R&B and hip-hop albums ever recorded.

In honor of the list, the Varsity Mart bookstore is holding
“What’s Your Definitive 10?” contest, allowing students to enter their top 10
favorite albums and later be compiled into NDSU’s ultimate definitive album
list.

Being a rock ‘n’ roll fan, I had to jump in and create my
own definitive list. Take a look at what I chose.

Bob Dylan – “Blonde
on Blonde”
Every time I listen to Dylan’s ’60s electric work, I wish
there was more of it. I don’t go many places without a copy of this 1966 gem.
Originally a two-disc set, “Blonde on Blonde” contains over 70 minutes of
classic Dylan at his peak. Rock, blues, pop and folk collides, driven by the
songwriting legend’s incredible lyrics.

Tom Petty – “Damn the
Torpedoes”
It’s been said Petty, while a consistent songwriter, never
had one great, definitive album. Anyone who says that – including those jerks
at Rolling Stone – need to take a better look at this 1979 album. Five of the
nine tracks – “Don’t Do Me Like That,” “Here Comes My Girl,” “Refugee,” “Even
the Losers” and “Shadow of a Doubt” – are rock classics. “Damn the Torpedoes”
made Tom Petty a household name.

T. Rex – “The Slider”
Recorded a year after their glam rock masterpiece “Electric
Warrior,” T. Rex’s dirty rock ‘n’ roll assaulted the British charts once again
with 1972’s “The Slider.” The title track is one of my favorite tunes of all-time
– other favorites include “Mystic Lady” and “Ballrooms of Mars.”

The Rolling Stones –
“Let it Bleed”
The Stones claim to be the World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll
band, and I wouldn’t disagree. “Let it Be” is a Stones classic, containing the
hits “Gimme Shelter” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” as well as a
countrified version of “Honky Tonk Woman.” My personal favorite is the bluesy “Midnight Rambler.”

Big Star – “Radio
City”
You probably haven’t heard of this band. Most people
haven’t. But you should’ve. Big Star was one of the greatest bands of the ’70s
to never hit it big, and broke up after only three albums. Their second, 1974’s
“Radio City,” is a power pop masterpiece. Every song could have been a hit, but
not one of them were.

Neil Young –
“Tonight’s the Night”
“Tonight’s the Night” is an often-overlooked gem in Young’s
expansive catalog. Severely depressed after the drug-related deaths of two
close friends, Young retreated to the studio to record this grim, somber
collection of songs. While depressing, the album is a unique glimpse into a
suffering songwriter’s head, as well as a rock masterpiece.

The Velvet
Underground – “Loaded”
The New York band only recorded four albums, and their last
one was their most commercial. Lou Reed replaces his usual dark, druggy
songwriting with catchy tunes like “Sweet Jane,” “Rock & Roll” and “Who
Loves the Sun.”

David Bowie – “The
Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”
My love of glam rock is showing. A
concept album centered around the story of an alien who comes from Mars to play
guitar, “Ziggy Stardust” is a dark rock ‘n’ roll drama. I love every track on
the album.

The Beatles – “Abbey
Road”
I’ve never been of fan of “Sgt. Pepper,” and what would a
definitive list be without the Beatles? Their entire catalog is practically a
definitive rock ‘n’ roll list in itself. George Harrison shines with two of the
best songs – “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun” – on the last album the Fab
Four ever recorded.

Eric Clapton –
“Slowhand”
While one of the best guitarists in rock history, Clapton’s
solo career often suffered, propelled sometimes only by his fame. Clapton’s
1977 album contained two of his most well-known songs, “Wonderful Tonight” and
“Cocaine.” Other favorites of mine include “Next Time You See Her” and “Lay
Down Sally.”

In a matter of days a talk show host Don Imus has gone from
the face of a multimillion dollar radio empire to nobody. If you wanted, you
might be able to get his autograph when you see him behind working behind the
counter at Walgreen’s in a couple weeks.

In case you haven’t heard – that is, if my column is your
only source of information (after all what more would you need?) – Imus, a
former comedian and host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Don Imus in
the Morning,” was bombarded with accusations of being a racist after he
referred to members of the Rutgers basketball team as “nappy-headed hos.” 

To Imus’ credit, he both publicly and privately apologized
to the players and coaches of the Rutgers team as well as to his viewers. Imus
even spent two hours as a guest on Al Sharpton’s radio show. That should have
been punishment enough.

But it wasn’t. After thousands of Americans called for Imus
to be fired, his show was finally cut by both MSNBC and CBS, leaving “Don Imus
in the Morning” without a home on television or radio. 

I don’t agree with what Imus said, and I definitely don’t
think the Rutgers team deserved what he said. It was a boneheaded comment and
there should be consequences. Imus knows what he said was wrong, and he’s
paying for it.

But I think before Imus should be singled out as a
woman-hating racist who is taking over our airwaves, we need to take a look at
what else is being shown on radio and television. 

As syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin recently pointed out, if
we take a look at the top tracks on the Billboard charts, you can’t hardly find
a rap song that doesn’t refer to women as “b****es” or “hos.” African Americans
constantly refer to themselves as the “N” word.

R. Kelly’s “I’m a Flirt,” which has been on the charts for
12 weeks, contains these lyrics: 

“I’m a b pimpin
I don’t be slippin
When it come down to these hos
I don’t love em
We don’t cuff em
Man that’s just the way it goes”

How’s that for treating women well? Is that really any
better than what Imus said? I don’t think so. And R. Kelly isn’t the only one who needs to have his mouth washed out with soap.

But rapper Snoop Dogg says there’s a difference between rappers
and Imus. In an interview yesterday, Snoop said, “These are two separate
things. First of all, we ain’t no old-ass white men that sit up on MSNBC going
hard on black girls. We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds
and our souls that are relevant to what we feel.”

But I disagree. For one thing, Imus’ show is meant to be
comedy, whether or not it’s actually funny on a regular basis. But that still
doesn’t justify what he said. 

More importantly, what Imus said was an accident, said on
live radio while having a conversation with someone else. It wasn’t scripted,
it wasn’t repeated and it wasn’t made to be republished and plastered all over
MTV and sold on CDs to make money. Also, I doubt there are children listening
to Don Imus’ early-morning talk show. MSNBC targets adults, MTV target young
adults.

I doubt there are many kids who can tell you who Don Imus
is. At least until now. 

Whether or not we like what he said, it was accidental.  It would be hard to come up with a celebrity
or politician who hasn’t said something they regret on live television or
radio. We all make mistakes; the only difference is our mistakes aren’t being
heard and analyzed by millions of listeners.

Lastly, Imus apologized. It was too little, too late, but it
was sincere and it is something he will regret for the rest of his life. I’m
still waiting for the rap industry to apologize for how they treat women and
people of other race. But I have a feeling we won’t be getting it anytime soon.

In January Fargo’s KRWK “The Rock 102” – formerly known as
KKBX “The Box 101.9” – changed its format and allowing listeners to call in and
vote on songs tracks they liked or disliked.

The change moved KRWK away from classic rock to mainstream
rock. By allowing the audience to choose from a number of selected songs, the
station would then be able to “shuffle” between approved tracks on a regular
basis, thus eliminating the disc jockey.

Eliminating disc jockeys seems to be a trend in American radio.

The age of DJs has been gone for quite some time. Although
there is frequently an on-air personality lending their voice during the day,
that person rarely if ever chooses the music to be played – at least not on
large mainstream stations.

Instead, the music is chosen by a conference-room full of
business men in three-piece suits, the same type of men who choose which
television shows and movies you should watch, which books you should read and
which games you should play.

A radio station doesn’t exist so you can sing along in your
car or so you can hear your favorite band or discover new music. Like
everything else, a radio station exists to make money.

Corporate radio stations run extensive tests and surveys on
the music they play on the air. But those companies aren’t looking to find
songs that you love, or even songs that stir emotions inside you.

Instead, radio stations attempt to play songs that you will
be content with, songs that will keep your dial resting in place until they get
to the commercial break – commercials by companies who pay big money to
advertise on the air.

An example is Jack FM, the brand name of over 40 stations in
North America – including one in Minneapolis – that use the same “adult hits”
format in each city. Although Jack FM has an incredibly large playlist – around
1,000 pop hits spanning the last 45 years – they have the art of playing music
down to a science. The goal of the playlist is to keep the listener content
long enough to hear the advertisements.

Jack FM’s slogan is “playing what we want,” but are they
playing what you want? Or are they playing what the advertisers want?

The problem with today’s format is the fact that music is
getting abused, and they are getting fed the same commercial garbage as they
are on TV and in record stores. The
music comes second to the dollar signs – a very distant second. Maybe even
third or fourth.

It’s hard to fight back against large corporations –
everybody hates what Wal-Mart is doing to small businesses, but who really
wants to pay more than they have to? – and it seems like the small man always
loses. But as a music listener, we have an opportunity to stand up for what we
want.

College radio stations, small music venues and independent
record stores are standing up for the real music – the good, hard-working
musicians – and by supporting them we can stand up to the music industry.

You even might find the perfect artist to fit your musical
tastes.

Throughout the history of modern music, certain genres have
come and gone, disappearing quickly with the culture that shaped them. 

Unfortunately, rap isn’t one of those disappearing genres.

Forgotten from the memories of all but a few fans is glam
rock, a short-lived but spirited genre of music. 

Although remembered today more for its outrageous attire – performers
often wore makeup, large boots, leather, glitter and feather boas, among other
things – glam rock was very much centered around the music.

Catchy hooks, fuzzy guitars, loud singing and lyrics often
swarming with sexuality were fused together to create a brand of music that fit
with the absurd behavior of the artists. 

The glam rock craze started in the very early ’70s in the
United Kingdom, where it spent its short yet fertile life. The genre was
heavily influenced by the music and actions of a decade of rock performers
including the Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa, the Faces, Little Richard and the
Kinks.

Glam rock was started by brilliant singer-songwriter Marc
Bolan. Obsessed with fantasy stories, wizards and magic, Bolan played acoustic
guitar and sang in a wobbly voice, backed only by bongo player Steve Peregrin
Took. The duo, who called themselves Tyrannosaurus Rex, had a horrendous folk
sound that would make even Yoko Ono cringe. 

After a string of unsuccessful albums, Bolan decided to make
some changes. In 1970 Bolan replaced Took with drummer Mickey Finn, replaced
his acoustic guitar with an electric one and shortened his band’s name to T.
Rex.

T. Rex’s self-titled 1970 album finally put Bolan on the
U.K. charts. But it wasn’t until the following year when glam rock officially
started. 

In 1971 T. Rex released Electric
Warrior, an 11-track album that send England into a glam rock craze.
Propelled by the hit single “Get It On,” the album reached No. 1 on the British
charts, where it sat for several weeks.

Released in the United States under the title “Bang a Gong
(Get It On),” the song became one of the few glam rock tunes to make it
overseas. It is also the only T. Rex single to become a staple on American
classic rock radio. 

Bolan wasn’t the only glam rocker. Singer-songwriter David
Bowie dabbled in glam with 1971’s Hunky
Dory, and plunged in the following year with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, a
concept album about a space alien who becomes a guitar icon on Earth. In
concert, Bowie dressed up in a glittery space outfit like he was Ziggy Stardust
himself.

His follow-up album Aladdin
Sane was as equally fascinating, providing Bowie with yet another alien
alter ego. 

Bowie’s influence on the glam rock was not only as a
musician, but as a producer as well. In 1972, Bowie resurrected British hard
rock group Mott the Hoople with a cover of his tune “All the Young Dudes,”
thrusting the band into the glam scene and onto the music charts.

That same year, while finishing his own Ziggy Stardust album, Bowie produced Lou Reed’s Transformer, bringing the ex-Velvet
Underground singer out of a creative rut. Reed even donned makeup for his live
shows. With the help of the hit “Walk on the Wild Side” he went from gritty
rock ’n’ roller to glam superstar. 

Roy Wood, ex-lead singer of the ’60s group the Move and
founder of the now-famous Electric Lights Orchestra, left his success behind in
the early-’70s to start the band Wizzard. Wearing heavy makeup and long,
colorfully dyed hair, Wood is one of the only glam rockers still performing.
Other glam rock groups frequently on the charts in the early-’70s include
Sweet, Gary Glitter and Slade.

British piano legend Elton John caught on to the glam rock
craze early, and in 1972 he traded in his soft singer-songwriter look for a
wild, eccentric persona that launched his career into superstardom. 

Not only was John famous for wearing outrageous glasses (one
especially dazzling pair cost him $5,000 and spelled his name in lights), but
he frequently wore elaborate costumes while performing live. He even went as
far as to dress up as Daffy Duck and the Statue of Liberty.

At that point Elton John officially crossed the line from
“glam” to “dork.” 

Glam rock never caught on in America like it did in England,
but many performers were influenced by the genre, leaving its mark well
imbedded in the history of American music.

Bands like Kiss, Alice Cooper and the Stooges – with their
heavy makeup, glamorous costumes, exotic behavior, loud music and live
theatrics – gave Americans a glimpse into the glam rock scene. 

Many of these groups are today classified as “protopunk;”
that is, they greatly influenced punk rock, which soon followed in 1975. British
punk groups like the Sex Pistols and the Clash took glam rock’s theatrics and
flair – as well as its crudeness – to a whole new level.

Unfortunately, glam rock only lasted a few years. Bowie soon
became bored with glam and moved on to techno, and other groups faded out of
the spotlight. Marc Bolan disappeared off the charts with a few mediocre
albums, but stayed true to the genre he had invented until the devastating car
crash that took his life in 1977. 

By 1974 the glam craze was over, making it one of the
shortest – and greatest – music movements in the history of rock.

Anyone wanting a taste of glam should pick up T. Rex’s Electric Warrior, or their 1972
follow-up The Slider. Last year, each
of the band’s 12 studio albums was remastered and repackaged in two-disc sets
with outtakes and previously unreleased tracks. Any of David Bowie’s early-’70s
records – Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust or Aladdin Sane – are great. Glam rock can be hard to find in the U.S.,
but it shouldn’t be too hard to track down a compilation disc, such as Get Yer Boots On: The Very Best of Slade
or The Wizzard! Greatest Hits.

When it comes to musical tastes, I’m not your average
21-year-old.

I’m more like a 55-year-old.

My CD collection – which I am embarrassed to tell you
contains well over 200 recordings – consists mostly of late-’60s and early-’70s
rock. I’m not picky: Subgenres such as blues-rock, psychedelic, arena rock,
country-rock, singer-songwriter, British Invasion, folk-rock, progressive rock,
power pop, soft rock, punk rock, glam rock, rock ’n’ roll, hard rock and heavy
metal are all present and accounted for. I’ve even been known to throw some
blues, jazz and country on to the playlist ever now and again.

I enjoy listening to a wide range of music, but my favorite
artists have one thing in common: they are all old.

I had never given modern music a fighting chance, and
dismissed it as mass-marketed radio trash.

Then I discovered the indie music scene.

Then I discovered the Deaths.

Indie music is the term used for musicians not associated
with a major record label. Many of these groups are signed to small, independent
labels, and some aren’t signed at all. Their music is heard in small venues
across the country by music lovers eager to hear something different than what
is on the radio.

Most of the music played by indie bands could never make it
on to a popular radio station, but many of the groups don’t want them to. Every
genre collides in the obscure music scene, including rock, hip-hop, jazz,
electronica, country, blues and even bluegrass. In the indie music scene, there
is something for everyone.

Even something for me.

Not nearly as morbid as their name implies, the Deaths are a
psychedelic band that sounds like it came directly from the ’60s. Their slow,
dark music and eerie harmonies are fused into three-minute pop songs,
reminiscent of the Beatles or the Animals. The instant I heard the Deaths I
felt like I was in 1968, in a club in Britain or in San-Francisco’s
Haigt-Ashbury district, the center of the hippie movement.

The Deaths originated in Fargo but later moved to the Twin
Cities to pursue a recording contract. Luckily for us the group returns fairly
often to play shows at the Aquarium, a small music venue located above
Dempsey’s Public House on downtown Broadway.

On Saturday the Deaths will take the stage at the Aquarium
for the first time this year. The band is currently recording their second
full-length album on the independent Essay Records, which will be released
within the next few months.

Indie music is perhaps the broadest music genre in history –
even broader than pop music – and somewhere in the country there is the perfect
band for everyone. For me, the Deaths launched me into an obsession with small,
nearly unheard of bands.

Finding the right music for you – something that’s not fed
to you by large music corporations looking for cash – is a fun experience that
nobody can accomplish for you, including me. Not everyone likes the same music
as I do.

After all, I probably hate your music.