Classic Rock… What Would I Do Without You?
CLASSIC ROCK – Yes, I will admit, the thought of a world without Classic Rock is a bit scary. Just in the last couple of days, I thought to myself, what would I do without Classic Rock? If it wasn’t for the bands, solo musicians and albums of Rock ‘N’ Roll’s yesteryears would Metal as we all know and love it in 2011 be the same? What would Rock and Hard Rock have sounded like the past 20 years without Classic Rock? The Classic Rock bands that I turn to on a consistent listening basis, are equivalent to comfort food. My mashed potatoes and chicken pot pies of Rock ‘N’ Roll.
Truthfully, bands like the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd, Styx, The Doors, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Cheap Trick, Foreigner, Heart, Bad Company, Grand Funk Railroad, Yes, Sweet, Asia and Boston give me an engulfing sense that everything is either alright or it’s gonna be alright. There are countless more Classic Rock bands that I can rattle off here, of course. These bands and their albums have forever been linked to moments I’ve experienced through life, good or bad, from a young lad to adulthood. Certainly, any fan of music knows what I’m getting at here… I hope.
I can’t leave out KISS… their 1970’s catalog of albums can realistically be tagged as Classic Rock, regardless of the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal that they are so famously known for. How about Motörhead? Can a case be made that this iconic Rock ‘N’ Roll band’s legacy is, after all, Classic Rock worthy? Am I just getting too damned sentimental in my thoughts? Am I becoming this big old softy after all? Classic Rock is synonymous with good times. That’s just the way I feel about this era of Rock ‘N’ Roll.
There will never be another 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s or 1980’s. Those are all decades that will continue to live on through their respective music, with no genre excluded. No decade can ever be duplicated for it’s pop-cultural or Rock ‘N’ Roll impact. Duplication of a Classic Rock sound and/or style is merely called influence. Classic Rock grows it’s roots deeper into the fabric of Rock ‘N’ Roll history with each passing day. There are young bands of today that will inevitably be looked upon as influential and classic as well… 25 or 30 years down the road by different generations of fans.
Who are these bands of today that will be the Classic Rock influences of tomorrow? Is it Kopek? Rooney? My Darkest Days? Pop Evil? Daughtry? Sons Of Sylvia? I never thought of this question when I was a young lad. I used to think that the bands I listened to back then would not be around once I turned, um, the age I am now. Man, was I ever wrong! I’m very glad that I was wrong too.
LONG LIVE CLASSIC ROCK.
Stone.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
February 24, 2011 at 8:15 am
Stone, you weren’t the only one who was wrong and glad to be so. Last summer, Twisted Sister headlined Bloodstock and they played with the energy that rivaled their younger counterparts. In my opinion, they blew everyone away. I can envision in 20 years time, me going to a festival with my son and granchild and seeing Twisted Sister, Any on the new bands today and some new band then and the three of us all rocking out to them.
February 24, 2011 at 9:26 am
Just like there is a “circle of life”… there is a “circle of ROCK”. 🙂
February 24, 2011 at 8:56 am
Weird man, I was just discussing Kiss’s ‘Destroyer’ with my Spanish guitarist Mario. (Ace Frehely was his first big influence). That album is a classic, pure and simple. Behind the make-up, the boots, the razamatazz, are a bunch of killer songs.
I’ve been listening non-stop to the Kevin Shirley remix of Purple’s ‘Come taste the band’ – criminally underrated at the time it sounds absolutely MONSTER!
– and talking of Kevin Shirley – I reckon the BCC 2 album will keep the Classic rock flag flyin’ high right through 2011!
February 24, 2011 at 9:56 am
“Destroyer” never collects dust in my collection! I’ll agree that “Come Taste The Band” was never cemented with enough praise from “critics”, I’ll throw “Stormbringer” into the mix too. The Metal Minute just posted about “Stormbringer” too: http://rayvanhornjr.blogspot.com/2011/02/metal-louvre-deep-purple-stormbringer.html
BCC 2… that will be a “high five” for Classic Rock this year! Kevin Shirley is quite exceptional with his craft. He produced Black Stone Cherry’s debut album… a “young” band that has a TON of Classic Rock roots in their sound/style. If you never checked that band out… I think you would appreciate them.
February 24, 2011 at 6:48 pm
I was just out for a walk with my trusty MP3 and it just happened to be all of these classic songs. All of them before 1984
Gerry Raferty-Baker Street
Girlschool- Hit And Run
Golden Earring- Radar LoveFour Fg
Hanoi Rocks- Up Around the Bend
Honeymoon Suite- New Girl Now
Iron Maiden- 2 Minutes to Midnight
Jefferson Starship- Light the Sky On Fire
J Giels Band- Love Stinks
Four songs by Jimi Hendrix
John Mellancamp- Hurt So Good, The Authority Song
All great classic songs in my humble opinion
February 25, 2011 at 12:00 am
Not a shabby list of songs in your MP3! Isn’t it funny though, how Metal songs can become Classic Rock too? It just kinda happens without realizing it. The one song on that list that gives me a semi-headache is Honeymoon Suite “New Girl Now”. I used to like that song years ago… then the glitter evaporated from it for me. Gerry Rafferty was such a terrific songwriter. Have you ever heard Primal Fear’s cover of “Two Minutes To Midnight”? It smokes!!
February 25, 2011 at 4:28 am
Such a shame to have lost Gerry Rafferty. As Stone says – a gifted songwriter. Nice to see some Girlschool in there! I know Jax, the guitarist from the band, and we often fly to Germany together on shows. They’re still rockin!
February 24, 2011 at 11:30 pm
Would love if Sons of Sylvia was the next generations’ classic rock. I LOVE them!! Of course, I’m a fan of most of th classic rock groups you mentioned, too …. but have to say that SOS is the first current group that rocks that I really think is great and deserves to stick around…can’t wait for their next cd — they said they were going to rock a lot harder and I can’t wait.
February 24, 2011 at 11:53 pm
“Revelation” is a tremendous album of well written and greatly played songs. Just a fine “storytelling” band is Sons Of Sylvia. I understand your enthusiasm for this band. Thanks for the visit/comment. 🙂
– Stone
February 26, 2011 at 8:10 am
Gerry Rafferty was yet another tragic loss to the rock world. Another one was Razzle for Hanoi Rocks, I saw them in a club in New Jersey a month before Razzle died. From what I have read recently, it seems Vince Neil hasn’t learned his lesson.
I’ll have to check out Sons of Sylvia, I’ll ask my son.
February 27, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I never saw Hanoi Rocks “live” back then… it must be special to have seen them before Razzle passed away. Ditto on Vince Neil. Sons Of Sylvia are a cool listen… especially when I’m just taking a cruise in the car and want to “chill” to some straight forward Rock.