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If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like — they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.
As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.
But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.
lesson:
Introducing Glam Rock
How was Glam Rock a reaction to the "seriousness" of popular music at the time?
lesson:
Glam: The Return of the Teenager
How was Glam Rock part of a new teenage culture in the 1970s?
Video
video:
Theater on Stage
<p>If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like -- they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.</p> <p>As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.</p> <p>But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.</p>
video:
Bang a Gong
<p>If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like -- they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.</p> <p>As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.</p> <p>But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.</p>
video:
Blockbuster
<p>If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like -- they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.</p> <p>As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.</p> <p>But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.</p>
video:
Ballroom Blitz
<p>If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like -- they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.</p> <p>As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.</p> <p>But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.</p>
video:
Mama, Weer all Crazee Now
<p>If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like -- they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.</p> <p>As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.</p> <p>But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.</p>
video:
Rebel Rebel
<p>If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like -- they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.</p> <p>As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.</p> <p>But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.</p>
video:
Personal Philosophy
<p>If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like -- they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.</p> <p>As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.</p> <p>But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.</p>
video:
Advertising and Packaging Art
<p>If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like -- they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.</p> <p>As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.</p> <p>But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.</p>
video:
I’m Eighteen
<p>If the Singer-Songwriters avoided costumes and dance steps and elaborate sets, if they quieted the room down for introspective musings, Glam was the backlash. The theater was back. And there were those among the audience, particularly among the working classes, who wanted their Rock and Roll to be different from everyday life. They didn't want commentary on politics or someone else's relationship, reflections on modern life, and the like -- they wanted a high-end party, with lights and costumes and dance. Just as Hollywood offered some of its most glitzy productions amidst the Depression, when people wanted to get away from the brute facts of life during an economic downturn, in popular music Glam offered audiences just such an escape from the troubles of everyday life.</p> <p>As this chapter's lessons will reveal, Glam had a few different strands. One strand can be isolated in the work of Slade and Sweet. These groups, comprised entirely of men, wore sequins and high heels but played Rock and Roll. Playing short songs with melodies that grabbed you, featuring guitar-driven hooks and harmonies, these acts recorded hits, just as they meant to. They appeared to be having fun, not looking inward.</p> <p>But another strand of Glam can be isolated in Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music. Within this chapter, Roxy Music will be analyzed as a kind of cousin to the Pop Art of, for instance, Richard Hamilton in the U.K and Andy Warhol in the States. Straight from art school, the members of Roxy Music, instead of presenting themselves as separate from popular culture, played with it. Ferry approached every element of the band, from the album covers to the music, as a project he was doing as a visual artist. Along the way, he shook up the British scene, helping to clear a way for more art students to make music.</p>
Print Journalism
article:
Roxy Music: The Sound Of Surprise
PAUL THOMPSON's tom-toms ground slowly to a shuddering halt as Eno's synthesiser simulated the sound of Firestone Wide Ovals being pushed past their limit around a fast curve. The short final chord was almost obscured by the cheers and clapping. This was last Sunday night at the Greyhound in Croydon, South London's answer to Manhattan and Spaghetti Junction rolled into one. But it could have been several places over the past few weeks, because almost everywhere they've been, Roxy Music have been greeted with the kind of warmth that all new bands crave, but few ever achieve. To those who've...
article:
David Bowie: Freak Out In A Moonage Daydream
AYLESBURY, ENGLAND. He is, as he had planned, magnificent. The stage appears impeccably struck, lights arranged to catch the finer angles of his face, making him seem at times wonderfully ape-like and primitive, at others supremely regal, capable of the grand gesture now and again. The band stands behind him in a shock of silver reflections, each part steadily notching its integral role – lead guitar flashy, but always a foil; bass hung back just a stride or two to let you hint the presence; drums anonymous, but precise, punctuating, emphatic. There is never any question of whether they will...