How good music inspires more of the same.
There's a lot of 'borrowing' going around in the world of music - riffs, chord progressions, melodies, other abstract but unmistakable ideas, styles, traits. Borrowing - accompanied usually by improvisation - as a mode of paying homage to one's idols. But there's acknowledgment, and there's imitation. The former respects the original musician while the latter (even if pursued with the noblest of intentions) disrespects. Nirvana borrowing from and building up on the Pixies' music was praised, but Vanilla Ice sampling Queen's
'Under Pressure' riff was dismissed as wannabe (although
Ice Ice Baby was a success (his only one, thank God for that)). Imitation does have its plus sides though - there would be no
Stayin' Alive without the Bee Gees starting off their careers as Beatles imitators. Where the line between paying homage and ripping off is drawn, is a matter of taste and does not really matter to me.
All I'm saying is, that too in three words - Influence progresses music. Good music is more often than not a product of the artists rocking on the shoulders of giants. Bands are seldom singular, one-of-a-kind; any individuality is not without the music these bands listened to, worshiped and studied in their nascent years creeping in in bits and pieces into their own music. Instead of brushing off these acts as imitative (Coldplay is just another Radiohead, what's so great about them), we must give them credit where credit is due (Coldplay did hold its own when Radiohead lost it in the late 2000s).
Enough of me yapping about influence. Let's hear it, see it cast its spell. I've outlined a 'chain of music' below - that traces just one, mind you, just one, vein of influence.
Power Chords. Distortion. A profound attitude. Vital elements in the arsenal of any hard rock guitarist - all trace back to this 150 second instrumental. Rumble's raw aggression made it the only instrumental song to be banned by radio stations for fear of inciting gang violence. Take that for badassery.
You know your song is influential if you have Jimmy Page (of Led Zeppelin)
air-guitaring it circa 2010. If Pete Townsend (of The Who) says he "would have never picked up a guitar" if "it hadn't been for Link Wray and Rumble."
Which brings us to the first branch in our little chain - Led Zeppelin & The Who.
- "Heartbreaker" and "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin
For many, Led Zeppelin are synonymous with rock music. Their diverse canon, with its diverse influences ranges from bare-bones blues to rich folk to reggae rock to proto-metal. Their first four (modestly serialised Led Zeppelin I-IV) albums are part of every essential rock albums list you'll find. They drew heavily (at times bordering on plagiarism) from blues artists of their time - riffs, lyrics, melodies. Their attitude, their unabashed badassery, Page's in particular at least, would've been incomplete without Rumble.
Check out Heartbreaker and Immigrant Song, two LZ songs which, in my opinion. are remnants of Rumble infused into LZ's own brand of cock rock. An aggressive and potent mix of speed and power.
That riff is classic Jimmy Page badassery. Also, formulaic power chords and distortion (thank you Wray!).
A Viking folk tale told in a mystical, wailing tone against rumbling, advancing guitars and drums.
- "My Generation" and "Who Are You" by The Who
If Led Zeppelin's canon is diverse, The Who's repertoire is eclectic. Their constant experimentation pushed the boundaries of rock and roll into the art rock and arena rock they settled into in their final years. Their wild, destructive live performances (which included guitar smashes) and lyrics which spoke for a generation perhaps gave them the moniker 'The Godfathers of Punk.' Their experimentation embrace of pop art in later years perhaps inspired the avant-garde and glam sensibilities of rock.
Their sheer mass makes it impossible to chart their influence fully, so let's enjoy two of their songs instead, again remnants of Rumble.
Lyrics which personified the then 'their generation' (what Nirvana did in the 90s and sadly, pop sellouts like Bieber are doing today), and form arguably the most concise description of youth rebellion - People try to put us d-down / Just because we g-g-get around / Things they do look awful c-c-cold / I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' bout my generation). The hyperactive bass, wild drums and stuttering vocals are mere embellishments.
While My Generation was one of their first, Who Are You? is one of their last songs. The former helped spawn punk rock, this one went on to impact more poppy and operatic acts (like Queen).
Ah, branching gets even more convoluted now. Instead of going metalwards (must admit that I'm not too familiar with metal), lets make our way towards (and end this post at) alternative rock via Ramones, Queen and Nirvana (all influenced by Led Zeppelin & The Who in turn influenced by Link Wray - see how it grows?)
- "Blitzkrieg Bop" by The Ramones
The Who may have been the Godfathers of Punk, but the Ramones led the explosion of the genre in the 70s, mapping out a simple blueprint for punk rock - four chords, catchy tune, inane anti-establishment lyrics, black leather jackets - which would be followed for decades to come a la the Sex Pistols, Clash, Patti Smith, Green Day.
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
Queen were glam rockers, with a sound that belonged to stadiums, larger-than-life. To mention Queen in this context without mentioning Bohemian Rhapsody, to me, is unthinkable. They've poured their influences (heavy sound from LZ, avant-garde style from The Who), their own aesthetic of hard-rock and pseudo-classical music in these glorious six minutes. Though it doesn't reflect Queen's diversity, Rhapsody captures their essence.
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
Nirvana were more than 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' - but as in the case of Queen & Bohemian Rhapsody - SLTS captures the essence of Nirvana. Soft verse - loud chorus - soft verse; snarly, detached vocals; carnal lyrics; power chords and distortion (and more of it). With Nirvana, Kurt Cobain wanted to be "totally Led Zeppelin in a way and then be totally extreme punk rock and then do real wimpy pop songs;" he finally settled on that and a more abrasive sound (borrowed from The Pixies, who will be featured in the next post) to give birth to grunge. As SLTS went global and Nirvana were labelled as "The Voice of Generation X" (a label they absolutely abhorred), Alternative Rock was redefined - propped up from the obscure underground (Pixies, The Smiths, REM) to the non-mainstream overground.
Listen closely and you'll see similarities between Rumble (our start point) and SLTS (our end point) - both ominous, aggressive, with ample distortion. We seem to have come a full circle. Or have we?
This chain, mind you, is not exhaustive. It's exhausting (for me to compile), but NOT exhaustive. The influences linked above can be extended, looped and traced on and on until all of modern music is connected like a family tree. One that bears sweet sound for fruits. To add on a leaf, a flower, a twig to that behemoth of a tree is my humble aim.
Rocking On The Shoulders Of Giants will return and the chart below will grow!
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| Chunk of influence: Size of box proportionate to relative impact |
