Introducing Rock Whiplash by Christine Sixx
Welcome to the first installment of Rock Whiplash! My name is Christine and you can normally find me on my music blog, Hell on High Heels, dishing out my sassy opinion on all things music. The crew at Hard Rock Hideout was gracious enough to invite me over here to share my thoughts and opinions with you. So let’s get this party started!
What makes a band or a song rock? This is a question I’ve been pondering since VH1 announced their 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs(there’s not enough room on this blog for me to even begin bitching about that list). I know what I think rocks, but it may not be what everyone else thinks rocks. Then I started shuffling through all the different types of music that I listen to trying to decipher whether or not I think it rocks.
I like Justin Timberlake, but I don’t think he necessarily rocks (Yeah, I know. He’s one of my many flaws). Motley Crue definitely rocks. There’s no question that Pantera rocks. I think Poison rocks; however, I don’t think Bret Michaels solo rocks (and Bret Michaels wearing his own shirts certainly doesn’t rock). I don’t think 3 Doors Down rocks at all and wouldn’t know what rock was if it jumped up and bit what little talent they have right off. I can’t stand Rush, but there’s no denying that they do rock. There’s a plethora of current bands out on the radio today who most would say rock, but I would probably beg to differ.
So what are the main ingredients that one needs to rock? For me, it’s all about feeling. Sure, guitar shredding plays a major roll in rocking, but it’s not going to rock unless you the listener can feel it. Do you know what I mean? It’s the feeling you get in your gut when your favorite songs come on the radio. You reach for the volume and turn it to 11. And as you’re listening to that song , you think to yourself, “How the f*ck could anyone create a song this bad ass?” In that instant, you know it rocks.
That’s why I say 3 Doors Down doesn’t rock. I can’t feel anything when I listen to their music, and it’s even worse to listen to them live. However, even though I don’t like Rush, I can certainly still feel emotion and soul in their music. When I hear Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir, I can’t imagine anything holier or more spine tingling than that song; it makes me stop whatever I’m doing to sit back and really listen, enjoy, appreciate, and feel the music.
So who do you think rocks? And what makes a song or a band rock?
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Old School GNR pretty much sums up what is rock to me. Listening to that stuff made me want to get into some trouble. Sleaze, danger, and debauchery. The band needs an edge. A stinging guitar riff, or a thunderous drum beat…that’s rock. Even if the band has a pop edge, and the singer sounds like Tiny Tim, if they have some sort of hard guitar riff or a sleazy attitude, they very well may ROCK. A line I love from the film “Cable Guy” is awesome: “There’s not enough danger music.”
An edge is the main ingredient. Old School GNR sums it up perfectly. Better yet, a line in the film Cable Guy that I love: “There’s not enough danger music.” If you are a band with a pop edge, at least there’s an edge. If there’s some hard guitar parts then you’re golden. It doesn’t matter if you sing like Tiny Time…get some thunderous drums and stinging guitar riffs. There has to be some sort of sound of debauchery, danger, or sleaze. That’s rock.
2 Half Japanese girls that I know rock hard when they’re singing “I Remember You” while at a Sebastian Bach concert, or any 80’s hair band tune while driving in a car, using their cell phones as microphones. 😉 xoxo
Cheap Trick. Melodic enough to sing to, rock enough to bang your head to and diverse enough in it’s band members to not be cookie cutter.
do you have IRS tattood on your fingers? haha
for me Rock really comes down to attitude, and yea, like you said, something I can feel…no definition needed, you know it when you hear it.
Ted Nugent’s Stranglehold! It’s got everything, killer solo, strong bass line and a helluva groove!