Thursday, February 3, 1933
Daily Nebraskan
Rod'on'raJ explained
By ChucJk Jagoda
On the 25th anniversary of the deaths
of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the
Big Bopper, it behooves us to consider
the nature of the musical tradition to
which these three made their contribu
tions. The three died in the crash of a small
plane they were taking from Clear Lake,
Iowa to their next concert in Minneapolis!
The tragic accident ended the artists'
lives but not their influence.
The Big Bopper (J. P. Richardson)
was a disc jockey who had only one hit,
"Chantilly Lace," but no list of 50s
oldies but goodies would be complete
without it. Richie Valens (biggest hit -"La
Bomba") was the first member of
the Latin school of rock V roll, which
includes the lifes of Trim Lopez, Jose
i'eliciano and Carlos Santana.
It is Buddy Holly, however, who was
to have the greatest influence. His string
of hits, including "Peggy Sue." "Not
Fade Away," "That'll Be The Day," "Rave
On," and "Oh, Boy," were not only huge
hits in their initial release but have been
covered by major artists like The Grate
ful Dead, and Hie Rolling Stones and
John Lennon. Former Beatle Paul Mc
Cartney purchased and now owns the
copyrights to Holly's songs.
Holly's life is the subject of the movie,
"The Buddy Holly Story," his death the
subject of a none-minute Don McLean
song, "American Pie," and his music the
subject of annual festivals in this country
(Clear Lake, lowi, Feb. 4 and 5) and even
V
larger ones in England.
So what is this music that moved these
people for the past 25 years? As with any
living art form, definitions tend to be
descriptive and tentative rather than com
prehensive and complete.
The term rock V roll coined by Cleve
land disc jockey Alan Freed, to describe
a form whose classic age can be dated from
the release of Bill Haley and the Comet's
"Rock around the Clock" to the Beatles'
first hit "1 Want To Hold Your Hand"
in 1963. It flourished in the music of
such archetypes as Chuck Berry, Bo Did
dley, Dion and the Belmonts, the Plat
ters, Carl Perkins and the one they
called the king of rock V roll, Elvis'
Presley.
The archetypical rock 'n' roll song
presents youth in rebellion against the
constricting values of an adult world.
The subject is usually young love - yearn
ed for, pursued, lost or gained (sometimes
all of the aforementioned). Sometimes
cars or merely the state of rebellion is
celebrated. As important as the message
is the tone in which it is delivered. To
be classic, it must be sung in a whine of
insolence - the verbal equivalent of James
Dean's sneer. The themes and the whine
rose with the post World War II popu
lation and affluence and were the first
sounds of the rebellion that flowered in
the 1960's. It continues in its various
hyphenate-hybrid forms as well as neo
classical revivals by artists like Bruce
Springsteen, George Thorogood and the
Destroyers, Tom Petty and the Heart
breakers and The Stray Cats.
Remaining tickets tor Prague
Chamber Orchestra and
Twyla Tharp on sale to UNL
Students beginning Jan. 31.
On sale to others beginning
Feb. 7.
Prague
Chamber Orchestra
Sunday, Feb. 13 et Epn,
Twyla Tharp
Dance Foundation
Tues4Wed,Fcb15416stepm
This program is supported in part by
funding from the Nebraska Arts Council
the National Endowment lor the Arts
Dance Touring Program and the Mid
America Arts Alliance
J J 4 i j ft 'm&A
f tjS
W
UNL Opera Theatre presents
PuCCini'S PTp (the Triptych)
II llrittico
Gianni Schlcchl a rollicking farce
II Tsbarro melodrama brooding with passion & murder
Suor Angelica tragedy set in quiet confines of a convent
Three Short Operas Sung in English
February 3, 5 & 6
BALL
-T1&R
Box Office (11-5)
113 Music Bldg, 11th & R
472-3375
rasas
University
Nebraska
Lincoln
r
OPERAOMAHA
PRESENTS
A tale of sorcery,
black magic & passion
set to magnificant
music
IN ENGLISH
BY CHARLES GOUNOD
SINGLE TICKET PRICE RANGE $4 - $18
Tuesday, Feb. 8th and Friday, Feb. 11th at 0 PM
Special Sunday Matinee, Feb. 13th at 2 PM
Orpheum Theatre
Weekend Tour Packages Available
Phone: Younkers Travel Service Collect 402-397-3800
Single tickets available at Brandeis Ticket Centers
or phone OperaOmaha, 402-346-0357.
20 STUDENT DISCOUNT
tam:
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UN No. 44
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