The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 03, 1998, Page 16, Image 16
IN APPRECIATION OF... ROCK 'N' ROLL Story by Jason Hardy Illustration by Watt Haney By Jason Hardy Senior Reporter It’s 1952 and Alan Freed sits in a sweaty Cleveland radio station. He plays music that is strange and scary to some, but is exciting and new to others. He calls it rock ’n’rolL After the 1950s, the musical world was never the same. A new sound had emerged from the South and taken America by steam. It was a wild combination of a number of musical traditions, mainly rhythm and blues and country and western. Kids everywhere were entranced by its boogie beats and its racy lyrics. From there, rock ’n’ roll commercially explod ed and turned into an economically viable invest ment. Legends were made, and history was writ ten. Rock ’n’ roll was bom. Randall Snyder, professor of theory and com position at die University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s School of Music, said rock ’n’ roll had deep roots in different Southern styles of music. “It was the coming together ofblack and while tra ditions that was the catalyst to start it off?’Snyder said. He said R&B was the most important ingredi ent in the creation of rock ’n’ roll. Early musicians like Muddy Waters and Louis Jordan received air play on black radio stations and they started to reach young white audiences. From there, R&B evolved into rock ’n’ roll. “It’s really quite clear that most rock is a form of white mutation of black music,” Snyder said He said rock ’n’ roll came from the streets of played the bhies licks and put it to country music.” 1 Burlison said the Rock ’n’ Roll Trio, who i recorded an album on Coral Records in 1956, was i among the first groups to play rock ’n’ roll, which \ tne poor Southern neighbor hoods. “This music incubat ed in the South where you had a large black community next to a poor white one,” Snyder said. He _ said rock ’n’roDwas in part the lyri cal honesty of the blues com bined with "If (elVis) WoULD’v E KEpt on He’ D hA V E SEEN A pReTty Good E Lectric I An. " Paul Burlison FORMER MEMBER OF ' TjlE Johnny Burnett Rock 'n' Roll Trio to mem was just gooa-time music. “We didn’t really know what was j going to happen,” Budison said. “We \ were just having a good tone.” He saidthe’50s provided a perfect j setting &r a rock’n’roll explosion , because people were ready for some- , thing new and fun. “I came along during the , Depression and everything was ! gloom,” Buiiison said. “We came out a^at and went right into World War n, and it was still gloom. , “The’50s came along and that was . die only time anybody had anymoney to do anything, so people started play ing good-time music. You come out 1 with something that people could ■ dance to and people would buy it” country name. Paul Burlison, former member of The Johnny Burnett Rock ’n’ Roll Trio, said he remembered growing up in Memphis, Tenn., where he first started playing blues licks. “My momma wouldn’t let me bring the blues stuff into the house,” Burlison said. “So 1 just Buriison said that he went to New York with the 1 Rock ’ii’ Roll Trio in 1956 where the band got a spot cm a nationally televised talent show. It wasn’t ' long before the boys got a and they began to notice rock ’n’ “Ws could see it i on all around us,” •' 1 iurlison said. “It was very exciting. I mean, here ve are, three country boys in New York at our firsi ecording session, and tire record company sends is a 32-piece orchestra. “They said they didn’t know anything aboui ock ’n’ roll, but that they’d do what we wantec hem to, so we said, ‘Ws’ll take your drummer.’” Buriison said thatbefore the band started going ilaces, he had worked at Crown Electric Company hMemphis.lt was there that he met a young mar lamed Elvis Presley. “I was an electrician, and when we needec omething Elvis would bring it out,” Buriison said ‘If he would’ve kept on, he’d have been a pretty pod electrician.” Thanks to Sam Phillips and Sun Studios ir Memphis, Elvis traded in his work boots for son* due suede shoes. Philips founded Sun Studios in 1952 and firs ecorded die likes of Jeny Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins fohmry Cash, Roy Orbison and, of course, Elvis Snyder said Phillips saw die economic potential o: ode ’n’ roll and laid its foundations with Elvis. “Elvis is huge,” Snyder said. “He became the quintessential rock hoc.” He said that aside from bringing black ant vhite traditions together, Elvis brought a sexuality o the music, and along with Buddy Holly, Chucl Berry and Bill Haley, really made rock ’n’ rol [amous. HUNTING AND COLLECTING With the advent of compact discs, finding versions of original songs and albums has become increasingly easy. From smaller record shops like Homer’s to big time electronic stores like Best Buy, box sets and greatest hits albums can be found on disc. However, original recordings aren’t quite as easily available. - Here are some shops that do contain classic albums. In Omaha, Dirt Cheap Records, 1026 Jackson St., and Harr}r O’s Groovie Records, 6208 Maple St., are good places to find vintage vinyl. In Lincoln, Recycled Sounds, 12110 St., and Backtrack Records, 3833 S. 48th St., are both stock piled with countless albums that won’t be found in Best Buy. Kanesville Kollectabtes, 530 S. Fourth St., in Council Bluffs, has a reputation for cheap, classic albums and employees who know almost everything there is to know about music. PRINTED MATTER I Writings about rock ’n’ roll abound Most libraries have a number of books about rock ’n’ roll, and just about any newsstand has magazines dedicated to music. Here are a few of the better avail able choices. “What Was the First Rock and Roll Record?” by Jim Dawson and Steve Propes (Faber & Faber, 1992) is a rather interesting work that is the result of years of research directed at answering the widely debated ques tions surrounding rock ’n’ roll’s origins. Besides its his torical significance, the book is an entertaining read. “Unsung Heroes of Rock and Roll” by Nick Tosches (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1984) provides a worthwhile look at the lives and careers of rock’s lesser known heroes, as well as die music’s pre-Elvis origins. me Koumg Mone illustrated History of Kock & Roll” by Anthony DeCurtis and James Henke with Holly George- Warren (Random House, Inc., 1992) is a compilation of essays written by some of die world’s most respected rock critics and authors, including Robert Christgau, Peter Guralnick and Robert Palmer. For publications, one of the best places to turn to is the original publication, which means Rolling Stone. This biweekly magazine pretty much covers everything in music today and is a pretty good source for modem music news. It can be found anywhere magazines are sold. Spin stands with Rolling Stone as one of America’s top music publications. Similar to its competition, this monthly publication includes interviews and stories about modem music, with a little more irreverent atti tude than its predecessor. For news on rock ’n’ roll outside of America’s bor ders, Q magazine is a reasonable primer. Published monthly in England, it takes a rather tongue-in-cheek approach to music news and gossip, but the magazine’s writers make up for their lack of straight-laced profes sionalism with genuine talent and respect for rock music’s historical significance. Q magazine is available at Barnes and Noble Booksellers, 5150 O St. Baddy Holly: £ Though his career panned only two years, Holly com posed seven top 10 hits, and with his band the Crickets, set the standard for rock ’n’ roll groups that followed. Unlike Elvis, who sang mostly covers, Holly was an excellent composer.! Some of his best recordings include “From the Original Master Tapes" (1985, MCA), a 20-track collection o Holly’s best work; and “The Holly Collection" 993, MCA), a two-disc collec tion that is the first _____ comprehensive retrospective of Holly s . music and includes early tracks recorded in die Holly fam ily garage. Jerry Lee Lewis: Known as “The Killer” for his crazy performance style, Lewis soared to the top of the country , and western charts as well as the R&B charts in 1957 with , songs like “Whole Lot of Shakin’” and “Great Balls ofFire ” Lewis, anodier performer on the Sun recori label, was head ing to the top, but in 1958 he married his second cousin, Myra Brown, and his career vanished overnight. Without access to big tours, TV shows and radio stations, Lewis was left to play one-night gigs in dives across America. However, his characteristic pian(>poimdingbackbeat and the hist and lewdness of his lyrics made Lewis a legend of rock j| ’n’ roll. Some of the best Jerry Lee Lewis recordings are “All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology” (1993, Rhino), a two-disc ret rospective of Lewis’ career that fea tures all of his rock and country hits; and “18 Original Sun Greatest Hits” (1984, Rhino), a single-disc collection feat features all of Lewis’ hits that got him into fee Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. - Fats Domino: In the ’50s, many R&B artists found them selves evolving into what is now considered rock ’n’ roll. Domino was one of the early artists who had a large crossover appeal, most - ly due to his relaxed vocal style. With hits like “Blueberry Hill” and “I’m Walkin,” Domino sold 65 mil lion records. Some ofhis best releases are “My Blue Heaven: Best of Fats Domino” (1990, EMI America), a solid sounding, well-thought-out collection of Domino’s best work; and “They Call Me the Fat Man: The Legendary Imperial Recordings” (1991, EMI America), a four disc, 100-song compilation that includes every hit Domino had. Little Richard: Also primarily considered a mostly R&B artist, Little Richard reigned in popularity by combining gospel-style singing with high energy and fast tempos. He was unique, in the ’50s especially, for having a rather androgynous stage appearance. But his hits, like “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally” and “Good Golly Miss Molly” set him apart immediately. Some good releases include “18 Greatest Hits” (1985, Rhino), a package that contains many of his most popular works; and “The Georgia Pfeach” (1991, Specialty), which has been called the best of Little Richards great est hits compilations. i . , , - Chuck Berry: Berry was the first man elected to .... the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, and deservedly so. He added country and western to R&B for a big crossover audience and was the first important rock ’n’ roll composer. Before going to prison in 1959 for a violation of the Mann Act, Berry released rock ’n’ roll classics such as “Jonny B. Goode” and “Roll Over Beethoven.” Some of his best releases are “The Great Twenty-Eight” (1982, Chess), a single-disc compilation that includes all of Berry’s original Chess Records hits like “Maybellene” and “Sweet Little Sixteen”; and “The Chess Beat” (1988, Chess), a three disc set that follows Berry’s career from his ’50s classics to his ’70s hits, covering everything in between