Rock ‘n’ Roll, In My Soul

Rock ‘n’ Roll, the phenomenon which swept the 1970s, is it dead today? With all the Pop and Hip Hop bands with their trash lyrics and out of tune music (if you can at all call it music), have they killed Rock 'n' Roll? What was Rock ‘n’ Roll? What is it that created a euphoria that had an entire generation run for its Gods?

Just for a formal introduction, Rock ‘n’ Roll is a genre of music that has evolved from the Blues. It is widely stated, and accepted, that Robert Johnson is the father of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Now I know, Elvis fans would be crying blood on hearing this since Elvis too had a huge influence in popularizing Rock ‘n’ Roll. But sorry to say, Rock ‘n’ Roll existed even before Elvis entered the building. Although, since Rock ‘n’ Roll has evolved so wildly and widely, that one cannot point out a single record and say that that was “the first” Rock ‘n’ Roll record.

From Led Zeppelin, Guns n’ Roses, The Doors, Beatles to Elvis, George Thorogood, Bon Jovi, the list of Rock ‘n’ Roll bands and artists is endless. Rock ‘n’ Roll was so popular that these artists and bands have been worshipped like Gods by their fans at some point of time. Some people consider Led Zeppelin to be the pioneer band which made Rock ‘n’ Roll. But it’s hard to say who really rocked hard to make Rock ‘n’ Roll, whether it was the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, the debate continues amongst fans of these bands. I would say, the Rolling Stones, not so much. Pete Townshed’s windmill guitar thing, and Keith Moon’s drumming are all hard music.

But whoever it was, Rock ‘n’ Roll was not just a form of music. It was a lifestyle, an attitude. Rockstars, Groupies, Drugs, Long Hairs, Tattoos, and all the things that we can think of. They made Rock ‘n’ Roll. They defined the God’s of Rock ‘n’ Roll. For example, Led Zeppelin, widely considered to be one of the most successful, innovative, and influential rock bands in the history of music, were thrown out of their country because they used to stay in Hotel rooms and create an absolute ruckus by throwing things out. Jimmy Page allegedly had sex with an underage who was a Groupie, he was about 30 and the girl was about 13.

Rock ‘n’ Roll was sometimes considered as the Devil’s music and Satanic by many a people. But then, it was always about the music. Because if it was only about sex and drugs and fame, there were numerous other avenues to achieve that. So, no matter how many girls Jimmy Page has had sex with, or many things he has thrown out of the Hotel rooms or broken, or for how long he was a crack addict, if it wasn’t about the music he wouldn’t have been able to compose something like Sails. So, at the end of the day it was all and only about the music. That one tune changed the lives of millions people. There are so many other ways in which it has influenced our lives.

But there were others too. Like Jimi Hendrix, a painfully shy man who often did not feel comfortable speaking out except when bolstered by drink or drugs. When he did have a choice over how to express himself, he would almost always preferred to have his guitar do the talking for him.

Rock ‘n’ Roll encompasses all emotions. It doesn’t leave space for us to think because the music speaks for itself. It transcends every barrier mankind has ever known, a true friend within your earphones or your 5.1 speakers. Every kid on the block who’s going through a terrible time can’t help but listen to a Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles, getting high on weed would never be the same without Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb.

I know, our parents wouldn’t quite like someone who went like “Please allow me to introduce myself / I'm a man of wealth and taste / I've been around for a long, long year / Stole many a man's soul and faith.” Still we loved Rock ‘n’ Roll. Loved, worshiped, lived. And I don’t know about whether it stole our soul, but our heart, definitely. Rock ‘n’ Roll was a guy whom the older generation didn’t quite fancy the young ones, they were always madly in love with it, attracted to it.

“I never expected myself to ignore my mother when I am hearing Jimmy Page playing a brilliant Stairway to Heaven solo, or for that matter delete my entire playlist and have it revamped with The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin or Rolling Stones”, said a 22 year old upcoming actor from Tollywood and a Rock ‘n’ Roll fan, Sayantan Banerjee. To him this was the Devil’s music which didn’t make much sense to himself till he heard “And I am not afraid of dying / We all got to go sometime’’ or “Beautiful friend this is the end.’’ It made him feel human, it was just like speaking to a friend over a cup of coffee, except, this friend understood him more than any human being could ever understand him.

Even though today it may seem that Pop and Hip Hop has taken over the world, Rock ‘n’ Roll will always live on because there are a few things which will ever speak to us about the truth with three chords, because it truly makes sense of a man’s struggles in life, providing us with a binary division of all the things. But most of all, Rock ‘n’ Roll is the music of the Devil and the devil has all the best tunes, it isn’t going anywhere either. As Kim Fowley (Manager of the Runaways) said, “‘Rock ‘n’ Roll is a nuclear blast of reality in a mundane world where no one is allowed to be magnificent.”