Art rock is a form of art music and experimental rock that artsy or avant-garde views the purpose of the music forms. One of the more important characteristics of art rock is releasing the standard 4/4 (4/4 time), or so called ' 12-bar blues ' (a standard composition of a recurring chord pattern over twelve sizes) in order to give more space other styles. Thus, the band Genesis in the beginning especially made use of folk-influences. Other bands are mostly known for the use of alternative sizes (9/8, 12/9) and mathematical approach of structures. Known art rock bands are Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead, Liars, Half Japanese.
In the seventies of the 20th century the term was also used for a kind of progressive rock, and is therefore sometimes confusing. In the latter case are household names Alan Parsons Project, Pink Floyd, 10cc, Supertramp, and Genesis.
Background[]
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the 1960s with influences from art (avant-garde and classical) music.[2] The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968.[2] Art rock was a form of music which wanted to "extend the limits of rock & roll", and opted for a more experimental and conceptual outlook on music.[1] Art rock took influences from several genres, notably classical music, yet also jazz in later compositions.[3]
Due to its classical influences and experimental nature, art rock has often been used synonymously with progressive rock;[1][4] nevertheless, there are differences between the genres, with progressive putting a greater emphasis on symphony and melody, whilst the former tends to focus on avant-garde and "novel sonic structure".[4] Art rock, as a term, can also be used to refer to either classically driven rock, or a progressive rock-folk fusion,[1] making it an eclectic genre. Common characteristics of art rock include album-oriented music divided into compositions rather than songs, with usually complicated and long instrumental sections, symphonic orchestration,[1] and an experimental style. Art rock music was traditionally used within the context ofconcept records,[1] and its lyrical themes tended to be "imaginative",[1] philosophical,[5] and politically oriented.[1]
Whilst art rock developed towards the end of the 1960s, it enjoyed its greatest level of popularity in the early 1970s through groups such as Jethro Tull, Electric Light Orchestra, 10cc, the Moody Blues, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Procol Harum.[1] Several other more experimental-based rock singers and bands of the time were also regarded as art rock artists.[1] Art rock's success continued to the 1990s. Several pop and rock exponents of the period, including Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, incorporated elements of art rock within their work.[1] Art rock, as well as the theatrical nature of performances associated with the genre, was able to appeal to "artistically inclined" adolescents and younger adults,[1] especially due to its "virtuosity" and musical "complexity".[1]]
History[edit][]
1960s–1970s[edit][]
Allmusic states that the first wave of art rock musicians were inspired by The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and believed that for rock music to grow artistically, they should incorporate elements of European and classical music to the genre.[3] Music critic George Graham argues that "... the so-called Art Rock scene arose" in the 1960s, "when many artists were attempting to broaden the boundaries of rock." He claims that art rock "was inspired by the classically-influenced arrangements and the elaborate production of The Beatles Sgt. Peppers (1967) period" and states that the "style had its heyday in the 1970s with huge commercial success by Yes, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and later Genesis." Along with Sgt. Peppers, The Beach Boys concept album Pet Sounds (1966) has also been stated as pioneering the genre with its artistic ambitions.[13][14][15]
However, Graham notes that art rock "quickly faded when punk rock and then so-called alternative rock arose at the end of that decade, exactly as a reaction to the sophistication, and in many cases, pretense of big, elaborate rock productions, be they art rock or slickly-produced pop singers." Graham claims that since the late 1970s, "art rock has remained at the fringes and become one of many venerable styles...that attracts small numbers of avid fans, and continues to be perpetuated by a combination of some of the original artists and new generations of players."[16]
[1][2]Guitarist John Cipollinafrom Quicksilver Messenger Service
In the UK in 1966, the Scottish band 1-2-3, later renamed Clouds, began experimenting with song structures, improvisation, and multi-layered arrangements which led directly to later bands like Yes, King Crimson, and The Nice.[17]
In the US, a number of late-1960s bands experimented with "long compositions", with each band "trying to out-psychedelic the other" with unusual sonic experiments. "The Golden Age of Art Rock" lectures state that the "piece that caused the explosion of Art Rock more than any other, starting in 1968" was Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". In response, many other bands sought to emulate this art rock style, such as "Jefferson Airplane, The Steve Miller Band, The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, H.P. Lovecraft and It's A Beautiful Day." The Steve Miller Band "had quite a lot of Art Rock in the early albums." The lecture argues that the "two main long pieces" by The Doors ("The End" and "When The Music's Over") are "good examples of Art Rock."[5]
However, in the 1970s, US rock music "moved away from Art Rock", as southern rock bands became popular. Art rock reached its commercial height with the popularity of the aforementioned progressive rock bands, such as King Crimson, Yes, Rush, Genesis, and Pink Floyd. After punk rock put DIY simplicity back in style, and as openly progressive bands drifted toward the mainstream with hit singles and more commercial productions, their art rock designation fell away. Brian Eno has been called the "experimental end of the [art rock] spectrum" for his early 1970s recordings.[5] Bands such as 10ccalso reached commercial success with their own brand of art rock.
Band such as Wire pioneered art punk on their 1977 debut Pink Flag, whilst post-punk went underway in 1978 with bands such as Public Image Ltd who incorporated noise rock and dub to the punk sound onto albums First Issue and Metal Box. In New York, an underground scene, no wave, went underway around 1978 which incorporated the punk sound into styles such as funk, jazz, blues, avant-garde, and experimental. Brian Eno's compilation No New York was released in 1978 and is often considered a good document on the scene.
1980s–1990s[edit][]
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Kate Bush and Laurie Anderson were described as art rockers as well as described and marketed as other genres in the United States during this period.[5][18][19][20]
2000s–2010s[edit][]
| This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. (February 2010) |
In 2000s, British rock group members Radiohead abandoned their traditional alternative rock sound to release experimental material fused with electronic music, classical music and many more. Their latest album that polarised both critics and fans was Kid A. Due to Tool's incorporation of visual arts and very long and complex releases, the band is generally described as a style-transcending act and part of progressive rock, psychedelic rock and art rock.
In 2004, the phrase "art rock" was used by British writers from music publications such as NME to describe a group of new, mostly "indie" bands influenced by the 1970s/1980s work of artists including David Bowie, David Byrne, Tom Verlaine, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Brian Eno. While other art rock bands such as Deerhoof[21] generally eschew self-conscious descriptions as "art rock", there is also a continuing subcultural movement of underground, sometimes highly uncommercial music with original roots in punk rock, post-punk or the radical avant-garde whose style or philosophy would fall under common definitions of "art rock". Some of these bands may also be described as experimental rock, while the even more abrasive and abstract acts such as Wolf Eyes and Merzbow may be described as noise music.
Art pop[edit][]
Art pop, a related genre inspired by pop art, was developed as pop musicians drew inspiration from their 1950s and 1960s art school studies, including John Lennon, Bryan Ferry, Syd Barrett, and Brian Eno.[22] The loosely defined term includes music by Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, Laurie Anderson, Beck, Pavement, and Duncan Sheik. Art pop often refers to any pop style whose artist deliberately aspires to the conventions of classical music and poetry. According to Stephen Holden, many sources date the art pop's origin to the mid 1960s when producers such as Phil Spector and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys incorporated pseudo-symphonic textures to their pop recordings, and the Beatles first recorded with a string quartet. In North America, art pop was influenced more by Bob Dylan and the Beat Generation, and became more literary through folk music's singer-songwriter movement.[23]
The collaborative metadata database Rate Your Music defines art pop as "a genre that blends the melodies of pop music with unconventional or experimental elements such as the use of progressive structures, unusual time signatures, abrupt tempo changes, vocal experimentation (like the search of extremely high-pitched tones, elongation of vocals, or the use of vocal techniques like throat singing), a symphonic, orchestral and theatrical performance, or the frequent addition of diverse electronic elements like trip hop or glitch."[24]
British sociomusicologist Simon Frith cited Roxy Music as the "archetypical art pop band".[25] According to Jason Heller of The A.V. Club, Eno was a pioneer of art pop and explored the genre on the experimental solo albums he recorded after having left Roxy Music.
Sub Genres[]
Psychedelic rock[Edit][]
The psychedelic flow came on stream mid-sixties of the 20th century with rock acts like Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. On the one hand, influenced by jazz musicians like John Coltrane and Sun Ra and avant-gardecomposers like John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen, started to break with other masters bands fixed musical forms.
Progressive rock[Edit][]
In the seventies of the 20th century in Germany the Krautrock. Brian Eno was at that time a leading producer. A leading progressive rock band which included King Crimson, is the band around guitarist Robert Fripp.
Proto-punk and Proto New Wave[Edit][]
In New York was a number of bands started experimenting and would later get this following in the punk and new wave. Examples: New York Dolls, Patti Smith and later Television and the Talking Heads.
No Wave[Edit][]
No wave was a short-lived but highly influential variant of punk in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The main no wave artists came from the Lower East Side in New York. The term no wave has a double meaning: on the one hand it refers to the experimentaliteit of the genre (no wave belonged to no other style), on the other hand, it is a play on words with which the commercialism of the popular new wave genre was rejected.Parallel to the Nick Cavewere no wave, Cabaret Voltaire, Einstürzende Neubauten and Throbbing Gristle active in Europe.
Indie Rock[Edit][]
Indie is an umbrella term for music that characterize themselves generally leave by her attitude: an aversion to commercial music and a penchant for the experiment. The name comes from the English Word independent, that means independent and more broadly a DIY-attitude or contracted by an independent label. The different definitions of indie-music can vary, from with influences from ambient to heavy metal, but typically, a sub genre of alternative rock, the so-called indie rock meant. Indie rock was at a larger audience known by bands like Pixies, Pavement and Sonic Youth. By bands like Mudhoney and Nirvana was thegrunge.
Lo-Fi[Edit][]
At the beginning of the nineties of the 20th century was the Lo-F-flow more popular by the arrival of the relatively cheap Porta 4-track cassetterecorders. This created the possibility to make own recordings, instead of having to hire a music studio . Bands that via this method are their music recordings, Guided by Voices, Sebadoh, Beck.
Post-rock[Edit][]
In the mid-1990s of the 20th century the post-rock. Post-rock is often instrumental. The compositions are very extensive and there is moving away from the standard Verse-Chorus-Verse structure. It can be seen as a reaction to the grunge, Stoner rock and nu-metal. Originally presented as the alternative indie rockstyle music, but which in practice through creative intervention by the major record labels increasingly petered out as to formulistische, mainstream-guitar rock.
Post-punk[Edit][]
Around the turn of the century there arose a revaluation for the early 80 's-rock, the post-punk. Experimental exponents of this movement are Liars, The Rapture, Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
1970s[Edit][]
- Van der Graaf Generator
- Genesis
- Supertramp
- Pink Floyd
- Barclay James Harvest
- Brian Eno
- Jethro Tull
- Jon Lord
- Wishbone Ash
- Gong
- Kayak
- Styx
- Rush
- David Bowie
- Talking Heads
- Roxy Music
- Kansas
- Syqem
- Peter Gabriel
- Peter Hammill
- Spock's Beard
- Yes
Nineties and after 2000[Edit][]
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