I've been revisiting some music that was very influential on me in my "youth". While much of this music doesn't hold up too well (I'm thinking of some of the 80s metal bands that I liked), some of it sounds better to me now. During a recent binge, I bought a digitally remastered "Rage for Order" by Queensryche. I was very much into this music back in the mid to late 80s. As far as metal goes, this record is really a waypoint. Incorporating a lot of (then) current music technology (i.e. samplers, drum programming, and sequencing) the record has a very terminator-like view of the future: Machines taking over, public and political chaos, remorse for culture lost, and prophet-like crys for change.
The things I liked about the music back then was the great production, the adventurous, creative song-writing which succeeds without becoming too self-indulgent and boring..and of course the great guitar-playing. I really wasn't that interested in lyrics, seeing them mostly as a vehicle for melody. Listening to this record 20 years later, all of these things hold up well. In addition, the lyrics are still interesting.
Check out this verse and chorus from "Chemical Youth":
LEAD ME- the leftist cry as the right subsides
HEAR ME- the media mouth is open wide
SAVE ME- success is our hunger we need to feed
FREE ME- we will not lose to their anarchy!
We are your leaders-
we are rebellion!
aural supremists
we are rebellion!
we are future!
It's also interesting how much the aesthetic of rock singing has changed. Back then, operatic-like singing (particularly tenor range) was all the rage...pun intended. For the last 15 yrs or so, the trend in male rock vocals has been lower-pitched voices with a much more limited vocal range and more emphasis on grit. There are obvious exceptions. I'm thinking here of Jeff Buckley and jónsi of Sigur Ros....tenors for sure.
Anyway, as much as I love Rage for Order, the way the band looked during this phase of their career is unforgivable. Shameless posers! Even for all of my bad, cheesy fashion choices, I remember thinking they looked ridiculous. Good Lord!
2 comments:
Good commentary. Horrific picture. Rockenfield has that Bride of Frankenstein going on with the white streaks.
Grit is all the rage these days, but there are a few nu-metal singers who seem to be able to scream-push-griticize their voices into a unique and pleasing sound -- at least in the studio. Chester from Linkin Park comes to mind.
A big change I've noticed is pop-metal in the '80's had tenor singers singing from their throats (Tate, Dickenson, Dio excepted) while many of the nu-metal regime are pushing deep from the belly and not trying to sound like...well...girls. But I don't think there are many today who could hold a candle to the singers you and I were listening to back then.
Agreed. While singing from the gut is better(the 80s guys were very nasal), I guess my issue has more to do with dynamics and expression. I actually prefer baritone singers over girly-type tenors. But there tends to be a real lack of variety. But you should check out Jeff Buckley..Unfortunately he's dead...His record Grace(1994) is full of great singing.
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