MUSC 2019 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Whole Lotta Love, John Bonham, Mannish Boy
Lecture 12 - Heavy metal/Hard rock
March 6, 2018
9:03 PM
Final exam covers only things from this class onwards - it's not cumulative.
Heavy metal = Hard Rock
• This genre used to be "hard rock", or "blues-based rock"
o Heavy metal is used interchangeably with hard rock
• The groups The Who and The Kinks had elements of heavy metal
o Power chords, riffs (dates back to the blues)
• Riff-based songs are central - based on blues scale, in a more intense and aggressive way than
London Blues
• Guitar hero
o Central figure of heavy metal
o Very powerful, loud - loud amplifiers were used, to amplify Jimi Hendrix guitar skills
• Power
o Loud volumes
o Amplified instruments
o Vocal power with screams, singing in an operatic style
• Virtuosity
o Singing style is virtuosic
o Guitar playing
• Distortion = transgression
o Going beyond what is the norm, of what is acceptable
• Sex
o Related to power
o Men asserting power over women, objectifying them
o Shape of guitar is similar to the female body
• Guitar has a gun-like feeling
Led Zeppelin
• Emerged from The Yarbirds (from London Blues scene)
o Was famous, some members became guitar heroes
• Members:
o Jimmy Page
• A riff master
o John Paul Jones
o Robert Plant
• Vocals are high and grating
o John Bonham
• Led (lead) = metal, Zeppelin = blimp
• Known for very good riffs
• Tried to make drumming as loud as possible
• Song: "Whole lotta love"
o Riff-based - very similar to "Mannish Boy" by Muddy Waters
• Notes of riff are just in a different order
• From blues scale
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