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Hello, and welcome to Mick's classic rock website, where I'll share my thoughts, opinions, observations, and personal history of the music I've cherished for 50+ years. My rock & roll education originated on turntables and cassette tapes, along with the good fortune of attending many classic concerts, including Led Zeppelin, Queen, Rush, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and many others. My mission is to expand the boundaries of classic rock beyond the repetitive corporate radio format we’ve all had to endure for far too long.
I encourage replies to my posts, but we should avoid political discussions. My site is for educational purposes only. Finally, please don't confuse me with Mike Reno (birth name Joseph Michael Rynowski), former lead singer of the Canadian pop band Loverboy. Coincidentally, I saw those guys on August 9, 1981, at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisconsin. They were the warm-up act for Texas blues-rock legends ZZ Top. Go figure.
So, what is classic rock? If you search the internet for a definition, most will refer to it as (AOR) Album Oriented Rock - a format developed by radio stations in the early 1980s. I don't know about you, but that definition tells me nothing. Likewise, corporate jargon is only concerned with marketing demographics. Who listens to it: age, race, education level, occupation? What year was it recorded? Was it in the top ten? etc.? Stats alone can't reveal the essence of classic rock or why it is such a dominant force in the music industry.
So, what defines a classic rock artist or band? Ask an older person on the street, and they'll probably name the big British five: Beatles, Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and The Who. Ask them why, and they'll probably tell you it's all about memorable songs, albums, or the influence of a band or artist on other musicians.
Let's begin with the Beatles and the legendary songwriting partnership of Lennon/McCartney. Nearly everything they recorded was a mini-masterpiece, from the opening chord of “Hard Day's Night” to the ending of “A Day In the Life” off Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Paul McCartney, in particular, was able to craft some incredible melodies. Although dozens of books have been written about them, I recommend Shout: The Beatles in Their Generation by Philip Norman.
Chicago Blues had a lasting impact on the Rolling Stones, who even took their name from a Muddy Waters song. Those early records exemplified a two-guitar rhythm-based sound from Keith Richards and Brian Jones. At the same time, drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman provided a consistent backbeat. Most importantly, they had Mick Jagger, a highly visual lead singer who would dance, strutter, and gyrate to the delight of millions of fans.
When I first started playing electric guitar, my primary influence was the album Hot Rocks 1964-71. I'll never forget all those great early songs, such as “Satisfaction,” “Under My Thumb,” and “Jumpin' Jack Flash.” I even borrowed and failed to return a hardcover unauthorized Stones biography from my high school library in 1976. I hope they never decide to calculate late fees; it could be hundreds of dollars by now! I saw the Stones in 1978 at Soldier Field in Chicago. I hate to say it, but they sounded terrible, and our seats were up in the rafters. I think the last decent Stones album, one of my favorites, was 1973's Goats Head Soup.
Led Zeppelin probably influenced more rock guitarists than anyone during the 1970s. While taking lessons, I bought a copy of Led Zeppelin Complete, which contained lyrics and guitar tablature for their first four albums. I carried that book everywhere, hoping to impress the girls, to no avail. I was lucky to get a few last-minute tickets during their 1977 North American tour. Unlike the Stones, Zep sounded great. Unfortunately, one hour into the April 9 show, guitarist Jimmy Page sat down in a chair to play a song, but halfway through, the overhead lights flashed on, the roadies helped him off the stage, and they canceled the rest of the show. Later, we discovered that Page suffered from stomach cramps caused by food poisoning.
On March 1, 1973, Pink Floyd released their influential album Dark Side of the Moon. I was a freshman in junior high, and that summer, the sound of DSOTM filled the air from car speakers and backyard barbecues. The production of DSOTM was immaculate. It was the first time I had heard a progressive concept album filled with superb vocal harmonies, guitars, synthesizers, and sound effects such as alarm clocks, cash registers, and heartbeats. A classic without question, Dark Side of the Moon spent an incredible 931 weeks on Billboard's Top 200 charts.
Pink Floyd released a double album in 1969 called Ummaguuma. On the back cover is a photo of all their recording gear, including synthesizers. A fellow Floyd fan once told me that the synthesizers on Ummaguuuma “probably cost more than one of my arms.” As if a piece of musical equipment is equal to a human limb.
Thanks to the superb songwriting of guitarist Peter Townsend, The Who defined classic rock in the late 1960s to mid-70s. Townsend even composed a rock opera album in 1969 called Tommy, about a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball wizard. Their 1971 release Who's Next spun nonstop on my basement turntable and at keg parties for many years. There wasn't one wasted track on Who's Next.
However, classic rock is more than an assemblage of British Invasion supergroups, although it's always amazed me how England produced so much extraordinary music. Still, we can't ignore the impact of artists such as The Jimi Hendrix Experience or the immense contributions of American blues, country, and Motown music. Unlike the corporate rock stations, I can't define classic rock based on a certain cross-segment of years, i.e., 1966-1977. The corporate rock mindset cannot identify musical influences and connect the dots. Which garage and punk bands paved the way for all those early 80s “New Wave” bands and the Seattle grunge sound? What reggae musicians influenced The Police, Culture Club, and the Clash? Which country-rock pioneers influenced The Eagles? If you still need to define classic rock, ask yourself these questions:
1) Has a song or album stood the test of time?
2) Does the music put a chill down your spine?
3) Does it make you want to crank up the volume?
4) Does it put you in air guitar mode?
5) Can you sing to it or whistle the melody?
6) Does it evoke a particular emotion or memory?
7) Does it make you want to grab anything that can substitute for a drum kit?
8) Does it have a unique, memorable component - musical intro, vocal, lyric?
9) Are you still impacted by a specific artist's look, sound, or style in your old age?
10) When you were young, did you want to dress up as Alice Cooper to shock your parents?
11) If you're a musician, did you buy a particular instrument just because your hero played one?
12) Do you find yourself screaming at the repetitiveness of corporate rock radio? And if you had the power, would you put them out of business?
13) If you were a DJ, what classic rock songs would you play?
All thirteen questions aren't necessary to determine a classic rocker, but you damn sure better have at least nine or ten!
Mick’s website is for entertainment and educational purposes only. I encourage your comments and personal rock & roll experiences, but we should avoid political debates. And please don’t confuse me with Mike Reno (birth name - Joseph Michael Rynowski), former lead singer of Canadian pop band Loverboy. Coincidentally, I saw those guys on August 9, 1981, at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisconsin. They were the warm-up act for ZZ Top.
Well, without further ado, are you ready to rock?