I’m sitting in a waiting room this morning at the doctor’s office and the office staff has music going in the background. 80’s music. Bon Jovi, Livin’ On a Prayer, to be specific. I always laugh when I think back to my mother’s disdain for Classic Rock and how it is mainstream now.
Waiting and listening…
The new muzak?
Elevator music, grocery store music, it even plays a minor part in the first Blues Brothers movie! Back in the day, Muzak was the reigning background music. Was anybody ever inspired to take up an instrument because of their love of muzak? I frequently joke about a local radio station that played the stuff. My mother always had them tuned in at home – WGAY, “Beautiful Music.” Blechh!
Now it is common to hear classic rock quietly playing in the background. Makes me want to jam right there in the waiting room. With Lynard Skynard or The Allman Brothers it is nice to sit and while away the hours at the doctor’s office…waiting…maybe play a little air guitar…
The next generation of guitarists
So, now friends of mine have kids who are coming into their own. What do they want to play? Classic Rock. Not all, but a sizeable portion. Somebody always seems to be trying to nail Back In Black, yet again. Is there such a thing as Neo Classic Rock? Will we be subjected to endless cover bands like orchestras playing the same old symphonies from the 1700’s? I wonder what music will be played for movies that will be made about my generation. Swing is cool but I see Kiss referred to more often than not as a big inspiration to my generation of players.
Re-imagining Classic Rock
Taking the riffs from classic rock and spinning them into something new may be a whole genre that is yet to be explored. Postmodern Jukebox has been making a career out of re-imaging hits into their own unique style. One of my favorite YouTubers also re-imagines songs, Adam Neely. I tend to take the swagger and riffage style into my own guitar playing. It cannot be escaped. The comment is always, “Oo, that’s cool. What is that?” Give it a try.
So, a little pentatonic riff can go a long way and falls easily from the fingers for me. Snap on an appropriate rhythm and something fun always erupts. I only wish I had something to record on when it happens. Unfortunately, I rarely remember exactly what I was doing. Like a dream, it floats away quickly. Still, it is a great outlet and brings a smile to my face. Apparently, others are smiling with me and that is a good thing 🙂
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Still Got Classic Rock After All These Years
I’m sitting in a waiting room this morning at the doctor’s office and the office staff has music going in the background. 80’s music. Bon Jovi, Livin’ On a Prayer, to be specific. I always laugh when I think back to my mother’s disdain for Classic Rock and how it is mainstream now.
The new muzak?
Elevator music, grocery store music, it even plays a minor part in the first Blues Brothers movie! Back in the day, Muzak was the reigning background music. Was anybody ever inspired to take up an instrument because of their love of muzak? I frequently joke about a local radio station that played the stuff. My mother always had them tuned in at home – WGAY, “Beautiful Music.” Blechh!
Now it is common to hear classic rock quietly playing in the background. Makes me want to jam right there in the waiting room. With Lynard Skynard or The Allman Brothers it is nice to sit and while away the hours at the doctor’s office…waiting…maybe play a little air guitar…
The next generation of guitarists
So, now friends of mine have kids who are coming into their own. What do they want to play? Classic Rock. Not all, but a sizeable portion. Somebody always seems to be trying to nail Back In Black, yet again. Is there such a thing as Neo Classic Rock? Will we be subjected to endless cover bands like orchestras playing the same old symphonies from the 1700’s? I wonder what music will be played for movies that will be made about my generation. Swing is cool but I see Kiss referred to more often than not as a big inspiration to my generation of players.
Re-imagining Classic Rock
Taking the riffs from classic rock and spinning them into something new may be a whole genre that is yet to be explored. Postmodern Jukebox has been making a career out of re-imaging hits into their own unique style. One of my favorite YouTubers also re-imagines songs, Adam Neely. I tend to take the swagger and riffage style into my own guitar playing. It cannot be escaped. The comment is always, “Oo, that’s cool. What is that?” Give it a try.
So, a little pentatonic riff can go a long way and falls easily from the fingers for me. Snap on an appropriate rhythm and something fun always erupts. I only wish I had something to record on when it happens. Unfortunately, I rarely remember exactly what I was doing. Like a dream, it floats away quickly. Still, it is a great outlet and brings a smile to my face. Apparently, others are smiling with me and that is a good thing 🙂
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