Rich
Full Member
RF Systems Engr (retired)
Posts: 112
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Post by Rich on Jul 31, 2018 15:27:20 GMT
As music of any genre can be included in an album, why is "album rock" so staunchly promoted by a few posters on this Web site?
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Post by mighty1650 on Jul 31, 2018 17:29:40 GMT
I've long wondered the same thing Rich and have been waiting for a topic to open up about the subject.
Looking back on it, there's nothing special about Album Rock in particular. As it stands now, its a severely dated format that lost favor in the late 70s early 80s as rock became too varied and split up for the format to survive. The AOR stations I'm aware of eventually went some sub-genre of rock to much commercial success, whether that was Classic Rock, Metal, New Wave, AAA, or just flat out dropped rock all together.
In today's world Album Rock translates to nothing more than Classic Rock, "Oldies" Classic Rock at that since the Classic Rock format is now fully in the 80s.
There was also Progressive Country and later Outlaw Country which was the Country version of Album Oriented formats. Disco formats were also largely Album based, later rap and hip-hop as well.
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Rich
Full Member
RF Systems Engr (retired)
Posts: 112
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Post by Rich on Jul 31, 2018 19:03:15 GMT
I've long wondered the same thing Rich and have been waiting for a topic to open up about the subject.
Looking back on it, there's nothing special about Album Rock in particular. As it stands now, its a severely dated format that lost favor in the late 70s early 80s as rock became too varied and split up for the format to survive. The AOR stations I'm aware of eventually went some sub-genre of rock to much commercial success, etc. ...
And some people think that RADIO & ANTENNA ENGINEERING is difficult to understand:) |
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Post by mighty1650 on Aug 1, 2018 11:35:02 GMT
Of course the format was key into launching the careers of many musicians, so it was special in that regard. Plus the format allowed for otherwise unknown artists to gain some airplay, today college radio does more or less the same.
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Post by mark on Aug 1, 2018 18:15:06 GMT
As music of any genre can be included in an album, why is "album rock" so staunchly promoted by a few posters on this Web site? Yes Rich you are right....Album Rock is staunchly promoted a bit too excessively by one member I admit but it was a genre created when Rock first appeared on FM. Here's a brief history I posted in another thread......
To add to Mighty 1650's comment, back when album rock became a radio program genera, there was a programing rule that FM radio had to offer programing different from AM and one of the stipulations, at least here in Canada, was an FM station couldn't play more than 50% "hits" so there was born album rock (along with jazz and classical) played on FM. Every FM station was supported by an AM station or album rock stations couldn't exist.
But sometime around the beginning of the eighties this programing rule was lifted and now you could have country and top 40 stations on FM like you do now and album rock evolved into classic rock and classic rock is from that era but plays mostly hits or songs that were released as "singles".
And classic rock stations play nothing like what was played on album rock stations back in the late 60s to mid 70s.
Do you think you will hear MC5, Wishbone Ash, Fever Tree, Country Joe and the Fish, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Frost, and on and on, on classic rock stations?, and I will add to that Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention and the many many others that would have no radio play if it weren't for the FM stations that "had" to offer this due to the programing rules.
Don't get me wrong, it was good that it was like this, it was a real alternative, but Legacy, don't get so emotional that you say some "crazy" things like it's a form of "terrorism" if radio doesn't play what you like.
I will say what I said before, with our hobby stations we can keep on the radio what is not offered now.
The good thing about album rock is bands got airplay and success with this format that would never have if not for this. It was also the "psychedelic" era and album rock stations featured these types of bands like the Velvet Underground, Grateful dead, Mothers of invention, etc etc. It also took rock away from the typical two and a half minute song.
It was a good alternative to the hit parade on AM but would never have happened if not for the programing rules for FM. It died because it was a radio format that relied on the station owners AM counterpart to make the money to support that format. And public funding wasn't going to happen to keep this on the air.
There's an all jazz station and an all classical station here in Toronto that survives because they are partially funded by government and donations.
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Post by thelegacy on Aug 2, 2018 16:33:35 GMT
At least Mark has it on the path I'm preaching. Being an Album Rock messiah is a lot of work for me.
The agents and I had a peaceful non cursing conversation of my intentions and they admitted I had a very unique sound. It was why they encouraged me to try and seek an LPFM who was interested.
Look I'm not a bad guy but Album Rock is an Elite cult. Some of my associates only deal with other Album Rockers. To explain this exciting genre is like explaining the glory of electricity to the Amish community. Today I have a lot of work to do.
I will try to explain more later when I can get myself together and have the time to do it without writing a book. Stay tuned because I'll explain more.
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Post by mighty1650 on Aug 2, 2018 17:30:33 GMT
As music of any genre can be included in an album, why is "album rock" so staunchly promoted by a few posters on this Web site? And classic rock stations play nothing like what was played on album rock stations back in the late 60s to mid 70s.
Just a minor correction, at least here in the States, the AOR format didn't take off until the early 70s. Before that rock made its FM debut on a format called Progressive Rock. Progressive Rock was a DJ driven format with little actual formatics and certainly no programming clock. Music selections were based on DJ preference and didn't necessarily have to be a rock track. As Prog Rock began to see commercial success PD's took note and started tightening the format, evolving it into Album Oriented Rock. While still maintaining some freeform aspects, AOR was very different than the format it replaced. AOR was essentially Rock 40 with extra tracks.
Prog Rock: All 60s rock, some early 70s. AOR: Nearly all 70s.
Late 60s and early 70s would be firmly within the Prog Rock era and you are correct, classic rock no longer touches that era.
From Wiki:
"AOR, while still based on the rotation concept, focused on the album as a whole (rather than singles). In the early 1970s many DJs had the freedom to choose which track(s) to play off a given album—as well as latitude to decide in what order to play the records. Consequently, AOR radio gave mainstream exposure to album tracks that never became hits on the record charts that were limited to singles; Billboard, for instance, did not establish an airplay chart for album tracks until 1981.
Later in the 1970s AOR formats became tighter and song selection shifted to the program director or music director, rather than the DJ. Still, when an AOR station added an album to rotation they would often focus on numerous tracks at once, rather than playing the singles as they were individually released. As AOR stopped playing new music and died out in the late 1980s the core repertoire of AOR became that of the classic rock format."
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Post by thelegacy on Aug 2, 2018 21:21:04 GMT
And Now Very Close. Progressive rock such as King Crimson and Emerson Lake and Palmer along with Rush not the new stuff the early Rush was considered progressive rock otherwise known as album Rock. You can't forget The Moody Blues the Jimi Hendrix experience especially the album Electric ladyland great stuff.
The Blissful sounds of the song Little Wing is something that is a masterpiece from James Marshall Hendrix. Uriah Heep has a lot more songs than stealing and Easy Living. Check out circle of hands or Seven Stars the title track sweet freedom and so much more.
Album rock is a mixed creative collage of progressive country such as the birds the album sweetheart of the radio a song from that album you ain't going nowhere. What a beautiful example of that. How about the New Riders of the Purple Sage? There are a few songs from the album The Adventures of Panama Red which the title track started them to their fame. The song Henry was there drug song but there are plenty of others that are great.
Creedence Clearwater Revival started off Ace the golliwogs and was a mash-up between country and southern rock. This is what the Legacy plays lots of this type of stuff along with Rocky stuff like Foghat Genesis early Genesis with Peter Gabriel that is true essence of progressive rock.
And whoever thought you would ever mix a flute with rock and roll? Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull is the genius that figured that one out. Again a mix of progressive rock and rock.
Often album Rock is a story the album usually has a theme to it for example The Moody Blues In Search Of The Lost Chord is all about metaphysics meditation and mind expansion. Classical and Rock one homework assignment I will give you is to listen to the song have you heard. Listen to Parts 1 & 2 and tell me what a beautiful Masterpiece that is but it's also Rocky.
Now we'll take the band Yes this band is progressive rock in its finest. Did you know that they did a version of the song America which is a lot different than the Simon & Garfunkel version. This version is like 20 minutes long and has a mixture of hard rock and classical music together. It is really a mind-altering experience.
Rush 2112 oh my God what an experience this is an album that will take you on to a trip when you listen to it.
Here's a band that you have never heard of Lonestar not the country band you need to check this album out it's just entitled Lonestar it was done around 1975 and has some of the members of UFO. When you play this album in its entirety it tells a story about space it has the most awesome feel to it with songs like flying in the real and spaceships. It's a very hard album to find but we here at the Legacy play it it is something that will expand your experience and you'll really understand what album rock is.
Album rock is a historical Epic which was sheltered out after MTV was sued by a group of people for not playing Earth Wind & Fire which was outside of their format. Other radio stations became scared thus it killed album rock as we knew it on the air for most radio stations.
My work involves bringing back the trippy experience and teach those who are musically challenged hopefully when album rock is brought back jobs will be brought back for Good stereos will be made once again. It might even cause AM to be brought back to the way it used to sound listenable if not more. AM and FM might have different programming whereas in the early yesteryear Days Album Rock was on FM top 40 was AM today could be the reversal of that affect where album Rock will be on AM in c-quam stereo and a Hobby Broadcast band.
It starts with people like me and Pamela Lee and we'll spread. Let's see what happens.
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Post by mighty1650 on Aug 2, 2018 23:26:22 GMT
While somewhat off the exact topic, Southern Rock is a format I've been thinking about messing around with, the am-stereo station will need a format and its one that's almost completely gone even here. The local classic rocker seems to have almost dropped it completely, the Dallas one seems to be a national exception with Southern Rock still seeing significant airplay but no useable signal here.
Personally I have a moderately sized rock LP collection, I don't use it on air but I still spin them on the home stereo or dub them to reel.
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Post by mark on Aug 2, 2018 23:38:00 GMT
Mighty1650 said: "Just a minor correction, at least here in the States, the AOR format didn't take off until the early 70s. Before that rock made its FM debut on a format called Progressive Rock. Progressive Rock was a DJ driven format with little actual formatics and certainly no programming clock. Music selections were based on DJ preference and didn't necessarily have to be a rock track. As Prog Rock began to see commercial success PD's took note and started tightening the format, evolving it into Album Oriented Rock. While still maintaining some freeform aspects, AOR was very different than the format it replaced. AOR was essentially Rock 40 with extra tracks".
Those were the days! When radio DJs actually had records and a turntable and played what they wanted right in the studio!
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Post by thelegacy on Aug 3, 2018 1:50:34 GMT
Album Rock stations in days gone by with often play groups like Molly Hatchet and the Charlie Daniels Band along with Lynyrd Skynyrd 38 Special rossington Collins band, The Outlaws, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Moby grape, and those southern Rock bands.
I really wish you luck on that I think it'll work pretty good.
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