My immersion into Rock music is probably no different than anyone else's who considers themself a fan of what is today labeled as Classic Rock. I started to consciously choose Rock over other genres at about 11 or 12 yrs. old which would have been '75-'76. Most of the "hippie bands" were still in regular rotation on the radio, but there was a new sound that was well on its way to changing the way Rock would be defined. It was Melodic Rock. It was so clean and every instrument had its specific purpose as to why you heard it when you did And the vocals.... the vocals were methodical and well written. There were exquisite harmonies and yet, it was seemingly "harder" rock than what the generation prior had provided.
It had to have been tough to break into and achieve any musical success back then considering the outstanding musicianship which existed in the bands that were getting national and global attention. I mean how much higher can the bar be set when there are bands like Yes, Chicago, Journey, Styx, ELP, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, etc. whose albums consisted of complex and meaningful arias which garage bands could never, ever compete with. What makes it even more frustrating is the fact that the individuals in all those bands were, for the most part, not more than 10 years older than the kids tuning in. Amazing!
Ours is a generation that was treated to some of, if not the absolute best Rock music has ever offered in terms of the performers, the music, and performances. Sure the 60's had a few memorable music get-togethers.... Woodstock comes to mind, but the 70's and 80's gave birth to mega-festivals, some of which traveled from city to city. Being from the Bay Area, I went to several of the Day on the Green concerts which are cherished memories to this day. I also went to all 3 days of the US Festival. 27 bands in 3 days covering Country, New Wave, Rock, Punk and Rockabilly. That was back in '83. I was 19, I played keys in a kickass cover band, (no, really... we rocked!
) I had blond, permed hair down to my shoulder blades.... man, life couldn't be sweeter! All of the best bands that came on the scene in the 70's were still around and had matured into super-groups many of which required multi-date, stadium shows to accommodate the demands of the fans. Sure, there were a few who had broken up, but the players who mattered were either now solo or had regrouped but they were still playing nonetheless. This was our music and this was our time and we were proud to claim it as such. We had this amazing new medium called MTV which focused on our music and the men and women providing it. We learned about things as they happened - the good and the tragic alike. Lots of us became information mavens about "our" music and/or the bands we most cared about. And while all this was going on and consuming us, there was something I'm sure none of us ever thought about - not once..... It never crossed our minds that the twenty-something rock gods and goddesses we worshiped would one day be 60 years old much less the thought that some of them might still be jamming, shredding and pounding out kickass rock and roll at retirement age which brings me to the topic of this post.
I don't know about you but when I was 19, someone who was 60 years old or thereabouts was a freakin' dinosaur. There wasn't a person on the planet that old who liked Rock music. My mind was incapable of even processing the thought patterns necessary to contemplate a Rock star playing to sold out venues at that age. But, here we are. Year after year those bands who's music and members who have stood the test of time are choosing to hit the road to bring live performances of their catalogs to their fans. Yes, some of them haven't released any new music in eons and they're simply playing their greatest hits. But there are equally as many or perhaps more who are touring in support of a new album and have continued to release new music throughout their longer than expected careers.
The music we grew up with was ridiculed and scoffed at by our parents and religious mentors - some even went so far as to call it the work of Satan. "All it is is noise!" was something I heard a lot growing up in the staunch Mormon household I did. (And before you make ay assumptions, No, I'm not Mormon. I don't belong to that or any other cult thank you very much!
) The generation which gave birth to and raised us didn't get what was so special about our music. They didn't know how much our music meant to us and how serious we took it. They just didn't get it. But we did and we still do as evidenced by the number of shows we attend by these monoliths who are still out there, still playing the music which provided the soundtracks to our respective lives. And to those who are still doing it when they clearly don't "need " to, I thank you.
I can say with solid conviction, the music my kids listen to will not be remembered or hailed the way ours has been. Hell, the shit (most of it anyway) they listen to bores them to tears and they can't stand it a month after they hear it for the first time so if it can't make it past 4 weeks before being kicked to the proverbial curb, it damn sure isn't going to be on their minds some 30+ years from now!
But, that's just my opinion. I'm anxious to read yours....
Steve
)from our youth that I still enjoy and follow (Journey, Iron Maiden, Night Ranger, and many more). I just have found 
