OB1
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Boo hoo ;-)
Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1985 - (page 203)
- Thread starter RobMCFC
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OB1
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AOR is not the same as Yacht Rock but they do cross over.
OB1
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AOR started as Album but people did also use to mean Adult.Here in the US, AOR typically was used in context of Album Oriented Rock as it pertains to radio. As in, a focus on the album over the single. Stevie Wonder certainly had this in his masterpiece release that year, as did others, such as Steely Dan, etc. I'd note AOR as focused on the other tracks, not just "the hit" and we saw that begin in the 1960s with the Beatles and Beach Boys (especially '66!). ;-)
Springsteen, Yes, Zeppelin, Floyd and plenty of other bands we've covered here (too many to list) had this focus where the release was more than just a focus on a particular track hit.
Album-oriented rock - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
How was the rest of that album after DFTR? I didn't recognize any of those songs, so as AOR exists per the "Album" definition, I would agree with you a bit on that too.
Of course, if we're using AOR as Arena or Adult, I'm not as sure on one. Plenty of us younguns enjoyed DFTR and Boston's entire debut album back in the day. Both bands checked the arena category too.
I think its meaning has changed over time and came to be widely associated with a particular form of rock, with Boston, Foreigner, REO, Journey and Kansas being prime examples.
OB1
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BOC aren’t an AOR band but some of their tracks fit that bill and I would say DFTR does. It’s Buck Dharma / Donald Roeser track.
Agents of Fortune is not an AOR album but the production was definitely slicker and more radio friendly. It has a sound unlike any other Cult album. It’s a great album IMO. I think I’ve put all bar one track on my 1976 playlist.
Brian Eno used the DX7 extenensively for his 80/90s ambient albums. New Order used a DX5 (turbo DX7) for BLT and True Faith. As long as you don't use "Electric Piano 1 or 2" (unless you do weddings). I had a TX7 once and someone had programmed a fantastic Morricone twangy guitar in it I've never heard since.
Saddleworth2
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RobMCFC
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It is really slick and as I pointed out in my review, it has a sound unlike their previous output.
Protein Junkie
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Dependant on the wind direction.
Sorry @OB1 :-).
On a serious note I don’t like this AOR cohort naming at all,at least for some bands.
Two bands I used to love in Styx and Foreigner were diverse for a long time. Maybe there was a convergence around “Cornerstone” and “Agent Provocateur “ but prior to that?
Kansas last two albums were very Prog to my ears.
Another label for Styx at one time was “Pomp Rock” !!!!
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Saddleworth2
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These labels are just nonsense most of the time. And in the case of AOR (Album, Adult, Arena, Arsehole- choose your label) 100% of the time. Maybe Rob could threadban its use.
Saddleworth2
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You have convinced me. Slick. Different. Got it. ;-)
OB1
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Ha, ha. :)
That’s the problem with some labels, they group things without acknowledging the uniqueness or differences within. Some bands cover(ed) several different musical genres in one album. I don’t mind the term AOR and use it sometimes - I have some playlists that are titled AOR 1, etc - but I know what it means to me.
Styx were Pomp Rock at their best but they did get less so.
BMR asked me on the Ozzy thread if I thought Black Sabbath were Heavy Metal or Heavy Rock; he plumped for the latter but I went for the former. Metal has got more metallic over the years so I get his POV but Sabbath are the fathers of Metal. However, these labels are just a convenience and not to be taken too seriously. Heavy Metal, Heavy Rock, Hard Rock, Hair Metal… it’s all just rock n roll to me.
Saddleworth2
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We were quite light on 'hit singles' from 76 although we have a few. For completeness and just to indicate what we missed here is a list of the top singles in the UK in 1976. Some right old shite there is too. If I remember, Elton and Kiki were no 1 for weeks and weeks that summer.
Who could forget the iconic 'Living next door to Alice'. Or the lyrically sophisticated, musically complex "I am a Cider drinker".
Who could forget the iconic 'Living next door to Alice'. Or the lyrically sophisticated, musically complex "I am a Cider drinker".
threespires
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MCFCTrick
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Yup, but one band always gets left out of such lists, and they are not just English, but also Mancs.
Sad Cafe. Some say they even preceded the American bands with that 'sound'.
threespires
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We have got some of those and Belfry nearly did the Wurzels other (better!) big hit.
Personally I work on the principle that beyond tracks that are really redolent of their time or ones that have meaning to me the chart hits only tell a very partial story. That said I guess we're moving into the golden period of pop radio in terms of mass audience in the UK?
threespires
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PY one of Wythenshawe's greatest musical sons. They were formed in 76 but don't think they released anything until 77?
Apropos of nothing I always thought if Take That had done a cover of Every Day Day Hurts it would have been a massive payday for Young and co.
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Saddleworth2
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So its a better playlist than I hinted at after some extensive play yesterday. It does certainly feel like a year of transition from prog to punk and from the kings of rock to the younger pretenders. Some nice examples of singer songwriters but nothing to touch the examples presented in earlier years. A few iconic albums but again, to my taste, not as many that I Ioved.
There were some tracks that stood out for me (other than the four I nominated). The Zeppelin track is phenomenal. It stands like a colossus when compared to some other genre derivatives. Who can't like the Lizzy tracks and that AOR classic from BOC.
I actually enjoyed the Punk tracks way more than I expected. I think time had divorced the music from the image (hair, spitting, clothes) which I really didn't like at the time. My favourite was the Damned track and I enjoyed the SP's and Jonathon Richmon. Not so much the Ramones.
Ok, now to tackle the other rock tracks. I have been honest enough to admit prejudices against some of these bands so I sat and as George would one day write 'Listened without Prejudice'. So in this, I'm talking about Boston, Kansas, Aerosmith, Styx, AC/DC, Rainbow, Kiss, Starz? There were a lot. I can hear the music is well played, well enough written, competently produced. Has catchy riffs in the main and in some cases the vocals are nice. Why does it do absolutely nothing for me? A lack of emotional pull? A lack of 'difference', 'uniqueness'? Some of it is a mental association with the images of these bands. I think Spinal Tap, I think Waynes World. I don't really know. Its obviously my problem as these bands are successful and loved by millions but if I want to listen to rock music I do prefer to listen to music more overtly influenced by Prog/Blues/Folk/Country?jazz so Zeppelin, The Stones, The Kinks, Rory, Tull, Bruce, Prince, Wishbone Ash, Family, Santana, Cream, Nirvana....even Oasis will make it onto the turntable 100% in front of these. For me they are just bland.
Of the non-rock tracks, I liked listening to Boz Scaggs again. Steely Dan and 10cc andGansta Pastime Paradise from Stevie. Jazz was a little hard to find - I enjoyed the piano work on Michael Franks track although i was a bit meh about the song itself. On the Folk/Country I liked Gordon Lightfoot. Not so much Poco. The 'Kraut' rock was intriguing. Not that many pop tracks - ELO and Ferry the best I think. One track has special resonance, Chicago's 'If you leave me know' was a favourite of my mad, force of nature sister in law who had zero taste in music. She died just a few short years later and this track always makes me think of her and my wife's loss.
In closing, it was another fine write up and varied set of ten tracks from @threespires
There were some tracks that stood out for me (other than the four I nominated). The Zeppelin track is phenomenal. It stands like a colossus when compared to some other genre derivatives. Who can't like the Lizzy tracks and that AOR classic from BOC.
I actually enjoyed the Punk tracks way more than I expected. I think time had divorced the music from the image (hair, spitting, clothes) which I really didn't like at the time. My favourite was the Damned track and I enjoyed the SP's and Jonathon Richmon. Not so much the Ramones.
Ok, now to tackle the other rock tracks. I have been honest enough to admit prejudices against some of these bands so I sat and as George would one day write 'Listened without Prejudice'. So in this, I'm talking about Boston, Kansas, Aerosmith, Styx, AC/DC, Rainbow, Kiss, Starz? There were a lot. I can hear the music is well played, well enough written, competently produced. Has catchy riffs in the main and in some cases the vocals are nice. Why does it do absolutely nothing for me? A lack of emotional pull? A lack of 'difference', 'uniqueness'? Some of it is a mental association with the images of these bands. I think Spinal Tap, I think Waynes World. I don't really know. Its obviously my problem as these bands are successful and loved by millions but if I want to listen to rock music I do prefer to listen to music more overtly influenced by Prog/Blues/Folk/Country?jazz so Zeppelin, The Stones, The Kinks, Rory, Tull, Bruce, Prince, Wishbone Ash, Family, Santana, Cream, Nirvana....even Oasis will make it onto the turntable 100% in front of these. For me they are just bland.
Of the non-rock tracks, I liked listening to Boz Scaggs again. Steely Dan and 10cc and
In closing, it was another fine write up and varied set of ten tracks from @threespires
threespires
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OB1
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No accounting for taste. We all like different things and that is how it should be.
OB1
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As everyone knows, I would have much longer playlists. There’s some shite on that list, which is from one of the sites I refer to when looking for tracks not on the albums I own, but some good stuff and things that were just of their time and IMO tell part of the story of the year.
I am making my own lists now from my cd collection, which is a work in progress, so I really don’t care much what goes on the lists from the thread but I do like hearing things I was not familiar with, especially if they make me go out and buy something old but Neu (ho, ho), or even tip me off to a track I have but had not fully appreciated (e.g. Roy Harper).