LedZeppfan77 Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Some of the obvious are the Who's Quadrophenia and Tommy. I personally give Quad the edge there but Tommy is great too. I personally love the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar with Ian Gillian(Deep Purple) singing the part of Jesus. I thought it was fabulous. Yvonne Elliman of course had a hit from it. "I Dont Know How to Love Him". Great song. Very well done work. Why do I mention this? Because some of our younger music lovers may not be aware of the existance of such a fabulous work of music. If anyone else has any Rock Opera's worth mention please post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 The only good rock opera is a dead rock opera. They tend towards the treacly and hippie-dippy naivete. I still have nightmares about "Godspell". I do have a soft spot, a weakness if you like, for "Jesus Christ Superstar"...especially the original cast album with Ian Gilliam. "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia" I can barely tolerate. I never listen to the whole records anymore; just skip to the songs I like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjin-san Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Wot? One of the greatest Overtures ever written: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 (edited) KB, my point is that the whole rock opera genre was Pete Townsend et al unnecessarily trying to show rock music could be 'art' and thought of in the same way as Serious music(classical, jazz) by dressing it up in the same pretentious cloaks as classical music. What Pete and his buddies failed to understand was that Chuck Berry and the Beatles had already shown that there was art in the three-chord rock song. The whole point of rock n roll was to throw off the musty shackles of pretentious respectability and take music from the rich fuddy-duddies in the opera houses and Carnegie Hall and give it to the kids in the streets. Rock operas are rock musicians trying too hard to please the Old Guard instead of having faith in rock and roll in and of itself. Give me Chuck Berry anyday over a hack like Carl Orff. Edited September 12, 2012 by Strider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 (edited) I'm not sure if it's the best but it's definitely a contender. And yes, it avoids the typical "rock opera" pretensions and isn't anything at all like Tommy, Quadrophonia or similar opuses. For those that are unfamiliar with the record, here's a brief description from the Drive-By Truckers website. For more info, go to their website and look for Southern Rock Opera under "Records". There you'll find complete lyrics as well as a song-by-song commentary from Patterson Hood. It's the summer after high school graduation and our hero hasn't played his guitar in two months. His band was over the night that Bobby died. No more partners in crime. At night he dreams he's fronting his ultimate rock and roll band. All their equipment stacked atop their Anvil cases. (What better way to measure a band's worth to an eighteen-year-old.) The highway's calling, but it sure ain't as romantic as it once seemed. It's 1979. The seventies last rites are being read by the very same assholes who killed them. Disco has driven a fork into rock's heart and within a year, video will dissect every little tissue until it is as meaningless as the rest of the fucking world. "Video Killed the Radio Star". No shit! There's this legend (myth?) (truth?) about Lynyrd Skynyrd that claimed that Ronnie Van Zant was killed by a strike on the head from the on-board VCR mounted in the back of the plane, directly behind his seat. By the early 80's, Skynyrd's crowd was being run out of town, There was no place for big, masculine looking, hairy men with beards and guts and sweat and spit. Not on TV. Sure the hell not on MTV. Our hero grew up in North Alabama. He came of age in the seventies. He remembers the Watergate hearings interrupting his Mama's soaps. Standing in line with his daddy at the Shoals Theatre to see Walking Tall, cutting class to go to the state line with Bobby. (Home was a dry county, but have no fear; the Tennessee state line is just fifteen minutes away if you haul ass.) He listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Who, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath, The Sweet, Ted Nugent, Queen, Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, CCR, The Band, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Lots of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Years pass. Our hero moved to the city, then a couple of more cities. He got him a funny haircut or two. He became a punk rocker and tried to disassociate himself from his youthful transgressions. Much like so many well-meaning southern people who try to talk down their Southern accents for fear of sounding "too-Southern". (As if that was inferior or something.) He starts having re-occurring dreams about arena rock. Perhaps he's being visited by spirits from his past. Now he wants to remember, He wants to reconnect with whom he once was and what he used to dream. When it was OK to be a little barbaric. When it was OK to turn your three guitars up to ten. When it was OK to ROCK! Edited September 12, 2012 by Jahfin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjin-san Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 KB, my point is that the whole rock opera genre was Pete Townsend et al unnecessarily trying to show rock music could be 'art' and thought of in the same way as Serious music(classical, jazz) by dressing it up in the same pretentious cloaks as classical music. What Pete and his buddies failed to understand was that Chuck Berry and the Beatles had already shown that there was art in the three-chord rock song. The whole point of rock n roll was to throw off the musty shackles of pretentious respectability and take music from the rich fuddy-duddies in the opera houses and Carnegie Hall and give it to the kids in the streets. Rock operas are rock musicians trying too hard to please the Old Guard instead of having faith in rock and roll in and of itself. Give me Chuck Berry anyday over a hack like Carl Orff. Hi all, Fair enough Strider.Well said.In 1969,this was,.... KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjin-san Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Hi all, >KB, my point is that the whole rock opera genre was Pete Townsend et al unnecessarily trying to show rock music could be 'art' and thought of in the same way as Serious music(classical, jazz) by dressing it up in the same pretentious cloaks as classical music.< You missed It?Gee. >What Pete and his buddies failed to understand was that Chuck Berry and the Beatles had already shown that there was art in the three-chord rock song. The whole point of rock n roll was to throw off the musty shackles of pretentious respectability and take music from the rich fuddy-duddies in the opera houses and Carnegie Hall and give it to the kids in the streets.< Really?How funny. >Rock operas are rock musicians trying too hard to please the Old Guard instead of having faith in rock and roll in and of itself.< Not carrying on? Is that it? Carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 I'm not sure if it's the best but it's definitely a contender. And yes, it avoids the typical "rock opera" pretensions and isn't anything at all like Tommy, Quadrophonia or similar opuses. Holy shit! HE lives! Where ya been, man? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Holy shit! HE lives! Where ya been, man? Out catching live music via Hopscotch and away from the computer screen. There's really nothing quite like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Caveman Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledzepfvr Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 (edited) Some of the obvious are the Who's Quadrophenia and Tommy. I personally give Quad the edge there but Tommy is great too. I personally love the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar with Ian Gillian(Deep Purple) singing the part of Jesus. I thought it was fabulous. Yvonne Elliman of course had a hit from it. "I Dont Know How to Love Him". Great song. Very well done work. Why do I mention this? Because some of our younger music lovers may not be aware of the existance of such a fabulous work of music. If anyone else has any Rock Opera's worth mention please post. I have this record in my collection. I also have Tommy. Others that come to mind would be The Wall. I like a few songs from the opera but didn't like the movie. Hair was quite popular in the day and produced a few hits. Hair by the Cowsills. Which I have. Played the hell out of this 45. Aquarius by the Fifth Demention. I have. Good Morning Starshine by Oliver, I have. Easy to be Hard by 3 Dog Night....hope they sing this when I go see them at the end of this month. Edited September 13, 2012 by ledzepfvr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryder1978 Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 I've always thought that artists that did Rock Operas did so because they had a number of song ideas with a common theme. Or they had an idea for a story to put in song, but one song could not cover the entire story. Why not string all those songs together in one "concept" album or "rock opera"? I had no problem with the concept and that they were doing it to be "artsy". My older brother enjoyed "Godspell", I loved all the versions of "Jesus Christ Superstar", we both enjoyed "Tommy", but didn't like "Quadraphenia". What about Rush's "2112", Judas Priest's "Nostradamus" or Queensryche's "Operation:Mindcrime"? Are those considered "rock operas"? I enjoyed al of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe (Liverpool) Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 I have the original album of jesus christ superstar, with Ted Neeley as jesus, I quite like it the film was a bit naff though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 I've always thought that artists that did Rock Operas did so because they had a number of song ideas with a common theme. Or they had an idea for a story to put in song, but one song could not cover the entire story. Why not string all those songs together in one "concept" album or "rock opera"? I had no problem with the concept and that they were doing it to be "artsy". My older brother enjoyed "Godspell", I loved all the versions of "Jesus Christ Superstar", we both enjoyed "Tommy", but didn't like "Quadraphenia". What about Rush's "2112", Judas Priest's "Nostradamus" or Queensryche's "Operation:Mindcrime"? Are those considered "rock operas"? I enjoyed al of them! No, I don't consider 'concept albums' the same as rock operas. So, "Dark Side of the Moon" or "2112" don't meet with the same opprobrium that rock operas do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryder1978 Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Joe, I was fortunate enugh to see Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson (from the album and movie) when they were on tour with the show. OUTSTANDING! Sadly, Carl is no longer with us, but Ted Neeley is in his late 60's and can STILL nail that high note in the "Garden of Gethsemane" song. Check out You-tube recording of the song - the reaction of the people backstage speaks for itself when he hits it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom kid Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 For what it's worth, I love Tommy and Quadrophenia to bits. Never really delved into any other rock operas though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea for Tanja Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 i don´t know if anybody remembers the -omnia opera- of a band round the village where robert lived. -don´t know if you can call the old genesis-gabriel things an opers- but i wonder why we have queen and abba musicals and no zep-opera. or have there ever been one ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 (edited) but i wonder why we have queen and abba musicals and no zep-opera. or have there ever been one ? No. Hopefully there never will be. The last thing we need is for Led Zeppelin to be reduced to Broadway kitsch ala Queen, Elton John and Billy Joel. Edited September 13, 2012 by Strider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 No. Hopefully there never will be. The last thing we need is for Led Zeppelin to be reduced to Broadway kitsch ala Queen, Elton John and Billy Joel. Don't forget Green Day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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