During the first term we had the chance to write an expository essay on one of many topics, and I chose to write about “your favourite music genre and why you like it,” and it was very interesting. Attempting to articulate my thoughts was the toughest part, like I knew what I wanted to say I just didn’t know hoe to say it. I really enjoyed this essay style, and hope I get to write like this again about another topic, here’s my favourite music.
Have you ever listened to Elton John’s “Madman Across the Water”? Or watched the Who’s “The Real Me”? Have you ever watched a live performance of Freddie Mercury and Queen? Have you ever heard a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo? These are some of the greatest shows of musicianship, showmanship, and guitar ever put into music and that is why classic rock is my favourite genre of music.
To start with, the showmanship that was showed by classic artists surpasses a thousand times the seizure inducing performances Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and any dub step artist that you would go to now. People have said that Queen’s Freddie Mercury put on the best show in the world, yet he didn’t have laser shows or left sharks, all he had was a smoke machine or two and his horrible dancing. On top of that Elton John has nothing but his back up band on stage (I went to see him last year) yet he still has amazing stage presence because his music rocks and his piano playing is amazing. There’s not many people that can fill a stadium by just sitting there and playing a piano, but he does, even with his little sausage fingers. Then there’s my favourite showman of all time, Angus Young. He dresses horribly in short shorts and sometimes ends up shirtless onstage (which is horrible if you’ve ever seen it) but puts on fantastic shows with his power slides and windmill guitar playing. The showmanship these artists use is incredible and surely not matched by newer artists.
Furthermore, a great guitarist is what takes a mediocre band to the next level, you can cycle in and out band members like crazy but as long as that great guitarist is there you’ll keep having fans and keep getting money. Think of Jimi Hendrix, he never needed a band because he was such an incredible guitar player that he could carry a show by himself. Or Carlos Santana, who has a rotating background band, but always sounds great because of his silky smooth guitar playing. In addition, the Who have lost arguably the best bass player that ever lived (George Harrison) and arguably the greatest drummer ever (Keith Moon) and still sound great because of their great 70 year old lead guitarist Pete Townshend. And the list keeps going, AC/DC would be nowhere without Angus Young, John Bon Jovi is what made Bon Jovi such a great band. All of these guitarists made their bands skyrocket with their skill it’s impossible not to point them out.
Finally, the musicianship is what makes it the best genre of music. Elton John’s piano playing, Freddie Mercury’s singing, the bass and drums in the who. If you ever want to learn what you want to play the bass like, go listen to “The Real Me,” by the Who, and same if you want to hear how to play the drums. Elton John and Billy Joel are great pianists, just go listen to Elton’s “Candle in the Wind,” or Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” for a master class in piano. The musicality and skill they play there instruments with is seldom nowadays, where we get crappy musicians get popular because of their looks. There’s seldom real musicians that get popular these days,and that’s sad.
Overall, classic rock is easily the best genre of music, with its amazing guitar that has entranced so many, the musicality and other instrumentalists are unmatched by any music that came after it. And the showmanship they exude is the reason they sell out giant stadiums, not because of their looks and ability to hire great stage managers, and eight year old girls that love them. It’s incredible to watch old performances and it’s sad that musicians aren’t as great as they used to me.