Re: What is glam rock?

In musical terms.
It's rock'n'roll
Some of the best albums have a mix of acoustic and electric guitars
Many songs use the Chuck Berry shuffle
but never the Hooker boogie
Definitely blues based


Please help compartmentalize...

My other question, has a non-glam band made any glam music?
Starfucker?
Raw Power?

Zolar-X, retrospective CD on Alternative Tentacles.

Theatrical, bombastic, larger-then-life. Androgynous/campy. And deffo not always blues-based, e.g. Roxy Music, Bowie, early Eno, Tubes, Queen, "Rocky Horror".

It actually shares some characteristics with (horrors!) prog - over-the-top, flamboyant, complex song structures. But, unlike most prog, it's FUN, not trying to show off, or get all heavy and "artistic." It doesn't pretend to classical music (showtunes are more like it). Which is why I consider "Hocus Pocus" by Focus glam - cuz I like it. If I didn't like it I might dismiss it as more prog showiness and excess. Hey, at least I'm honest.

"has a non-glam band made any glam music?" Yeah, I'd say you're right about the Stooges. Some say "Transformer"-era Lou Reed.

the most amazing thing about paganizer's post is finding out his sister has a boyfriend

ta da!


OK you experts: how come i love roxy, t rex, early bowie, tons of 68-73 UK bubblegum. eno's first 4 lps, and can't listen to but a songs from sweet/slade/queen unholy trinity


i think it's a voice thing but...

had one in 1976, anyway

the unholy trinity distills the wrong elements?

Along with proto Rock-n-roll and punk, the world's greatest musical event.



Post Edited (09-18-12 15:37)

Defiantly non-glam band that was still somehow part of the whole thing anyway: Mott the Hoople.

Glam was also the music of the moment when Sparks relocated to England and made their classic Kimono/Propaganda/Indiscreet trilogy and they actually fit in pretty well with the whole thing.

Was the first Suzi Quatro album considered glam?

Prog was happening concurrently and shared some of the same elements - some of Peter Gabriel's more outlandish get-ups were right up there with Elton John's and Bowie's.

US bands definitely inspired by glam but not really considered part of it: NY Dolls, KISS

Exposure to glam destroyed Rod Stewart - prior to it, he was incredible. After it, a dunce.

Four words: Sensational Alex Harvey Band

I'm actually a huge fan of most of these bands and glam in general.

There as been much written about how Bowie didn't really go glam until seeing the Dolls. And that Bolan influenzed all of them.

I guess the best answer is there are the different strains of Glam and it is more about who is playing it.

I know the Stooges aren't a "Glam band" but if you listen to the song Raw Power it sounds like the T.Rex strain of glam.

Also to me Starfucker sounds like some answer to the Dolls. Who were an answer to the Stones.

Answer to Paganizer's question: All the cool glam kids were creating punk out of Glam's corpse buy the time Bowie was moving on.

Cabaret music also plays into especially the Bowie-Reed lineage.

Glam really is like Punk, Power pop, and Country. More about attitude and spectecal.

You can hear elements of glam in some bands where you wouldn't think to look. Oasis for example clearly borrow elements of glam in their song constructions.

And they show their allegiance to the style in this kicking version of a Slade classic that, you can tell they intend to make British again or "save" from its American-ized metal version :

[www.youtube.com]

I admit I have mixed feelings towards glam in its early 70s incarnation. As much as I love the Dolls, I don't give as much play to them as I do the Heartbreakers probably because the camp elements bother me.

However "So Alone" is fully a nod to Thunders glam roots and I love it to death. I guess I like the elements to be less overtly theatric. The Only Ones rank among my favorite bands ever and clearly are indebted to glam as well without explicitly being a glam band.

But, I can still get a kick out of a Dolls knock-off like the Hollywood Brats too.



Post Edited (02-23-07 19:24)

Another root of glam:

Hollywood films.



Post Edited (09-18-12 15:38)