Peculiarity Glam Rock as a Genre and Its Reception - Essay Example

Glam Rock Glam Rock, often called Glitter rock, developed in the U.K. during the 1970s and is associated with singers and musicians wearing flamboyant clothes, make-up and hairstyles reflecting more of a costume appearance. The groups were not only theatrical in appearance, but on the stage as well using various motifs from science fiction to popular movies themes. There was mixed reception of the style as many associated this with homosexuality. However, countless successful acts used this style such as David Bowie, Queen, Boy George and the Sex Pistols. This style was embodied throughout the United States well in the 1980s and worked for some bands, but many failed to achieve a following. Some bands adopted a style too outrageous for the fans and began losing the fan base to newer styles of music such as punk. A few bands altered their style and continued to succeed while others disbanded. Eventually, the glam rock bands were considered out of style and even mocked at times. Focus was placed more on the wardrobe decisions and showmanship as men often wore women’s make-up and clothing, but the music was also a new style with heavy guitar emphasis and a hard-rock sound that ultimately would be mimicked by the punk rockers. Although Glam rock was often vilified during its inception in the 1970s and 80s, the re-emergence of this style in recent years has proven profitable for bands such as The Darkness and Lady Gaga who have reincarnated the glam rock style emphasizing the prominent relationship between fashion, theatrics and music. As glam rock first emerged, many found the style perverse and even artifice but as Goffman and Joy note, “the glam rock movement, refused the authority of those judgments.” (315). This culture produced some of the most popular music at a time where music had become stagnant and unoriginal. Glam rock offered a freedom of expression and a creative outlet giving artists to be theatrical as well as musical even though some critics could not see past the glitter to appreciate the music that was being produced. Many audiences felt this was an expression of homosexuality only and failed to support the movement. Yet, some of the biggest names of the era are classified as glam rockers. David Bowie adopted this style and ironically, more focus was placed on his outward appearance than his lyrics. Goffman and Joy point out that, “His song lyrics were more explicitly, directly reflective of someone who wrestled with counterculture ideas, and with the issues of the hip left, than any other major rock performer….” (316). It was apparent that those who disliked and mocked glam rock were primarily opposed to the outward appearance of the artists rather than the music itself. However, to be successful, artists needed to find an identity that was unique and fashion was that unique approach. As Josh Simms states, “Establishing an identity was of paramount importance of any rock star then. The early Seventies was a time of great flux in both the rock and fashion worlds.” (116). It seems only appropriate the two would merge. This mixture of music and fashion that prevailed in the Glam rock scene is one of the most prevalent relationships that has endured through all styles of music since. Though the appearance of these artists initially shocked audiences and the costumes have often been ridiculed, music history has proven that fashion works in creating identity. Every era of music has used fashion to establish a distinctive personality that would stand out and be linked with that person or band. The adverse reaction to glam rock is not an unprecedented response. For example, Elvis was condemned by many for his gyrating form of dancing that offended many or even the theatrics of an often drugged Jim Morrison of the Doors who sung on live TV barely able to stand using lyrics previously deemed inappropriate for all audiences. Older generations were appalled at the on stage appearance of rock icons such as Elvis and the Beatles, but these very artists shaped generations of rock musicians. Just as these stylistic approaches are linked to those artists and their unique personalities, so too was David Bowie’s public persona. As Michael Campbell states, “Bowie creates a persona that demands attention but is shrouded in mystery.” (255). In spite of the success of those previous groundbreakers, including the Beatles, who all introduced new look and hair styles and rocks styles to conventional music of the time, it initially seems surprisingly that it would be received so poorly based on appearance alone. It is likely the association between glam rock and homosexuality played a role as it exemplified everything non-masculine and non-traditional that audiences had come to expect from rock music. When discussing glam rock, few people speak about the form independent of homosexuality, but it also opened up the world for new styles of music such as punk rock which exhibited many of the same tendencies as its predecessor but with a more masculine identity. Even at the point where glam rock arguably phased out of the music scene, the importance of fashion statements did not. The question though that really needs to be addressed then - is glam rock really obsolete. While it certainly provided opportunity for gender exploration and expressions of sexual identity, the theatrical aspect is often overlooked. As Philip Auslander notes, “it is clear that glam innovated the idea of the rock performance persona as a self-declared construct that was also fundamental to punk.”(231). This point is proven by examining the stylistics of Billy Idol, Adam Ant, the Talking Heads and even female artists such as Blondie. These artists all focused on outward appearance as well as outrageous stage performances to stand out in the crowd of mainstream music. It could be argued that these artists are glam rockers without homosexual overtones. Most significantly though, it is undeniable that glam rock has had a significant impact on the focus of fashion style in the music industry. Michael Jackson epitomizes the interaction of music, style and wardrobe as well as excessive theatrics evidenced in his music video Thriller. As Sims points out, “The first accessory for Jackson was the fedora, which at one high moment in the Billie Jean video is artfully spun out of shot.” (215). This was a prop he continued to use even in photo sessions and concerts demonstrating how specific fashion statements can be linked with an artists and how fans associate those fashion accessories with the artist. Most notably is the one-handed sparkling glove Jackson wore arousing strong memories of the glam rock era. This fashion statement was so popular that many fans emulated this look as well wearing the sparkling glove on one hand. The list of examples is endless, but clearly demonstrates the importance of fashion and wardrobe selection in the music industry even post glam rock era. Those glam rockers set the groundwork for incorporating fashion statements into the musical persona. Not all artists chose excessive theatrics or glamorous accessories, but the need to select a style was obvious. Even grunge bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam used wardrobe selection to create identity. The popularity or flannel and ripped jeans rose as fans sought to dress like their idols. In spite of the mocking that is often associated with glam rock even today, there has been a wave of return to the glam rock wardrobe, which is ironic as initially rock stars were trying to doing everything possible to distance themselves from being labeled as glam rockers. Artists today such as Lady Gaga and The Darkness provide striking similarities to the styles of the glam rock era that even suggest a return to that era. Lady Gaga’s on-stage fashions have been a successful aspect of her success. Her sense of fashion is also coupled with an active performance style also resembles the more theatrical performances of artists such as Bowie, Kiss and Queen. Though she had publically admitted to being bisexual, there appears to be no repercussions to this announcement as she was nominated for nine awards at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards proving her popularity has not been tarnished even though many have linked her with the term glam rock. Arguably, glam rock influences are still evident in other genres of music such as punk rock, heavy metal, goth, indie, disco and emo. While these other groups may not look like drag queens, they prove the importance of creating a unique identity through fashion choice whether that choice is leather jackets, make-up, jewelry or countless other accessory selections. In contrast to Lady Gaga, The Darkness is a make band that has also found a mix of flamboyance to be a precursor to success. Perhaps it is their own ideas or an influence of their producer Roy Thomas Baker who also worked with Queen, but the band has also been noted throughout there shows to incorporate a very theatrical approach to their shows. Several reports were made that band member Justin Hawkins climbed on a life-sized tiger during one of the songs in concert while continuing to play guitar. Another report has him being launched out of a cannon all in and effort to assure the audience enjoys the show. In a report on the band by Jonathan Durbin, he notes, “Justin Hawkins, the front man for British hair-metal revivalists the Darkness, is serious about his rock n roll. Recalling the spandex-clad salad days of melody abusers like Whitesnake and Def Leppard, his groups performances include costume changes into an array of unitards.” (Durbin). The glam rock image appears to be re-emerging as new comers, such as American Idol finalist Adam Lambert have gained popularity in spite of their glam rock appearance. While there are still some who can not see past this look and may have cost Lambert’s winning American Idol, his post Idol success has proven glam rock still lives. Not surprisingly, Adam Lambert has recent collaborated with Lady Gaga. Lambert revealed “that the hookup was not just some experiment, but that Gaga came armed with music shed crafted specifically for the glam-rock-loving singer. "Gaga wrote the song a while ago, and she thought it would be a good fit for me," he wrote. "Its a solo track. I feel so honored and lucky to be asked.” (Kaufman). Works Cited Auslander, Philip. Performing Glam rock: Gender and Theatricality in Popular Music. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2009. Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: And the Beat Goes On. Boston: Macmillian Publishing Solutions, 2009. Goffman, Ken and Dan Joy. Counterculture Through the Ages: From Abraham to Acid House. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 2005. Jonathan Durbin "The darkness: the British rock band thats transforming hair metal from Gaudy to Glam". Interview. FindArticles.com. 08 Dec, 2009. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_9_33/ai_108050833/ Kaufman, Gil. Adam Lambert Confirms Collaboration With Lady Gaga Gaga just gets it, ya know? American Idol runner-up tweets . MTV.com. October 20, 2009. Retrieved from: Adam Lambert Confirms Collaboration With Lady Gaga Gaga just gets it, ya know? American Idol runner-up tweets. Sims, Josh. Rock Fashion. New York: Omnibus Press, 1999. Read More