RTH Glossary

WANTED: Rock Town Hall Glossary Term to Describe Tom Jones’ Approach to Singing Anything

Mar 152012

Big-hearted, booming Welsh show-stopping singer Tom Jones (not his real name, I just learned, so BigSteve was not joking in our recent Last Man Standing) may go from “0 to 60” in intensity quicker than any other singer in (relatively) modern music. There’s a special approach to his burst of intensity that I feel exemplifies a certain type of male singing. It’s as if he takes a guttural scoop toward any material put in front of him. You can hear it on the opening lines in one of his early hits, “It’s Not Unusual.” Jones comes right at the listener like a firm handshake:

There’s no denying Jones’ aggressive approach to such a swinging song, but what makes him special is his ability to dig in on a tender waltz-time ballad like “Delilah.”

The Thick-Thighed Rock Squat (aka The Snuffaluffagus)

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Feb 222012

Rock Squat!

I’ve been sitting on this Rock Town Hall Glossary entry for some time. As the following video clip that alexmagic posted in a recent thread as evidence of Crazy Horse‘s complete lack of “schau” (Lach Schau?) demonstrates, maybe the definition is right in front of our eyes.

The Thick-Thighed Rock Squat, or Snuffaluffagus, as practiced by Neil Young and his mates in Crazy Horse; Shane Fontayne, that Lone Justice/post-E Street Band Springsteen guitarist; and countless middle-aged, weekend warrior bar band guitarists feeling a bit uncomfortable about the act of performing in front of people while sporting a youth-defying gut and ill-fitting jeans, is an awkward, self-conscious form of “hunkering down” during solos and other key instrumental sections.

In contrast to more self-absorbed rock guitarists’ glamorous windmills, leaps, scissor kicks, thrusts, and general crucifixations, the humble guitarist expresses thanks and praise to The Power & Glory of Rock ‘n Roll through the Rock Squat. In terms of Major League Baseball’s World Series final pitch celebrations it’s the difference between Tug McGraw‘s Reach for the Heavens Leap after through the final strike in the 1980 World Series and Brad Lidge‘s I Am Humbled by the Magnitude of This Occasion Drop to the Knees in 2008.

Dual Rock Squat!

The Rock Squat’s most endearing, emotionally charged, and manly formation is the Full-Band Rock Squat, which you can see Neil and hit mates entering on the cover of Year of the Horse. There’s nothing like seeing the Horse lumber around like mastadons! You can see how, in rock stage presence developmental history, the Full-Band Squat is a stone’s throw to Rock ‘n Roll Iwo Jima.

Rhythm Beard

Posted by alexmagic

Jan 312012

Built To Spill, featuring Doug Martsch on Lead Beard (Foreground) and Brett Nelson on Rhythm Beard (Background)

Any long-term follower of discussions in the Hall will note the ongoing importance of discussing Look as a factor in the success of musical acts. Today, we’re exploring a lesser known but nonetheless important Look phenomenon: The Rhythm Beard. Continue reading »

The Makings of a Retirement Fund Song (aka Rock IRA)

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 202011

I’d like to propose a new RTH Glossary entry, the Retirement Fund Song (aka Rock IRA). Now I would never dare think that artists as idiosyncratic and with as much integrity as Van Morrison and Lou Reed would ever consciously write a song with the goal of funding their retirement, but by chance they have succeeded wildly with “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” and “Perfect Day,” respectively. Think of all the special occasions folks will attach to those songs. Think of all the times those songs will be covered by a diverse set of artists. Think of the royalties those covers will generate.

Perhaps the original rock ‘n roll Retirement Fund Song was The Beatles‘ “Yesterday,” written and performed almost solely by Paul McCartney but powerful enough to fund the planned retirement of his songwriting partner John Lennon. Again, I have no reason to believe Paul consciously wrote “Yesterday” with retirement in mind, but in these tough economic times I can imagine today’s rockers feeling more apt to plan ahead.

To help a future generations of retired rockers, can we define the makings of a Retirement Fund Song (as opposed to any old “hit song”)? For instance, it would seem obvious that the song must be easy for other artists to cover and be romantic and/or nostalgic in lyrical content, but let’s get down to brass tacks. Let’s map out a rock ‘n roll retirement strategy around a legacy-making song that should be a part of the catalog of any artist with an eye toward a second vacation home.

Turdhunter: Following Artists Who Are as Likely to Leave a Trail of Crap as They Are One Strewn With Diamonds

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 102011

I am a bit of a turdhunter. The pursuit of miserably failed works by certain sincerely beloved artists gives me a degree of pleasure and a sense of understanding of the human condition. Lou Reed is the artist whose trail I am as likely to follow for his steaming turds as I am his increasingly spare pearls of street-savvy rock ‘n roll. I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out that my close personal friend Townsman hrrundivbakshi continues to follow his man Prince for the same reason. There’s something to be learned from the corn-studded turds of a particular artist.

Are you or have you ever been a turdhunter? Who’s your prey? What piece of dung by said artist gave you the most meaningful insight?

Ragged Canadian Chorus (aka Ragged Hippie Chorus)

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Sep 162011

Neil Young‘s “Cripple Creek Ferry” popped up on my iPod the other day. What a great, little snapshot of a song. What’s that film-making device called, when the camera pulls back and you just know the ending credits are about to roll? I love songs that serve that role, be it at the end of either side of an album (see The Undertones‘ “Casbah Rock” as another fine example of what might be a future Glossary entry).

Anyhow, as I listened to “Cripple Creek Ferry” for the first time in probably 6 months I was reminded of yet another unfulfilled rock ‘n roll dream: to record a song with what I’ll call a Ragged Canadian Chorus. Two of my main musical colleagues over the years, andyr and E. Pluribus Gergely, cringe at this approach to backing vocals. Beside the fact that they’ve shot me down whenever I’ve suggested this approach and that we don’t have the chops to pull off such deceptively casual backing vocals, we’re not Canadian.

In my mind I initially termed the loose, dragging, community-style chorus of “Cripple Creek Ferry” the Ragged Hippie Chorus, but then it occurred to me that the next two examples I had of this style were by Canadian artists: Joni Mitchell‘s “Circle Game” and almost any song on my second-favorite album of all time, The Band’s s/t sophomore triumph. It must be a Canadian thing, because when American bands try this it either sounds like shit (eg, The Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead) or is a little too smooth (anything involving JD Souther with a hand cupped over his ear). When English bands try this they sound like a bunch of paunchy guys at their local pub’s Celtic night (eg, Fairport Convention). Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The Canadians do it just right. I love how it sounds like a group of friends is hanging around in a booze-and-smoke–filled cabin, when the lead singer decides to play everyone his or her new song and then the friends casually feel motivated to sit up and join in on the chorus. I imagine lots of curly hair and denim, tightly fitting plaid shirts with 3 buttons undone, a thumb hitched in one singer’s front jeans pocket and another singer’s four fingers shoved down a tight back pocket. Fresh sensations of recent bed-hopping within the circle of friends hang in the air along with the pot smoke. The ritual cult-like effect of the Ragged Canadian Chorus is both soothing and slightly unnerving.

Let’s Talk About Chick Music

Posted by machinery

Aug 302011

chick music is actually guy music that women in the room would find appealing

I’m sure this must have been an earlier discussion I missed [I don’t think there was – Ed.], but with Mr. Mod talking about “chick music” it got me thinking. Again, I’m sure there’s an RTH link to a definition [Believe it or not, there isn’t, but this post may get us there! – Ed.], but to me, chick music is actually guy music that women in the room would find appealing. It’s a way to damn a band as well. For instance, I think The Cult is chick music as a way of denigrating them.

It could be argued that bands that started out as as guy bands became chick bands as the band found where its bread was buttered—thinking The Cure, here.

So here’s a poke at a band that I would imagine is much regarded in these Halls, but that I find the MOST CHICK BAND EVER.

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