Certain forms of Heavy Metal may qualify for Olympic Rock status. Power Pop has a strong Olympic contingent. Early ’80s Power Ballads are definitely sanctioned as Olympic events. Jazz fusion, especially the kind cranked up in hotel bathrooms to cover the horrid sounds and smells of bodily functions, may be Olympic in nature. Competitive jazz fusion depends on a great deal of porn rock faces and satin jumpsuits as much as the musicians’ chops.
Some musicians take an Olympic approach within their bands, regardless of whether the band itself is sanctioned for Olympic play. The Police’s Stewart Copeland, for instance, strikes me as a dedicated Olympian. I don’t think he cares what’s going on in a Police song. The man just wants to get his chops in. He’s got a certain amount of paradiddles, rock rides, and splash cymbals to execute – Sting and the other guy be damned!
The rockabilly/Olympics parallel works well because all those band requirements can be considered the “compulsories” like you find in judged Olympic sports. At a minimum you must be able to successfully perform the compulsories within the confines of how those moves have been defined.
Also, Rockabilly typically has a high degree of difficulty as far as guitar playing. Hot Rod Lincoln is hard to play! Your not going to have too many Olympian garage bands because the degree of difficulty is too low.
You’ll never hear an Olympian jazz fusion guy. Clearly examples of guys who have given up amateur status and “gone pro.”
Mod, that was a post of Olympian humor! 10 points!
I think all the revivalist-du-jour bands that pop up as soon as a certain historical genre becomes *just* cool enough to be rehashed (Mr. Dog, or whatever your band’s name is, I’m looking at you) are the musical equivalent of Olympic exhibition sports. So, you see, there *is* a line connecting The Polyphonic Spree and bowling.
So the standup bass is kinda like the luge or the skeleton?
And two guitar leads in harmony are like synchronized diving?
Yes, Cherguevara! The Allman Brothers, Hunter and Wagner on Rock ‘n Roll Animal, the harmony leads on “The Boys Are Back in Town”…cue those 5 rings and the Olympic theme music. Raise the appropriate national flags.