Punk Rock & Glam Rock Essay

Contextualising Music Essay By Lyle Waters

Introduction

“Are Punk Rock and Glam Rock the same?”

With this essay I hope to give insight and an answer to that question using factual information and points to make it simple for you to decide for yourself. I will be going into key topics I feel are the dna of each genre and the facts in to if they are the same or not.

Background

Starting with the background Punk & Glam Rock are two genres of music that were strongly popular in the 1970s and stepping stones to the fashion in the world and the successful Rock sounds that we have today. Although it has never been fully clear where the two genres were birthed they both became highly popular inside of a lot of different countries the UK, US and Australia being among the most successful. They were both birthed from “Garage Rock” and then influenced into creation with ingredients from “Psychedelic” and “Art” Rock. Although both accepted as highly praised music there rain in the charts where both short lived gaining them both the slander of only maybe being sub genres. Either way “Glam” and “Punk” Rock where both stepping stones when it came to new fashion ideas, creating new demographics and having lyrics that molded the times of their generation.

The Topic & My Oppinion

This essay will be going into detail about the two genres examining that, even with a large amount of similarities being shared when it comes to “Influences in culture” and a “Sharing of a countrys”, there is still a large amount of contrasting distinctions that set them apart as “Standalone Genres” as they wish to be called. Both genres divide apart in many ways such as Fashion, Lyrical Content and Audience Demographic. To show this I will go into detail on five points that I feel are the key factors that make them their own genre.

To support my Essay and its Information I will be using media found online such as Respected Articles, Videos of Live Performances, and Documented Photo Evidence. I will also be using all of these to shed light on the differences, as well as all similarities both these genres possess, which I will also put inside of my paragraphs to deliver points and to contrast the genres.

In my opinion although both of these genres were birthed from early “Garage Rock” they couldn't be any further apart with only being similar in a small amount of ways. They both stand for two very different things and both fill the eyes of viewers with very different presentation. This covers from their choice of animations on stage to their decision on fashion and hair styles. With all this in mind they both attracted unsimilar audiences as well which adds another way that they are not the same with gaining admiration from opposite mixes of people.

 

My first point to support my opinion is that when it came to fashion they were opposites. Glam Rock was all about being over the top and breaking gender norms. Having large hair and wearing make-up was almost a necessity when it came to visual presentation. This was also followed with bright coloured clothing usually covered in glitter or material that would sparkle when hit with light. To give an example here is an online link to a picture of one of the most popular 70s glam rock pioneers “Gary Glitter” In one of his signature outfits below which you can click on to view.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Music/Pix/pictures/2012/5/24/1337864336108/Gary-Glitter-008.jpg

As you can see my description is plain to see as he is rocking large hair and has clothing that sparkles when hit with light giving him a more positive image, even smiling in the picture to give a more welcoming vibe as well. With Disco being another popular trend at the time I feel this was another method they used to show that they were upbeat and fun as well but also separate from that genres style of fashion with their own identity. With their choices being much more friendly than some others I believe this really helped them in gaining popularity as it was very easy for them to appear on Tv and gain fans who wanted to look bright and exuberant like themselves.

Now moving on to the “Punk” genre thier motives in music and presence on stage where hugely different, with the easiest way for me to describe it would be to say “just another type of energy”. When it came to their fashion it was about breaking out of the boxed idealism of clothing and offending the formal ideas placed on a normal person.They did this with rude T-shirts, Spiked Jewelry, Leather Jackets and even some going to the extreme of wearing Bondage or S&M clothing. Shocking was always something that Punk bands would try to do with the usual idea of becoming some sort of hoodlum or troubled figure to look at. Most artists would only bare drab or dark colours to their collection of clothing and have messy hair to fight against the clean cut look of the time. To me this made them very controversial as it was the reason they gained so much hate and love at the same time. A large portion of people would deem them as nothing but trouble but then there was their huge base of lovers who admired them for being different and not living through social traditions. Also another way you could say that they were selectively liked for there images was that it was harder for them to get exposure from platforms such as Tv shows, Paper publications etc. with them being a much less popular influence than other genres with their aggressive beliefs. Here is an online link below that you can click on to see an example of what I've just described. This band is called the “Sex Pistols” and they were hugely popular in the 70s being one of the biggest strengths in Punk bringing large growth to the genre.  

http://www.colesmithey.com/.a/6a00d8341c2b7953ef01157018a711970b-pi

My second point to show breakage from each other was in there musics messages and their lyrical content. Glam Rock firstly was mostly always about something positive whether it be “Love”, “partying” or there debatable only extreme topic of “sex”. By this though what Im trying to say is the music was very safe and easy to connect with as most topics inside of the lyrics they performed where usual cravings of a normal person, also I must add that there was literally never any swear words in any of the genres songs meaning less people would be offended by the music. Everyone likes to let their hair down and nearly everyone wants love so this made Glam Rock music very popular and allowed it to gain access to most media. With all of the exposure the genre became one of the “Mainstream” things to listen to as well making it a top choice for clubs giving the music its audience of people who loved to dance and party. Below I have placed a link to an online video of a great example of what a large portion of Glam Rock sounded like and if you listen to the Lyrics you will hear a common subject of the genre, this song is about wanting a girl and getting a kiss. The song is called “Looking For A Kiss” By “New York Dolls” a popular American Glam Rock Band in the 70s and this song was released in 1973 gaining great feedback from listeners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvmvMFXWzc8 With the lyrics being fun and cheeky it is easy to smile to as you listen giving you positive vibes.

Punk music’s lyrics on the other hand where almost never positive in its content and were nearly always a message of wanting change or bringing some sort of Anger or Anarchy. When it came to their words they were very in your face and confrontational in comparison to every other type of music. The reason for this was that Punk was about putting across a feeling or opinion on Issues such as “Political”, “Social” and “Religious” to the world. Songs could be about the harsh realities of work and how unemployment was a very real thing to a song being about how enraged they feel from the political system being unfair to them. two great online video examples I would like to show are “The Clash’s” song “Career Opportunities and “The Sex Pistols” song “Anarchy in the U.K”. The first song by “The Clash’s” gives a great insight into how unemployment was a big thing at the time even integrating its way into the minds of punk artists so much that they chose to get it out via creating songs on that topic. Here is a link to an online video of his song where you can listen and hear the lyrics of his anger on the unemployment situation of that time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsE5NAAU39k

One of the points in the song he talks about is how he feels the government are forcing people to have to join the army with there being no good available jobs. I can really see his struggle in the lyrics and how he is trying to put out his outrage to the public with the knowledge that he knows they think the same. The second song I'm using as an example by “The Sex Pistols” is about spurring anger and being rebellious towards the government. Bringing up violence in the uk such as the I.R.A which were a problem at the time and saying how they will fight back to get what they want. Here is an online link to the lyrics of the song so that you may read the message within them and see my description is accurate. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sexpistols/anarchyintheuk.html  

My Third Point to why the genres create their separation from each other is in their musical structures and style to there songs. By this I mean how they produced the emotions in the listeners and how they chose the type of emotion to give them. Starting on Glam Rock it was a very popular genre of music mostly at home in a club or a dance venue with the music usually being catchy or very melodic. The main reason for this was that most songs contained melodic bass lines, tight drum patterns, understated vocals, choppy distorted guitar chords and the signature sounds of Glam Rock which is including thrashy guitar riff’s into the song. One great example of all these is a song by one of the most popular artists in glam rock “David Bowie” with his song “Queen Bitch” being a very popular hit in the UK when released with its upbeat sound. Here is an online link to the video so that you may listen for yourselves and hear all the ingredients that goes into a usual Glam Rock song of the 70s at that time. Just click the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5P63qGTm_g

The song to me makes me feel happy with its bass lines and guitar riff’s being so melodic. The song keeps a good moving rhythm too but not so fast that it forces your body to produce huge amounts of energy, its just enough to make you smile and move to the music. This to me is probably the reason it became so popular as its so easy to listen to but at the same time is enjoyable as well lifting your spirits with its sound.

Punk music gained popularity with its style and structure in a much different way from Glam Rock. When I listen to pop music It makes me feel energetic and gives me a strange kind of anger in my mind. Most punk music is about some sort of rebellion or anarchy and I feel its sounds really helps to stimulate the part of someones mind that creates these feelings. The structure of a standard Punk Rock song is mainly made up of the same types of variations. A basic rhythm of the genre is usually some sort of repetitive forced one using uncomplicated bass guitar lines. With such rapid speed of the notes most Bassists often used picks to stop themselves from ripping their own fingers skin. The Drums would normally play very fast with a dry and heavy sound and usually have a minimal set up compared to other forms of rock like glam rock. Here is an online link to a picture of the famous punk band “Romones” in which you can see one of their minimal drum kits in the background when performing live.

http://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/276905.jpg

when it came to adding melody to there music they used vocals in strange ways. One way was that they would increase or decrease volume and create shifts in pitch often singing nasally as well, some artists even changed their accents or intonational style when performing. They also used electric guitars to add melody with barre chords and distorted power chords giving a new face of music unheard. Last punk sprung emotion from minimalistic production to there music recording on home tape recorders or simple four track portastudios which were a lot cheaper and easier to obtain than studio microphones at the time. Most bands did this to show they had true talent and that its was unmanipulated others did it to give a raw live sound for the listeners who appreciated a more underground feel.

Here is another online link to a great example of all these facts and points you have just read with a video of the song “Destination Venus” by a more obscure band called “Rezillos” showing all instrumentation and quality I have explained In this paragraph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcLr0m_LT-E

 

Adding my 4th point now, the demographic of audience was always different between these two genres. With Glam Rock having more of a camp vibe to their image this proved very popular with woman and also the Gay community as it symbolised a more gentle fun look on life. Glam Rock was a very young genre at first as well just starting to develop its face of sound as it grew. This was also the reason for them getting on TV as the genre was boasting a new sound that fascinated people. With being the new music trend this also led to the Glam artists becoming very popular with younger teens that watched who were the generation that loved to follow anything fresh for themselves. There image was also very welcoming for the teens as well with lyrics having just enough rebellion for them to be deemed cool but also nothing too rude or crazy that there elders would be annoyed at them for enjoying it. The massive artist David Bowie was a great example of someone who brought in all these demographics. His music was very daring for its time and his attitude towards how he acted with other men when on stage was almost unseen. Flirting and putting his arms around other males practically starting these type of acts on tv. He also sported heavy facial makeup to break from the standard gender norms of what men were suppose to look like and sported tight full body outfits to flirt with eyes of the viewers. A Great example of how his performances were seen by a huge young audience of millions and also affected how gay acts were seen to the public is “Vincent Dowds” BBC news article. In the article Vincent interviews Dylan Jones who is the British Editor for the ever so popular “GQ Magazine” and he describes seeing Bowie singing on Top Of The Pops which at the time was one of the biggest platforms for british music. He also goes into how he was gay at the time and how Bowies actions on stage where unseen to him also stating how it maybe even helped in some people coming out as no longer being straight. Here is an online link to the BBC article below going into further detail and explanation that gives factual strength to my points.     http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21897627       

When talking about the Demographic of punk music It was mostly filled of males with them being attracted to the rough masculine punk. There was a percentage of woman who liked the music aswell though most being sparked with interest to the Punk bands which actually had lead vocalists being a woman giving a new image for them to follow plus a role model that's rarely seen. One example of this is a band called the “Runaways” who although were not completely punk they had many song influenced to the song and also styled to it. One example is there song “Cherry Bomb” with its chorus consisting of punk style shouting and delivery of lyrics. Here is an online link to a video of the song where you can see a live performance and how they animate on stage. This video was recorded in Japan as even though they were popular in the UK and US they were also very popular there as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMDn6V7ZLhE

In the 1970s Punk culture practically spawned the visually distinctive Goth and Emo subcultures we have today. Also with Punk music being associated with political activism as well as drug use, race, and sex it was often seen as an expression of youth revolt against conformity. This was a large reason that most of their fans where early adaptations of Goths and emos. Most of their fans were younger in their years of age by Punk starting a cool new culture to follow with unseen fashion easily obtained and the joint interest of hate towards adult consumerism they seemed to become the most affected by the music. With all these factors Punk seemed to have the perfect ingredients to almost create a cult to follow, It wasn't just about the music it was about the purpose they gave others in rebellion and the messages they gave to the audience that would ignite change in their views towards life. To support my stated points here is first a picture of a hardcore punk crowd to show how there fashion had been changed with the culture of the music 
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/60/6b/81/606b816248e2a4363d8f46535cd48755.jpg

Also here is a video of the Popular American punk band “The Weirdos” performing live on TV to a large crowd consisting of mostly younger people attracted to the masculinity and aggression, even Moshing with others as the song plays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7d1xLsyOoU

My fifth and final point to show others the genres differ from each other is how both of their legacies spawned different music in the future with their new but opposite artistic and musical visions. The genre of metal was one genre that took influence from Glam Rock by choosing to integrate different things from that culture and involve it in its own. they did this by taking from there fashion and involving the colour and tight sparkly outfits including taking their fight on gender roles by wearing select clothing deemed not for them by the mass public as well. They named themselves “Glam Metal” and broke from the usual sounds of metal by copying the Glam style of having melodic guitar riffs, solos and vocally integrating a catchy hook into their song. Some of these bands became hugely popular gaining hits and loads of fans by mixing the gothic look with the bright and inviting Glam Rock appeal. One of the bands that gained huge popularity from this was an American band called “Poison” who became one of the biggest bands ever when it came to selling records. Here is an online link to one of there videos and successful songs “Look What The Cat Dragged In”  where you can hear and see the amount of Glam inspiration they took and how much they didn’t.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-hlcaCC_1I

Punk on the other hand influenced other genres in a different way by acting as the foundation to the new genres. A good example of this is the genre “Post Punk” which was more an advancement on Punk when it came to technology, broadening artistic experimentation and adding ingredients from other music. Involving electronic instruments and synthesizers was one big step that made Post Punk differ but it also included extensive repetition when it came to its instrumentation often making it more catchy as it was forcefully shoved into your head. It also was of better quality which lead to more studio experimentation such as vocal editing and sound manipulation. This genre later became the foundation for “Alternative Rock” by opening the range of underground music, So in a way you could say that punk stemmed many new genres of music as time went on as “Alternative Rock” even became an inspiration by helping create “Industrial Music” and “Gothic Rock”. An example of a Post Punk band is “The Cure” with there song “Just Like Heaven” that if you listen closely to you can hear the synths and also a piano which to “Punk Music” isn't a common thing. Here is an online link to the video which should back up my point and also allow you to listen for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3nPiBai66M  

                                                                                           

The Conclusion

Going back to the starting question “Are Punk Rock and Glam Rock the same?” I feel by now I have fed the answer. The evidence is overwhelming with all ingredients of each genre contrasting off of one another. Fashion, Musical Message and Demographic are almost opposites when you look at the factual information. We no longer need to question if they are the same with even being shown that they differed so much that they birthed new genres of music after their life spans had started to fade which I explained in my fifth point. Both offered Inspiration but looking back both lived through another demographic which I showed in my fourth point, another vision of style which I showed in my first point and another choice of music experimentation when choosing speeds, structures etc in there music which I showed in my fourth point. Lastly lyrical content which to me was their biggest divide, with Punk choosing social message and voice of anarchy to fuel emotion when Glam was much more nice to the ears with love/sex to just having fun as its way of casting emotion which I show in my second point. The 70s was a crazy time but Punk and Glam will forever be seen as the two original standout genres that became the building blocks to different families of music we have today.

References Used

• http://static.guim.co.uk
• http://www.colesmithey.com
• https://www.youtube.com
• https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com
• http://www.azlyrics.com
• http://www.bbc.co.uk
• http://wtop.com