Many
changes
had occurred during 1970’s. It was a time for unprecedented
political and social reforms, constraints and regulations. Cultural
revolutions and various kinds of upheaval were a commonplace almost all
over the world. You are a twenty plus member of a society with money to
enjoy and a passion for music and dancing. You prepare yourself to get
rid of week long tensions and, obviously, you deserve some enjoyment.
You pick out a nice suit from the shelf to dress up handsomely like an
European prince who is going for a oratory.
After an hour of hair styling and fine make up, you would leave in your
favorite car to pick up your lovely girl friend. By the end of
1960’s all frames of free spirited and care free love were
nearly dead. Huge changes were noticed in dressing and appearance.
Apart from change of dressing styles from tailored and formfitting to
billowy, hairstyles attained new feathered look or lasting curls. Music
was no exception for this transformation. Music of sixties was vastly
diverse similar to people’s lifestyles. Rock and roll was the
dominating one with many new kinds emerging day by day across the world.
Hippies, derived from the term ‘hipster’ indicating
those people involved in 1940’s counter culture practice,
were regarded as the deviated children of the sixties. They were as
passionate for the music as for the euphoria of altering mental states.
They were popular with their politically driven music. Seventies
brought a dramatic change in music leading to experimental techniques.
The invention of synthesizer and its electronically produced music has
taken music to new heights.
In the meantime, many bands emerged who were not popular beyond their
native areas. A few bands could however attract following from poorly
recognized nations like Libya. Roxy Music
emerged from a group of art
students with no sound music knowledge and, adding to that, one of them
did not know music well except for playing a synthesizer. However, they
succeeded in attracting people from various strides. At their first
debut in 1972, their music was treated as
‘avant-garde’ in comparison to the then popular
rock. Then came the heyday for Roxy Music, mesmerizing Britain, Europe
and even South America. With the playing of John Lennon song, they
became a hit in the US.
They gave rise to a new movement among youth called the
‘British punk movement of the late 1970’s and early
1980’s’. They inspired youngsters for a unique
parallel culture. Though Roxy Music set forth a new trend, they cannot
be blamed entirely. We cannot forget this music as we usually come
across the punk covered modern rock and the top 40 that are being heard
regularly. You can hear Roxy Music just by putting on you favorite
radio station.
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