More than 30 Years
of Music
Over the last thirty
years rock-and-roll has had an enormous effect on people's lives, and especially
on the kind of clothes they wear.
The first group to be seen
in the newspapers in the late 50s was the Teddy Boys. Their clothes were
supposed to be similar to those worn in Edwardian England: long jackets
with velvet collars, drainpipe trousers and brightly-coloured socks. Their
shoes had very thick rubber soles and their hair was swept upwards and
backwards.
Before the arrival of the
Teddy Boys young people had usually worn what their parents wore. Now they
wore what they like. In the mid-60s the Mods were popular again. But perhaps
the Mods most important possessions were their scooters, usually decorated
with a large number of lights and mirrors. The Mods' greatest enemies were
the Rockers who despised the Mods' scooters and smart clothes. They rode
powerful motor-bikes, had long untidy hair, and wore thick leather jackets.
Young people were very clothes-conscious and London's Canaby Street became
the fashion centre of Europe and the world. It attracted thousands of tourists
every year.
Towards the end of the 60s
new group appeared, whose ideas started in California, in the USA. The
Hippies preached a philosophy of peace and love, wore necklaces of coloured
beads, and gave flowers to surprised strangers on the street. Hippies wore
simple clothes, blue-jeans and open sandals, and grew their hair very long.
They often lived together in large communities, sharing their possessions.
This was their protest against the materialism of the 60s and also against
the increasing military involvement of the United States in Vietnam.
However, the dream of peace
and love disappeared in the early 70s as the mood of society changed. People's
attention turned to life's more basic problems as the world price of oil
increased, causing a fall in living standards and rising inflation. Skinheads
were often racist and violent. The 'Uniform' worn by most of them consisted
of trousers that were too short, enormous boots, and braces. As their name
suggests, they wore their hair extremely short or even shaved it all off.
Towards the end of the 70s
another style of music and dress appeared and is still very popular. The
word Punk derives from American English and is often used to describe someone
who is immoral or worthless. They sang songs about anarchy and destruction
and their clothes show a rejection of conventional styles of dress. Their
music is loud, fast and tuneless. They feel that the music of the 70s had
become too complicated.
It had lost touch with the
feelings of 'ordinary kids' In the 80s many new bands have emerged; and
also old ones have reappeared. Out of Punk has come New Wave music which
totally rejects the ideas of the skinheads. The Bikers still enjoy 'heavy
metal music' which is easily recognized by its high volume and use of electric
guitars. 'Dancing' is simply shaking your head violently to the rhythm
of the music. Many new British bands combine traditional rock music with
an infectious reggae beat. From America, a new interest in discotheques
has appeared.
Nowadays many of the new
bands have been able to use the changes in technology to develop their
music. Computerized drum machines, synthesizers and other electronic instruments
are as popular as the electric guitar. Black music has become increasingly
important with international stars like Michael Jackson combining the best
of modern music with spectacular live performances. 'Hip Hop' music has
combined fast speaking rhyme (called 'rapping') with the excitement of
the rock beat. Finally, Live Aid and charity records have shown that many
modern pop stars are interested in using their talents to help raise money
for the poor.
Marius Perijoc
"Alexandru Papiu Ilarian"
Highschool Dej, Romania
Teacher: Cornelia Platon
<nelly@lcjdap.soroscj.ro>
