Happy Birthday LP and The Ten Best Album Covers Of All Time

June 21 marks an auspicious day in popular music history. 62 years ago, June 21, 1948, Columbia Records introduced the world to the twelve-inch, 33 1/3 rpm, long-playing vinyl record, forever changing the way we listen to music.

Thomas Edison pioneered the first technology that could preserve a conversation or musical performance in 1877. His wax cylinder "talking machines" were the first devices that allowed recording and playback. In 1889 Emile Berliner perfected the technology and developed flat-disc recording; instead of a cylinder now the records were flat discs that rotated on a turntable. Unlike the wax cylinders, though, recording was not possible on this medium. The flat disc innovation was adopted by the fledgling recording industry and became the standard. The fact that Berliner had a hand in creating the three largest record companies in the world, EMI, Deutsche Grammophone, and RCA Victor, didn't hurt either.

The discs were known as 78s because they rotated at 78 rpm. They were about ten inches in diameter and somewhat fragile. (right) Sound fidelity was the best that could be achieved at the time. Very quickly 78s and the record players, known as grammophones, graphophones, and other "phones," caught on and there was big money to be made.

78s were extremely popular in the early twentieth century. Most households had a grammophone in the living room. Musicians became stars. Songs became hits. Record companies sprang up everywhere. But 78s were limited by the amount of information that could be recorded on a single side. One side of a 78 could only take about three minutes of music or one song.

Since the 1930s, Columbia Records had been working on technology that would allow more recording time and better fidelity. The rotation speed of 33 1/3 rpm had been decided upon and work progressed on reducing the groove size to allow 22 minutes of space per side. (left) Now instead of one song there could be five or six songs per side. Once this had been perfected, Columbia released the first twelve-inch, long-playing record on June 21, 1948. It was a recording of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor performed by Nathan Milstein and the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York.

The new long-playing records were slow to catch on initially. Virtually every household already had a grammophone and a collection of 78s, so the technological shift took some time.

In the 1950s, record companies discovered an untapped market in the teenage baby boomers. RCA Victor had countered Columbia's long-playing record with the development of the 45. It was seven inches in diameter and had a giant hole in the center. (right) It too used microgroove technology, but was a throwback to the days of 78s. 45s, so called because of the rotation speed of 45 rpm, could only hold one song per side. The rotation speed of the 45 was not arrived at scientifically either. RCA simply subtracted the rotation speed of the long-playing record from the rotation speed of the 78. 78 minus 33 equals 45. Simple math that changed music.

LPs were commonly a collection of songs by one artist, or a classical work like an opera or concerto. The big seller was the 45, aimed squarely at the youth market. As a result, record companies used the 45 more as a promotion vehicle than to sell an album. Very often the album would not contain the song released as a 45. The 45 or single, was played on the radio and its primary function was to sell the artist. Plus, most teenagers at the time could only afford the single, the album was somewhat cost prohibitive.

By the mid-1960s, the album had evolved into something more than a collection of songs. Helped by the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966) and The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) the idea of a narrative thread or concept that ran through the songs on an album became the norm. Now albums could be a cohesive work. Artists could realize creative concepts beyond the pop music platitudes of girls, cars, high school, and love.

Coupled with the narrative paradigm, the idea of the album cover as art also took over. Kick-started by the Sgt. Pepper album, cover design quickly became as esoteric and artful as some of the music. Famous graphic artists like Andy Warhol and Richard Hamilton would lend their talents to creating some of the most iconic album covers.

So, in honour of the LP's birthday, I present my choice for the ten best album covers of all time.

1. Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon (1971)

From its gatefold design, to the posters and stickers, the graphic design company Hipgnosis took the idea of cover art to a new level. Hipgnosis would design the covers for almost every Pink Floyd album.

2. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

The one that started it all. How many hours of teenage life have been wasted staring at this cover? It was also the first album to print the lyrics on the cover. Plus it used the gatefold design, which was innovative at the time, and the album included an insert with cut-out mustache and sergeant stripes.

3. Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers (1971)

Andy Warhol design complete with real zipper.

4. Cream Disraeli Gears (1967)

The album that almost singlehandedly codified the artistic style of the counter-culture.

5. Joni Mitchell Blue (1971)

Its unique photography technique creates a cover that is evocative of the music.

6. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Deja Vu (1970)

The initial release used textured paper to resemble the cover of a hymnal. The printing was gold-leaf and expensive. The Civil War-era photograph was glued on and expensive as well. The whole project was costly from start to finish but worth it. Platinum worth it.

7. Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

The band name does not appear on the cover nor does the title. Simply known as "Led Zeppelin Four" the cover evokes the folksiness and fantasy of the music.


8. Meatloaf Bat Out Of Hell (1977)

The motorcycle explodes out of the grave, like a bat out of hell. Awesome. Perfect mural for a Chevy van too.


9. The Beatles The Beatles (1968)

Richard Hamilton design. Minimalism at its finest. Known as "the white album" because of the cover, included in the album jacket were four individual colour 8" x 10" photographs of the band and a collage poster.The band name was embossed on the jacket and first pressings had a serial number printed in the bottom right corner.

10. Moody Blues Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971)

A textured cover and fantastic painting. The title is the mnemonic device used to remember the lines on a musical staff.

This is by no means the definitive list, just my top ten favourites.

Feel free to comment. What's your vote for the top ten album covers of all time?

Copywrong: Harper Conservative Copyright Reform Misses The Mark...Again

Bill C32 is coming. Be afraid, be very afraid.

What's Bill C32 you ask? Why it's the new copyright reform bill from the Harper conservatives. Canada needs to modernize its copyright legislation and C32 purports to do just that. Harper's conservatives have toiled long into the night, asking for advice from U.S. special interest groups and, of course, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) along with the U.S. ambassador to Canada. I wonder too, what the U.S. ambassador knows about copyright or the needs of Canadians. Ask Harper, he knows the answer to that one.

The last time copyright reform was tried (2008), it died a merciful death because of the election. That bill was deeply flawed and garnered a response from across the country the Harper conservatives did not expect. Bill C32, though, was expected to take into account the concerns of consumers but after much discussion, deliberation, and even online public forums last summer, consumers were ignored and the Harper conservatives went forward with drafting Bill C32.

On the surface, Bill C32 looks impressive. Whereas it is presently illegal in Canada to record TV shows (seriously), Bill C32 allows for PVRs and time-shifting (time-shifting is when you record a show on Monday and watch it on Wednesday). It allows for format shifting. This is when you take the CD you just bought and rip it to your iPod. Awesome you say? Maybe not. It also allows consumers to make backup copies of CDs, DVDs, and software they own. Swell. And it allows for satire, parody, education uses, research, and library archiving. Again, swell, right?

Well, with all the new stuff we Canadians will be able to do with our music and DVDs, we should be rejoicing. Now Canada will be as modern and forward-thinking as the U.S. We sure are lucky. Yet, when the veil of misinformation is lifted, the ugly truth is revealed.

Sure, Bill C32 allows for all of the things listed above, but there is a fly in the ointment and it's known as TPMs or Technological Protection Measures. More commonly TPMs are referred to as DRM (digital rights management) or digital locks. 

Try to wrap your head around this one. Backup copies, time-shifting, format shifting, all looked after. Yes we can finally legally make backup copies of software, music, and video; yes we can watch Glee three days after it airs; yes you can rip your newly purchased CD into the portable music device of your choice. BUT (and this is a big but), if there is a digital lock it will be illegal to break the lock or to own software that will break the lock. In other words, all of the provisions allowed in Bill C32 are moot if there is a digital lock. And a lot of media (DVDs, CDs, software, etc.) have digital locks. Even some TV shows have them, they're called broadcast flags and if a show is "flagged" you can't record it.

Michael Geist, law professor and Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, gives a succinct analysis of the consumer rights portion of Bill C32. It's worth a read. Also, major newspapers across the country have published op-eds regarding Bill C32. Two of them are here and here. There is also an excellent website called Speak Out On Copyright that has a lot of useful information. As well, Prof. Geist has started a Facebook page Fair Copyright For Canada. Please join the group.

The general consensus is that Bill C32, while "modernizing" a lot of the activities the Great Unwashed indulges in everyday, actually handcuffs consumers, researchers, librarians, and educators because of the TPM provision. It's like saying "Sure, have a cookie, it's illegal to open the cookie jar, but you can have as many cookies as you want."

Despite public outcry, there is no way the Harper conservatives are going to pass up on this one. They view this as an important step toward bringing Canada's copyright laws more in line with what is happening in other countries (read: U.S.A.). They shout their self-congratulatory claims to the heavens (as conservatives are wont to do), but in reality Bill C32 is lip service to the Canadian public and a towing of the line to American special interest groups. I didn't realize the line needed towing. I thought Canada was capable of creating copyright legislation by and for Canadians, or more accurately, I thought the Harper conservatives were capable. I guess I was wrong.

The only thing missing in this debacle, is the creation of Copyright Police.

Maybe I shouldn't give Harper any ideas.
 

Learning To Play Guitar With A Video Game: Are Guitar Teachers Obsolete?

In 2005 Activision released the music video game Guitar Hero. The premise was reasonably simple. Digitally carve up a bunch of rock tunes into various sized pieces then use a guitar-shaped controller with coloured buttons to "play" the pieces of the song by timing the controller's button pushing with the appearance of coloured icons on the screen. That's a facile description, but the basics of what's going on.

To play any version of Guitar Hero (there are five so far) no musical ability is required. Push the buttons at the right time and the song plays, and you can pretend to be a rock guitarist. Awesome. Rock on dude, even. But remember it's a video game.

In 2008, Activision's competitor Harmonix upped the ante and released Rock Band, adding vocals and drums and a cool Stratocaster-shaped guitar controller (right). The "Strat" is even branded "Fender" with the authentic Fender logo on the wee plastic headstock. Now it is possible to have guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. Just like a real band. And, ironically, the addition of vocals and drums began to close the gap between simulation and reality. You need a modicum of rhythmic ability to play the drums and you have to sing in tune and know the melody to play (sing) the vocal part, kind of like karaoke. But it's still a video game.

Both Guitar Hero and Rock Band have become wildly popular. At first a lot of big name music acts were not on board with the idea of having their music in a video game, but the popularity and the amount of money that could be made off the music licensing changed their minds in a hurry. Artists like Green Day, Metallica, Aerosmith, and even The Beatles have their music in special editions of the games. Rock Band has an in-game store where you can buy and download tracks. In some cases, entire albums are available. For example, now you can play in its entirety (video game play that is) Rush's Moving Pictures album. Rock Band also features the Rock Band Network where independent artists can submit and upload their songs. The tracks are available for purchase and download into the game. It's a great way for new bands to have their music heard, and the financial rewards are considerable if the song becomes a game "hit."

Now the gap between simulation and reality has been closed even more. Harmonix announced the release of Rock Band 3 and the addition of a MIDI keyboard controller (left). Now you can have guitar, bass, drums, vocals, and keyboards. Just like a real band. Get your drunk friends to heckle you while you play and it will really be like playing in a band, especially if they throw beer bottles at you. But what is most interesting, is the addition of the new Pro mode. In this mode, the keyboard controller becomes more keyboard-like and instead of timing the button pushing, you actually have to push the right key at the right time. Like the drums and vocals, a modicum of talent is needed to pull this one off. Wait a minute, I thought this was a video game.

To go along with the new keyboard controller and Pro mode, Fender (maker of the Stratocaster guitar, the real Stratocaster that is) has developed a hybrid controller. Whereas other guitar controllers are stringless and have coloured buttons, this hybrid controller is a full-sized, fully functional electric guitar. Fender has worked closely with Harmonix since the release of Rock Band, so it is no surprise they would develop an instrument like this. Aside from the odd press release, not much information is presently available about the guitar. The Harmonix Rock Band website says the guitar "uses technology built into the neck and fingerboard of the guitar to track finger positions in real time. The guitar also transmits strum data for the six individual strings, allowing the game to give feedback to players as they make the leap from rhythm game rocking to real world skills. Players can unplug from the fun of Rock Band 3 and plug directly into an amp to rock for real."

I'm guessing here - the neck probably lights up on the fretboard to show where to put your fingers, similiar to the Optek Fretlight guitar. But how close is this to really playing the guitar? Harmonix says "Rock Band Pro is available in all modes of Rock Band 3, and features tutorials and a variety of difficulties, including Easy, meaning that real instrument performance is within reach of any player, no matter their experience level." Easy? Does this mean pluck one note and the entire riff plays? Not much of a gap closer there. In fact that is pretty much what the non-stringed controllers do. I imagine the Hard setting is more realistic. I can't say until I've played the controller.  

What does this mean for people like me? Guitar teachers. Are we going to become obsolete? I don't think so. There are other things besides putting your fingers in the right spot. Pressing hard enough on the strings to make them sound without buzzing is one, picking the right string at the right time is another, switching chords and chord positions is another and not that easy I might add. And let's not forget about tuning. Guitars have to be tuned. Then there's music theory. A daunting subject even with a teacher. You get the idea.

So it seems to me that this new hybrid controller, while attempting to close the gap between simulation and reality, will achieve that goal to a certain extent; however, I don't think it will be for everyone. Most likely a person that can already play, or at least make noise on a guitar, will buy one and use it to actually learn to play better. Fingers can get sore really fast and unless you keep up the practice, the ability goes away equally as fast. 

The learning curve on an instrument is incredibly steep. Satisfaction comes slowly, frustration comes quickly. A teacher can help motivate and work through the inevitable problems of technique. And what about feeling? Playing music is also about imparting some kind of emotion into the music. Having had experience with music video games, or rhythm games as they're called, there is no emotive quality whatsoever. I can't see the addition of a fancy hybrid guitar controller teaching someone about dynamics (there aren't any), expression (again, zippo), or interpretation (you're playing the recorded tracks, interpretation doesn't even enter into the picture). And like I said, you have to practice. Practice is the most important factor when learning an instrument. But practice takes time. Time that can be used for other things like shopping or watching a movie or playing a video game where you kill things and blow stuff up. Learning an instrument takes self-discipline, self-motivation, and a desire to get better. In today's fast-paced, Internet-based, instant-gratification world, time is a valuable commodity and not one that is given up easily.

What about the cost? You can buy an entire student electric guitar package complete with Squier Stratocaster, Fender amplifier, strap, strings, picks, cable, method book, and big cardboard box for around $350.00. The guitar doesn't interface with Rock Band 3 though and doesn't light up. Will the hybrid controller be in the affordable range for the average video game consumer? Hard to say at this point. There is no information on price available. My guess is the guitar will sell for around $200.00, in which case it becomes a cheap electric guitar or an expensive video game controller. Take your pick.

Undoubtedly Rock Band 3 will generate interest among certain gamers to actually learn to play an instrument. This is already happening. More music schools are seeing an increase in enrolment for guitar, drum, and vocal lessons as a result of these games. Some gamers want to learn to play the opening riff to "Carry On My Wayward Son" for real, not just pushing the buttons at the right time. In this way, the music video games bring more people into the world of music-making and there are numerous studies showing the benefits of learning to play music. Playing an instrument involves the entire brain. It's good for you. And playing music is a great way to relax.

There won't be a sudden influx of novice guitarists, or keyboardists for that matter, and guitar teachers won't be put out of work once Rock Band 3 is released. In fact, learning to play the guitar using RB3 is not much different than learning with Estoban's guitar method without the hat. But like the other versions in the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises RB3 will expose more people to music and might foster an interest in learning to play for real. That's never a bad thing.

And call me, I can help. Remember, it's a video game.

UPDATE: June 16, 2010

The website Engadget has pictures and video of the Squier Stratocaster hybrid controller guitar. Plus pictures of a Fender Mustang controller that features buttons for each string and fret. Both instruments utilize the new Pro setting in RB3. 

Play "Snakes Crawl At Night" Or We're Gonna Kill You

Play something sweet
Play something mellow
Play something I can sink my teeth in like Jello
Play something I can understand
Play me some Brickyard Blues*

For fifteen years I played in bands that travelled around the prairies playing cover songs in bars and nightclubs. Over that time I calculated I have played 2,160,000 songs. Not different songs mind you, but 2,160,000 songs nonetheless.

Here's the math:
50 songs a night/6 nights a week = 300 songs
300 songs/week = 1200 songs/month
1200 songs/month = 144,000 songs/year
144,000 songs/year x 15 years = 2,160,000 songs

(note: 50 songs/night is an average)
(note as well: these figures are only for the period I was on the road. The total is higher if you include post-road gigs and bands)

During that time we played songs that satisfied our musical mojo and set us apart somewhat from other bands because we didn't play a lot of Top Forty hits. We played the other songs on the album. It worked for the most part, but every now and then there would be requests from the audience. 

Before loonies and toonies, there were one and two dollar bills. Very often we would receive a song request written on a bill. Sometimes the bill would be a fiver or a ten or rarely a twenty, most times it was a one dollar bill. A buck for a song, such a deal. 

We decided that we would save the money/song requests and the bass player took charge of handling the request money. We called it the "slush fund." After a couple of years we had amassed around $250.00 in the slush fund. Then we had a gig cancelled in Moosamin, Saskatchewan so we drove to Regina (where the next gig was booked) and bought motel rooms for three nights until we could move into the band house the club provided. We dutifully paid for the motel rooms with the slush fund. I remember the look on the front desk clerk's face. All of the bills had something scrawled on them. Still, cash is cash and we got the rooms.

The Great Unwashed likes to hear their favourite songs and if there is a band to play them, even better, because bands are, as everyone knows, a personal jukebox. Generally the requests were for hit songs or standards, some we knew and some we didn't. Those requests were easy to deal with. The more difficult requests usually came from a bar patron, usually drunk, during the set breaks. "What kind of music do you guys play?" they would ask, after we played two sets. "Do you play anything good?" would be another. These questions invariably would get responses like: "We play Lithuanian tap dance music" for the former and "No, we learned bad songs. Everyone plays the good stuff" for the latter. Duh.

I have also been asked questions while I'm singing. I don't know about you, but I am able to sing and talk at the same time. It's a talent, what can I say? Oh, and let's not forget, "last week's band played [insert song here] why can't you guys play it?"

The Great Unwashed has the perception that if you are a musician playing in a band that plays cover songs, you will automatically know every song ever written. It would be quite an accomplishment if we could have played every song ever written, but we couldn't. And, not only every song ever written, but specifically the song the person is requesting. Plus, we should play it because: a) the person just walked in; b) there is some kind of celebration going on; c) if we were any good we would play it; d) the person is special, so of course we should play it; etc. For an entertaining and humorous look at this exact thing, check out the video below the fold.

More often than not, we would placate the set break request people and say, "sure we'll play it." And then they would go away. We wouldn't play the song, and they would forget. No harm done. For the money requests we made an honest attempt at the tune if we didn't know it, if we did know it we played it. Money talks. I remember a gig at the Lethbridge Hotel, an old divey joint with strippers in the daytime. One night we received a request for "The Baby Elephant Walk" written on a twenty dollar bill. Good thing we had a keyboard player that knew it. "The Baby Elephant Walk"? Hey, twenty bucks is twenty bucks. We played it twice.

So, the next time you think about requesting a song from a band, first make sure you understand what the band is playing. Don't ask for a jazz tune from a country band. Make sure the band hasn't played it already, musicians hate playing songs twice. And wait until the singer has finished singing, ventriloquism is not something singers do well.

And take "we don't know that song" for what it is. The band doesn't know the song. Most musicians are accommodating souls and will play the tune if they know it. Ask politely and don't be a jerk.

Write the request on a twenty dollar bill, that always helps.



*"Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)" by Allen Toussaint

The Guitar Is The Thing

There are many famous guitarists in the world. The ones that are most familiar are British and they gained their notoriety during the late 1960s and early 1970s. I'm speaking, of course, of Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Richie Blackmore, and Eric Clapton, and let's not forget Jimi Hendrix, not British but gained most of his success while in Britain. If you throw in notable American rock guitarists such as Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers, Aerosmith's Steven Perry, Slash ex of Guns n' Roses, and Stevie Ray Vaughn and the list is a virtual who's who of rock guitar. Their musical accomplishments are well documented, but aside from the famous riffs they have composed and the songs they have written, the one element that defines each of these guitar players is tone.

What is tone? For a rock guitarist it's a kind of Holy Grail. It's a combination of the type of guitar, the model of amplifier, and effects such as distortion, compression, and delay (echo). Every guitarist manipulates some or all of these elements to create an identifiable sound or tone that distinguishes them from other guitarists. The primary factor in a guitarist's tone, though, is the guitar and every model of electric guitar sounds different than the others.

The electric guitar has been around since the 1930s and three models have become the most popular and most prevalent in rock music. Fender's Telecaster and Stratocaster (left) and the Gibson Les Paul (right) have, in a lot of ways, become the de facto instruments for playing rock music. However, the Stratocaster and Les Paul have an edge over the Telecaster, particularly in rock.

The guitarists above are also identified with the model of guitar they play. Beck, Clapton, Blackmore, Hendrix, and Vaughn are known for playing the Stratocaster. Allman, Page, Perry, and Slash are known for playing the Les Paul. Largely because of the fame of these guitarists, other guitarists want to capture the same tone and seek out the same kinds of guitars. As a result, some guitars have become as famous as the guitarists that play them.

Mike Campbell plays guitar with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. A master of musical understatement and purveyor of killer tone, Campbell plays a variety of guitars. He recently purchased a 1959 sunburst Les Paul. He calls it "the classic Jimmy Page, Peter Green, Eric Clapton-era guitar." Campbell is alluding to the tone of this particular type of Les Paul. In fact, the sound of this guitar is so influential that Tom Petty based his newest album Mojo around the sound of it. An entire album based on a guitar's tone. As far as I know, that has never been done before. The album is a testament to the tone of the 1959 Les Paul. A sound found in no other instrument. Campbell says, "There's just something about the harmonic overtones in it when I picked it up and plugged it in, it immediately had that classic British blues sound. It was kind of eerie." So to capture that eerieness, Campbell bought the guitar.

Recently the band Chilliwack had a 40 year reunion. From 1978 to 1982 Brian "Too Loud" Macleod played guitar for the band. As a side project when Chilliwack was not touring, Macleod formed Headpins. Like other well-known guitarists, he was known for his tone and it became an integral part of the sound of both Chilliwack and Headpins. The opening guitar riff in Headpins' "Don't It Make Ya Feel" is Brian's Stratocaster. Sadly he died of cancer in 1992 and the whereabouts of his Stratocaster was unknown for years. The guitar was eventually tracked to Calgary musician Al Barrett, its present owner. Barrett allowed the long-lost Stratocaster to make an appearance on stage during the Chilliwack reunion show as a tribute to Brian Macleod. The next best thing to Brian Macleod actually being there was his guitar. Even though Brian is missed by fans and the band, the tone of his guitar is missed even more.

So the next time you hear "Whole Lotta Love" or "Smoke On The Water" or "Walk This Way" or "Welcome To The Jungle" think about the guitar making that sound. You can't get that sound without it.