How and when did the band form and end up with its current lineup?
I'm often worried these kinds of anecdotes are only interesting to the people to which they are happening...oh well. You asked the question, I blame you!
When I moved to Huddersfield around 3 years ago, I'd already been in a couple of Ska bands and knew I wanted to be in a band. I got a couple of opportunities to work with some Metal and Prog instrumentalists, and that was fun. I love that sort of music, as much as Ska, Punk or anything else for that matter. But playing that sort of music didn't make me as happy as Ska does. I met a couple of accomplished players in Halls, a bassist, Andy Moulster and our long time drummer, Jay Walshe. As soon as we started jamming together, I realised I'd forgotten why I love Ska so much. It's all about the rhythm, and saying "Yeah, the world's not in the best state right now; but screw that, let's dance like knob-ends!" In fact, Reel Big Fish have managed to get through 2 or 3 quite good albums without saying much else! Anyway, we got a horn section together and vocalist Garikai, (I wasn't all that confident a singer back then), and started playing gigs around Huddersfield. In the beginning we had, shall we say, a rather fluid roster. People came and went and it was very difficult to settle as a band and get that rapport that's so essential when performing onstage. Even up until quite recently, we were going through bassists like I go through guitar strings, but we seem to have settled on a definitive line-up now. Although we're always open to trying new ideas and new ways to achieve an original sound and style within our chosen genre.
What have you actually released? Names and dates! And can you buy them from anywhere?
Last year, we released an EP which we sell at gigs, and can be ordered by e-mailing us at wobblybobmusic@gmail.com
We are currently re-recording the EP for commercial release with some new tracks, remixes and other extra stuff; and are writing material for a full album so be on the lookout.
What/who are your main influences?
We try to listen to as many different artists and bands, Ska and otherwise, as possible, just to keep our music fresh. But it's impossible not to get regular influence from your favourites. We're big fans of Streetlight Manifesto, [spunge], Specials, Madness - all the staple Ska stuff, but lyrically and in composition I get a lot of influence from more unlikely sources. I'm currently listening to Newton Faulkner, Mindtrap, Theodore Shapiro, Lily Allen, Infected Mushroom, KT Tunstall, Avril Lavigne; a lot of Funk, Disco, Psy-trance and Folk - and it all goes into the creative mix. We're still definitely a Ska band, but we love trying new creative ideas all the time. The great thing is the fans seem to go where we go.
Who have you shared a stage with? Anyone big?
We've supported a whole tonne of bands - big and small, good and bad. But we've always had a good time. Last year we played with awesome Mexican Ska band, Los Kung Fu Monkeys. Absolute legends. We put them up for the night and partied HARD! Other names you might have heard of include: The Toasters, Jaya The Cat, Sonic Boom Six, Catch-it Kebabs, Fandangle and Billy No Mates (feat. Duncan from SNUFF!). There's more in the pipeline, but I'm probably not allowed to divulge.
What was your favourite Wobbly Bob show, and why was it so awesome?
We did a headline show at an awesome venue in Scarborough called Vivaz, which sticks in my mind because there was so much energy in the room. I think it was our best crowd so far. The stage was mint too: Massive lighting rig, a couple of Marshall stacks and an extra bit of stage jetting out at the front where i could walk into the crowd for a guitar solo :D We got an audience member to do a backflip off it to win a t-shirt! Ha ha!
Do you think there is much of a scene in Huddersfield? Who is doing the most to keep things going?
To freshmen in Huddersfield Uni, I can imagine it might seem on the surface that the Hudds music scene has died a death, what with the Union not putting bands on anymore. But venues come and go in Huddersfield just like every other town. It's difficult to get that mix of a decent sized venue, with varied music, that brings in enough of a crowd for them to break even. Venues like Abrahams and The West were always the stomping ground for fans of the local music scene in Huddersfield, but they eventually disappeared. When I moved here, it seemed like the music scene was dying out, but now we seem to have a revival on our hands. Since Stevo and the boys reclaimed Bar 1:22, and Mikey Shiraz took over the music side of things at The Parish, the scene is booming again! Ska aside, we've had some big names in recent months. Last year, MC Lars performed at The Parish, we've had The Hoosiers, The Music, The Subways and Noah and the Whale at The SU, Bar 1:22 played host to Enter Shikari a couple of years ago. It's all here on our doorstep! Even the World MC champion, Jack Flash lives in Huddersfield, and regularly performs at the poetry nights in Bar 1:22. It's all here, you've just got to be brave enough to venture off campus and try something new.
Ska is dead. Haven't you heard?
You might think so. Plenty of people do. But I don't think Ska is dead at all, it just moves from one demographic to the next. It's one of the most fluid genres of popular music. It has been fused with so many other genres over the years that what we hear now as Ska is wholly different from the original Mento and Calypso styles of Jamaican Ska in the late 1950s, early '60s. Right now we seem to be enjoying the beginnings of yet another revival: a fourth wave. Lily Allen's "Smile" got the teenyboppers skanking a couple of years ago and now we've got Madness and The Specials touring again. The background music in daytime TV and adverts seems to be nothing but Ska. Bit by bit it's clawing back into the charts, and personally I can't wait to be a part of this jumpy, happy, arms flailing, skanking revolution.
You guys do a whole lot of covers. Which are your favourites? And aren't you worried that the "ska band plays loads of covers" things is a bit of a cliché?
We have been asked this before. I think any genre of music has a schema - a list of things the audience expects to see and hear. As a band, it's our job to keep things interesting, and decide what to keep in that schema, and what to take out. We love playing Ghostbusters, Under The Sea, Power Rangers, and it gets the crowd dancing. As long as we don't rely on the covers alone to do that and keep writing bouncy tunes of our own, then I think it makes for a good gig. And after all, isn't that all that matters?
Where are you looking to go next with the band? Do you have any actual goals?
Well we've started up our own Production Company, Happy Tree Frog Productions (www.myspace.com/happytreefrogproductions), and we're recording stuff all the time. We're continuing the grown-at-home trend in Ska and Punk music. We're not all that interested in getting signed, unless it's under our terms, which is unlikely. So we plan to keep gigging, keep getting interest from fans and people in the industry, and keep releasing music and getting our songs to as many people as possible. I know a lot of people who just play in the hope that they'll 'get famous' or 'get to number one', but we don't care about that stuff. Of course it would be awesome to be a household name and whatnot, but that's when things start getting complicated. I love where we are now, and I can think of nothing better than getting up onstage, wherever that may be, with the boys and playing our music to however many people turn up, and having a damned good time in the process.
Monday, 10 August 2009
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Several months ago, the wanton gratuitous blogging fitty and interweb whore, Paperlilies, attempted to quell her addiction to the internet and its numerous vices by going cold turkey for a whole week. One week without Facebook; 7 days without reading her e-mails, watching Youtube videos or guffawing at XKCD. Suffice to say, her mission failed. After less than 24 hours, she caved and began surfing once again. Imagine, therefore, my bewilderment when I found myself in the same situation. Only my predicament was not self-inflicted, oh-no! And not only that, but I had to be subjected to this webless void for more than a month. My poor MacBook has been bereft of its precious connection for so long, iAntiVirus just crashed while trying to 'update virus definitions'. Although I suspect that could be OS X telling me I shouldn't fill its time with such superfluous filth.
Many of you, I imagine, might say, "Oh, but Peter! Think of the wonderful opportunities you've missed while spending all that time on Facebook. Now's your chance to reacquaint yourself with real life!" And you'd be right. Partially. It's true, I have found myself with a lot more free time that would otherwise be spent online. And indeed, after a period of disorientation I started clawing back those precious hours lost to the Lolcats. I've got so much done! Moved house AND unpacked; built an Ikea flatpack bed, desk and wardrobe; sorted out my finances; done countless hours of housework and washing; I even started going to bed and getting up at semi-reasonable times. But the social world has completely shifted over the past couple of years - at least within my circles. Facebook is in most cases the sole relied-upon source for organising events and meetups, which means when it comes to going out, I'm sort of left in the dark at the moment.
Many of you, I imagine, might say, "Oh, but Peter! Think of the wonderful opportunities you've missed while spending all that time on Facebook. Now's your chance to reacquaint yourself with real life!" And you'd be right. Partially. It's true, I have found myself with a lot more free time that would otherwise be spent online. And indeed, after a period of disorientation I started clawing back those precious hours lost to the Lolcats. I've got so much done! Moved house AND unpacked; built an Ikea flatpack bed, desk and wardrobe; sorted out my finances; done countless hours of housework and washing; I even started going to bed and getting up at semi-reasonable times. But the social world has completely shifted over the past couple of years - at least within my circles. Facebook is in most cases the sole relied-upon source for organising events and meetups, which means when it comes to going out, I'm sort of left in the dark at the moment.
Sunday, 21 June 2009
OMG! So much has happened in the last few weeks!
Good evening, Interwebs. I have been feeling very lazy of late. Hence why this entire blog will be written using a Macintosh dictation program, in which I only have to speak rather than type.
I am starting to get a headache. It really hurts.
On the plus side, my computer is writing all of this, while I merely say it out loud! Is that not the most amazing thing you've heard all day?! Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to recognize swear words. Although I think it's a worthy compromise, considering now I can write all my essays just by talking, which I happen to be very good at.
My girlfriend and I are moving in together! I'm sure most of you will say "about time!" As we had been together over five years now, and I'm sure you'd be right. Either way, the flat is absolutely gorgeous - we are living in the basement of a refurbished Victorian house on Trinity Street. One of those lovely little places with halogen spotlights and a fitted kitchen. It comes unfurnished, but that's one of the things I like about it. It means we can make it our own. Taya and Peter's place :)
The rest of the Wobbly Bob crew are also moving house. I saw the place last night. It's awesome! A bit...yellow, but as we all agreed, it's going to make an amazing party venue.
Jay, our drummer, is moving in with Mindtrap Tom (http://www.youtube.com/user/daygloraver), next door to our bassist and producer, Alex.
So many things have happened since I last blogged. We basically rerecorded the wobbly Bob EP, which we will be touring over August (dates to follow). We put so much effort into it this time and we know so much more about recording and mixing too, so once it's finished I'm sure we'll all be very proud of it. Here's the thing though, we have decided to release it on vinyl and download only as most of you already have our CD. With all the download could be like an update for you all in the vinyl could be something special, with lyric sheets, pictures and other awesome goodies!
Alex, Jay and I have also, rather tentatively, started up our own production business, (http://www.myspace.com/happytreefrogproductions), which is already gaining interest from local artists and bands. Just a little plug here we are offering recording and mixing services for both signed and unsigned bands and artists, guitar, bass and drum lessons, and custom length professional quality cables (guitar and XLR) all fairly nominal fees. Get in touch on the myspace if you are interested.
Well, there you have it. A new blog. Now I'm knackered, time for a lie down I think.
Oh, go watch Leon - it's amazing.
Later homies xxx
I am starting to get a headache. It really hurts.
On the plus side, my computer is writing all of this, while I merely say it out loud! Is that not the most amazing thing you've heard all day?! Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to recognize swear words. Although I think it's a worthy compromise, considering now I can write all my essays just by talking, which I happen to be very good at.
My girlfriend and I are moving in together! I'm sure most of you will say "about time!" As we had been together over five years now, and I'm sure you'd be right. Either way, the flat is absolutely gorgeous - we are living in the basement of a refurbished Victorian house on Trinity Street. One of those lovely little places with halogen spotlights and a fitted kitchen. It comes unfurnished, but that's one of the things I like about it. It means we can make it our own. Taya and Peter's place :)
The rest of the Wobbly Bob crew are also moving house. I saw the place last night. It's awesome! A bit...yellow, but as we all agreed, it's going to make an amazing party venue.
Jay, our drummer, is moving in with Mindtrap Tom (http://www.youtube.com/user/daygloraver), next door to our bassist and producer, Alex.
So many things have happened since I last blogged. We basically rerecorded the wobbly Bob EP, which we will be touring over August (dates to follow). We put so much effort into it this time and we know so much more about recording and mixing too, so once it's finished I'm sure we'll all be very proud of it. Here's the thing though, we have decided to release it on vinyl and download only as most of you already have our CD. With all the download could be like an update for you all in the vinyl could be something special, with lyric sheets, pictures and other awesome goodies!
Alex, Jay and I have also, rather tentatively, started up our own production business, (http://www.myspace.com/happytreefrogproductions), which is already gaining interest from local artists and bands. Just a little plug here we are offering recording and mixing services for both signed and unsigned bands and artists, guitar, bass and drum lessons, and custom length professional quality cables (guitar and XLR) all fairly nominal fees. Get in touch on the myspace if you are interested.
Well, there you have it. A new blog. Now I'm knackered, time for a lie down I think.
Oh, go watch Leon - it's amazing.
Later homies xxx
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Prog Vs. Punk - How social situation dictates the style of a genre and how it is produced.
In order to understand a specific genre of music, it is important to understand the specifics of the social climate around which this genre was born. The 1970’s was a difficult time both here and in the US. The economy was in recession due to the beginnings of an oil crisis in the Middle East, which caused the environmentalist movement started by Hippies in the 1960’s to gain interest. Many people started to get angry at politicians and at authority in general, sparking various riots and movements. On 22 October 1962, President John F. Kennedy televises evidence of USSR ships transporting nuclear weapons to Cuba. By the 1970s tension across the globe had steadily built up and most of the western world lived in fear of nuclear winter. Music propogated this fear with songs such as Blondie’s “Atomic”, while authorities told us God was on our side. The 1970’s was a time of conflict both in politics and music. This struggle inspired conflicting creativity, including controversial art and opposing musical genres such as Prog Rock versus Punk Rock; Soft Rock versus Ska; Minimalism (in response to a long history of Serialism in Contemporary Music); Disco versus Heavy Rock & Metal among others.
Punk Rock was born as a reaction to an oppressive Establishment and it's misuse of authority. John Lydon, of The Sex Pistols once said, “Early Seventies Britain was a very depressing place. It was completely run-down, there was trash on the streets, total unemployment—just about everybody was on strike. Everybody was brought up with an education system that told you point blank that if you came from the wrong side of the tracks...then you had no hope in hell and no career prospects at all. Out of that came pretentious moi and the Sex Pistols and then a whole bunch of copycat wankers after us.”(1) Punk Rock was a musical movement that reacted against the pastoral sentimentality, expressionistic excess, and superstar bloat of '60s rock with short, fast, hard, acerbic songs. It was also a subculture that scornfully rejected the political idealism and Californian flower-power silliness of hippie myth.(2) Although, many argue it was purely a money-making scheme developed by industry bosses, buying into the opinions of the new generation (3), even though musically a lot of punk bands didn’t actually have much integrity or talent, and in fact managed to break almost every rule in music, that didn’t matter. It was what they were saying that gripped the public’s attention and the industry were quickly becoming aware that talent was not in vogue any more. While there may be some truth to this theory in the UK, the American punk scene began life as a very ‘underground’ venture, with punk clubs like CBGB appearing out of nowhere and the favoured DIY production ethic, implying that it was not a movement began by the industry, but by the musicians themselves. Whatever the case, in both the UK and the US, punk bands appeared to believe in what they were singing about and more popular groups such as The Clash and The Sex Pistols unwittingly became the mouthpiece of a generation. The Punk genre had quickly and agressively publicised a controversial world view and advocation of free speech. Though this was met with heavy opposition, it transpired that this was just what a world in economic decline and apparent political oppression was crying out for.
Progressive Rock, or Prog as it is sometimes known, was mostly a British movement, designed to give Rock music a more respectable element; to show that popular music wasn't just for teenagers. Many Prog Rock artists, with the possible exception of Pink Floyd, came from a Classical background and elements of this came through in their music. This made for some very melodic tunes, and grandiose concept albums telling epic stories, often with Science Fiction elements. Prog was also one of the first Rock movements to incorporate Synthesizers and other electronic instruments. The genre first emerged in 1967 with the advent of Classical/Symphonic rock began by bands suck as Procol Harum and The Moody Blues. Soon, bands began developing the Classical elements of their music into Rock motifs, and with the release of In the Hall of the Crimson King, by King Crimson, Progressive Rock was properly established, and paved the way for acts such as Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Spock's Beard and many others (4). The Progressive Rock genre was seen by many as 'music for music's sake', as opposed to Punk Rock, which was not about the music at all - it was about the message the artists and bands were attempting to convey. Prog bands rarely had any political agenda or socialogical struggle to imprint on their music, and this is what many people needed from popular music at the time- Artistic escapism. Whereas others sought confirmation that their anguish and frustration with the current socio-political climate at the time, was justified. Punk served this purpose and when the movement started in the UK, in the mid-70's, Progressive rock was in its prime. For a while the two genres lived side by side and gave a good impression of the general mood of the country. In fact, in 1979 Punk and Prog enjoyed something of a crossover with the release of The Wall, a concept album by Progressive Rock outfit, Pink Floyd. The band had not shown any signs of a social or political agenda with their music until this album, but given the state of public opinion, especially amongst the younger generation, it gave the genre more integrity amongst Punk fans. But the controversy surrounding the genre led to many records being banned, including, most notably, God Save The Queen, by The Sex Pistols, which was released to coincide with Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee(5), and included the lyrics:
"God save the queen
She ain't no human being
And there's no future
In England's dreaming"
The record bans increased public interest in The Sex Pistols, and the Punk genre in general, which eventually led to the Progressive Rock scene being pushed back into the niche market. For the latter half of the 70’s Punk ruled the airwaves, and enjoyed more publicity as the 1980’s dawned, with the election of conservative Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
In the end, both the Punk and Prog genres pushed boundaries. One in terms of creating original soundscapes using new instruments and techniques, the other in the form of a new mode of expression. Punk signified the struggle of the extroverted moralist, while Prog represented the struggle of the introverted intellectual. This, of course, attracted very separate fan bases – one anarchic and the other progressive. As will be discussed in this essay, once both genres found their feet in the public domain, the production techniques of their music reflected these world views.
In the early days of Progressive Rock in the early 1970’s, there were not many production techniques to speak of. The Beatles had just released The White Album, Yellow Submarine and others in Nicam Stereo format using 8-track tape. When Progressive Rock began to dominate popular music, new technology was being developed to assist in the development of the electronic element of the genre. The Mellotron experienced a massive revival after bands like Kraftwerk, The Beach Boys and The Beatles had pioneered it in the ‘60’s, while bands like Yes utilised innovative instruments such as the Minimoog (a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog in 1971). The whole idea was to pull the music industry out of the rutt it had fallen into after the music of the 1960’s. There was pressure during this period for Progressive artists to be continually fresh and innovative in their approach to music, using new instruments, original song structures and unique soundscapes; however, many Prog bands, with the possible exception of Pink Floyd, mainly drew from Classical influences. A good example of this is King Crimson’s album, In The Court Of The Crimson King, a title parodying Grieg’s In The Hall Of The Mountain King. Though the album does not specifically draw on Grieg’s work as inspiration, there is much evidence of influence from classical repertoire. This made many of the younger generation feel alienated by the genre. It is for this reason that Pink Floyd enjoyed such widespread popularity, not just from the Prog Rock community, but also from the Punks and general Popular Music fans. Their music focused more on soundscapes and interesting tones, as opposed to complex structure and multiple time and key signature changes as in much of Yes, Rush and later, Dream Theater’s anthologies. Also, the inclusion of important sociological themes in their music such as currency and its dominance over our society in their song, “Money” (from the album Dark Side of the Moon, released in 1973) were big factors in what made the band popular among the younger generation. Interestingly, despite its popularity amongst mainstream audiences, Money is one of the few songs in Pink Floyds repertoire that contains time signature changes. The song changes from 7/4 to 4/4 for the guitar solo and back to 7/4 afterwards. Though it has been suggested that these features were introduced to make it easier for Gilmour to play the solo (6).
One characteristic of the Progressive Rock genre appears to be egotistical artists. Many of the creative forces behind Prog groups such as Genesis, Yes and Rush are notoriously difficult to work with. This is partly to do with Upper-Middle class upbringing and Classical background, but also from the way the genre works. Progressive Rock requires constant innovation and new creative ideas, so naturally the creative forces within a group, however competent have to push the creative envelope further with each release, against financial constraints, contractual obligations and in some cases even acceptable living conditions. Jon Anderson from Yes was markedly fond of experimenting in the studio, also adding to what were at times conflicted relationships within the band and with management. “He originally wanted to record the album Tales from Topographic Oceans in the middle of the woods, and instead decided to put hay and animal cut-outs all over the recording studio, causing lice to infest one of Rick Wakeman’s keyboards. In another incident, Anderson had tiles installed in the studio, to simulate the echo effect of one's vocals in a bathroom”(4). Though it proved stressful for members of Prog bands, this eccentric behaviour added a degree of character to the music and the various disputes, break ups and reformations within the groups became part of the character of the genre.
Among the many creative ideas Pink Floyd used, perhaps the most famous is their use of the pioneering Quadrophonic technology. This is essentially an early form of Surround Sound using four channels and a device inscrutably known as The Azimuth Co-ordinator (TAC). TAC was basically a glorified 4-way pan pot, but the technology was at the cutting edge in the 1970’s. In an article in Studio Sound Magazine from 1975, Pink Floyd producer, Alan Parsons clarifies how the technology was used. On the Quadrophonic edition of the album Dark Side of the Moon, Parsons explains, there was a different set of panning technique used on each track. Unlike the track-for-track consistency evident on nearly all commercial releases of recent years, Dark Side had a lot more variation. On the track, “Great Gig In The Sky”, the Piano (recorded at Abbey Road Studio One, London) was recorded using two close mics for the front two channels and two ambient mics for the two back channels. This produces a very ‘spacious’ sound to the Piano, which is unique to the album. Other techniques, such as spreading the Toms on the drum kit across the back two channels to create the huge fills apparent on the track “Time”.(7) Many producers since the release of Dark Side have attempted to replicate this technique in one way or another. One very prominent example is 2004 Surround release of the album “In Absentia” by Progressive Rock band, Porcupine Tree, which won Best Mix (Non-Orchestral) Award 2004 at the Surround Music Awards (8). Although, like many others since the Pink Floyd release, In Absentia’s Surround mix was recorded for use on stereo media. Unlike Dark Side, which was always intended for a surround mix and as such used techniques such as quad miking a piano, In Absentia used purely Stereo techniques and was then repanned to 5.1 channels. Some have argued that this ‘upmixing’ makes the recording sound quite thin and lacking in low end when compared to the original stereo release(9).
Overall, it seems the Progressive Rock genre is characterised by complex music with constantly changing time and key signatures and innovative structures and sounds, inspired greatly by Classical repertoire; with the possible exception of Pink Floyd, who do not come from a Classical background and create soundscapes with strong underlying themes rather than classical scores. Production-wise, the techniques are cutting edge for the time with a tremendous amount of time and finance injected into the projects after recording.
Despite being one of the definitive UK punk acts of the 1970's, The Sex Pistols were in fact, in part, a manufactured group. Malcolm McLaren, who ran a popular clothing shop with Vivienne Westwood, knew the group in their very early stages as The Strand. The boys used to hang out in his shop and he soon realised their potential. According to Sex Pistols Lead singer John Lydon (whom McLaren convinced to change his name to Johnny Rotten) said McLaren treated them like another extension of his clothing line, "Malcolm and Vivienne were really a pair of shysters: they would sell anything to any trend that they could grab onto"(10). The relationship between McLaren and Lydon was a very odd one. After all on the one hand was McLaren, a wealthy entrepreneur who saw a financial opportunity in an unsuccessful band; and on the other was Johnny Rotten, Anarchic singer in a controversial Punk band. The partnership was an ironic, yet necessary evil if the group were to get their message to the public. This uncomfortable marrying of capitalism and anti-establishmentarianism was reflected in their production methods. Even though the Punk genre largely promoted a Do-It-Yourself production ethic, with many bands producing many of their most famous albums themselves in their own homes, The Sex Pistols had professional equipment and producers to work with from the outset. In 1976 the band signed to EMI and in an interesting move, were paired with Procol Harum and Pink Floyd producer, Chris Thomas; the irony of which was not lost on the band. As aforementioned, the Punk genre, by its very nature is not about the quality of the music, but the message it conveys. Therefore, as long as one can hear the words, the quality of the production is unimportant, and as such there is very little information available on the techniques used both in the recording and the production process. However, Chris Thomas does talk briefly about recording the band in a rare interview with Mix Online. According to Thomas, the first Sex Pistols single, “Anarchy in the U.K.” was mixed very differently to all the subsequent releases. For unknown reasons, Lydon was kept in the dark about the early recording sessions with Thomas, and it was treated like any other commercial release. The final mix of Anarchy reportedly had something like twelve guitar overdubs on it, arranged by Thomas, so it sounded incredibly aggressive. In later sessions, Thomas began to get a feel for what the band was about – simple recordings that say what needs to be said. This production style was ultimately refined when the then Bassist, Glen Matlock was sacked just before the band went into the studio to record the first few tracks for their debut album, “Never Mind The Bollocks”. It meant that the recordings were initially just Guitar and Drums, so Thomas got Guitarist, Steve Jones to just play the root notes of his barre chords on bass: “And that was it-that was the Sex Pistols sound. Because beforehand, when we did ‘Anarchy,’ we spent a day doing the backing track and edited it all up from different takes because it was very loose between bass and drums. Now it was just like a rock because Steve was just playing exactly what he did on the guitar, except on the one string. So suddenly it sounds like this tank rolling down!”(11)
Genres and their characteristics often come about because of social movements or climate, and many of the techniques (both performance and production-wise) and style are dictated by that social movement. In July 1975, UK unemployment figures were the worst since World War II (12), and the public was in constant fear on Nuclear Winter. This sparked fury and aggression in the public, and very soon bands such as The Sex Pistols began to surface, and became a mouthpiece of dissent. Their music was aggressive and rude. Just what the public needed in a time of fear and oppression. The production techniques (albeit after a period of experimentation) were extremely simple, as the main reason for the songs was to get across the message. Anarchy in the U.K. - the first Single from The Sex Pistols, for example, had a very simple Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus structure with very few chords. But the lyrics were very direct and the subject matter, current.
The charts in the 1970’s were rife with new and evolving forms of music. Many opposing each other. Progressive Rock came into fruition around 1969 with the release of King Crimson’s “In the Court of the Crimson King”, a Progressive album inspired by Classical music, with the intent of showing the public that popular music wasn’t just for the younger generation - it could be a respectable art form. As with Punk, and most other genres, the founding ethos of the genre is echoed in the creative elements of the music, performance and production. Prog artists strived with each new release to create something unique, respectable and clever. Sometimes this meant going to strange, avant garde extremes, but this just added to the folklore of the Prog Rock genre.
For all the differences between Progressive Rock and Punk, both were equally popular forms of music and often even crossed over – Pink Floyd’s album, “The Wall” and single, “Money” being ideal cases in point. The 1970’s was a massive transitional period for the Western world, politically, sociologically, and as such, creatively. Progressive Rock and Punk were created out of two different views on the same situation, and as such are two very different art forms, both with their own (sometimes opposing) agendas and artistic merits. Whatever musical tastes one may have, it is impossible not to notice the incredible creative work that can come out of social struggles.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1.
Robb, John, Punk Rock, p. 97.:
2.
New York Times Book Review, July 28, 1996:
PLEASE KILL ME
The Uncensored Oral History of Punk
By Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
Grove Press
3.
I’ve Never Seen Star Wars (Episode 7: David Davis)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403957/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00k21gn/b00jks1t/Ive_Never_Seen_Star_Wars_David_Davis/
4.
http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=77:374
5.
Savage, Jon, England's Dreaming, pp. 347–367
6.
Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon (DVD), 2003.
7.
http://www.stereosociety.com/body_foursides.html
8.
http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/news.asp?newsnumber=10783423
9.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-802519.html
10.
Robb, John, Punk Rock, p. 83.:
11.
http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_producer_chris_thomas/
12.
Savage, Jon, England's Dreaming, pp. 108.:
Songs/Albums:
Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)
The Wall (Pink Floyd)
In The Hall of the Crimson King (King Crimson)
Anarchy In The U.K. (The Sex Pistols)
Atomic (Blondie)
Punk Rock was born as a reaction to an oppressive Establishment and it's misuse of authority. John Lydon, of The Sex Pistols once said, “Early Seventies Britain was a very depressing place. It was completely run-down, there was trash on the streets, total unemployment—just about everybody was on strike. Everybody was brought up with an education system that told you point blank that if you came from the wrong side of the tracks...then you had no hope in hell and no career prospects at all. Out of that came pretentious moi and the Sex Pistols and then a whole bunch of copycat wankers after us.”(1) Punk Rock was a musical movement that reacted against the pastoral sentimentality, expressionistic excess, and superstar bloat of '60s rock with short, fast, hard, acerbic songs. It was also a subculture that scornfully rejected the political idealism and Californian flower-power silliness of hippie myth.(2) Although, many argue it was purely a money-making scheme developed by industry bosses, buying into the opinions of the new generation (3), even though musically a lot of punk bands didn’t actually have much integrity or talent, and in fact managed to break almost every rule in music, that didn’t matter. It was what they were saying that gripped the public’s attention and the industry were quickly becoming aware that talent was not in vogue any more. While there may be some truth to this theory in the UK, the American punk scene began life as a very ‘underground’ venture, with punk clubs like CBGB appearing out of nowhere and the favoured DIY production ethic, implying that it was not a movement began by the industry, but by the musicians themselves. Whatever the case, in both the UK and the US, punk bands appeared to believe in what they were singing about and more popular groups such as The Clash and The Sex Pistols unwittingly became the mouthpiece of a generation. The Punk genre had quickly and agressively publicised a controversial world view and advocation of free speech. Though this was met with heavy opposition, it transpired that this was just what a world in economic decline and apparent political oppression was crying out for.
Progressive Rock, or Prog as it is sometimes known, was mostly a British movement, designed to give Rock music a more respectable element; to show that popular music wasn't just for teenagers. Many Prog Rock artists, with the possible exception of Pink Floyd, came from a Classical background and elements of this came through in their music. This made for some very melodic tunes, and grandiose concept albums telling epic stories, often with Science Fiction elements. Prog was also one of the first Rock movements to incorporate Synthesizers and other electronic instruments. The genre first emerged in 1967 with the advent of Classical/Symphonic rock began by bands suck as Procol Harum and The Moody Blues. Soon, bands began developing the Classical elements of their music into Rock motifs, and with the release of In the Hall of the Crimson King, by King Crimson, Progressive Rock was properly established, and paved the way for acts such as Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Spock's Beard and many others (4). The Progressive Rock genre was seen by many as 'music for music's sake', as opposed to Punk Rock, which was not about the music at all - it was about the message the artists and bands were attempting to convey. Prog bands rarely had any political agenda or socialogical struggle to imprint on their music, and this is what many people needed from popular music at the time- Artistic escapism. Whereas others sought confirmation that their anguish and frustration with the current socio-political climate at the time, was justified. Punk served this purpose and when the movement started in the UK, in the mid-70's, Progressive rock was in its prime. For a while the two genres lived side by side and gave a good impression of the general mood of the country. In fact, in 1979 Punk and Prog enjoyed something of a crossover with the release of The Wall, a concept album by Progressive Rock outfit, Pink Floyd. The band had not shown any signs of a social or political agenda with their music until this album, but given the state of public opinion, especially amongst the younger generation, it gave the genre more integrity amongst Punk fans. But the controversy surrounding the genre led to many records being banned, including, most notably, God Save The Queen, by The Sex Pistols, which was released to coincide with Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee(5), and included the lyrics:
"God save the queen
She ain't no human being
And there's no future
In England's dreaming"
The record bans increased public interest in The Sex Pistols, and the Punk genre in general, which eventually led to the Progressive Rock scene being pushed back into the niche market. For the latter half of the 70’s Punk ruled the airwaves, and enjoyed more publicity as the 1980’s dawned, with the election of conservative Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
In the end, both the Punk and Prog genres pushed boundaries. One in terms of creating original soundscapes using new instruments and techniques, the other in the form of a new mode of expression. Punk signified the struggle of the extroverted moralist, while Prog represented the struggle of the introverted intellectual. This, of course, attracted very separate fan bases – one anarchic and the other progressive. As will be discussed in this essay, once both genres found their feet in the public domain, the production techniques of their music reflected these world views.
In the early days of Progressive Rock in the early 1970’s, there were not many production techniques to speak of. The Beatles had just released The White Album, Yellow Submarine and others in Nicam Stereo format using 8-track tape. When Progressive Rock began to dominate popular music, new technology was being developed to assist in the development of the electronic element of the genre. The Mellotron experienced a massive revival after bands like Kraftwerk, The Beach Boys and The Beatles had pioneered it in the ‘60’s, while bands like Yes utilised innovative instruments such as the Minimoog (a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog in 1971). The whole idea was to pull the music industry out of the rutt it had fallen into after the music of the 1960’s. There was pressure during this period for Progressive artists to be continually fresh and innovative in their approach to music, using new instruments, original song structures and unique soundscapes; however, many Prog bands, with the possible exception of Pink Floyd, mainly drew from Classical influences. A good example of this is King Crimson’s album, In The Court Of The Crimson King, a title parodying Grieg’s In The Hall Of The Mountain King. Though the album does not specifically draw on Grieg’s work as inspiration, there is much evidence of influence from classical repertoire. This made many of the younger generation feel alienated by the genre. It is for this reason that Pink Floyd enjoyed such widespread popularity, not just from the Prog Rock community, but also from the Punks and general Popular Music fans. Their music focused more on soundscapes and interesting tones, as opposed to complex structure and multiple time and key signature changes as in much of Yes, Rush and later, Dream Theater’s anthologies. Also, the inclusion of important sociological themes in their music such as currency and its dominance over our society in their song, “Money” (from the album Dark Side of the Moon, released in 1973) were big factors in what made the band popular among the younger generation. Interestingly, despite its popularity amongst mainstream audiences, Money is one of the few songs in Pink Floyds repertoire that contains time signature changes. The song changes from 7/4 to 4/4 for the guitar solo and back to 7/4 afterwards. Though it has been suggested that these features were introduced to make it easier for Gilmour to play the solo (6).
One characteristic of the Progressive Rock genre appears to be egotistical artists. Many of the creative forces behind Prog groups such as Genesis, Yes and Rush are notoriously difficult to work with. This is partly to do with Upper-Middle class upbringing and Classical background, but also from the way the genre works. Progressive Rock requires constant innovation and new creative ideas, so naturally the creative forces within a group, however competent have to push the creative envelope further with each release, against financial constraints, contractual obligations and in some cases even acceptable living conditions. Jon Anderson from Yes was markedly fond of experimenting in the studio, also adding to what were at times conflicted relationships within the band and with management. “He originally wanted to record the album Tales from Topographic Oceans in the middle of the woods, and instead decided to put hay and animal cut-outs all over the recording studio, causing lice to infest one of Rick Wakeman’s keyboards. In another incident, Anderson had tiles installed in the studio, to simulate the echo effect of one's vocals in a bathroom”(4). Though it proved stressful for members of Prog bands, this eccentric behaviour added a degree of character to the music and the various disputes, break ups and reformations within the groups became part of the character of the genre.
Among the many creative ideas Pink Floyd used, perhaps the most famous is their use of the pioneering Quadrophonic technology. This is essentially an early form of Surround Sound using four channels and a device inscrutably known as The Azimuth Co-ordinator (TAC). TAC was basically a glorified 4-way pan pot, but the technology was at the cutting edge in the 1970’s. In an article in Studio Sound Magazine from 1975, Pink Floyd producer, Alan Parsons clarifies how the technology was used. On the Quadrophonic edition of the album Dark Side of the Moon, Parsons explains, there was a different set of panning technique used on each track. Unlike the track-for-track consistency evident on nearly all commercial releases of recent years, Dark Side had a lot more variation. On the track, “Great Gig In The Sky”, the Piano (recorded at Abbey Road Studio One, London) was recorded using two close mics for the front two channels and two ambient mics for the two back channels. This produces a very ‘spacious’ sound to the Piano, which is unique to the album. Other techniques, such as spreading the Toms on the drum kit across the back two channels to create the huge fills apparent on the track “Time”.(7) Many producers since the release of Dark Side have attempted to replicate this technique in one way or another. One very prominent example is 2004 Surround release of the album “In Absentia” by Progressive Rock band, Porcupine Tree, which won Best Mix (Non-Orchestral) Award 2004 at the Surround Music Awards (8). Although, like many others since the Pink Floyd release, In Absentia’s Surround mix was recorded for use on stereo media. Unlike Dark Side, which was always intended for a surround mix and as such used techniques such as quad miking a piano, In Absentia used purely Stereo techniques and was then repanned to 5.1 channels. Some have argued that this ‘upmixing’ makes the recording sound quite thin and lacking in low end when compared to the original stereo release(9).
Overall, it seems the Progressive Rock genre is characterised by complex music with constantly changing time and key signatures and innovative structures and sounds, inspired greatly by Classical repertoire; with the possible exception of Pink Floyd, who do not come from a Classical background and create soundscapes with strong underlying themes rather than classical scores. Production-wise, the techniques are cutting edge for the time with a tremendous amount of time and finance injected into the projects after recording.
Despite being one of the definitive UK punk acts of the 1970's, The Sex Pistols were in fact, in part, a manufactured group. Malcolm McLaren, who ran a popular clothing shop with Vivienne Westwood, knew the group in their very early stages as The Strand. The boys used to hang out in his shop and he soon realised their potential. According to Sex Pistols Lead singer John Lydon (whom McLaren convinced to change his name to Johnny Rotten) said McLaren treated them like another extension of his clothing line, "Malcolm and Vivienne were really a pair of shysters: they would sell anything to any trend that they could grab onto"(10). The relationship between McLaren and Lydon was a very odd one. After all on the one hand was McLaren, a wealthy entrepreneur who saw a financial opportunity in an unsuccessful band; and on the other was Johnny Rotten, Anarchic singer in a controversial Punk band. The partnership was an ironic, yet necessary evil if the group were to get their message to the public. This uncomfortable marrying of capitalism and anti-establishmentarianism was reflected in their production methods. Even though the Punk genre largely promoted a Do-It-Yourself production ethic, with many bands producing many of their most famous albums themselves in their own homes, The Sex Pistols had professional equipment and producers to work with from the outset. In 1976 the band signed to EMI and in an interesting move, were paired with Procol Harum and Pink Floyd producer, Chris Thomas; the irony of which was not lost on the band. As aforementioned, the Punk genre, by its very nature is not about the quality of the music, but the message it conveys. Therefore, as long as one can hear the words, the quality of the production is unimportant, and as such there is very little information available on the techniques used both in the recording and the production process. However, Chris Thomas does talk briefly about recording the band in a rare interview with Mix Online. According to Thomas, the first Sex Pistols single, “Anarchy in the U.K.” was mixed very differently to all the subsequent releases. For unknown reasons, Lydon was kept in the dark about the early recording sessions with Thomas, and it was treated like any other commercial release. The final mix of Anarchy reportedly had something like twelve guitar overdubs on it, arranged by Thomas, so it sounded incredibly aggressive. In later sessions, Thomas began to get a feel for what the band was about – simple recordings that say what needs to be said. This production style was ultimately refined when the then Bassist, Glen Matlock was sacked just before the band went into the studio to record the first few tracks for their debut album, “Never Mind The Bollocks”. It meant that the recordings were initially just Guitar and Drums, so Thomas got Guitarist, Steve Jones to just play the root notes of his barre chords on bass: “And that was it-that was the Sex Pistols sound. Because beforehand, when we did ‘Anarchy,’ we spent a day doing the backing track and edited it all up from different takes because it was very loose between bass and drums. Now it was just like a rock because Steve was just playing exactly what he did on the guitar, except on the one string. So suddenly it sounds like this tank rolling down!”(11)
Genres and their characteristics often come about because of social movements or climate, and many of the techniques (both performance and production-wise) and style are dictated by that social movement. In July 1975, UK unemployment figures were the worst since World War II (12), and the public was in constant fear on Nuclear Winter. This sparked fury and aggression in the public, and very soon bands such as The Sex Pistols began to surface, and became a mouthpiece of dissent. Their music was aggressive and rude. Just what the public needed in a time of fear and oppression. The production techniques (albeit after a period of experimentation) were extremely simple, as the main reason for the songs was to get across the message. Anarchy in the U.K. - the first Single from The Sex Pistols, for example, had a very simple Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus structure with very few chords. But the lyrics were very direct and the subject matter, current.
The charts in the 1970’s were rife with new and evolving forms of music. Many opposing each other. Progressive Rock came into fruition around 1969 with the release of King Crimson’s “In the Court of the Crimson King”, a Progressive album inspired by Classical music, with the intent of showing the public that popular music wasn’t just for the younger generation - it could be a respectable art form. As with Punk, and most other genres, the founding ethos of the genre is echoed in the creative elements of the music, performance and production. Prog artists strived with each new release to create something unique, respectable and clever. Sometimes this meant going to strange, avant garde extremes, but this just added to the folklore of the Prog Rock genre.
For all the differences between Progressive Rock and Punk, both were equally popular forms of music and often even crossed over – Pink Floyd’s album, “The Wall” and single, “Money” being ideal cases in point. The 1970’s was a massive transitional period for the Western world, politically, sociologically, and as such, creatively. Progressive Rock and Punk were created out of two different views on the same situation, and as such are two very different art forms, both with their own (sometimes opposing) agendas and artistic merits. Whatever musical tastes one may have, it is impossible not to notice the incredible creative work that can come out of social struggles.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1.
Robb, John, Punk Rock, p. 97.:
2.
New York Times Book Review, July 28, 1996:
PLEASE KILL ME
The Uncensored Oral History of Punk
By Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
Grove Press
3.
I’ve Never Seen Star Wars (Episode 7: David Davis)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403957/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00k21gn/b00jks1t/Ive_Never_Seen_Star_Wars_David_Davis/
4.
http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=77:374
5.
Savage, Jon, England's Dreaming, pp. 347–367
6.
Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon (DVD), 2003.
7.
http://www.stereosociety.com/body_foursides.html
8.
http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/news.asp?newsnumber=10783423
9.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-802519.html
10.
Robb, John, Punk Rock, p. 83.:
11.
http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_producer_chris_thomas/
12.
Savage, Jon, England's Dreaming, pp. 108.:
Songs/Albums:
Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)
The Wall (Pink Floyd)
In The Hall of the Crimson King (King Crimson)
Anarchy In The U.K. (The Sex Pistols)
Atomic (Blondie)
Copied from Facebook:
It appears I actually have respect for a Britain's Got Talent contestant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
...Although the hype is probably going to put me off her quite quickly. That's the problem...these shows don't make people famous, they just shorten the time they're famous for by condensing all the hype into two weeks of frenzy. The irony is the quality of the winner is usually so high, they could easily get famous off their own back, with integrity and respect. But this format just ruins people and cuts off their full potential. God I hate Simon Cowell...
Just wait. Give it a couple of weeks, and people will be sick of Susan Boyle, even if she does deserve to have a long and glittering career, she will just be a passing gimmick thanks to Britain's Got Talent.
It appears I actually have respect for a Britain's Got Talent contestant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
...Although the hype is probably going to put me off her quite quickly. That's the problem...these shows don't make people famous, they just shorten the time they're famous for by condensing all the hype into two weeks of frenzy. The irony is the quality of the winner is usually so high, they could easily get famous off their own back, with integrity and respect. But this format just ruins people and cuts off their full potential. God I hate Simon Cowell...
Just wait. Give it a couple of weeks, and people will be sick of Susan Boyle, even if she does deserve to have a long and glittering career, she will just be a passing gimmick thanks to Britain's Got Talent.
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Hello all, I know it's been a long time since I last posted but I've been a bit snowed under with coursework since christmas so I've had no time for anything :(
In all honesty I'm still snowed under with coursework, but blogging seems a good excuse to avoid work.
I've been meaning to properly introduce my band, Wobbly Bob to you all on here for a while, and I've also been meaning to do a V-Log for ages, especially since I got my Macbook up and running again (Yay! Although it took a new motherboard and a few painstaking hours of Jay's time to fit it. lol - Thanks Jay!).
So this is effectively killing two birds with one stone. But don't worry, I'll keep blogging as well, I'm not just going to post V-Logs all the time:
I would appreciate it if you went to the actual Youtube page and left a comment :D
See you all soon,
Love Dredzman x
In all honesty I'm still snowed under with coursework, but blogging seems a good excuse to avoid work.
I've been meaning to properly introduce my band, Wobbly Bob to you all on here for a while, and I've also been meaning to do a V-Log for ages, especially since I got my Macbook up and running again (Yay! Although it took a new motherboard and a few painstaking hours of Jay's time to fit it. lol - Thanks Jay!).
So this is effectively killing two birds with one stone. But don't worry, I'll keep blogging as well, I'm not just going to post V-Logs all the time:
I would appreciate it if you went to the actual Youtube page and left a comment :D
See you all soon,
Love Dredzman x
Friday, 23 January 2009
Christmas Message
Hello gang. I knew I'd get behind on my posts but hopefully this fun filled bloggeration will make up for it.
First off I hope you all had an action packed Christmas and New Year. I know I did. It was great to have free central heating and someone to do my laundry.
Every year we have a midnight service at our church where there are usually a couple of music acts from some of the more talented members of the congregation and the minister (namely, my dad) gives an inspiring sermon to prepare us for Christmas and New Year.
This years sermon was particularly interesting, and I hope no-one will mind me sharing some of it. My dad is prone, like me, to thinking outside the box. I wouldn't say we're into deep philosophy or anything but we both tend to find new ways of looking at things. New angles of approach, that spark thought and debate. Now as some of you may know, I'm not a huge fan of organised religion; however, I do believe in God, and sometimes when likeminded people meet together, we get little gems like this one. I won't quote word for word but you'll get the idea:
So why did he do it? The answer is love. The one aspect of God's nature that filled Jesus in abundance is love. Now I am very fond of my model railway in the garden, but for me, it is all set dressing for running trains. It's the running of trains that is the important thing. My little creation is there for only that purpose - so for me, becoming like Fred has no appeal and no purpose.
We got it wrong. Because God loves his creation, he does not control it but allows it freedom to develop and grow. The problem is that as you read the Old Testament you realise it is the story of human life! Give people a free choice, and like as not they'll make the wrong one.
First off I hope you all had an action packed Christmas and New Year. I know I did. It was great to have free central heating and someone to do my laundry.
Every year we have a midnight service at our church where there are usually a couple of music acts from some of the more talented members of the congregation and the minister (namely, my dad) gives an inspiring sermon to prepare us for Christmas and New Year.
This years sermon was particularly interesting, and I hope no-one will mind me sharing some of it. My dad is prone, like me, to thinking outside the box. I wouldn't say we're into deep philosophy or anything but we both tend to find new ways of looking at things. New angles of approach, that spark thought and debate. Now as some of you may know, I'm not a huge fan of organised religion; however, I do believe in God, and sometimes when likeminded people meet together, we get little gems like this one. I won't quote word for word but you'll get the idea:
"Anyone who knows me knows I have a passion for railways, and that I have a rather respectable garden railway in my back garden. On that railway, Fred the station agent stands on the station platform watching the world go by. Day and night, rooted to the same spot come rain or shine in this little world I created. He cannot go inside, stretch his legs, or even turn his head and look the other way. Would I like to be like Fred and join him on the railway? No! I don't want to give up the ability to move and think and create and become a piece of plastic. I don't want to be outside in all weathers, stuck to the ground and unable to see the trains as they run by.
What we celebrate tonight is God doing just that for us! Becoming part of the world he has created, with all the physical restraints of his creation.
We retell the story each year of the journey to Bethlehem, the birth in the stable, the angels, shepherds and wise men. But why? Millions of babies have been born over the years, but only one gets the Christmas treatment - why? There's nothing interesting or good about being born in a stable, yet we recall it each December - why? The answer to all those WHYs is in the identity of the baby. Jesus is God, born as a human being. Christmas is the celebration of the most remarkable project in human history, where God, the creator of the whole universe, became one of his own creatures. God became human in Jesus. As John put it 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among us'.
Of course its not quite as simple as that, not all of God can fit into one man, he had to give up a huge amount. Omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence. He had to suffer cold and heat, hunger and pain, temptation and frustration. Ultimately he suffered humiliation, betrayal, torture and death on a cross. You have to admit, when God became human, he didn't do it in half measures. He got the lot. He put up with everything we have to put up with and more!
So why did he do it? The answer is love. The one aspect of God's nature that filled Jesus in abundance is love. Now I am very fond of my model railway in the garden, but for me, it is all set dressing for running trains. It's the running of trains that is the important thing. My little creation is there for only that purpose - so for me, becoming like Fred has no appeal and no purpose.
For God, things are different. Gen 1 'God saw all that he had made and behold, it was very good'. God loves his creation. He loves everything he has made, he has given it all purpose and enabled it to function. Unlike me, God doesn't hold a controller to make things do exactly what he wants, he has given us freedom to choose, the ability to create and destroy, to love and to hate, to imagine and to plan. In short we are a bit like him - again from Gen 1, he created human beings 'in his own image'. So God made us and God loves us, why become one of us?
We got it wrong. Because God loves his creation, he does not control it but allows it freedom to develop and grow. The problem is that as you read the Old Testament you realise it is the story of human life! Give people a free choice, and like as not they'll make the wrong one.
Over the course of human history we have drifted further and further from that vision of humanity in the image of God, and our relationship with him has become more and more distant. We put ourselves out of God's reach by many of our attitudes and the things that we do. Somehow God needed to give us a way out, a way to redress the balance, a way to be reconciled to him. At the same time, he needed to preserve our freedom to choose. If we are to love God, we need to want to love him, you cannot make someone love you. So he made that huge decision to be born as one of us in Jesus. He did that to show us what human life is really meant to be like, to show us what God himself is really like and to give us the opportunity to come back to him and enjoy that loving relationship which over the centuries we had lost. A loving reunion we call salvation.
Christmas is the time when we celebrate the start of God's work of salvation in Jesus, for God becoming human in Jesus Christ is the start of the way back for all people. The way back to what we were meant to be, the way back to the love of God, the way back to life in all it's fulness. All we have to do is to turn to him in faith and love and ask him in. What a Christmas present!
Happy Christmas!!"
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