Is Rock & Roll Dead?

Aging redneck-anthem singer Toby Keith announced in a somber voice at his press conference recently that Rock & Roll is dead, but that country remains what it was. He is, sadly, part right. The truth is that mainstream Rock & Roll has been murdered.

Murdered primarily by the corporations (who took over the lion's share of the record labels around the time the CD format came out) and by the broadcasting lobby (who got Washington to pass laws that increased the number of radio stations any one entity could own).

A genuine, authentic rock & roll band is the Black Label Society. They, of course, would never had gotten the exposure they currently enjoy if it wasn't for the fact that Zakk Wylde, leader of the Black Label Society, is Ozzy Osbourne's guitar player.

Very occasionally, a band like the BLS slips through the cracks. But for the most part, the new 'rockers' are wimpy, contrived and watered down versions of real rock bands of the past. I'm sorry, but Fall Out Boy is to AC-DC as a gecko is to a T-Rex.

That being said, ol' Toby is more brain damaged from all that Alabama swish that I thought if he really thinks that country hasn't morphed into something beyond all recognition also (see image below).

Many country bands, including Toby himself, have no real image so they try to have this Skynyrd reject redneck image. It's very lame and part of the reason new country music is so uninspired these past couple of years. If it wasn't for Keith Urban, I don't know what 'new country' cover acts all over North America would be playing at their gigs these days.

At any rate, next time I'll look at whether rock is really dead. Have a great day.