To begin I feel that we need to examine the work of an artist that is near to my heart and whose music has been a staple of my childhood: Johnny Cash. In 1956 Johnny Cash composed, with instrumental support from The Tennessee Two, the hit song "I Walk the Line" at Sun Studio in Memphis Tennessee.
The song serves as a proclamation of love and loyalty from Cash, however, one reason that the song has become so renowned is the distant electric guitar line. Rhythm guitarist, Luther Perkin, wrote and recorded this unique line which provides a back bone for the song. With the first electric guitars being invented in the 1930's and mass produced in the 1940's (Yamaha) this was still a relatively new field, but with smaller bands performing at larger venues there was a demand for a louder guitar. Music at this time was still developing from the original folk tunes that had long been popular, with break out artists establishing entirely new genres as technological innovations provided composers with more freedom than ever before. Cash recognized this shift and harnessed it in a way that revolutionized country music, while also providing roots for several other styles. His rich voice allowed him to gain traction, but he has become a household figure as a result of the incorporation of instrumental work. He was a talented musician, opting for the acoustic guitar, but, with the help of Perkin, he released music that had an unprecedented sound. The rhythm in "I Walk the Line" comes across distinct above the other instruments and remains steady throughout the course of the song, demonstrating how the electric guitar has solved the dynamics dilemma that performers at the time had been facing. This made it one of the most profound movements of the age, and it began to assimilate into many of the new genres as they developed.
One such genre was Rock and Roll, which had at that time been lead by Elvis Presley. To this day, Presley remains the largest icon in Rock music, however, his work made way for a new age of rock music flourished. Presley had created a vocally centered, energized style, that developed with the next generations of music. Rock music became most prevalent in the 1970's with the new age artists focusing on surreal storylines, and a fuller, more modernized sound. A leading band that exemplified this revolution was The Eagles. Their chart topping song "Hotel California" recorded in 1977 at Criteria Studios in Miami and composed by Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey exemplified the new definition of rock and roll.
The song features several auditory effects created by electric guitarists Don Felder and Joe Walsh. These effects differ from what Cash's music demonstrates because Perkin focused on enhancing the guitars original song by using an electric while Felder and Walsh create a sound that is not only unheard of, but that sounds completely different from what a guitar is designed to sound like. Perkin's work was incredible in that it gave the rhythm guitar more pertinence in music, however, the adaption of the sound exhibited in songs like "Hotel California" has broadened the use of the electric guitar. Artists during this time learned how to utilize guitar amplifiers to adjust the output enough to establish a new and rebellious song (Mitchel and AIMM Team). For much of the late 20th century rock music and electric guitars became a symbol of rebellion as artists began to use their platform to vocalize their dissatisfaction with the sociopolitical climate to the chagrin of the older generations. For example, "Hotel California" features an electric guitar part that creates the unearthly tone meant to emphasize the experience of a mental hospital denoted by the lyrics to be perpetually hopeless, which would have been socially considered a taboo topic. The electric guitar played a great part in this transition as a staple of rock and roll, and its notoriety led to it being assimilated by other genres.
Through the last few decades the electric guitar has taken on a new and far less featured role as it has been used in nearly every genre of music. These new effects have become a standard in popular music, and the instrument has lost its esteem. It no longer depicts the time of musical activism or even rock and roll music. One of the greatest guitarists of the late 1900's, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, has acknowledges this transition in asserting "You might have a guitar solo in there, but it's not the basis of the song. Guitar has just become so accepted; it isn't a symbol of rebellion any more"(Koe). One popular icon who draws from the discoveries made in the 20th century to create his own brand of pop music is Niall Horan. Horan is an excellent guitarist, and unique in that his pop music discography has a wide variety of subgenera from folk pop to pop rock. One song he composed, "Black and White" recorded in Capital Records in California in 2019, is the perfect example of how the electric guitars usage has expanded. Horan uses an acoustic guitar and piano accompaniment on the verses to convey the folk inspirations for his music, however, he does introduce an electric guitar for the chorus where he emphasizes the pop rock style that he has carried over from some of his time in One Direction. The use of the electric guitar is minimized by the culmination of other instruments, and it does not take any features through out the song. This is important to note as electric guitar rifts had been such staple pieces of rock and roll music from the previous era, however, in modern music it is demoted to a supporting instrument. This is the case in many modern works of music, with many artists, including leading names such as Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo incorporating electric guitars with no specific feature or focus on the instruments contribution. Guitar riffs are no longer normalized where an electric guitar is present, and electric guitars can no longer be associated with rock and roll music. Their sound has been applied to love ballads, such as "Black and White" as well as popular hip hop and jazz songs. The electric guitar has also taken a step back as other instruments have been digitalized and now more than before can composers adjust and individualize the output of their instruments. Horan is an excellent guitarist, and he has played both electric and acoustic guitars live at his concerts, so he has a unique understanding of its application compared to other artists who are not as instrumentally inclined. While it assists in giving certain parts of the song an essence of rock music, it is ultimately not very important to the song, like much of today's music.
You went over two of my absolute favorite songs! I have loved Johnny Cash from a young age, and The Eagles since my teens. You can hear a distinct difference from I Walk The Line to Hotel California. The timbre of the instrument, the drum that it creates, had changed entirely. The guitar solo in Hotel California really hones in on that. The guitar had gained so much versatility over time, with a new range entirely. Love the blog!
Hello Melody! Wow, this was a great read! I never realized how influential Luther Perkin’s electric guitar line in I Walk the Line was. That subtle part really shaped the rhythm and backbone of not just country, but future rock too! Cash’s signature voice paired with it makes the song feel grounded. It’s also crazy how that guitar line connects to those songs like Hotel California or even Niall Horan’s Black and White. I’ve always wanted to dive more into guitar-focused songs, and you’ve definitely got me interested now! Thank you for sharing this blog!
Your piece about the history of the electric guitar was great! You did an excellent job of explaining how it progressed from being a big part of country music with Johnny Cash to defining rock music with the Eagles, and then being a background instrument in modern pop. I enjoyed how you said that the electric guitar used to be a sign of rebellion but is now a common sound in many types of music. It made me wonder about how new musical styles transform not only the sound of instruments, but also their meaning and cultural significance over time.
I really enjoyed your analysis of the individual artists and how they transformed the use of the guitar. I agree that the electric guitar has somewhat become less glorified in recent music. Do you think we will see the electric guitar become prominent and the main part of genres again?
You went over two of my absolute favorite songs! I have loved Johnny Cash from a young age, and The Eagles since my teens. You can hear a distinct difference from I Walk The Line to Hotel California. The timbre of the instrument, the drum that it creates, had changed entirely. The guitar solo in Hotel California really hones in on that. The guitar had gained so much versatility over time, with a new range entirely. Love the blog!
ReplyDeleteHello Melody! Wow, this was a great read! I never realized how influential Luther Perkin’s electric guitar line in I Walk the Line was. That subtle part really shaped the rhythm and backbone of not just country, but future rock too! Cash’s signature voice paired with it makes the song feel grounded. It’s also crazy how that guitar line connects to those songs like Hotel California or even Niall Horan’s Black and White. I’ve always wanted to dive more into guitar-focused songs, and you’ve definitely got me interested now! Thank you for sharing this blog!
ReplyDeleteYour piece about the history of the electric guitar was great! You did an excellent job of explaining how it progressed from being a big part of country music with Johnny Cash to defining rock music with the Eagles, and then being a background instrument in modern pop. I enjoyed how you said that the electric guitar used to be a sign of rebellion but is now a common sound in many types of music. It made me wonder about how new musical styles transform not only the sound of instruments, but also their meaning and cultural significance over time.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your analysis of the individual artists and how they transformed the use of the guitar. I agree that the electric guitar has somewhat become less glorified in recent music. Do you think we will see the electric guitar become prominent and the main part of genres again?
ReplyDelete