The weight has increased. The bands have changed. But from the Beatles to Cannibal Corpse, the spirit has always remained the same.”
The freedom that comes from rock.
By Daniel Dystyler
At the end of 2010, Apple did one of the best things it could have ever done, for which I will be eternally grateful:
As part of the celebrations for the release of the complete Beatles catalog on the iTunes Store, they made available, for a relatively short period, the Beatles' first concert in the USA. On video. In its entirety. Without any cuts between songs.
One observation is in order:
As a Beatles fanatic, I've seen countless videos, clips, documentaries, anthologies, First US Visit, etc. But I had never seen an entire concert. Uncut. As if it were being broadcast live.
And it was magical. To be able to see how they behaved between songs. What they said to the audience. What they did and how they acted. How they entered the stage and how they left.
It was an incredible experience. And very revealing, because three things I never imagined caught my attention.
First:
Paul was, by far (but very far), the absolute owner of the band. He was practically the only one who spoke to the audience. He sang the vast majority of the songs. In short, he was the owner and leader of the band. Lennon, on the other hand, was shy. Quiet. In the corner. Totally different from what I imagined (Part 1).
It's worth noting that this show was in Washington in 1964, if my memory serves me right (just days after the famous appearance on the 'Ed Sullivan Show' that swept the country), meaning the band wasn't "just starting out," but John's prominent role only came after that.
The second:
Ringo was a kind of "Dave Lombardo of his time." The drums shook and he was very energetic during the show. Totally different from what I imagined (Part 2).
And finally, the third thing, which is the reason for this text:
Transgression. The breaking of all pre-established rules. Rebellion. From the band and the audience. Those young people, sitting in their chairs, were making the biggest break from the norms of the time. It was pure transgressive behavior. Breaking with everything.
And it was liberating.
And that's what I want to talk about in this text.
First, let's put things into perspective today:
Four boys. Dressed in suits and ties. Singing "I Want To Hold Your Hand" or "Can't Buy Me Love ." What could that possibly have, even remotely, to do with rebellion, transgression, and breaking rules?
From today's perspective, nothing.
But in 1964, everything.
And that's the third thing that caught my attention in the video: The feeling of complete freedom those young people had when they liked that band and rocked out at that show. The absolute opposition to what society, government, family, church, in short, institutions, preached and dictated as the norm.
It was the spirit of Rock in its most natural and pure state possible.
Well, those young people grew up, got married, had children, bills to pay, and a new generation came along. A generation that also needed to breathe that air of rebellion. Of transgression. Of antagonism towards the pre-established order.
And if Heavy Metal wasn't the only path found, it was certainly one of the most important. And what happened from the times of Sabbath, Purple and Zeppelin to the 80s with Maiden, Priest, Metallica and many others, was exactly that: One of the new ways to transgress. Liking Heavy Metal, enjoying that kind of sound, dressing in black, letting your hair grow was breaking with the status quo and living on the fringes of what society defined as normal or acceptable.
And that's why songs like "The Number Of The Beast" by Iron Maiden, "Black Magic" by Slayer, or "The Four Horsemen" by Metallica (among millions of examples) are so important. They are living symbols of the transgression of the time. It was a way for young people to embrace what society condemned and feared. It was one of the ways to rebel with a Rock 'n Roll attitude.
If in the 80s, listening to Iron Maiden, Metallica, or Slayer was synonymous with transgression, nowadays, although still far from mainstream, it's no longer the case. Nobody is looked at differently anymore because they like AC/DC, Whitesnake, Ozzy, or Scorpions. But at the first Rock In Rio, when those bands came, yes. We were transgressors. Not anymore. Now 'Crazy Train' even in Pixar cartoons or during NBA game halftime.
So a new wave of bands that would awaken the spirit of rebellion became necessary. It was essential to create new styles that could once again break with what had already been accepted by society.
This process began way back with Thrash Metal and other movements like Death, Black, etc., passed through the hands of Pantera in the 90s, and today we have several representatives, from various genres, who fulfill this role.
These are bands whose albums or concerts allow young people today to feel free again, respected, and free from the oppression that comes from all sides.
These bands differ enormously from each other (both in musical style and in philosophy, posture, and themes), but they share this common goal of helping to recreate the spirit of freedom and transgression. Of shocking and shaking society. From Krisiun to Cannibal Corpse. From Lamb of God to My Dying Bride. From In Flames to Paradise Lost. From Dark Tranquility to Six Feet Under.
I hope that in the years to come, the freedom that comes from Rock and Metal will always find its way into the hearts and minds of all those who love the genre and fight to keep it alive.
It's a legacy that began with the Beatles and remains more alive than ever. After all, it's no coincidence that almost 30 years after the first Rock In Rio, when announcing the 2013 festival, the event's main highlights still included bands of the genre we love: Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, Ghost, Alice In Chains, etc.
Fortunately.
To conclude and close the cycle:
If 'Helter Skelter' isn't enough to convince you absolutely that the Beatles helped and influenced the Heavy Metal movement that was forming at the time (even if it was just to signal to 'Ozzy & Co.', 'Gillan & Co.', and 'Plant & Co.' that this was a great path to follow), please listen to the song 'I Want You' (which is on the sensational 'Abbey Road' ).
It's impossible not to associate this song with Black Sabbath. In the last three minutes of the song, you can almost picture Ozzy in the middle of the stage yelling, "Let's get fuckin' crazy!!!!"
That's it. The weight has increased. The bands have changed. But from the Beatles to Cannibal Corpse, the spirit has always been the same.
Congratulations if you're still a "rebel" to this day.
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