There's a great gig in the sky this year
What is it with 2016? There is a full-scale carnage on. The first quarter isn’t over as yet and the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in Heaven is already filling up fast. These tragic deaths are more than enough to last us a whole year. These rockers, whose music I grew up listening to, and still listen to with equal passion, have decided to move on, leaving behind an unfillable vacuum. They have left behind a terrific musical legacy that will continue to enthrall me and millions of others. These guys were supposed to live forever. Suddenly my mortality stares me in the face!
Must be one hell of a concert in heaven!
I will mention only four of them, though there are many others.
The Reaper took David Bowie on 10th January. He died at 69 after a secretive battle with cancer. He had just released (unexpectedly) his newest album Blackstar. He was a legendary singer, songwriter, actor, space travelling alien from another planet.
On the flight to London recently, I was watching the movie The Martian and heard Bowie’s iconic song "Starman" (from the album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust) being played in the background. Though the song is in a gentle pop rock vein, no single genre could capture the essence of Bowie’s music of over five decades – he encompassed art rock, glam rock, pop, electronic, experimental.
He was constantly re-inventing himself. His visual presentation and stagecraft had a profound impact on music. Of course, Bowie couldn’t have planned his death, but he would have approved of the impact it created. Dying just two days after his birthday (when the whole world considered him the otherworldly pop entity, incapable of mortality) and the release of his new album riddled with dark lyrical hints and videos – all made for a momentous farewell in music history.
Glenn Frey, "The Eagles" co-founding member and guitarist passed away at the age of 67 on 16th January. He had waged a very public battle with stomach issues. "The Eagles" were a harmony-singing country-rock band and became the world’s best-selling bands of all time. In addition to his amazing work with "The Eagles", Frey also contributed music to several films and dabbled in acting. He sang "The Heat Is On" in Beverly Hills Cop. He co-wrote some of their most memorable songs such as "One Of These Nights", "Life In The Fast Lane" and "Lyin’ Eyes", also contributing lead vocals to the latter. "Hotel California", the landmark 1976 track was co-written by him and would turn into a classic rock staple. Who knew he would check-out so early?
Keith Emerson, the flamboyant keyboardist of "Emerson, Lake and Palmer"(ELP) , died aged 71 on 11th March from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. After discovering the Hammond and Moog in his teenage years, he grew into one of the greatest keyboardists of his generation. His keyboard virtuosity got an added fillip with the pomp and splendor surrounding it.
The pageantry associated with his playing – cannons roaring, smoke billowing, flames shooting out ,were reminiscent of Pete Townshend (of "The Who") and his guitar. The audience was left wonderstruck not only by his musical prowess but the theatrics around it. He was Jimi Hendrix of the keyboard. While I consider Jethro Tull to be the ultimate band in the "progressive rock" genre, Tull were mainstream compared to the extreme outliers such as ELP and King Crimson.
From being a boring, immobile member of a band, he brought the keyboardist right up center stage. The band was hugely successful, producing nine albums of which six went platinum. It’s my good fortune that I have seen two of his contemporary keyboardists ( as good as him but less flashy) live – Jon Lord ( Deep Purple)-now deceased, and Rick Wakeman ( formerly of Yes, now solo artist), but I will always have a regret that I couldn’t see ELP live.
Finally, George Martin, the "Fifth Beatle", who died on 8th March aged 90. We were in London when he passed away and the airwaves and television channels devoted themselves to eulogising him the whole day. And for very good reasons. He was the Beatles’ producer who transformed the band from a rowdy club act to musical and cultural revolutionaries.
Never again would rock music be defined by two-minute love songs but would musically and lyrically explore new boundaries. From the bubblegum stage he metamorphosed the band into visionary songwriters and sonic explorers. He was also a gifted musician and was very good with keyboards- he played the Baroque reverie in Lennon’s "In My Life".
You have probably heard the saying "celebrities die in threes". But the year’s first quarter has already seen a death epidemic. So why have we lost so many classic rock icons? A coincidence? Or perhaps the excesses of the '60s – drugs, cigarettes, drinking ("heavy, heavy fuel" as the Dire Straits put it ), regular touring - catching up. Three of the above artists were in their 70s and all inflicted with some disease or the other. These guys must be having a gig of their lives in the sky. What a super band they would have constituted!
I pray that the next nine months of 2016 go easy on the throttle for now and allow our classic rockers some more time on the planet. They are inextricably tied to the cultural zeitgeist of the '60s and '70s and I, along with million others, want to cling on to that experience a bit longer.