Getting Into Culture….Rock Music
We continue our new series where we ask artists, poets, novelists, musicians, dancers and others for tips to help beginners appreciate and learn more about their art form.
Today we speak to James Culatto about rock music. James is the host of Radio Gibraltar's "Made in Gibraltar", front man of Dead City Radio and founding committee member of The Musicians Association of Gibraltar.
YGTV: How should someone curious about rock music start off if they want to explore different bands and styles?
James Culatto: That’s a tough place to start, I think it’s the same with any genre of music or art. My introduction was via radio and TV and I latched on to the bands I liked (Queen, Joe Cocker) and took it from there. My suggestion to someone who has absolutely no idea about rock music is to check out a list of the Greatest Rock Albums and start giving them a listen. Pick out the ones you like and do a deep dive into the bands that inspired them and the ones that they inspired.
YGTV: Rock music can be a bit bewildering with all its different subgenres (progressive, punk, glam, indie, grunge, etc.)—how do you go about exploring all this music without needing to know about all these classifications?
James Culatto: You don’t need to know anything about classifications–but in the 2003 movie "School of Rock”, Jack Black plays the role of a music teacher and draws up an interesting diagram of all of these and the bands that represent them. Best to press play on a mixed playlist and make notes of the bands that sound good to you.
YGTV: Ok, you sit down with your preferred streaming service, you pop on your headphones and spin a classic rock album like Led Zeppelin IV—what do you listen out for?
James Culatto: A hook. A good riff. Something that makes you want to listen to the track again. Lyrically, something you can identify with. A good story. Singers are going to sing about the same experiences that we have, it's just a case of how they describe theirs and whether it's literal or through a series of metaphors that are there for you to uncover.
YGTV: How often should you listen to the same album or track to really understand what’s going on?
James Culatto: I suppose it depends on the album. The complexity of the music. Oasis’ “What’s the Story Morning Glory” is full of great rock tracks but the same can be said about Soundgarden’s “Superunknown” – both are polar opposites in terms of the musicality and the depth of the meaning behind the lyrics.
Even after listening to "Superunknown" for 30 years I'm still redefining what the tracks mean to me and discovering new layers in the music.
YGTV: What about background knowledge and context?
James Culatto: This is where owning an album and reading that sleeve countless times came in handy. You would have the lyrics, the credits, the additional notes about the album, who the engineer was, the producer and all the contributors. Nowadays it’s a Wikipedia search and, before you know it, you’re delving into the entire history of a band.
YGTV: Can you recommend a website or blog or book that is the best introduction to the pleasures of rock music?
James Culatto: Not really, personally I’ve moved away from blogs and with books it’s more about biographies. If readers are interested in biographies they should check out “Scar Tissue” – Anthony Kiedis, “The Dirt” – Motley Crue, “The Storyteller” – Dave Grohl, “Total F*cking Godhead” – Chris Cornell (written by Corbin Reiff).
Sites like www.loudwire.com tend to keep up to date with the heavier side of rock music news and releases.
YGTV: Finally, can you list five rock albums that have left the biggest impression on you and that curious listeners should seek out?
James Culatto: Sure, it’s not a complete list but perhaps some good starting points for anyone looking to give a new band or genre a try.
Guns N Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Soundgarden – Superunknown (1994)
Slipknot – Iowa (2001)
Mastodon – Crack the Skye (2009)
Rival Sons – Feral Roots (2019)
