There Are A Lot of Brits in New York

It wasn't too far along before Liam Gallagher sauntered up to the mic and asked "Is there anyone from England here tonight?"

The crowd exploded in affirmative applause.

This couldn't be possible! (OK, it could be possible, but it would require practically every English person currently visiting/living in the immediate vicinity to attend. This would require an extraterrestrial level of coordination. Maybe it's a naturally occurring phenomenon). Assuming this did not happen and that the crowd was mostly American, I think their overwhelmingly positive reaction makes an interesting statement about the symbiotic relationship between American and British rock.

As we know, Rock & Roll inherited its sound from classic Southern blues, jazz, and (ha ha) Gospel. Early proponents of Rock were, of course, The King, Presley and Buddy Holly. These modest tunes somehow hopped ship to the MotherCountry and a few decades later a few boys from Liverpool were setting up on the Ed Sullivan Show.

But it didn't end there!

After the Beatles came the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Yardbirds, ect. After them came the equally iconic Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin, later the Sex Pistols, the Cure, and Queen (Dude, QUEEN!). The list goes on.

The bands of the early Invasion have passed into infamy. Their music has become so ingrained in American culture that it has become, by proxy, American music.

When you and your friends test your vocal range Bohemian Rhapsody or harmonize to Imagine or headbang to Immigrant Song you don't think of these songs as British, to you they're classic American Rock n' Roll.

It's quite obvious that the Invasion never ended.

When America retaliated with Punk, Britain came out with the Sex Pistols and the Clash.

When America swung back with Alt-Rock the U.K shipped over Thom Yorke (a devastating blow).

When America developed the indie movement England laughed and sent over the Libertines and the Fratellis.

This isn't a battle we can win, but we really can't lost. When you look, all these genres were born in America and exported to England.

I guess it's only a matter of time before the kids in Seattle or New York come up with some new sound and kids in Liverpool or Manchester listen to it and go "That's easy." And then they'll be the ones filled up stadiums like, for instance, Madison Square.

The cycle continues.

So the point/question I'm trying to make is: Why are the British so good at Rock?

My thesis is that their ability stems from their once being an Empire and history. They stand atop a mound of cultural achievement in politics, literature, philosophy, ect. They were (are still) a global country, often inspired by cultures not their own.

Another theory points to the Angry Young Man movement in the 1950's, which was an artistic rebellion by the lower and middle classes against the upper class and its control over the government and economy. The image of rebellion, a prevailing theme in Rock, was largely given to the genera by the Brits, with songs/albums such as the Sex Pistol's "Anarchy in the UK" and Pink Floyd's The Wall.

So, what do you guys think?

I think it's less complex actually. British culture is different, and as a result, they have a different mentality - not better, just different. Most of the US is sprawling land, or constipated cities. Americans want to make it in the world but usually to the extent that they can live comfortably in the end. Brits want success in a slightly different vein. They want to be James Bond, or they want to be knighted. And the rest are just desperate to get by. As a result, I think Britain encourages extraordinary talent a bit more. But this isn't the primary reason, I think. Class distinction is a powerful motivator, but music is an art form, and many of the simplest but most beautiful sounds have come from Britain (Lennon-McCartney's song structures, David Gilmour's guitar solos, Morrissey's childish melodies). It seems that Americans take the systematic approach to beat the system (get really good at your instrument and you'll do fine) and the Brits just know which note to hit next in order for it to blow your mind. Therefore, the question comes down to the art form itself. The real problem is how does Britain make for a more atmospheric starting point for musicians? Surely this is where Owen's argument comes in: the artistic history of the country surely supplies support psychologically and emotionally. But overall I think it comes down to just what I said: atmosphere. If you listen to Dark Side of the Moon, Abbey Road, Definitely Maybe, The Queen is Dead, and almost any distinctly British album, you distinctly hear references to things that are distinctly British: firemen with an hourglass with a portrait of the queen, etc. Britain is a grander place to live and tell of than the US. It's very difficult for a rock band to be "American" without being labeled as Southern rock or country. If Elton John wants to play honky-tonk, he's British so it's a stylistic decision. Same with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and the Stones. The atmosphere is what makes British music. Sure they're geniuses, but the things they have to say - though no more valid than the things we have to say - are simply more musically picturesque. And seeing as music is an art form, that's quite major.

We must keep in mind that rock n roll replaced jazz, musicals, and Classical music mostly because it became about the musician than just about the music. Now I know there's this guy pouring his heart out to me and I can directly identify with him, rather than trying to identify with a character or God or a feeling by itself. From that perspective, rock n roll is 50% music 50% attitude. And let's face it. The British are cooler than we are. Why? Mostly because Britain is antiquated; they have that perspective, and the culture becomes a very grandiose concept (a portrait of the queen beats a portrait of any dead President flat out). And they can convey that inherent coolness through music. But that's why we have Weezer, and other anti-British rock bands, to perhaps birth our own identity-to-be through music inspired by something other than cool, something other than grand....

- Fool in the Rain

Your comment, "Now I know there's this guy pouring his heart out to me and I can directly identify with him, rather than trying to identify with a character or God or a feeling by itself" is inspired. It's also the reason why those art forms are yet to die out - the fact that they're being painted by the largest brushes of human emotion possible, yet somehow remain incredibly subtle. It's cool shit.

To echo what both of you said, I also think that the class structure of Britian plays a huge part in why they're so damn good at making music. For instance - what would Oasis be without their northern, working-class roots? Rock and Roll Star is all about the want, the need to escape the role that has been forced onto them. It's not an issue like it would be in America, in that if Oasis were from Boston, or Austin, or , it'd just be a song about getting rich and bonking girls. On the other hand, by being from British lower-middle class roots, it's intellectually closer to a negro spiritual - I'm going to break free of the slavery that is expected of me, and bollocks all who'll stop me.

The Brits really do an exceptional job.