...And Another Voice

“Rock and Roll aims for liberation and transcendence, eroticizing the spiritual and spiritualizing the erotic, because that is its ecumenical birthright.”(Robert Palmer, Rock and Roll—An Unruly History, p. 72) “Nevertheless, I do continue to believe in the transformative power of rock and roll---a power that can only be accessed by the individual listener. It is my contention that this transformative power inheres not so much in the words of songs or the stances of the stars, but in the music itself---in the sound, and above all, in the beat.” (Robert Palmer, Rock and Roll—An Unruly History, p. 12)

“The idea that certain rhythm patterns or sequences serve as conduits for spiritual energies, linking individual human consciousness with the gods, is basic to traditional African religions and African-derived religions throughout the Americas. And whether we’re speaking historically or musicologically, THE FUNDAMENTAL RIFFS, LICKS, BASS FIGURES, AND DRUM RHYTHMS THAT MAKE ROCK AND ROLL ROCK CAN ULTIMATELY BE TRACED BACK TO AFRICAN MUSIC OF A PRIMARILY SPIRITUAL OR RITUAL NATURE. In a sense, rock and roll is a kind of ‘voodoo,’ rooted in a vigorous tradition of celebrating nature and spirit that’s far removed from the sober patriarchal values espoused by the self-appointed guardians of western culture.” (Robert Palmer, Rock and Roll: An Unruly History, p. 53)