![]() ![]() The channel was blamed for stunting the careers of artists possessing little visual flair such as Christopher Cross. Yacht Rockers seemed out of place both stylistically and demographically. MTV, the dominant trendsetter in the times, focused on music with a more energetic, youthful vibe. ![]() The ‘70s charts were already kind to easy-goers like Manilow and Streisand, and the desire to “Steal Away” to a tropical “Escape” was a goal shared by commoners and seafaring yuppies alike.Īs the 1980s progressed the easy sounds of Yacht Rock were practically drowned out. The sound and aesthetic merged seamlessly with the existing culture. It took root in the latter half of the '70s when a number of soft rockers veered away from the stripped down singer-songwriter sound in favor of more Jazz-oriented arrangements, resulting in an “urban contemporary finish.” The style, which appealed to fans of pop, R&B, and rock, was at home all over the radio dial. The Yacht Rock era spans from about 1975 to 1984. The Yacht Rock moniker has transcended the web series to emerge as its own belated subgenre. The term Yacht Rock plays off the nautical imagery that found its way into so many album covers and lyrics of the time, and it's an apt description of the smooth grooves that seem perfectly suited for the boat shoe and bikini lifestyle. The creators “devised the series after noticing the incestuous recording careers of such bands as Steely Dan, Toto, and The Doobie Brothers, and the singer-songwriters Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald." Rather than attempting to cover the entire soft rock spectrum, Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins are the central figures. The Yacht Rock show consists of a dozen shorts that build a hilarious mythology around the creation of soft rock songs of the ‘70s and ‘80s, while spoofing the artists, culture and industry that birthed them. ![]() Soon my record collection set sail for more tranquil waters. Several years ago Channel 101’s comedy web series, Yacht Rock, (contains NSFW language) rekindled my affection for the nonthreatening sounds of classic lite rock hits. When I was growing up I typically craved distorted guitars and plenty of percussion, but even then I had a soft spot for soft rock. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2022
Categories |