Complete Guide - WordPress.comPut simply, “Fuzz” is a term we’ve coined for this new kind of...
Transcript of Complete Guide - WordPress.comPut simply, “Fuzz” is a term we’ve coined for this new kind of...
TheComplete Guide
What is Fuzz?It’s a word to symbolize a feeling. A tidy label to give to a kind of music that many would define as a subset of “soft rock.” It was a type of scene, a kind of aesthetic, a kind of mentality during the 70s.
Over time, as we’ve come to understand it better, it could be the lynchpin to understanding the “masculine mystique” during that decade. Its something so obvious, but it has so far escaped critical notice.
It’s like a mountain right under our nose. It’s titanic. Or is it a figment of our imagination?
First, let’s set the stage. The 70s were a complicated time. It was hard getting over the 60s. Famously, in retrospect, it’s seen that 1968 was a turning point. It was the zenith of the hippie movement. After that watershed year, the hippies began to lose their hold on the cutlural zeitgeist. In many ways, it’s likely that America’s youth cultural had been surprised by its own strength, but also confounded by its inability to reach its goals. Baby boomers had experienced a cultural awakening during the summer of love, but it was followed close behind by a rude awakening into the real world. They discovered they couldn’t stop the war in
Vietnam. They couldn’t stop “the Man.” So maybe instead of trying to change the world, they decided to focus on their own pleasure—on getting their kicks while the getting was good.
There is no real term to describe what became of the main body of hippie dilettantes during the 70s. Real, devoted, hippies never gave up, but the majority of the youth that had been swept up in that movement when it was mainstream was cast adrift. They were left sitting in their denim, with their long hair and their weed wondering “what happened?”
It is our hypothesis that the baby boom-ers collectively gathered themselves up, took off their tie-dye, put on their shades, hopped in their custom vans, and turned on the 8-track before physically and met-aphorically heading out on the highway to fall in love with a new kind of music called “soft rock.”
Put simply, “Fuzz” is a term we’ve coined for this new kind of leisure-suit-loving, sensitive but macho, culture that quietly took over America the better part of a decade. The 60s introduced long hair and shag carpeting, but now the carpet was there to help soften the interior of the custom van and the hair sprouting from chests and upper lips became an emblem of virility.
So in your imagination, reach out and touch the shag in your own custom van, run your hands through your hair.
And feel the Fuzz.
FULL FRONTAL FUZZ
This guide covers everything we know about the Fuzz phenomenon, from top to bottom. But if you wanted to boil it down to only two words, those words would be women and vans.
Popular Musical Genre Spectrum[Soft Rock focus - circa 1970s]
SAP
WANK
SOUL
FOLK
YACHTPOP
DISCO
FUNK
To better understand what Fuzz music is, let’s talk about what it is not.
SAP - This is a term we invented for the slow, weepy, and overly sensitive music of people like Eric Carmen, Barry Manilow, etc. But bands from other genres can write a Sap song, too. “Beth” by Kiss is “Sap.”
YACHT - We didn’t invent this term, but it is the type of soft stuff you could imagine on your sailboat (the van of the sea). Examples would be Christopher Cross, Poco, Toto (Poco’s evil twin) and the Yacht/Sap crossover, Air Supply.
FOLK - This should be pretty obvious. In the 70s, this genre was represented by people like Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, etc.
SOUL - This genre would include a lot of R&B as well: Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield, Spinners, Marvin Gaye, etc.
WANK - This is another term we made up. It is hard guitar-driven rock by bands like Kiss, Ted Nugent, Slade, Foghat, Thin Lizzy, Sweet, Billy Squier, etc.
FUNK - You know what the funk we’re talking about here.
DISCO - Again, this genre is obvious, but it’s important to see how it overlaps with Pop, Funk, and Fuzz. This is a continuum.
POP - This brings us back to overlap with Sap. Want to hear a Pop/Sap cross-over band, turn on Captain & Tenille.
We stumbled on this idea, this era, this cultural movement without a name more than a decade ago—around the year 2000. We discovered it through the music. It all started when we began to curate a playlist of songs from the 70s that had something in common. They all had a similar feeling.They were all soft rock songs, but they weren’t too soft. They were all well-known, or at least easily recognized because they were hits that remained in classic rock circulation. But they were often by bands with obscure names that the average guy today might not recognize, artists with names like Starbuck, Firefall, Pablo Cruise, Player, and Ambrosia—even long-winded names like Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Climax Blues Band, Atlanta Rhythm Section, and England Dan and John Ford Coley.
But all these songs, even if unfamiliar by name, are instantly recognizable. They are beyond “one hit wonders.” They are stitched into the fabric of our classic rock history, and in most cases—because they are so ubiquitous—they transport you back in time to other times you heard the songs: in the car, in the pizza parlor, in the elevator or the drug store. So it’s not exactly accurate to call the songs “obscure.” Most of them are as familiar as an old baseball glove. They have been played on FM radio stations now for almost 40 years.
How We Found the Fuzz THE MUSIC GENRE SPECTRUM
Fuzz overlaps with many other kinds of music from the 70s, so you may find songs with multiple genres represented in a single song.
Fuzz Fundamentals
1ShShagcarpeting
6DDenim
7HHair
9MMarijuana
2CCigarettes(high-tar)
13PyPolyester
14CsCasual sex
15MMellowness
16RaRamblin’
17SuSunglasses
18CuCut-offs
8JnJeans(bell-bottomed)
19TqTequila
23NyNaugahyde
24MuMustaches
25OrOrange(color)
26AiAirbrushartwork
27IoIron-on tees
28BoBoots (old)
29GaGallo wine
33SwSimulatedwoodgrain
34BrBreasts(natural)
35FuForgottenunderwear
36TrTrucking
37EnEnglishLeather
38SfSafari suit
39MxMexicanfood
43CrCorduroy
44FeFeatheredhair
45SuSunsets
55KtKeep-ontruckin dude
46StStagflation
47HkHai Karate
48PlPlatformshoes
49FnFondue
53RhMacramé
54SbSideburns
56CoCocaine
3VVans(custom)
4EtEight-tracktape
5AgAcousticguitar
10PbPlayboy
11HfHi-fi
12FbFat Bass
20HoHot tubs
21TuTurntable
22KeKeyboard
30CaCaptain’schair
31HeHeadphones
32EgElectric guitar
40CbCB Radio
41VyVinyl LPs
42LdLudwig drums
50WbWaterbeds
51FmFM Radio
52SxSaxophone
57FkFlokati rugs
58SaString art
59SiSitar
MATERIALS BODY IDEAS/ACTIVITIES WEARABLES CONSUMABLES VEHICLES/OBJECTS INSTRUMENTS
CONFIGURED FOR PLEASURE
“LIBRA” custom van layout “TAURUS” “VIRGO”
MUSIC INDUSTRY BREAKTHROUGHS
Radio DJs changed from entertainers (Wolfman Jack) to something more like tas-temakers by exposing listeners to new artists.
FM radio also reached maturity in the 70s. AM radio had the advantage of broadcast range, but the quality of the audio is generally poor. So broadcasted music was now more often in stereo and the focus on musical nuance/variety.
The invention of the 8-track tape allowed people to play entire albums in their cars. So when you were travelling (or partying) in your mobile pleasure palace, you could enjoy more complex or introspective cuts than the hits you heard on the radio.
THE PERIODIC TABLE OF FUZZ
To understand what kinds of elements go into creating the “Fuzz molecule,” study the table below and practice getting the chemistry just right.
Sundown
Moonlight Feels Right
I’d Really Love To See You Tonight
Love Is Alive
Just Remember I Love You
I Am So Into You
Wishing You Were Here
Alone Again Naturally
Rock On
Tin Man
Afternoon Delight
Let Your Love Flow
Escape (Pina Colada Song)
Magnet and Steel
Summer Breeze
You Are The Woman
Sentimental Lady
When You’re In Love With A Beautiful Woman
The Air That I Breathe
Gordon Lightfoot
Starbuck
England Dan & John Ford Coley 6
Gary Wright
Firefall
Atlanta Rhythm Section
Chicago
Gilbert O’Sullivan
David Essex
America
Starland Vocal Band
Bellamy Brothers
Rupert Holmes
Walter Egan
Seals & Croft
Firefall
Bob Welch
Dr. Hook 4
The Hollies
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2
3
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5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Fuzz Volume 1 (originally compiled – 2000)
FIREFALL
Each of the three CDs has an artist that has multiple tracks represented in the mix. In the case of Fuzz 1 the first superstar band was Firefall with the very fuzzy “Just Remember I Love You” and “You Are The Woman.”
Ventura Highway
Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)
Lowdown
On And On
Kiss You All Over
Baby Come Back
Make It With You
Miracles
How Deep Is Your Love?
Love Will Find A Way
Spooky
Right Down The Line
Sara Smiles
Jackie Blue
Undercover Angel
Anytime
Whatcha Gonna Do
South City Midnight Lady
I Love You
America
Looking Glass
Boz Skaggs
Stephen Bishop
Exile
Player
Bread
Jefferson Starship
Bee Gees
Pablo Cruise
Atlanta Rhythm Section
Gerry Rafferty 4
Hall & Oates
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Alan O’Day
Journey
Pablo Cruise
Doobie Brothers
Climax Blues Band
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Fuzz Volume 2 (originally compiled – 2002)
PABLO CRUISE
The band featured the most on the second mix is Pablo Cruise with the
funky Fuzz crossover tunes “Whatcha Gonna Do” and
“Love Will Find A Way.”
How Long
Couldn’t Get It Right
Baker Street
Devil Woman
She’s Gone
Another Saturday Night
Guitar Man
I Keep Forgettin’
Ah! Leah!
Sharing The Night Together
Blinded By The Light
Dirty Work
Steal Away
How Much I Feel
Smoke From A Distant Fire
I Saw The Light
Come And Get Your Love
Shadow Dancing
Holding On To Yesterday
Ace
Climax Blues Band 4
Gerry Rafferty
Cliff Richard
Hall & Oates
Cat Stevens
Bread
Michael McDonald
Donnie Iris
Dr. Hook
Manfred Mann
Steely Dan
Robbie Dupree
Ambrosia
Sanford-Townsend Band
Todd Rundgren
Redbone
Andy Gibb
Ambrosia
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Fuzz Volume 3 (originally compiled – 2012)
AMBROSIA
The standout of Fuzz 3 is Ambrosia with the synthy
pop of “How Much I Feel” and a melancholy ballad
which could sum up the whole Fuzz Project called
“Holding On To Yesterday.”
But what about _____?There are a number of bands that seem to meet the criteria of “Fuzz” but aren’t included in this set.
For instance, if you look at all of the elements in the Periodic Table of Fuzz and then listen to many of the hits from Fleetwood Mac, Linda Ronstadt, or Eagles, you would rightly wonder why they aren’t in this collection. Would you have had those songs on 8-track? Yes. Would you be rolling them in your van, cruising down to Venice Beach in the 70s with your hot girlfriend sitting next to you in a pair of cutoff shorts trying to roll herself a..(ahem). Yes. Yes. And Yes.
There is a good number of bands that are in a different category. They are the overplayed Titans of Classic Rock. “Hotel California” might be very Fuzzy, but it just has no place in this set because this compilation is about the popular songs that are often overlooked classics. The Titans can remain on Mt. Olympus. They don’t need our help.
One caveat though, you will notice that Doobie Brothers, Journey, Chicago, and Steely Dan all show up in the mix. Even though these bands are super well-known and could rightly be called “Titans,” the songs themselves are the off-hits that aren’t super identifiable as being by those bands.
THE TITANS OF CLASSIC ROCK
Even though the hits from these bands are undeniably “fuzzy,” they are not part of the Fuzz canon if they are too well-known.
The Fuzz Man
THE “FUZZ WOMAN”
It’s not hard to seethat female artists are woefully under-represented in this definitive collection of Fuzz. This is not an oversight. In developing the playlists, extra time and attention was paid to find feminine musical acts who deliver the Fuzz. What we discovered is that most of the women that are musically in-synch with the Fuzz either a.) fall more into the “Titans of Classic Rock” category or b.) are too heavily in one of the other surrounding genres. As soft as this music is, it is possible that its a little too hard, soulful, or lacking in the dance and disco characteristics to attract a female point of view, fan base, and/or mindshare.
Which led us to a hypothesis about Fuzz. Because the role of women in this music
is most often either as an object of desire, or as an unfaithful partner, maybe this is one of the places male chauvenism took refuge during this decade, away from “com-plicated” ideas like ERA.
So maybe the ideal Fuzz woman is not a real person at all, but rather
the kind of fantasy object one finds in the pages of Playboy. An ideal romantic companion in your van on the uncertain highway of life.
Much has been made of what was called during the 50s and 60’s “the feminine mystique.” But search for an equivalent idea for men, and you will not discover any persuasive description of an idea called the “masculine mystique.”
During the soft rock era, men were getting more in touch with their sensitive side. But in the context of Fuzz, that desire was tempered by the portrait of a very strong, and some might say exaggerated ideal for what it means to be a man.
To try to sketch the simple outlines of that portrait. The Fuzz man is strong and lantern-jawed (but now often wearing a beard or mustache). In many ways, he’s like the heroes of the 60s, but the man of the 70s is a little more complex. One can imagine the he’s seen some road. He’s fun-loving, but he’s a little haunted. He has lost his innocence.
The facial hair and complicated male psychology showed up in the music, but it also showed up in TV, movies, even sports. Look at Ken Stabler, the bad-boy quarterback of the Oakland Raiders, Joe Namath, even Mark Spitz, the most decorated athlete of the Olympics for many years, knew how to flaunt the Fuzz.
A FEW GOOD FUZZ MEN
Some of the actors who one could say symbolized the Fuzz masculine fantasy (clockwise Lee Majors, Burt Reynolds, James Caan, James Garner, Sam Elliott, Al Pacino, Tom Selleck, and Gil Gerard)
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980
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The End of an EraSo when exactly was the “Fuzz Era?” The chart below depicts the Billboard chart positions and years for each of the 51 songs in this compilation. We independently collected these songs from an aesthetic point of view, so by looking at these chart positions and dates we can see a pattern that would roughly denote a beginning and end to the period when Fuzz was in its popular ascendency.
Are there Fuzz songs that appear before or after this time? Absolutely. But these would be outliers falling in the fuzzy margins outside the main Fuzz period.
While creating these playlists and thinking deeply about what songs are part of the Fuzz canon, we started to see the whole decade in a new way. It is significant that this music was popular. It points, in a sociological sense, to the way people were thinking and feeling, the ideas that were resonant back then.
Fuzz was the soundtrack to the baby boom generation’s struggle as they started to really grow up. For most of that generation, it was what they listened to as they aged through their late 20s and early 30s, as they began to get jobs, to get married, to have affairs, to try new kinds of methods (drugs) to continue inward journeys, or to go out on the road to “find themselves.”
In short, this music tells the story of the American baby boomers’ first taste of maturity and true loss of innocence.
Admittedly, there is a lot of soft rock that is insipid pap. But it’s our assertion that much of this music that we call Fuzz has earned the privilege to step out of the shadows and be truly celebrated as an important and formative period in our culture. It was a time full of passion, sensuality, fun, yearning, and personal struggle. It was soft, but it still rocked.
(December 2012)
FUZZ POPULARITY OVER TIME
This graph depicts the Billboard 100 chart position of each of the songs in three volumes by year. Each colored dot’s label correlates to the volume and song number from one of the three playlists.
Produced by El Tormento Records, in cooperation with Wildfreshness and Lost Rocket Productions.