1. (All you wanted to know but never dared to ask!)
Heavy Metal
(All you wanted to know but never dared to ask!)

2. What exactly is Heavy Metal?
If you ask different experts you will get different answers
Many fans will say that it’s hard to define but they know it when they hear it

3. Characteristics
It often, but not always, has some well defined characteristics such as:-
Loud and distorted guitars
Emphatic rhythms
Dense bass and drum sound often using a large drum kit and a bass drum with double pedals
Vigorous vocals
More skilful musicianship than you might at first suppose

4. Characteristics 2
At the danger of being accused of being sexist; from my experience this musical genre tends to appeal to young men more than young women.
Perhaps it appeals to old men more than women.
Again, at the danger of being accused of being sexist, it may be that modern “dance” music appeals to young women more than it appeals to young men.
This is just anecdotal and based on personal observation.
Perhaps I should just shut up!

5. What do I know about this genre?
Not a lot!
I have three sons who all play guitar. One plays lead guitars very well. One is primarily a bass guitar player and one used to be very competent but now finds it difficult to practice due to pressures of work and family life.
I had to live with them and they taught me to appreciate music I would not normally have listened to.

6. AroarA play at Hootananny’s in Inverness, Hogmanay 2008
They are playing Celtic Rock but…….
The bass player is playing a 5 string bass.
Note the substantial drum kit with cymbals etc mounted on a frame.

7. Why this genre for the U3A?
Older people, like me, often live in the past
We like the music we used to like when we were teenagers
My parents liked Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. They dismissed the Beatles for many years but eventually warmed to them
They never saw any merit in Bob Dylan or the Rolling Stones
If only they had listened with an open mind
I hope that that we are still able to listen with an open mind

8. Dragonforce “My Spirit will go on” (Introduction only)
Play track1, first 60 seconds only.
Loud and distorted guitars √√√
Emphatic rhythms √√√
Dense bass and drum sound often using a large drum kit and a bass drum with double pedals √√√
Vigorous vocals √ (We won’t listen to them just yet!)
More skilful musicianship than you might at first suppose √√√

9. Verdict? It may not be to your taste
It may not be compatible with your lifestyle
You have to acknowledge the musicianship.
You just can’t dismiss this genre as “rubbish” or “crap”.
Am I allowed to use the word “crap”?

10. In the beginning……
I like to think of Led Zeppelin as one of the main influences that started the genre
Some of their earlier music is not heavy metal but it has some of the characteristics.
Listen to the classic “Stairway to Heaven”
(Play track)

11. Stairway to Heaven
The classic “Stairway to Heaven” is not “Heavy Metal” but it is music that is beginning to lead in that direction.
The guitar is “loud” by the end of the track and the musicianship is excellent.
It is a beautiful song but many people still argue as to what it means! It has a number of biblical references but also seems to refer to materialism.

12. Led Zeppelin 1 This band evolved.
The “Immigrant song” was quickly written for a student gig in Reykjavik
The immigrants in the song are the Vikings who emigrated over much of Northern Europe, including Iceland.
(Play track)
The song went down with their audience very well
Many consider it to be one of the first true Metal songs.

13. Led Zeppelin 2
Another classic Led Zeppelin track is “The Ocean”. It refers to the “sea” or “ocean” of faces Robert Plant would see when he came onto the stage and started to play.
(Play track)
The “girl who stole his heart” referred to in the last verse was his three year old daughter, Carmen.

14. T. Rex Other bands were also evolving
T. Rex started out as 1970’s “glam rock”. The song writer and lead singer was Marc Bolan.
Listen to “Hot Love”, for example released in 1971 (play track)
There is a line; “She’s faster than most and she lives by the coast.”
Hot Love was not heavy metal but by 1973 they were beginning to be influenced by the genre. Listen to “20th Century Boy”. (Play track)

15. Deep Purple
At about the same time, 1972, Deep Purple released “Smoke on the Water”.
A competent song played by competent musicians.
What it is remembered for is it’s catchy riff and its distorted guitar chords. This track was very influential.
Many teenage air guitarists wanted to play this for real! (Play track)
Deep Purple’s hit, “Black Night” was also very influential. (Play track)

16. Boston “More than a Feeling” was written in 1976.
The song took Tom Scholtz five years to write. (This busts the myth that rock songs are knocked up in a few hours of alcohol or drug induced creativity; or lack of…..)
The lyrics express the author's discontent with the present and his yearning for a former love named Marianne. She really did exist.
In 2008 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee used the song "More Than a Feeling" to promote his campaign.
This was another popular and influential song, in that the lead guitar and drumming styles were widely copied and developed.

17. Boston
The Album cover
Play track

18. Motörhead Ian (Lemmy) Klimister plays bass and sings lead vocals.
They played “Rock’n Roll music foul and loud”, quoted one music critic.
This is the title track of their “Ace of Spades” album which was released in 1980 and is considered to be a classic metal track.
Play track

19. Def Leppard Another English band, this time from Sheffield
Their second album, Pyromania, had two big hits in the USA in 1983
The track “Photograph” has a particularly raunchy video on YouTube!
The track is about wanting something which is out of reach or unobtainable, like the girl in the photograph.
Play track

20. Iron Maiden Another British metal band
They were well liked amongst metal fans in the UK
The “Flight of Icarus”, 1983, was the first single to make it big in the states
Inspired by the Greek Myth of Icarus who didn’t listen to the advice of his father Daedalus.
It is about a teenager rebelling against the authority of an older generation.
Icarus dies in both versions.
Play track

21. Iron Maiden Artwork
This is the Artwork for the cover of the “Piece of Mind” album.
It’s hardly attractive but their fans liked it.
Why?

22. Iron Maiden Artwork 2
In the artwork for the Flight of Icarus single. Icarus is shot down by evil “Eddie” with a flamethrower.
“Eddie” appears in many of the groups artworks and videos.
Some fans used to dress as Eddie.
Please don’t ask me why.
I don’t know.

23. Dirtbag Song
This edgy composition by the US band, Wheatus, refers to Iron Maiden in the lyrics.
You may be familiar with the song.
It has been covered by many bands including “Girls Aloud”
The “Dirtbag Song” was a world wide success and many people were first aware of Iron Maiden as a result of this song.

24. Dragonforce Another track from the “Sonic Firestorm” Album
Track 2, “Fury of the Storm”
The track is almost 7 minutes long and we may not play it all.
Your comments will be appreciated once you have heard the track. (Or part of it!)
Play the track.

25. Sonic Firestorm Album

26. End of PowerPoint 1