Soft imperative

In popular music 1976-1984 was a period of contrast. On one side you had punk and new wave - aggressive music influenced by youth, strong emotions and rebellion. On the other side there was soft rock - a genre that more or less became the definition of everything music shouldn't be - and the complete opposite of cool. This kind of music was also certainly emotional, but on an entirely different level. These artists were typically contemplating lost love - soft men with acoustic guitars, often sporting a beard and beige velour. When the lady walks out on them, the guys rarely blame her. They understand her reasons - even though she breaks their hearts, even though they don't know how to go on. And when they're happy - when they sing about the real thing - they really do pour their hearts out.

The sound is... well, it's really just very soft. The drummer cuddles with the sharp drum and tickles the hi-hat, the bass player gently weaves a backdrop for a fuzz-free or acoustic rhythm guitar and mellow Fender Rhodes. It could be vaguely funky, jazzy - or it could be folk-inspired. It doesn't really rock, ever... The male vocals are usually high-pitched. Most songs feature some kind of solo - most often a guitar or sax solo, but every now and then there's a flute or a vibraphone.

In my humble opinion it's time for this music to be rediscovered. For all it's faults, there's a lot to admire in soft rock. There's an undeniable charming and disarming honesty to this music. The musicianship is often impeccable. And when you take a look at the guys who were performing the music, you realise that it was all about the music, certainly not about the visual...

As my previous post implies, the renaissance of classic soft rock is already in the making. On this site, I'll guide you through some of the highlights and low points of the genre. It will be subjective, it will be in poorly written English - other than that you'll just have to stay with me and see if anything of value ever pops up...