Bach-Rock: When Rock Went Baroque
The year is 1789. You’re living in France as the reign of terror begins, with guillotines staring you down everywhere you go, but never mind all that. It’s the Baroque Period, and the things that catch your eye and captivate your ears have an overwhelming sense of grandeur, drama, movement, and emotional effervescence. As a matter of fact, your taste lies in creations that break down barriers between styles of art.
Baroque was all the rage in the 17th and 18th centuries, but if you climb into Bill and Ted’s time machine, a TARDIS, or whatever your preferred time-traveling device may be to journey to the 1960s, you’ll land just in time for the Baroque Period’s resurgence in rock music.
You may be wondering what baroque rock entails, seeing as the two genres could not be further apart, at least sonically. According to baroque.org, characteristics of baroque music include loud and soft dynamics, emphasis on harmony, and the use of string instruments and the harpsichord. Baroque rock adopts these musical qualities and mixes them with the electric guitars, drum beats, and bass lines associated with rock music. As a result, baroque rock creates a compelling combination of rock and classical music, complete with elaborate classical instrumentation and functional harmony.
Two popular examples of baroque rock, both released in 1965, are The Beatles’ song, “In My Life,” which features a sped-up keyboard solo that sounds similar to a harpsichord, and The Zombie’s “Care of Cell 44,” in which the band’s keyboardist, Rod Argent, plays the organ and mellotron. Both songs also feature complex vocal harmonies.
A few months ago, I heard “Walk Away Renee” by The Left Banke, a '60s rock band whose music was, on a few occasions, termed “Bach-rock.” Of course, I had to dig deeper and get to the bottom of what makes the song so unique, catchy, and worthy of a Bach comparison.
But let’s face it — I can’t simply listen to one song that offers a glimpse into an entire musical movement without taking the plunge down the baroque rock rabbit hole. So, in this article, I’m sharing three of my favorite baroque rock records and illustrating why I can’t get enough of this stuff.
COURTESY IMAGE // WIKIPEDIA
Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina by The Left Banke (1967)
I have to start with The Left Banke and their masterpiece album, which shares its title with the A- and B-sides of their hit single. The Left Banke immediately established themselves as a baroque-rock act with “Pretty Ballerina,” which incorporates piano, strings, and a floating, romantic vocal line. The next track, “She May Call You Up Tonight,” exposes the band’s rock roots, mixing in a driving drumbeat, treble-y electric guitar, and a multi-part vocal harmony. “I Haven’t Got the Nerve” serves a similar function. All the while, a few of the album’s tracks like “What Do You Know” include a country or bluegrass-leaning tone.
I want to focus, however, on “Walk Away Renee.” Like “Pretty Ballerina,” the song heavily relies on an orchestral string arrangement with a notable violin harmony that accentuates the vocal line from start to finish. There’s also an intriguing interlude, exposing the underlying harpsichord and spotlighting a lovely flute solo. The lyrics are equally poetic as the singer resiliently declares, “Just walk away, Renee. You won’t see me follow you back home, now as the rain beats down upon my weary eyes. For me it cries.” Recently, I’ve also become obsessed with the incredible vocal arrangements on “Let Go of You Girl.” I haven’t gotten enough of this album, and I don’t think I ever will.
COURTESY IMAGE // SPOTIFY
Flips ‘n’ Hits by Procol Harum (Compilation album of singles from 1967-1970)
Released in 2009, Flips ‘n’ Hits features 11 of the experimental rock band Procol Harum’s greatest hits. If this isn’t your first Procol Harum rodeo, the album opens with the song that you’ve probably heard: “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” I first encountered this song when it was the subject of a trivia question during a trivia team practice. My coach (who also happens to be my uncle and therefore knew that I was an insufferable 1960s rock nerd) was shocked when I didn’t know the song. I went home that night and listened to “A Whiter Shade of Pale” on repeat until I finally grasped what was going on. There’s a fabulous organ intro as well as interludes throughout the song. Behind the organ, there’s a solid blues-rock rhythm section, exposed on tracks like “Lime Street Blues,” “In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence,” and the rockin’ closer “Long Gone Geek.” There is also the lighthearted and goofy “Good Captain Clack” that highlights the band’s lyrical creativity, as well as their musical chops, as the song features organ, piano, and interesting vocal harmonies. Moral of the story: You’re missing out if you call it quits after “A Whiter Shade of Pale.”
COURTESY IMAGE // WIKIPEDIA
Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies (1968)
From the minute you press play on Odessey and Oracle, you hear a jovial harpsichord in the intro to “Care for Cell 44,” which sets the scene for the album’s avant-garde approach to rock. This album features the straightforward piano-rock hit, “This Will Be Our Year” and the ever-groovy “Time of the Season,” a 1960s “British Invasion” classic.
The rest of the album is an experience, to say the least. There are bubblegum pop-rock tunes like “Friends of Mine” and “I Want Her She Wants Me” that utilize the baroque harpsichord and vocal harmonies to add to their timeless, sunny mood. On the other hand, “Butcher’s Tale” features a frightening harmonium melody as the singer, a World War I soldier, exclaims, “I can’t stop shaking” and pleads, “let me go home.” The best part about “Butcher’s Tale” is its seamless transition into “Friends of Mine”; it shocks you out of the terrorizing experience of listening to the former and, soon enough, you’re back to bopping your head and humming along. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention my favorite tracks on the album, “A Rose for Emily” and “Brief Candles,” which are both brilliant compositions. “A Rose for Emily” makes use of complex harmonies and features overlapping vocal lines during the chorus, which my former choir kid self enjoys tremendously. “Brief Candles” is the empowering, optimistic breakup song you never knew you needed. Odessey and Oracle ultimately has something for everyone and utilizes baroque musical elements to sonically create both terrifying and joyous atmospheres, flowing cohesively in and out of one another.
The baroque comeback didn’t stop with 1960s rock. Musical trends, like fashion, never truly disappear — they keep resurging over time. I could write ten sequels to this article, sharing songs from the 1970s, like Queen’s “The Millionaire Waltz” to this year with Weezer’s SZNZ: Spring album. With all of this said, it’s clear that baroque music continues to make its mark on popular music. I, for one, never want it to stop.
To listen to the songs mentioned in this article, check out this Spotify playlist:
