Originally Posted by Big Ears
It is not quite, but almost, a month since I posted (posed?) my question, so it would seem reasonable to assume that there is not a definition of heavy metal for the forum or sub-forum.
My definition of heavy metal (drawn from my admittedly failing memory) is a term introduced in the mid-seventies to refer to music developed in the late-sixties/ early-seventies, characterised by The Yardbirds, The Kinks, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Cream and Black Sabbath in the UK and Blue Cheer, Grand Funk Railroad, Iron Butterfly and BOC in the US. It was based on simple riffs played in unison at high volume (simple meaning immediate or obvious). This was predominantly lead by guitar and bass in four or five-piece bands, but, as with the English language, there were clear exceptions.
Heavy was used because bands like Iron Butterfly had a thick heavy sound, although Led Zeppelin had a thin sound, but belted it out! Black Sabbath claimed to have a heavy sound, because it was born out of the heavy industry of the midlands in which they were brought up and worked.
By the time the term was coined, it tended to be derogatory (because of its inadequacy and cheesy application) for plain hard or heavy rock. Ozzy Osbourne said he never liked the term, 'heavy metal'. My sources are, as I say, my memory of the time, and contemporary publications, while quotes from Tony Iommi and Burke Shelley spring to mind.
Since the LA big hair bands of the eighties, like G'n'R, heavy metal now appears to have been adopted affectionately by commercial, almost pop, groups with punk rock elements, such as Dickinson-era Iron Maiden, Metallica and the like.
Re. the NWOBHM: The NWOBHM was a marketing term and strategy for hard or heavy rock bands which emerged in the wake of punk rock and was characterised by short fast tracks, sometimes incompetently played. After all, punk rock was often heavy rock with bad vocals. NWOBHM was my first experience of bad heavy rock, although the internet has subsequently shown me it did exist earlier. Something which made it notable was that EMI, to which many of the bands were signed and who released the influential Metal for Muthas albums, added inferior production to clean sounding material in order to make it 'NWOBHM'.
Another aspect of NWOBHM was that established bands like Nutz (idiotically renamed Rage) and Budgie absurdly became NWOBHM for marketing purposes.
My memory of seeing many of these bands live in the early days was that Iron Maiden, Samson, Chevy, (Jameson) Raid, Praying Mantis and others were NWOBHM. I remember seeing a publicity photo for Iron Maiden outside the Marquee in Wardour St, with them dressed in the cliched garb of denim, leather and studded wrist bands - from which I have still not recovered. I am vague about Saxon, Magnum and Def Leppard, although Saxon were very loud! Some like Trespass and White Spirit were pretty good.
Motorhead and Judus Priest were emphatically not NWOBHM, but unlike Nutz and Budgie they were not marketed as such. Motorhead became more refined and commercial, while Priest became less refined and commercial.
By way of a conclusion, I would find it helpful if there was a definition for the site. It would certainly help with regard to the place of heavy and hard rock on the forum, including the original bands, such as Budgie, Stray, Groundhogs and many others. I am not trying to ruffle any feathers here, but my experience is that history can sometimes be rewritten.
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