The summer of 2012 was a shockingly good few months for rock music, or at least I thought it was when I began compiling which albums stuck with me from this summer. I still stand by that assessment, to a degree, especially when it comes to long-established acts absent until they suddenly decided to kick themselves back into shape after years of painfully drawn-out new-release schedules.
In January, British newspaper The Guardian published an article titled “Rock music’s death knell has yet to toll.” By my own estimation, rock music, if not dead, is at least flat lining in popularity. But I don’t blame people who choose to listen to pop over rock today.
On Feb. 29, Davy Jones of the Monkees passed away due to a heart attack. While not many people will know the Monkees by name — though most probably know their biggest hit “I’m a Believer” — their influence can still be felt. Their brand of supremely lighthearted (and light-weight), ridiculously optimistic (to some, cringe-inducing) and exceptionally catchy music struck a sound somewhat between the Beatles and the Beach Boys, and by ultimately dropping any pretense of being a “serious” musical act, they went the route of being as purely pop as possible.
On February 7, Van Halen will release their first album since 1984’s appropriately titled “1984” with original lead singer David Lee Roth, entitled “A Different Kind of Truth.” Considering that the band is often given the title of America’s best hard rock band, this is no small news. While I would rank a handful of American hard rock bands higher, the title isn’t unwarranted.
