Britain Rocks!

What is it about the British that they created such amazing rockers? The united Kingdom is roughly a fifth of the size of the Untied states in terms of population but is the birthplace of some of the best guitarist to ever play, and is constantly coming out with new and interesting bands. Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, The Beatles, the Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Queen, all call England home. On top of that, some of my favorite newer bands are born out of the Britpop scene. I love the Kooks, the Ting Tings, Hot Chip, Mika, Coldplay, Oasis and The Fratellis (Scottish) Franz Ferdinand (also Scots), all are from the U.K. I’ve said this before but it makes me want to go to London clubs and pubs and rock out.

It’s interesting because while I’m sure the first generation of British rockers inspired each other you can also see that they were influenced by the United States music scene. If you read early interviews or look at the history of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones they will show you that the blues and rock men of America inspire them. They looked to Buddy Guy and B.B. King. The Beatles constantly covered Little Richard and Chuck Berry early on in their careers. Later they looked to the Beach Boys and Bob Dylan, who in turn looked back to them. It is clear from the latest cover article for Rolling Stone that both Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck were inspired by Jimmy Hendrix.

I am not saying that the United States does not produce great rock as well; it’s obvious that they do. It’s just in comparison to the size of Great Britain to the size of the United States it’s a bit overwhelming. Maybe all the fog and cold weather forces the youth to stay inside until they master their crafts. Maybe the British Empire felt the need to expand musically after they had to give back all that land they took from native populations, dominate the world by guitar. No matter the cause I am pleased with the output.