Court of the Ginger King: In Defense of Southern Rock…
Everyone likes to scream and shout, hell that’s what makes the internet so popular, right? In what will be a series of rants and arguments, Consequence of Sound is giving the proverbial floor to our writer Russell Michniak in a new column entitled, “Court of the Ginger King.” Suck up and agree or seethe venomously in anger and dissent, because that’s what it’s all about. See ya around, folks!
-Michael Roffman, Editor in Chief
Dear hipsters and music snobs,
Why do you hate minorities, your heritage and people who are different from you so much?
…and want the world to starve?
Okay, let me explain.
Music fans under a certain age hate a lot of things in the music world and one of these is Southern Rock from the U.S.
I would love an actual reason but instead I have compiled this list. Let’s take a gander, shall we?
1. I hate American foreign and domestic policy, so I must hate anything any politician I hate would listen to.
You suck, no seriously, you do, and you are being close-minded about a kind of art because someone you think is dumb might like it. So 
what happens when your mentally handicapped cousin starts listening to Vampire Weekend? Commit suicide?
I hate politicians just as much as the next guy, but I’ll tell you this. I go to a lot of shows and I see a lot of people who I probably wouldn’t talk to in real life, but in the end, that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the show.
You can’t let people you hate ruin a genre of music. Life is too short and music is too plentiful to be close-minded. So what if half of the senate is rocking out to .38 Special on Capitol Hill. Maybe if everyone could get together and get down with some .38 Special, we could solve world hunger.
2. I grew up in (insert small town, USA), and therefore I can’t listen to this countrified rock music that my dad might have listened to.
Oh, okay standard rebel bullshit here. Get over it. Just accept that deep in your blood, there’s a yell of “Freebird” waiting to get out. There is nothing wrong with rebelling against your situation but don’t write off your heritage. Southern rock is one of the few music genres that Americans have owned forever. Give it a listen! There is something in there for you. Just remember, people who forget their heritage are denying their place in the global community.
Figure that last sentence out. It’s some deep shit, trust me.
3. Ball shredding rock ‘n’ roll music with a strong influence from Tejano, Blues, and Jazz music makes my skinny jeans blow off.
Okay, here we get to the meat of the argument. As stated, Southern rock is very American and one of the reasons for this is that America is a melting pot of different colors, creeds, and backgrounds.
If you look at the top southern acts, Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, .38 Special, and others, they have one thing in common: a real connection to blues from the south (shh! that means they like black music). These Southern rock bands had a steady diet of country music from Nashville mixed with some real blues from Mississippi and Georgia.
They took these new sounds and fell in love with them. They traveled to blues bars, they played in blues bars, and they invested time in learning about music.
Now the British were also listening to American blues and jazz music, but they didn’t quite have the country influence, so they made metal music, which is understandable, but I don’t see anyone roll their eyes or scoff at metal (probably too scared).
I know I have Tejano music up there and there’s good reason. Texas is also the south and two of the best bands from Texas have ties to Southern Rock, ZZ Top and Reverend Horton Heat.
Both of these bands basically did what Gregg and Duane Allman and Dickey Betts did but later in time. They took music from another culture that was different from them and with love and care mixed it with their own style to create something iconic and American.
So look at it like this, if every one of us took time to experience another culture’s music, wouldn’t we be a more peaceful society> I say Peace, Love, and a 23-minute version of “Whipping Post.”
4. None of my friends who look exactly like me listen to it so I don’t want to upset the delicate balance around our hookah.
You know what, I got nothing; I mean I don’t even know how to talk to hookah smokers. But I have six identical skull belt buckles if you and your friends are interested.
1. Southern Rock died when Duane Allman died, man.
I know man, I know.
Alright I know I have been a little negative here today, but for all the genres of music out there, Southern rock gets a bad rap. It features highly proficient technical skills, soulful lyrics, worldly influence, and incites passion in its fans, how it can really be that bad.
Plus, if every person who reads this were to go listen to some Southern Rock, we could end world hunger, racism on a global scale and intolerance.
…or you might discover a new band or two you might like.
Check Out:
I have been saying this for a long time, thank you. Dont forget to mention, The Outlaws every one should listen to “Green Grass and High Tides Forever”.
Dude, ZZ Top’s “Tres Hombres” is such a great album!
I don’t care what people say, the south may not be a great place to be in at certain times, they sure know how to make some kick ass music!
Ok the reason’s you put there sound like reasons people give me for not liking nickleback. So Ill be the first to argue with you.
Note: You more talking about classic southern rock so im going to argue that point.
1. Its a hypocritcal genre. It borrows heavily from blues typically a black genre and is blantily racist. For example bands will have the confedrate flag everywhere for their shows or will yell the south will rise again. Both of which is racist in the fact the sole reason for seperating the nation was slavery and those would be banners for the south. For those who dont feel the confederate flag is a racist symbol and say it just represents southern pride it would be the equivelent of a german person carring a nazi flag around and calling it german pride.
2. It’s a gimmick genre. It based it self around a culture and it died just like disco. People get tired when bands sole music is based on southern rock. Example where are most prominent bands that ARE southern rock. Lynnard Skynard is playing state fairs right now and no one gives a shit.Some would say thats due to thier leadinger dieing however where are the Barefoot Jerry’s or Blackfoot or Molly Hatchfoot. Exactly almost none of the genre flag bearers (no pun intended) are prominet if remebered at all.
3. Almost nothing came of it. Name a band that prides itself today on its southern rock influence that well is considered good. What I mean by that is the bands that will go out of the way to show thier southern pride are Nickleback, Hinder, Bo Bice, Daughtery, Kid Rock, and Shindedown. Not a good list. There are some bands that well have talent and get reconized for it (meaning name an album that any of those bands put out that got rave reviews from a well acredited music outlet). For example My Morning Jacket, and Drive By Truckers .Both of whom lean more toward the jam band syle.
So I know I forgot things in my rebuttle or mispelled a bunch of shit but tell me why Im wrong “King of The Gingers” (btw Im a ginger and in no way am I gonna let you write as lame ass article’s like this). But try not to do it using lame stereotypes for teenagers this time… or call me a communist cause i have a feeling it would happen lol.
Ps where in the hell did you discover hipsters and music snobs hate black people. Arent those the same people who attend Arcade Fire’s rallies for Barack Obama….
Oop I messed up on point 3. What I ment to write was this
3. Almost nothing came of it. Name a band that prides itself today on its southern rock influence that well is considered good (meaning name an album that any of these following bands put out that got rave reviews from a well acredited music outlet). Bands like Nickleback, Hinder, Bo Bice, Daughtery, Kid Rock, and Shindedown. Not a good list. There are some bands that well have talent and get reconized for it. For example My Morning Jacket, and Drive By Truckers. Both of whom lean more toward the jam band syle. Other bands like Wilco, REM, and others similar have influence from southern rock but its clearly not southern rock or MAJORLY influenced by it.
I knew I should have proof read that mofo lol.
agreed on The Outlaws and Tres Hombres is easily one of the best albums by ZZ Top.
ok, so let me completely disregard this Luke character
first, I will say Nickelback, while hated, will be appreciated 25 years from now, I personally don’t but I could see myself liking them when all original music is gone in 25 years.
1)hyprocritical genre, hmm. Well let me say that first, I do believe the confederate flag is a sign of the south, but I’ll let former NACCP chapter president HK Edgerton do my talking on that point.
Also, as for your insistence on pulling in the nazi flag into the conversation. Let me say I feel you aren’t giving southern musicians credit, somehow the Ska and punk movements used soviet and nazi flags in their culture, but it was seen as an ironic post-modern take on something, but somehow you can’t give musicians in the south the same credit(don’t forget musicians from any area are in general rebels and outcasts)
2)As for a gimmick or joke genre, most bands and genres start out as joke, so that is kind of weak. But I will say this, the majority of bands still around after 30 years aren’t neccesarily good, they are the ones who are still together.(imagine Bono dying in 1990, all of a sudden U2 isn’t quite as legendary) also, the fact that they aren’t remembered is kind of the point of the piece in the first place.(Allman Bros at Fillmore is consistently ranked in the top 20 albums of all time)
3)again, the point of the fucking article is that it isn’t remembered because people don’t investiagate further into music(ie they like REM but don’t realize they were influenced) and again people tend to mistake true talent for a trend in music(Arcade Fire is great, too bad no one will remember them in 15 years)
your little epilogue) First of all, there is a reason they are called stereotypes, because they are more often not correct. Second, I am not speaking to the teenagers, I’m speaking to a wide variety of people. Also, it’s not king of the gingers, it’s Ginger king(it’s a music reference, probably before your time). Oh and the whole hipster music snob hating black people is kind of part of the whole joke(wow, I might have to dumb down my humor for this site)
Oh, and you are a marxist, not a communist.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rvvEh8hvjz4&feature=related
Sorry, HK Edgerton video.
And the point of your article is now complete.
But as for Nickleback being relevent 25 years I highly doubt that. Maybe like Styx who most now make fun but some still feel their “ridiculously awesome.”
And as far as NAACP former president HK Edegerton being the empereor of black people (sadly I couldnt watch the video because for some reason my computer wont stream videos correctly and it would have taken 20 min) all of my black friends agreed that it is offensive mostly due to the fact that most who put it on thier cars/ el caminos tend to be more racist then most. Also the whole it not being racist now could mostly be attributed well it was 150 years ago. In other words say slavery and the civil war ended just 75 years ago. And the damages that slavery were a little more aparant would the flag be then considered racist. (I highly doubt that came across how i wanted it but it is 2 in the morning).
As far as most genre starting out as a gimmick or joke Im not really sure what that reference’s nor am I going to look it up.
And yeah while some of the punk bands put the nazi flag out there most didnt put as an ironic gesture as you said. As the immortal dead kennedy’s said “Nazi Punks Fuck Off”
Btw I dont care about the hammer and sickle cause naturaly being 18 I rawk that.
And I can’t say anything bad about The Allman Brothers or ZZ Top their both sweet but I’ll take issue with the U2 of southern rock. Would as blatenly racist band like lynard skynard be popular today . I doubt it since the band openly supported segragation between whites and black.\
As I said I cant take issue with The Allman Brothers or ZZ Top because as you said the took from another genre and mixed with love and care. It was pure blues and all american. However the useless shit that soon followed.
btw whats the ginger king in refernce to because that pic is me without the beard lol.
by the way luke, your wrong about lynard skynard. everyone but the singer died, not vice versa, which is most likely why they play state fairs, if that is even true, which i doubt it is.
Oh well my bad then. I have to admit I dont keep up in them not quite my style.
State Fair.
http://www.pitch.com/2006-08-10/music/missouri-state-fair/. Although I do find it a crime that james taylor and them were out billed by thats so raven girl.
Actually Ronnie Van Zandt and Cassie & Steve Gaines were killed in the plane crash. If you happen to have a first released copy of “Street Survivors,” the band is in a small town that’s on fire. After the crash, they yanked it and took the flames off.
So yeah, I see both sides of the coin: Southern rock is blatantly racist in terms of the flag and the southern pride aspect, but how many black people did you ever hear about get lynched or harassed at a southern rock concert?
Isn’t punk rock a glorification of youth? There’s the skinhead movement from punk rock that gave it a bad name and certainly did more damage than southern rock ever did. I also agree about Fillmore East, it’s one of the greatest live albums ever made and Duane Allman & Dickey Betts are phenomenal guitarists.
What did Ray Charles say about country music in general? He loved it because of the stories. That’s probably the big thing that will come out of southern rock; the stories that were written along with the music. Lynyrd Skynyrd certainly topped those aspects off. And, if you were to listen to any other Skynyrd song aside from “Gimme Three Steps,” “Free Bird,” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” the band can fucking wail…”I Know A Little,” “Needle & The Spoon” and “The Breeze” are perfect examples of great southern rock songs with stories to go with the flow.
Southern rock is good stuff…how can you not boogie to ZZ Top’s “La Grange” or rock out to the Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands To Yourself?”
I don’t know about you guys, but “Freebird” sounds pretty bad ass to any piece of film. Look what it did to Rob Zombie’s shlock of a film.
It’s epic. How many songs do that today?
By the way, I’d rather put a bullet in my head than live in the South ever again, and by South I mean Tallahassee, FL and the surrounding Bible belt areas.
Worst four years of my life.
my favorite southern rock group is The Band, and they’re from Canada…
Most of my friends won’t listen to southern rock because they think it’s corny or whatnot. Meanwhile they are listening to My Chemical Romance like shitheads, because apparently their musical taste hasn’t matured since they were 16.
And I don;t think Skynyrd is entirely racist, “The Ballad of Curtis Lowe” is about Ronnie Van Zant’s admiration of a black musician.
All this being said, I do kind of think Molly Hatchet is a terrible band.
Yeah I saw that and I think its pretty wierd since they were openly for segregation. I cant count the band as southern rock, It was straight up blues. also they held from canada as you said. Northern Northenn rock maybe lol.
Court of the Ginger King references In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson(widely regarded as one of the finest concept albums of all time)
Luke, you being 18 and rocking a symbol of millions of death across Europe answers alot.
again with the whole Southern Rock is racist thing(which I can debate all day), music should do the talking, the article alludes to people’s obsessions with style and image over the actual music
The Band originally formed around Ronnie Hawkins as The Hawks and Ronnie Hawkins was from Huntsville and The Hawks were a southern rock type band.
…and if the The Band is straight up blues, then Muddy Waters must be some sort of proto-blues according to that logic.
Mike, I think it’s just Florida that drove you crazy, plus I’m sure being in that atmosphere makes you the editor in chief you are today.
Scott, you are out of line with your Molly Hatchet dislike.
lol do i have dumb down my writing for you… Maybe I should write I <3 Stalin and then follow it with a
Just because Helm had some southern twang in his voice doesn’t make the band southern rock. That’s like calling the pixies grunge. The Band had a huge influence on the genre but in no way were apart of it.
As for music doing the talking.. Have you ever listened to sweet home Alabama? Besides it being subtly racist it gives a plane and clear shout out to the governor of Alabama at the time…. why is that relevant oh he was one of the countries biggest proponents of segregation… segregation’s not racist ;).
And I’m pretty much done with the whole confederate flag if people still want hang their hat on a flag that represented hundreds of years of oppression theres nothing I can do about that.
“Chest Fever” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” “Up on Cripple Creek” “Ain’t Got No Home” “Ophelia” and even “The Weight” to an extent.
The Band seems southern rock to me. that might just be me though… i mean, they don’t sound like a typical mid-70s Floridian band (because they weren’t), but that doesn’t mean they weren’t part of the whole genre.
And sorry Russ, I gave Molly Hatchet a fairly decent chance, I have a bunch of their songs, I just don’t think they are that great. It’s kind of southern rock mismash. That being said, are they better than 95% of current popular music? Of course.
But Gator Country is a pretty good song, I will admit that.