by Author Name Withheld 7

Created on: July 07, 2008

The Bay City Rollers' brief stunt of fame was essentially a 1970's version of the Soulja Boy craze that recently struck our fine nation. However, the Bay City Rollers had catchy guitar riffs and lyrics rather than a dance that any 4 year old could pick up matched with a degrading sexual reference. The international recognition of the band was dubbed "Rollermania", and even went so far as to foster a specific style of dress for their fans that involved pants and scarves in a tartan print. Is there any merit to the BCR's music, or is there flash in the pan story rather expectable? If anything, their trek starts off with an interesting "How We Got Our Name" : Alan and Derek Longmuir (bassist and drummer) and their friend Gordon Clark (lead singer) supposedly threw a dart into the map of the United States, first landing on Arkansas (which was rejected due to pronunciation issues), and then close to Bay City, Michigan. Their first break came in 1971 in the UK with "Keep on Dancing", and they were launched in America by Arista records in 1976. By the end of the 70's, the group's popularity had steadily decreased, eventually causing the breakup of the band.

Either way, let's get down to the music. Here's what I think of several key elements of BCR's legacy:

1) Melodies : Simple, yet catchy. There are some elementary harmonies on the tracks, but nothing too complex. However, it works for the style of the music - I mean, I would frankly be weirded out if some introductory riffs that made me want to dance were suddenly interrupted by a full choir harmonizing the verse in eight different parts.

2) Instrumentation : Once again, the riffs and bass lines are pretty basic, but again memorable. This band is downright catchy, and even if a good portion of the songs can be picked out by a modest guitar player, they still make you want to bob your head. There's a basic setup of a drummer, a bassist, a vocalist, and two guitars, and some of the songs are very Beatle-sque, like "Shangalang".

3) Lyrics : Honestly, this was the least impressive part of the band for me. The words to the songs are pretty basic and predictable, but the music itself isn't ment for deep emotional connections. It's billed as "bubblegum pop", and that's exactly what it is - upbeat, cutesy tunes that cheer you up every time you hear them.

Overall, I do like the Bay City Rollers, even though my review may come off as a bit harsh. They aren't the most serious of bands in terms of trying to change the world with their compositions, but the classic simplicity and addicting beats of their music definitely make them worth your time. If you're trying to find a new band that makes you question things and have epiphanies, keep on looking. However, if you're trying to find a group that puts you in a good mood and makes you want to sing along, I definitely recommend picking up one of their albums.

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