"Death of Rock and Roll" genre: Psychedelic
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	Bold, brazen, aggressive, dissonant, futuristic, classical "theater-rock" music composed by John David Thomas in 1970, while just 19 years old...this music was definitely at least 20 years ahead of its time...maybe 40 years ahead of its time!!...this is what rock and roll music would sound like if it was composed by Igor Stravinsky, John says...it has several flavors (influences)...a combination-feel of Stravinsky, Zappa, and even a George Martin-Beatles production (like on Magical Mystery Tour)...this music uses multiple-time-meters (9/8 against 4/4 in the middle section), and has multitudes of percussion instruments, 2 drummers, 8 trumpets, and is supposed to have, (someday), a big French Horn section...but that is another story!...John performed his "theater-rock" work live at Ball State University in Emens Auditorium, BSU, Muncie, Indiana in March 1972 with the vocals done by the Ball State U. Singers at their "SPEC '72" SPECTACULAR, which was...spectacular!! This music by John (D of R&R) won high acclaim and a rave review/comment by the Ball State Daily News music critic following two sell-out performances by John, the musicians, and the University Singers at Ball State U.! The lyrics have multiple meanings, so what you THINK it means may be quite different than what someone ELSE thinks it means...TURN UP THE VOLUME when you play this!!! Enjoy
	MP3.com CD: SAMPLER #3: Assorted Originals - buy it! MP3.com CD: MUSIC for the WORLD: CD Single - buy it! CD: Music for the World: Volume 2   Label: Monolith Records/JDT Records Credits: John David Thomas: Composer/Arranger/Orchestrator/Pianist/Clavinet-tist/Extraneous Percussionist/Lead Vocalist/Backup Vocals/Mastering Engineer, member: ASCAP, AES, Mensa, NARAS; Copyrighted in 1971 by John David Thomas. Other musicians: Jim Sanders: Bass Guitar/Vocalist; Paul Thomas: Acoustic Drums and Percussion/Vocals; Greg Goodwin: Farfisa Organ/Vocals; Don Fisher: Principal Trumpet; the 3
	Story Behind the Song This music was the actual musical manifestation of a "nightmare" John had on scary night when alone at home in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA during a "thunderstorm with massive lightning"...John sat at the piano, and began playying a repeated rhythmic figure of an alternating "seventh", between a low B (one octave down from middle C) and the "A" which was a seventh above...then John threw in a C-diminshed-sixth chord on the beats, 2 and 4, against the bass pattern...then he began humming...and soon, Death of Rock and Roll was BORN!! It took about a total of a half-hour to compose in John's head...to write out the difficult orchestration was another matter...that took several DAYS to score, and then to copy parts, seemed to take forever...but John persevered, and finally...the music was completed...it was first recorded with just John, Paul Thomas, and Jim Sanders in the summer of 1971, in Gilfoy's studio in Bloomington, Indiana...but the result was strictly the simplest demo...nothing to write home about...then, John wrote a full-blown, heavily orchestrated version which he recorded with his Army of fellow musicians and vocalists the next summer in 1972...and THIS is what you hear now...so when you play this music...TURN UP THE VOLUME...the LOUDER, the BETTER...(up to a point...don't blow up your speakers!)...I hope you get MAXIMUM musical value out of this, one of the greatest compositions written by John, which he is most proud of!! (turn the lights out, too, for maximum effect!! Lyrics "Take me on your head...I know I'm dead...but I don't care! Lead me through the straits...the Pearly Gates are waiting for me! Ahhhhhh, Death of Rock and Rollllllll...how could you be such a drag? (interlude with "fuzz bass guitar" lead solo)..."ahhhhhh, Death of Rock and Rollllllll....you turn me on like a wet paper bag!!" Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! (instrumental climax and ending)

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