ABSTRACT
Ultravox's 'Vienna' maintains a constructive emptiness, in large part because of the rethinking of the role of kit and bass in the style of synthesizer rock. Bryan Ferry's piano style is remarkable for its simplicity: frequently just repeated triads or open fifths, allowing Paul Thompson's kit to play a more adventurous role than normal. Stylistic echoes of both progressive and punk styles come together in what Chambers has identified as 'the true centre or "mainstream" of recent rock culture'. Since the 1970s, there has arisen a new set of styles that are, at least tangentially, associated with rock, styles that are frequently subsumed under the headings 'roots' music or 'world' music. The style of 1960s' West Coast pop is also apparent in songs like 'Wake up Boo' by the Boo Radleys, particularly the opening multi-part vocal, although the Boo Radleys repeat the same music four times in immediate succession, something Brian Wilson is unlikely to have countenanced.
