Fairfax, VA, USA. I find it comforting to know that Rock and Roll can still be threatening enough to have a performer banned from a television show.

Adam Lambert is neither the first or the last rock singer ever to be placed on the forbidden list by the powers that be. We can debate whether the ban was the result of Adam being out and gay or the result of a typical knee jerk reaction by the suits.

The facts are this: on the same television broadcast Janet Jackson grabbed a guy’s crouch without any particular uproar; Adam kissed a guy and he’s out of here. I will let you do the math.

I’m not particularly interested in Adam’s sex life. I’m not into gay guys, nor are they into me. He is, however, an attractive male, good looking with an undeniable stage presence.

What he does off stage is none of my concern but I find his music interesting and have spent some time thinking about his roots. What follows may not be entirely correct, but I think it a good platform for discussion. Start with the music on his first CD.

His first generation roots are fairly obvious

Queen. Freddy Mercury and Queen pervades Lambert’s music, forming a pervasive foundation for all that follows. It is rumored that the remaining members of Queen asked Lambert if he would want to front them as lead singer on their next tour.

Boston. Like Queen, Boston featured a layered sound of lead vocals, harmony, and a wall of music supporting it all. Boston rocks harder than Queen but so does Lambert.

Rick Springfield. There are harmonies on Lambert’s first CD that replicate the harmonies of Rick Springfield, c. Jessie’s Girl. Good power pop that topped the charts. I had to check if Rick was singing back-up.

Electric Light Orchestra. Again a musical wall of guitars, piano and organ, and voice. Highly orchestrated as the name implies. Think of them as Queen with less talent but more bass. In another age, when groups were king, Lambert might sound like the ELO.

Meatloaf. Both performers can dominate the stage when they want, drawing the audience eye towards them. Both throw themselves into their songs, pure theater, leaving no barrier between the singer and the music. Both performers are sometimes over the top. Whatever the performance, it’s the singer, not the song.

Phantom of the Opera. A romantic baroque of grand music and performance well seasoned with classical Opera. Gaudy, Flashy, but ultimately the melodies and the performance stick in your mind bound inseparably as one. Lambert could slipped in seamlessly from the wings.

U2. The best and greatest rock and roll band currently active on planet Earth. The media talk about their theatrical extravaganza, but the band never loses focus on the music. The eye follows Bono from the moment he enters until the final encore as the band plays one rock anthems after another.

Elvis. The original stage presence. A natural singer and performer. Sexuality unleashed on a ready public backed by great music and presentation. Camera work showing Elvis below the waist were banned from the Ed Sullivan Show to avoid showing overt sexual motions.

First Generation once removed. Not as immediate as the first generation, these are obvious sources.

ABBA. Watch Mama-Mia. Listen to the original recordings. Good music, great harmonies, musical hooks that burrow deep into the brain. Great voices and vivid stage presence.

Bon Jovi. The best hair band ever with an ability to write memorable power pop. There is some Bon Jovi deep in Lamberts power pop.

Eurythmics. Sexual ambiguity, unconventional lyrics and melody, hit records, a great singer. A visual band if there ever was one. Think of Adam Lambert as Anne Lennox in her boy drag.

Toto. Of all groups, but the power pop harmonies again. I bless the rains down in Africa …

Aerosmith. What can I say. Great tunes, great visuals and harmonies, and Steven Tyler has even looked like a lady at times. Blues based rock and roll with pop friendly melodies.

Second Generation

Sources a little less immediate, but still highly influential on everything Lambert’s does.

Mid to Late Beatles. From Rubber Soul on, the Beatles explored the possibilities of rock and roll and popular music. Their harmonies and counterpoint suggest what can be done with a good pop tune. Endlessly creative, as Lambert seems to be. The Beatles knew who they were as does Lambert.

Brian Wilson/Beach Boys. No one did harmony better or more intricately. Brian is still a contender, even after decades of being lost. We all wish we had written the Smile album. None of us can escape his music and its influence. The complexity of Brian’s music is one seed deep within Lambert’s musical vision.

Third Generation

Hardcore rock beginnings that none of us can deny or avoid.

Phil Spector. The original wall of sound. Brought the sensibility of raw rock and roll to successful commercial art. Good music sung with conviction and passion.

Little Richard. Flamboyant. Original. A creator of rock archetypes. If I wanted to project electric sexuality, I would study Little Richard. A great stage presence in younger days, the audience never forgot who they came to see.

Jerry Lee Lewis. Watch the film clips. A natural performer with great musical skills. Matches Little Richard for stage presence, threatening sexuality, and controversy.

Fourth Generation and beyond

Much less obvious sources but certainly there down at Lambert’s roots.

Opera. Music. Flamboyance. Drama. Over the top at times, including the music. A visual spectacle of great melodies and voices.

Chorale from the Ninth. Accessible genius. An immortal pop rock tune arranged by Beethoven for Orchestra and Chorus. The best of all possible worlds.

Bach. The possibilities of counterpoint and complex melodies stretched to their limits. The original wall of sound.

Commedia dell'arte. The joyfulness of presentation, drawing the audience into the performance. Melody and spectacle that lets us in on the joke.

Visuals

Lambert draws upon a number of obvious visual sources.

Cher. A gay icon and an original over the top performer who remains popular five decades into her career.

Rocky Horror. The original midnight cult movie. It is only a short walk from Rocky to Adam Lambert.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Lambert’s stylistic second cousin.

David Bowie. The original rock performance artist. A musical chameleon whose visuals sometimes had more impact than his music.

Sergeant Pepper. Those uniforms were great. Rock as theater.

ABBA. A vivid, sometimes over the top visual that cannot easily be separated from their music.

Elvis Presley. Who didn’t want to follow the young Elvis back up to his room. The original rock and roll archetype.

Madonna. Any year, any version. Always something new to grab your interest at a concert. The spotlight always focuses on Madonna. Coincidently, Madonna has also had videos and performances banned from American television.

Prince. Sexuality, music, and a commanding, demanding stage presence.

Michael Jackson. ‘nuff’s been said. Creative costuming and stage presence at its best.

Little Richard. The original Prince.

Jerry Lee Lewis. You couldn’t turn your eye away from the young Jerry Lee. You didn’t want to miss what he might do next or who he might do it to.

High Drag Performance

At times Lambert is made up and costumed enough to suggest a high drag performance at an upscale club. His experience at gay clubs where the performer must demand the audience’s attention informs his stage presence.

I will leave you with one last thought

Everywhere you want I always go
I always give in because, babe, you know
You just say so cause you give me that
Feeling inside that I know must be right
It's the singer not the song.

-- M. Jagger / K. Richards
on December's Children (1965)

Now, all of you, go get a cup of coffee and discuss.

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