Choose one topic and write an essay of 5 pages of double-spaced type. See guidelines for format and grading criteria. In every case you should be certain to conclude your paper with a list of any sources (inlcuding records) you cite or used in preparing your essay.
1) Early Rock and Roll music bears little overt resemblance to the music of Tin Pan Alley. Despite the differences in character and performance behavior associated with specific repertoire, the Tin Pan Alley era left a lasting influence that affected Rock and the perspectives that sustain its creation and distribution. Summarize those influences and the discuss what influences seem most noteworthy to you and why.
2) In "Black Roots, White Fruits" Chapple and Garofalo quote Johnny Otis' remark that a constant feature of the American music scene has been the tendency of white musicians, interpreters, and popularizers to appropriate innovations originally made by black musicians. Discuss two examples offered by Garofalo and Chapple (in any of the texts) to support their claim. How does those examples compare to current practice.? Is the issue of "black innovation, white appropriation" merely of historical interest or do you see evidence of it in contemporary rock practice? (By the way, Johnny Otis is one of the key speakers on the History of Rock 'n' Roll video series.)
3) Michael Ventura claims that rock and roll offered Americans a way to involve the body in their response to music once the swing dance craze died. Would you agree with Ventura that rock is primarily experienced viscerally or does this claim fit only early rock and roll, or only some kinds of rock music? (Ventura's essay "Hear That Long Snake Moan" is one of the articles on electronic reserve for our class.) Refer to specific musical examples and situations to support your points.
4) Many rock fans are surprised by the extent of the influence country music has had on rock music. Many of the artists who have helped build rock styles have borrowed ideas, sounds, even behaviors, from country musicians. Though radio and record producers promtoted country music as music of whilte rural or working class Americans, actual practice shows that African American musicians (witness Ray Charles) borrowed practices and songs from country music, and vice versa. Identify and describe one early example of the influence of country music on rock music that strikes you as especially significant. Explain why you chose that example and compare it to a contemporary example of country music influencing rock.
5) Throughout these early weeks of the semester we have considered the role of sound technology and mass media in the development of American popular music. Identify an aspect of the industry of music distribution that most interests you. (The Garofalo text is a good starting place, but you should also consult additional sources. See the bibliography at the back of the book for starting ideas.) How important is technology to the rock sound? Discuss the influence of changes in sound technology and media upon musical production and style. Mention key players on both sides of the equation in your answer devoting some space to their specific contributions.
6) Review a video of one of the early films to promote Rock and Roll. To coordinate with the first half of the semester, choose something from the 1950s such as The Blackboard Jungle, a 1955 movie about high-school delinquency. Discuss how the way the film treats rock music. What songs do you hear in the film? What perspectives are projected or conveyed by the music you hear in the film? Conversely, does the film establish certain perspectives that help define the music or those who listen to it? You might want to compare an early film to a later film emphasizing rock music and teen culture. For example, how does American Graffiti (1974), which also featured Bill Haley's signature song "Rock Around the Clock," compare to The Blackboard Jungle? Another option would be to view The Girl Can't Help It (1956), one of the earliest Rock and Roll films, alongside Little Richard, Fats Domino, Eddie Cochran and others. Of course Elvis made a string of films, more about youth culture than rock and roll , but then maybe that's the appropriate point of departure if you choose a film like Heartbreak Hotel (1956).
7) The music of one time and place may often satisfy the needs, desires, and aspirations of another time and place. We see this observation, voiced by theorist Nicholas Cook, in his consideration of the way movie producers frequently merge music from different sources to create a film soundtrack (and a new CD collection). Choose a favorite movie soundtrack and compare the way specific songs operate in the context of the film with the way those same songs were originally presented (and received by the listening public). Consider also the commercial release of the music alone, typically as a CD compilation, and how this packaging affects how listeners relate to the songs. (For example, does re-releasing a song by Jerry Lee Lewis alongside one by Dave Matthews give the older work a contemporary relevance?)
7) Another way to approach the changing relevance of past music is to look at contemporary remakes of older songs. Compare a contemporary performance of a song with an earlier recording (for example, Madonna's version of "American Pie" to Don McLean's). What makes the new version meaningful for a new generation of listeners?
8) Compare and contrast the family, educational, and musical background of the Beatles with the Rolling Stones or the Beatles with the Beach Boys. In your essay address the following questions. How did public perception of the background of these musicians and their character compare to reality? To what degree did this perception guide public response to their music and its influence on other musicians? How have the two groups fared in the eyes of contemporary listeners?
9) Critique the use/abuse of psychoactive drugs in the 1960s San Francisco "counterculture" and its music. Do the sixties represent an isolated incidence of drug use connected to musical creation? How essential were drugs for the creation and performance of new music? On the balance was the use good or bad for the music and its makers? Support your answer with reference to specific performers, specific songs, and specific features.
10) We have spent comparatively little time looking closely at the lyrics of rock music. If you have a special interest in literary expression, select three rock songs, and confront the question of rock lyrics as poetry. Consider the nature, quality and consistency of the imagery. Consider to what extent the lyrics can stand alone as poetry and what role the music plays in the overall expressive impact.
11) Put the 1960s counterculture into context. Was its emergence in the 1960s unprecedented? How did music help define the movement? How unified was the culture? Did its influence persist (musically and socially)?
12) Watch the the complete Time/Life Video on Soul (History of Rock and Roll Series -- ML 3534.H58). Briefly discuss the impact of Soul music on music and politics surrounding it. Identify one soul artist or group that you consider especially significant in this regard.
13) In recent sessions we have noted the increasing influence of the producer on the creation of music. Identify an important producer and discuss, using specific recordings, how that individual controlled the final musical product. Does the producer you examined deserve credit more as an enabler or technician or more as a composer or even behind-the-scenes performer.
14) Though the sixties brought the issues of equal rights and sexual liberation to the political forefront, women were rarely players in the rock music scene. Discuss the position of women in rock during the 1960s and 70s. Do you agree with Angela Robbie's claim that in general "girls are allowed little more than a backseat ride on a drafty motorbike"? Were women indeed more frequently the listeners to rock than the performers? How different is the situation today? Offer specific examples (names, activities) to support your points.
15) Garofalo notes that the fragmentation of musical styles associated with the rock and pop scene led to the formation of musical subcultures (some would say cults; others might use the term "scene"). Which specialized musical subculture most interests you and why? (You can choose one of the scenes we noted in the 1970s or something more recent.) Describe the special nature of the listening community that has developed around your chosen group or style. Be as specific as possible. What experiences, other than the music, are actually shared? Is the community defined along racial, ethnic, or socio-economic status, or are the bonds better defined by attitude?
16) Robert Walser's Running With The Devil, and Tipper Gore's Raising Kids in a X-rated Society present opposing views on music and censorship. Read both and make up your own mind. Present your views in an essay that evaluates the pros and cons of each side. Support your points with specific examples and quotes.
17) Do you agree with critics who claimed that the softer rock and soul styles of the 1970s represented a withdrawal from the political engagement that seemed to define the most progressive of 1960s rock? Choose one style, a set of representative artists, and specific songs to examine in support of your point.
18) Define art-rock. Which group (or artist) do you think best illustrates an art-rock aesthetic? Discuss the specific goals of that group. Relate it to the larger art-rock movement that began in the late 1960s. In your discussions consider what ties your chosen performers make between their music and the visual arts, or between their music and other styles of music such as classical music and jazz.
19) Are rock videos better described as "Synthesized Theater" or "Musical Commercials?" Explain your view.
NB. The History of Rock 'n' Roll Video Tapes are in the Media Section of the Main library (first floor) with the call number ML 3534.H58.