Abstract This paper covers the most important aspects of Rock & Roll from birth to the present time. The author looks at how Rock & Roll came about, the most important contributors to the music as well as Rock & Roll as an expression of freedom and escape.
From the Paper "The longest and most important cultural expression in the United States today is rock music. The majority of music purchased in the United States is rock & roll. Although there are many memorable names and faces associated with rock, little is know about their origins and influences in modern music. Rock & roll has become a musical escape into a world where free expression and freedom of speech has become less of a fantasy and more of a reality. It's like an incurable virus that enters by ear and circulates in the veins of a generation that has been oppressed and rejected for so many years. Within the text of the statements below lay the answers to the age-old question of the origin of rock & roll and what it has progressed into along the timeline of music."
A discussion regarding the macrocosm and microcosm of 'Rock and RollHistory in Coming of Age in Buffalo' by William Graebner and 'Flowers in the Dustbin' by James Miller.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 2 sources, 2006, $ 44.95
Abstract This paper discusses the historical research of both Miller and Graebner rely on different macrocosmic and microcosmic approaches for understanding the rock and roll phenomenon. The paper further discusses how the Miller tends to apply a national approach to his understanding of rock and roll through fashion and musical trends, which often involves secondary sources in the media. Graebner also relies on secondary information to a certain degree, but certainly, he seeks deeper empirical data that reaches into the racial and ethnic barriers that Miller does apply.
From the Paper "The book review being analyzed here will analyze the microcosm and macrocosm of rock and roll history within Coming of Age in Buffalo by William Graebner and Flowers in the Dustbin by James Miller. By understanding the microcosm of history within a small historical location in Graebner's history, rock and roll is not as generalized as one finds in the more national perspective of music history. While Miller often defines national trends in music and fashion in rock and roll culture, both books offer different points of view on how music history should be analyzed."
Abstract This paper explores the world of punk rock in central Florida. Various interviews conducted by the author are reconstructed in the paper to tease out different definitions of what the scene means to various people and age groups in this area. It also looks at a history of punk rock from its heyday in the 1970s, in Great Britain, and how its themes of belonging and acceptance still translates to some of today's youth in the 1990s.
From the Paper "Belonging, acceptance, and repor are a major part of punk to most individuals I interviewed; however, it was by far not the only response I received. A second view, given to me by S, a worker at Sound Idea, was that one of the most appealing aspects of punk was the energy within the scene. This section focuses on that overlying energy in punk. Punk music is loud, fast, and aggressive. Shows as Sound Idea were highly participatory- audience and band members alike ran, circle pitted, and danced across as large of a space as they could seem to niche out of the crowd. Many shows were high energy and physically taxing. However, this energy was focused, and what S was more generally referring to, I believe, is the hands on approach that seems to proliferate so many punk scenes."
Tags: class, culture, modern, modernism, post, rock, roll, sub, acceptance, youth, age, record, bands, tours, lyrics, bond, individuals
Abstract This paper compares the stars and music of today's rock-n-roll to the stars and music of yesterday's rock-n-roll. The paper points out that while early rock-n-roll music and its stars wrote and performed original music with social messages, today's rock-n-roll songs and performers are unoriginal and express no social consciousness.
From the Paper "As a way of setting the cultural stage for the process of comparing and contrasting newer musical groups with older rock groups - since music reflects culture in the same way literature does - it is worth taking a look to see if "The Times (have been) A-Changin," (or how much they have been changing) as Bob Dylan wrote in the Sixties. The times have changed from yesterday's consistently progressive, liberal, and into social change activities, to today's more "party-oriented" young people who espouse a more conservative brand of politics and enjoy music that tends toward the predictable and bland."
Abstract Rock 'n roll music violated many cultural and social taboos of the 1950s. Performers and their recordings were frequently subject to censorship. This paper traces society's responses to pioneer rock stars such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis and examines why rock 'n roll has stirred so much controversy since its inception.
Abstract This is an intensive paper looking at both slang and rock music. The two have much in common and the author goes to great lengths to divulge their common threads. It's an 'All you need to know' paper looking at the history of slang, its many uses, youth subcultures and rock subcultures of the 20th - 21st century. The author includes a handy dictionary of slang terms.
From the Paper "Slang fills a necessary niche in all languages, occupying a middle ground between the standard and informal words accepted by the general public and the special words and expressions known only to comparatively small social subgroups. It can serve as a bridge or a barrier, either helping both old and new words that have been used as "insiders' " terms by a specific group of people to enter the language of the general public or, on the other hand, preventing them from doing so. Thus, for many words, slang is a testing ground that finally proves them to be generally useful, appealing, and acceptable enough to become standard or informal. For many other words, slang is a testing ground that shows them to be too restricted in use, not as appealing as standard synonyms, or unnecessary, frivolous, faddish, or unacceptable for standard or informal speech."
Abstract This paper describes how rock and roll integrated sounds from both black and white musical traditions, traces some of the roots of rock and roll, examines how those roots came together, and demonstrates how they have manifested themselves in the music.
Abstract This paper provides a three-tiered analysis of the most important trends in art, music and literature since 1890. In the paper, Andy Warhol represents the important trend of pop art, the Rolling Stones represents the important trend of Rock 'n' Roll in popular music and finally, Ernest Hemingway represents the crucial trend of modernist literature in the 20th century. It shows how these trends are an important part of the cultural identity of the 20th century, which impart crucial influences as to how art, music and literature evolved in this time frame.
From the Paper "The insanity and terror of war of this kind is the direct result of losing one's honor in a battle field that had little to do with chivalry and honor. Modernism reflects the reality and horror of war, as Hemingway clearly indicates in his response to coming home and telling his story to the local people in his town. In an age of machines and World Wars, Hemingway was a part of the important trend of literary Modernism, which provided the reality of war that counteracted the romanticism of war in the 19th century."
This paper examines the forgotten black roots of rock music in America, its influence on rebelling youth, and the evolution of new popular musical genres.
Abstract Rock and Roll music was both influenced by and influenced the youth movement of the 1960s. The beginnings of Rock music during the 1950s were actually quite rebellious and controversial. This paper puts the development of rock music into a cultural and historical context, drawing on examples such as Wynonnie Harris, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Bob Dylan. The paper also mentions beatniks and the psychadelic counterculture.
From the Paper "Rock and Roll music broke into the forefront of American culture as the baby boomer generation came of age. During the 1950s, the new musical style helped young people begin to rebel against their parents? generation in a stylistic, subtle, and symbolic way, generating more differences and encouraging a widening of the generation gap. Popular culture tends to disregard the 1950s as a sterile and orderly decade, however, the youth of the 1950s were beginning to rebel much more drastically and blatantly than we are led to believe, and more so than what remains as the lasting image in the historical memory of Americans who were alive at that time. While this music that we now call "oldies" seems so boring and unhip by today's standards, the earliest Rock and Roll music contained sexual implications and a gift of immediate gratification that spoke to the so-called juvenile delinquents of the time. By the early Sixties and the beginnings of the ?movement,? Rock and Roll music had already established itself as a successful form of cultural radicalism, that is, an individuality of spirit and expressive form of defiance against the norm. (The "movement" collectively refers a shift to the "New Left" which supported the Civil Rights Movement, was against the Vietnam War, and opposed the Old Left Liberal methods of working within the system to end poverty and racism by means of a technocracy.) The more the youth rebelled, the more the music changed to suit this rebellion. The lyrics became more overtly political and explicit, and Rock and Roll music began to ?evolve out of artistic necessity,? when new ways to rebel were necessary, in order to keep on rebelling, as it were. Folk musicians began to blend their lyrics and style with Rock music, and wrote songs that were true reflections and reactions to the times and responded to the changing world. By the mid 60s, a youth "counterculture" hit the scene, and Rock and Roll had split into two breeds of music: one which served an industry and popular culture, and another type of music for political activism, which eventually infused itself in the drug-laden hippie subculture."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth examination of the Blues. It begins by taking a look at the Deep South roots of the original Blues during slavery and how it began to spread north to Harlem in the late 1900s. The birth of contemporary Blues in the 1940s is detailed and it looks at some of the musicians, such as Scott Joplin who began incorporating these rhythms into their music. The next area covered is the building of the Blues, and traces the growth of different genres from the original blues. According to this author, the legacy of the blues was set, when it reached the ears of Elvis Presley, which led to the birth of rock and roll.
From the Paper "The music that was originally known as the blues developed from a variety of hereditary and regional musical influences and practices popular among the people of the southern portion of the United States. The roots of all varieties of blues music can be traced to the southern states, particularly those that comprise the area of the nation known as the Deep South. The music originating in the hills and backwoods of Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, music that has become most commonly associated with "hillbilly" bands and rhythms, is in fact a variety of the blues genre that is often referred to as "country blues" (Pooley 86). The style and genre that is most commonly associated with the blues, however, is also commonly associated with the nation's African-American sector and stems from the "Delta blues", a form of the blues that originated among the slave populations of the antebellum south and developed alongside its country "cousin" (86). This distinct musical style and form developed from the West African rhythms and beats that were brought to America by African slaves imported during the early years of slavery, rhythms and beats that were kept alive and passed down from generation to generation by the traditional music and songs of southern slaves."
Tags: musicians, south, deep, harlem, genre, rhythm, slavery, music, american, ragtime, emancipation, style, note, rock, roll
This paper deals with the British rock bands of the 1960's, and specifically discusses the different aspects of society during that period that affected the bands and in return reflected on the culture of the time.
2,215 words (approx. 8.9 pages), 6 sources, 2001, $ 68.95
Abstract This paper examines the British rock band invasion of the United States during the 1960?s. It specifically details the numerous aspects of society during that period, such as current events, that affected these bands (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, etc.) and how their music reflected on the culture of the time. The author discusses The Vietnam War, the anti-war movement, hippies, drug use- all influences on the bands.
From the Paper "Since the 1960's was a time period in which sex, love, violence, and drugs were running rampant, it is evident that some of these social factors of the time period had an effect on these bands. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were two of the most popular British Invasion bands in both the United States and The United Kingdom at the time. They are also prime examples of social factors have affected the music of the time period. The Vietnam War, which was directly related to the Hippie Movement, was one factor that had an effect. Mass drug use of the time period was also a factor that had a major influence on the British Invasion bands."
Tags: beatles, drug, marijuana, rock, rolling, stones, hippies, vietnam
Abstract The paper traces the history of baroque music which reached its peak in the 1700s with musicians such as Vivaldi and Bach. It then compares this music to the development of the rock music of the 1970s, identyfing the audience and the culture of both periods. The paper shows the similarity between the two time periods - in each of the two, music has been an instrument to cultural change. They were important to the audience because they could socially represent themselves or expressed their emotions through them.
From the Paper "Comparatively, in the modern era, the status of music has a different status quo. If one recall the period of the 1970s, the population of America especially experienced a period of "grotesqueness" as well. The culture of American population changed from discriminatory to one of extreme liberty. Different kind of music was experienced right from rock music to reggae. The resulting is an amalgamation of different cultural tunes. One could attribute the change of attitudes of the people towards music to the cultural trends prevailing at the time."
Abstract This paper discusses the fan base of The Rolling Stones and how it relies on a cultural milieu of young and old fans that find rebellion important in their music. Although The Rolling Stones had emulated the counter-culture and violent street mentality for so many years, it is obvious the band still beholds a popular presence through the generations.
From the Paper "This study will examine the band culture and fan base media perspective of the rock & roll band: The Rolling Stones. By critically evaluating how the lifestyles of the band members bring forth a music media culture, one can realize how hard living, drug addiction, and rebellion are the mainstay of The Rolling Stone fan base. In essence, rebellion and counter culture media perspectives are essential in realizing who and what this band represents in 20th and 21st century music history. The basis of fame within The Rolling Stones culture and through their fans is the sense of rebellion that their music embodies over a nearly 50-year span. In one instance, the issue with the Rolling Stones was to oppose the "good boy" image of the Beatles, their main competition during the 1960s. "
Abstract With a career spanning over 20 years, and a string of hits that remain sporting event anthems, Queen still remains one of the most beloved rock bands of all-time, even after the tragic death of Freddie Mercury over ten years ago. This essay discusses everything a person could want to know about this legendary group. Within the essay you'll find the humble origins of the four band members in Britain, their struggle to get noticed by the public, their eventual rise to super-stardom, and the eventual tragic death of Freddie Mercury at the hands of the AIDS virus. It also includes a bit of post-Queen information on the surviving members of the band and what they have been up to in the years since.
From the Paper "Throughout rock and roll history, Britain has produced some of the most important and revolutionary acts. There's been the controversial bad boy genius of the Rolling Stones, the front-running of "glam rock" by David Bowie, and of course the unparalleled skill and style of the Beatles. These artists, along with many others who have come out of Britain, have made important political and social statements with their music that captured the hearts and minds of their generations and beyond. However, one of Britain's most legendary acts often didn?t have very much to say at all in terms of politics, or trying to revolutionize the music industry. Instead, this group focused on becoming what is arguably one of the best disposable pop groups ever, and one of the greatest bands at performing true ?stadium rock.? This group was Queen, and they were embraced as one of England's most cherished bands (probably second only to the Beatles), while even finding moderate success in America as well."
Tags: champions, classic, Freddie, heavy, Mercury, metal, music, opera, Queen, rock, roll
Abstract This paper looks at the structural monument of the Dome of the Rock through a variety of means. The paper begins with a historical description, a physical description and a discussion of its builders and the society from which it stems. The paper continues to address the controversy which this structure has opened with regards to the unknown function of the piece at hand.
From the Paper "The Dome of the Rock is one of the best known Islamic landmarks in the city of Jerusalem. The work is filled with the religious and historical traditions of this city and is connected to elements of Islam, Judaism and Biblical beliefs. As the city is home to these three main religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam, it is fitting that aspects of it are indeed linked to them all. It was built on the ruins of Herod's temple, which was destroyed by the Romans, which itself was built on the site of the destroyed temple of Solomon (Shanks 50). Thus, it is a holy location for a multiple of reasons. The original structure was built by the Omayyad caliph Abd al-Malik in the late 7th century."
