A Social History of Rock Music

[axlfan88]

https://libcom.org/library/rock-beginners-miguel-amor-s

A condensed social and political history of rock music, from its historical roots in Afro-American rhythm and blues, to its appropriation by white artists during the 50s, its commercialization during the late 50s, its rebirth as a dissident cultural phenomenon during the 60s, its relation to youth counterculture, folk music and political dissent during the Vietnam War era, the role played by the big festivals and drugs, its decline as a creative movement during the early 70s as it was totally commercialized and turned into a commodity serving the escapist and conformist imperatives of the dominant system, and its final eclipse by monotonous “dance music” and vapid “entertainment”.

 

Edited August 22, 2018 by axlfan88

[Len Cnut]

Bullshit.  It was a wholly commercial enterprise to begin with and a lot more cynical in the 50s and 60s than some would have you believe.  The so-called counter culture 60s flower power stuff was as much a result of good marketing as anything in the 70s and 80s.  

[soon]

44 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Bullshit.  It was a wholly commercial enterprise to begin with and a lot more cynical in the 50s and 60s than some would have you believe.  The so-called counter culture 60s flower power stuff was as much a result of good marketing as anything in the 70s and 80s.  

Ah, but we'd need to draw the distinction between the flower power contingent and other factions of the counter culture at the time. The New Left, as it was then known, was as separate as one could get from flower power while still being in the counter culture. MC5 was poorly marketed, failed to make a definitive studio album and dissolved as quick as they arrived. The MC5 were the purveyors of rock for dyed in the wool revolutionaries.

Weather Underground, SLA, BLA, George Jackson Brigade, FLQ, M.O.V.E and others bombed, shot, kidnapped, prison broke, bank expropriated to a sound track of rock n roll. And they are very real, not a media creation.

The book covers a lot more ground than 60's radicalism of course.

[Len Cnut]

18 minutes ago, soon said:

Ah, but we'd need to draw the distinction between the flower power contingent and other factions of the counter culture at the time. The New Left, as it was then known, was as separate as one could get from flower power while still being in the counter culture. MC5 was poorly marketed, failed to make a definitive studio album and dissolved as quick as they arrived. The MC5 were the purveyors of rock for dyed in the wool revolutionaries.

Weather Underground, SLA, BLA, George Jackson Brigade, FLQ, M.O.V.E and others bombed, shot, kidnapped, prison broke, bank expropriated to a sound track of rock n roll. And they are very real, not a media creation.

The book covers a lot more ground than 60's radicalism of course.

True but on the broader scale those people were the minority.  MC5 are a brilliant example, as are The Stooges, though in a very apolitical sort of way.  There's a great documentary on the 5 out there whoose name escapes me.  But yeah, they are one of my favourite bands of all time.  But musically, I think it's REALLY important that people be reminded, in all the glorification of the 60s counterculture that there was a great deal of what was about at that time musically that was as spurious as Justin Beiber.