Rock nroll.docx
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Rock nroll.docx
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Rocknroll
Rock-and-Rolln.firstsoused(1951)byAlanFreed,Clevelanddiscjockey,takenfromthesong"MyBabyRocksMewithaSteadyRoll".Theuseofrock,roll,rockandroll,etc.,withreferencetosexualintercourse,istraditionalinblues,aformofpopularmusicthatevolvedinthe1950'sfromrhythmandblues,characterizedbytheuseofelectricguitars,astrongrhythmwithanaccentontheoffbeat,andyouth-orientedlyrics.
TheGoldenDecade-1955to1964
Thiswebpageattemptstoexploretherootsofrockinsuchawayastoilluminatethenaturalprogressionofmusicalstyles.ToooftenthestudyofrockbeginswithBillHaleyandHisCometsandincludesscantinformationaboutthebluesandrhythmrecordsthathe,andothers,usedasamodel.Amusicalgenredoesnotsimplyappear,itgraduallyevolvestoapointintimewhensomeevent-performance,publication,or recordingallowslistenerstoperceiveitsuniquequalitiesandapplyalabel.WyonnieHarris'1947recordingof"GoodRockingTonight"wasoneofmany"rhythmrecords"madeduringthelate1940s,howeverwhenitwasrecordedbyElvisPresleyin1954itseemedlikeanewanddifferentapproach.Whatmadeitseemnewanddifferentwasitscontext.Withoutexploringthehistoryofblackpopularmusic,countryandwesternmusic,racerelations,technicaldevelopments,andthemusicbusinessonecanbeledeasilytotheconclusionthatrockandrollwassomenewanddifferentmusicwhichappearedsuddenly.
ThispagebeginswiththeAfricanmusicaltraitsbroughtherebeginningin1619andattemptstotracetheirfusionwiththeEuropeanmusicbroughtherebythecolonists.ThestoryofthismusicalinteractionisalsothestoryofAmericanpopularmusicandincludestheplantationsongsofStephenFoster,theragtimeofScottJoplin,thebluesofBessieSmith,thejazzofCountBasie,andthejumpbandsofLouisJordan.TheknowledgeofthestreamofAmericanpopularmusicallowsonetounderstandthatrockandrollwasanaturalresultofthecombinedforcesthataffectedthemusic.
ChangingtheWorld:
Rock'n'RollCultureandIdeology
by
DavidN.Townsend
Chapter1
Origins
Allyoureallyneedtoknowabouttheoriginsofrock'n'rollisthatitstartedwithslavery.Thehistorybookscangiveyouthedetails;what'simportantisthatrock'n'rollcanbetracedinadirectlinetoanutterlyunnaturalphenomenon:
theforceduprootingoftensofthousandsofAfricansfromtheirnativelandsandcultures,andtheirtransplantationtoanewworldasdifferentfromwhattheyhadknownasblackisdifferentfromwhite.Addinthefactthatfamiliesweresplitapart,slavesfromdifferenttribeswerethrowntogetheronthesameplantations,and,ofcourse,thesereluctantvisitorswerechained,whipped,imprisoned,andcompelledtoperformexcruciatinghardlaborforbarelysubsistencenourishment.Keepinmindthattheseconditionscontinued,onthiscontinent,forwelloveracentury,untillessthan150yearsago.
Irealizethatthisishardlynews,butsometimesitseemsthatwhiteAmericanshaveforgotten,orwanttoforget,thatslaveryeverexisted,letalonesorecentlyasthe1860s.Thereareanynumberofwaystoputitinrevealingperspective.ThinkoftheconditionthatEuropeanculturehadachievedbythemid-1800s:
theemergenceofImpressionistart;thegreatnovelsofHugo,Flaubert,Tolstoy,andDickens;theintellectualenlightenmentofdeTocquevilleandDescartes;therevolutionaryfermentofMarx.Anyaverageliberalartsstudentencountersmostofthesegreatculturaldevelopmentstosomedegree:
thecoreofmodernWesterncivilizationwasformulatingoverseas.Meanwhile,Americansstillthrashedfellowhumansintopitifulservitude,andtreatedthemlegallyasnomorethanpersonalproperty.Thisunavoidableelementofournation'shistoryisignoredoverandoverbyideologicalchauvinistswhoopposeAffirmativeActionandcivilrightslegislation,whodecry"reversediscrimination"andclaimitis"unfair"totrytoforceintegrationortoameliorateAfricanAmericans'disadvantagesattheexpenseofinnocentEuropean(orAsian)Americans.("Hey,myancestorsimmigratedin1912.I'mnotresponsibleforslavery!
")ThatanyonecouldfindinthepredominanceofpovertywithinblackcommunitiesinAmericaanythingbutthecontinuinglegacyofhumanbondageisunfathomable,andtrulyfrightening.Theonlyconceivableexplanationisthatsomepeoplekeepforgettingaboutslavery:
"Whythehellareyousobentoverandweak?
"
"Well,Iwasaslaveforfortyyears.Theybeatmetwiceaweek."
"Oh,that'sright.Iforgot."
Whythehellaresomanyblacksstuckinhopelessghettolives,resortingtodrugs,crime,andviolencetofillthevoidoftheirexistence?
Becausetheirgreatgreatgreatgrandfatherswereslaves;theirgreatgreatgrandfatherswereilliterate,disenfranchisedsharecroppers;theirgreatgrandfathersweredirtpoorfarmersorlaborerswhomovedtoNortherncitieswhentheDepressionwipedoutwhatmeageropportunitiesremainedintheSouth;theirgrandfatherswereequallypoorchildrenofthefirstghettos,joblessanduneducated,withnohopeforescape;andtheirfathersfoundscarcelybetterchancesdespitetheprosperityofthepost-Waryears,thehopeofthecivilrightsmovement,andtheslowlyemergingsenseofunityamongAfricanAmericansasarace.Manyoftoday'syoungblacks,ofcourse,cannotlookbackthroughalineageoffathers,grandfathers,andsoon,becausesomany"fathers,"themselvesoftenlittlemorethanchildren,disappearedbeforeorsoonaftertheirprogenywereborn.Suchisthecycleofdeprivationwherehopeisunknown.
Publicpolicyandindividualdeterminationhaveonlydentedthistragiclegacy;forthemajorityofAfricanAmericanstoday,slavery'sevilscarsremainopen.Yetthewhiteestablishmentforgetsaboutslavery,forgetsaboutblacks,really.A"Roots"comesalongandpoignantlyrevivesthesuppressedcollectivememoryforawhile,butamnesiasoonreturns.WhenaJesseJacksonpersistsinunderliningtheinjusticebetweentheraces,whiteAmericaisconcerned,orbemused,orinsulted,butonlyoccasionallyinspired,thewaytheyshouldbe,thewayotherwisedespairingblacksareinspired.Othercountrieshaveenduredslaveryandpaythepriceintheirownway.InAmerica,slaverywasmoredominant,moreintegraltothenation'seconomicandsocialfabricthananywhereelse,andinthemostwealthyandadvancedcountryonearth,slavery'spriceisthehighestofall--andthebillhasnotbeenpaidinfull.
Tounderstandrock'n'roll,therefore,wemustunderstandwhatslaverywas,andwhereitleftthesonsanddaughtersofAfricanswhoknewnothingoftheEuropeanrootsofAmericanculture.Forslaveryprovidestheperfectrationale,theperfectexplanationforwhyrock'n'rollshouldstandapartfromothermusicalforms,asaculturalrevolutionuntoitself.Everysociety,afterall,hasitsindigenousmusic,whichservesasentertainment,accompanimenttoritualandceremony,bondingforce,storyteller,preserverofhistory.Rock'n'roll,certainly,ismodernAmericanfolkmusicintheserespects,successortoStephenFosterandColePorter.Butthatisonlyaminorfacetofrock'n'roll'splaceinAmerican,indeedinworldsocietysince1955,andthelargerelementsofrock'sinfluencereachfarbeyondthetraditionalculturaladhesivestatusofotherfolkmusics.Tosolidifythisclaim,andtoexplainit,wecanpointdirectlytoslavery,whichforciblymixedtheradicallydifferentelementsoftwoculturesinaboilingcauldron(ratherthanameltingpot),bringingtowhite,rural,agrarianAmericaaseriesofrhythmicandvocaltraditionsthatoriginatedontheothersideoftheplanetinAfrica,andaddinganimportantspiritual,melancholy,almostfatalisticsensibilitythatgrewupbyitselfintheslaves'imprisonedsouls.
Thislastingredientiscrucial:
theydidn'tsingtheBluesbackinAfrica.Rock'n'rollisanAfrican-Americanhybrid,butitsstrongestrootistheverysuffering,andsurvival,ofgenerationsofslaves,wholearnedhowmusiccouldhelpamantotranscendearthlypainforawhile.TheBluessingsofsadness,toil,andloss,butthereasonforsingingtheBluesistorelievethehurtthesethingscause.TheBlues,withitssimple,repetitiverhythmsandchordsandlyricalphrases,providesacomfortingcommunalmessagethatmusicianandaudiencecanshare,aslongastheyknowwherethesingeriscomingfrom.It'snowonderthatBluessingersweresopopularduringtheDepression,especiallyintheSouth,amongbothblackandwhiteaudiences.It'salsoeasytounderstandthestrongbondsbetweentheBlues(andlaterR&Bandrock'n'roll)andGospelmusic:
fromasecularpointofview,singingabouttheLordliftingyouupandsingingabouttheBluesfallin'downlikerainarespirituallyequivalentacts.
SowhilethemusicalinnovationsbroughttoAmericabytheAfricansinvolvedrhythmprimarily,alongwithnewvariationsontheuseofthehumanvoiceforbothmelodyandrhythm,theirmorefundamentalcontributiontothelegacythatwastospawnrock'n'rollwastheuseofthemusicitselfforemotional,spiritualpurposes.Therhythmsespecially,ofcourse,figuredprominentlyinthisapplication,becausethedrudgeryofrepetitiouswork--pickingendlessbalesofcotton,choppingwood,etc.--couldberelievedsomewhatbyasuperimposedmusicalrhythm.Inthiswaythefunctionandformofthemusicreinforcedthemselves.WhentheBluesevolvedintoamoregeneralstyleinthedecadesfollowingemancipation,therepetitiouselementremainedintact,partlybecauseitmadethemusiceasytolearnforfolkswhohadnoaccesstorefinedteachingorexpensiveinstruments.Thes
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