Topics In Music: Rock and Roll
Musc 322
Fall, 2003
David Means.
Associate Professor
Metropolitan
State University
Office: 805
Minneapolis Campus
Phone: (612)
659-7159
Rock and roll music emerged out of the American post war baby boom
to define and describe a succession of generations to be influenced by popular
culture, social issues and mass-market appeal. This course will trace the
origins of rock music, examine early forms and experiments in rock music and
the recording industry, and explore some of the recent developments in
alternative rock music, including electronic music and music videos. Through readings, discussions and
performances and by examining rock recordings, films and videotapes, we will:
Trace the stylistic development of rock
music from its origins to alternative forms (Midterm Questions)
Explore the relationship and impact of
rock music to contemporary popular culture (Cultural Analysis Project)
Determine what rock musicians and
producers seek to accomplish in terms of cultural, aesthetic, social and
commercial goals (Interview); and
Interpret, analyze and critique selected
rock music writings, recordings or performances. (Critical Analysis Project)
Suggested Competence Statement:
"Knows the history, traditions, musical styles, and cultural
context of rock music and can interpret this knowledge to create critical and
analytic projects."
Evaluation:
Evaluation of competence will be based ¼ on mid-term questions
(from readings and viewings), ¼ on a cultural analysis project, ¼ on an
interview project and, ¼ on a critical analysis
project.
Videotape Materials:
American Masters: “Good
Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy of Sun
Records” (112’)
American Masters: Lou
Reed, PBS (60’)
Brian Eno: Imaginary
Landscapes, Mystic Fire Video (60’)
Songs For ‘Drella’, Lou Reed and John Cale, BAM “Next Wave”
Festival. (20’)
History of Rock and Roll – Episodes 1-10, PBS, Experience Music
Project (600’)
They Might Be Giants:
“Direct From Brooklyn” Video Compilation
Required Text:
Rock and Roll: Its History
and Stylistic Development, by Joe Stuessy and Scott Lipscomb. Prentice Hall, 1999.
Articles and Selected Bibliography:
Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung, by Lester
Bangs; ed. By Greil Marcus, 1988.
“Rock Roots” in Sound Effects:
Youth, Leisure and the Politics of Rock ‘N’ Roll, by Simon Frith,
1985.
American Music in the Twentieth Century, by Kyle Gann,
1997.
Mystery Train: Images of
America in Rock ‘N’ Roll Music, by Greil Marcus, 1975.
Dead Elvis: A Chronicle of
a Cultural Obsession, by Greil Marcus, 1991.
Lipstick Traces: A Secret
History of the Twentieth Century, by Greil Marcus, 1989.
The Aesthetics of Rock, by Richard Meltzer, 1970.
All American Music, by John Rockwell, 1983.
Rockin’ In Time: A Social History of Rock-and-Roll, by David P.
Szatmary, Prentice Hall, 1996.
Exotica: Fabricated
Soundscapes in a Real World. By David Toop, 1999.
Honky Ton kin’: A Travel Guide to American Music, by Richard
Wooten, 1980.
Sounding Off: Music as
Subversion/Resistance/Revolution.
ed. Fred Ho and Ron Sakolsky.
Syllabus:
I. 8/28 Introduction and
Overview
Syllabus and
Assignments
Rock Scholarship,
Journalism, Ritual and Mythology
View: PBS American Masters: “Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records”
Read: Stuessy & Lipscomb - Chapters 1-4
Part I: Origins and Early
Rock and Roll
II. 9/4 Rock Origins and
Early Rock Renegades – Thinking and Listening Critically
12 bar blues form
and 32 bar song form
New
Orleans/Blues/Pop/Radio/Records
Howlin’ Wolf/ Bill Haley/Buddy Holly/Sam
Phillips/Elvis/Ray Charles
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 1: Renegades
Read: Stuessy & Lipscomb - Chapters 4-5
III. 9/11 Rock and Roll in the Late 1950s to Early 1960s
American Bandstand/Surfing Songs/Popular
Culture/Elvis-mania
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 2: In the Groove
Read: Stuessy & Lipscomb - Chapters 6 and 8
ASSIGNMENT: Interview subject with rock music expertise; form five
questions and write up as report (Due Week XIII)
IV. 9/18 Folk and Rock Poets:
Shakespears in the Alley
Dylan/Beatles/Byrds/Stones
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 3: Shakespears in the Alley
Read: Stuessy & Lipscomb – Chapter 9
V. 9/25 Motown to Soul and Early Funk Rock
Berry Gordon/Wilson Pickett/Aretha
Franklin/James Brown
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 4: Respect
Read: Stuessy & Lipscomb – Chapter 7
VI.10/2 Crossroads
Delta/Hooker/UK/Clapton/Animals/Led
Zeppelin/Hendrix
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 5: Crossroads
Read: Stuessy & Lipscomb - Chapters 10 & 11
ASSIGNMENT: Mid-term Study Questions - (Due Week XIII)
VII.10/9 San Francisco and the Seventies
Grateful
Dead/Jefferson Airplane/Joplin/Pink Floyd/Psychedelic and Jazz Rock
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 6: Blues in Technicolor
Read: Stuessy & Lipscomb - Chapters 12 and 13
ASSIGNMENT: Cultural Analysis Project - due by Week XV
Part II: New Waves and Alternatives
Vlll.10/16 Toward a New Wave:
Frank Zappa/Lou Reed/Patti Smith
Lou Reed and the Wild Side
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 7: The Wild Side
View: Songs For ‘Drella’,
Lou Reed and John Cale, BAM “Next Wave” Festival. (20’)
Read: Stuessy &
Lipscomb – Chapter 14 and 15
ASSIGNMENT: Critical Analysis Project - due by Week XV
IX. 10/23 The Eighties – Funk and Dance Music
(Early Techno)
MTV/Michael
Jackson/Springsteen/Madonna/Metal
James
Brown/Sly/George Clinton/Donna Summer
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 8: Make it Funky
X. 10/30 The
Eighties – Punk and Reggae
Ramones/Sex
Pistols/Blondie/Police
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 9: Punk
Read: Stuessy &
Lipscomb – Chapter 16
Part III: Rap and Recent Developments
XI. 11/6 Rap, Drum & Bass, Hardcore
Run-DMC/Public
Enemy/Lennie Kravitz
View: History of Rock and Roll – Episode 10: The Perfect Beat
XII. 11/13 Ambient and Techno
House/Jungle/Sampling/Brian
Eno/Robert Ashley
View: “Brian Eno: Imaginary Landscapes”, Mystic Fire Video
(60’)
XlIl. 11/20 Final
Cultural Analysis Project Presentations
View: American
Masters: Lou Reed, PBS (60’)
Due: Mid-term
Study Questions and Interview Project
Off 11/27 for
Holiday----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
XIV. 12/4 Final
Critical Analysis Project Presentations
View: Selections
from: They Might Be Giants: “Direct
From Brooklyn” Video Compilation
XV. 12/11 Final Projects (Written and
Presentations)
All
Projects and Coursework Due
Instructional Improvement Questionnaires
Evaluation:
Evaluation of competence will be based
¼ on mid-term questions (from readings and viewings),
¼ on a critical analysis project
¼ on an interview project and
¼ on a cultural analysis project.
Outcomes and Assessment (rating scale: excellent, good, adequate,
partially adequate, inadequate)
Knowledge and understanding of the history and stylistic
development of rock music through readings and video viewings. (Mid-term Study
Questions and Interview Project)
Ability to analyze, interpret and critique rock music in the
context of public performances, recordings and music videos; (Critical Analysis
Projects)
Ability to integrate the cultural and musical elements of rock
music into a coherent, comprehensive analysis project; (Cultural Analysis Projects)