Rock Music in American Culture: The Sounds of Revolution, 2d ed.

by Robert G. Pielke

Overview

From its roots in the black and white "under classes" through its clash with the broader culture to its multifaceted incarnation today, rock and roll has fostered and reflected a genuine cultural revolution that has gone on to influence the world.

This critical work investigates rock music from a philosophical perspective, an approach rarely seen in the literature. Topics include a definition of rock music and a suggested typology; an examination of rock on radio and in television and film; and a depiction of what is to come. Of particular interest is how rock's shifting mores have mirrored the complex changes experienced by American society as it has undergone almost continuous turbulence.

Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786448654
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	01/05/2012
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	265
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Robert G. Pielke is a retired professor of philosophy and the author of numerous scholarly articles. He lives in Claremont, California.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     
Introduction: America’s Cultural Revolution     

Part One. Music and Culture     
1. Rock Music and Contemporary American Culture     
2. What Is Rock Music?     
3. A Suggested Typology     

Part Two. Medium and Message     
4. Radio: The Creation of a New Community     
5. Records: The Newest Testament     
6. Film: A Creative Tension     
7. Television: Bringing It All Back Home     
8. The Internet: You Say You Want a Web-o-lution     

Part Three. Revolution and Revelation     
9. Elvis and the Negation of the Fifties     
10. The Beatles and the Affirmation of the Sixties     
11. Dormancy and the Re-creation of the Interim     
12. The Counter-Reaction and Defense     
13. The Re-actualization and Rebirth     

Epilogue: The Shape of Things to Come     
Chapter Notes     
Bibliography     
Index     

Editorial Reviews

an exhaustive look at the way rock music has shaped public attitudes...a worthy addiction”—Bookviews; “a uniquely philosophical perspective on rock and roll...an earnest, intimate exploration of the phenomena by someone who has lived through it...Pielke’s writing confidently—and successfully—strides the line between academic rigour and wider accessibility...three weeks spent reading this book from cover to cover has returned my mind to many of the values imbued by my earliest, most intimate, experiences of music. For the first time in years, I’ve been listening to Beatles tracks again, hearing them resound clearly in my head, feeling their rainbow of sensations spill out and over my body”—The Uncustomary Book Review; “Pielke explores rock’s influence and relationship with American’s cultural past, present, and future”—Reference & Research Book News.

From the Publisher

Reference & Research Book News.

2d ed Rock Music in American Culture: The Sounds of Revolution

an exhaustive look at the way rock music has shaped public attitudes...a worthy addiction

Bookviews