Music 162 Midterm 2 Week 7

96 Tears

? and the Mysterians was a band from Flint Michigan, the sons of Texas Mexican migrant farmworkers had come to Michigan to harvest beets and settled there. This song with its monotonous pulse, simple chords, and dark alienated lyrics, has been cited as one of the first "punk" songs even though the genre didn't have a name yet. The hook on the organ was originally conceived on an accordion, the iconic instrument of working class Texas Mexicans.

I'm waiting for my man

Although the Velvet Underground never sold many records, their intentionally crude sound and alienated lyrics influenced many important figures in the Punk/New Wave movement of the 1970s. Pop-artist Andy Warhol discovered the group in 1966 at the Cafe Bizarre in NYC, and produced their first album (with a peelable picture of a banana on its cover). Guitarist/vocalist Lou Reed and viola player John Cale, former students of classical music, were the key members. Their style combined a loud, repetitive, minimalist sound -- deliberately designed to be 'uncommercial' -- with lyrics focused on alienation, sado-masochism, drug addiction, and violence. "I'm Waiting for the Man" is a description of Reed's journey to Harlem to buy heroin from a pusher.

Friends in Low Places

Garth Brooks

I'm so bored with the USA

Joe Strummer, the son of a British diplomat, quit school and formed a pub-rock band called The 101'ers. After seeing the Sex Pistols, Strummer formed the Clash. While Sex Pistols were nihilists, the Clash were more explicitly political, performing songs about racism and police brutality. The Clash were also more ambitious musically, incorporating elements of reggae, rockabilly, zydeco and other styles into a rock 'n' roll format. British CBS signed the Clash in 1977. Although their debut album was not offically released in the U.S., it was the biggest-selling import album up to that time, selling 100,000 copies. The Clash has continued to be active in political causes and have performed benefit concerts for Rock Against Racism. "I'm So Bored with the U.S.A." is a response to American domination of popular culture in Europe; its main lyric line is a parody of songs like the Beach Boys' "Surfin' U.S.A.".

Okie from Muskogee

Merle Haggard

I can't stop loving you

Ray Charles

Who'll Turn out the Lights

Ronnie Millsap

It's Too Late

Singer-songwriters (e.g., James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman) formed another category of mainstream 1970s pop. Carole King -- former Brill Building songwriter -- scored the biggest success with her LP Tapestry, which was the #1 pop LP, spawned four top singles, appeared for 301 weeks on the charts, and eventually sold over 13 million copies. At the 1971 Grammy ceremonies, she won awards for Best Album, Best Female Vocalist, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. Like most of the cuts on Tapestry, "It's Too Late" is a song about a highly personal experience (carefully designed to appeal to millions of listeners), framed with an intimate arrangement which focuses attention on King's voice and piano. Two weeks after the Rolling Stone's "Brown Sugar", "It's Too Late" moved into the #1 spot on the pop charts.

Thank you(Fallentine)

Sly and The Family Stone helped to establish funk music, a genre which simultaneously reached down into basic principles of African American music -- repetitive patterns, interlocking rhythms, call-and-response, and rhythmic momentum or "groove" -- and extended out to incorporate aspects of rock music. Sylvester Stewart's family moved from Texas to San Francsico in the 1950s. He began his musical career as a gospel singer, studied music theory and composition in college, and became a popular disc-jockey on a local soul station. Sly formed his band in 1966, and created a style that blended jazz, R&B;, San Francisco psychedelia, and lyrics with social messages. The band's popularity was boosted by a fiery appearance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. "Thank You..." was a #1 single on the pop and R&B; charts in 1970. It features Larry Graham's prominent bass line -- a profound influence on later funk bands -- an approach to arrangement which brings the whole band into the rhythm section (an idea pioneered by James Brown), and jazz-influenced horns.

Living for the City

Stevie Wonder is an African American singer/songwriter who got his start in Motown in the 1960s. Breaking with the constraints of Motown in 1971, he renegotiated his contract to give him full artistic control over his music. Wonder was able to do many of his recording and composing work himself, playing most of the instruments himself, through the process of overdubbing. A studio technique pioneered by Buddy Holly, overdubbing allows instruments and vocals to be added to an original master recording seperately and independent from each other. He also innovated in the use of synthesizers and wrote songs with a great variety of themes and styles. "Living for the City" puts a spotlight on poverty and racism.

"Pyscho Killer"

Talking Heads, formed in 1975 by design-school graduates David Byrne and Chris Frantz, represents the more self-consciously "artsy" side of the New York new wave club scene. They played their first shows at CBGB&OMFUG (Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music for Urban Gourmets), a Bowery bar that was a center of the N.Y. punk scene in the mid-1970s. Their sound -- featuring Byrne's trembling high-pitched voice and eclectic songwriting -- is very different from that of the Ramones, with whom they toured in the early days. Talking Heads have drawn the elements of funk, minimalism, and African rhythms, creating some of the most adventurous and danceable new wave music. Brian Eno produced three of their albums.

Hotel California

The 1970s saw the emergence of a new category designating slickly produced rock music aimed at a wide (mainly white) audience: AOR (Album Oriented Rock). Los Angeles, center of the film and television industries, became an important center of rock production, and several L.A. bands had huge successes during the mid-late 1970s. The Eagles, a southern California band with roots in folk-rock and country-rock, were formed 1971 by drummer Don Henley and guitarist Glenn Frey. Guitarist Joe Walsh joined in 1975. They were very successful, scoring 16 Top 40 hits during the 1970s. The Eagles' sound was based upon tight vocal harmonies, careful arrangements and studio production, and fine guitar work. The LP Hotel California won the Album of the Year Grammy in 1977, and sold 11 million copies worldwide. The single "Hotel California" combines aspects of rock, country music, and reggae (particularly noticeable in the rhythm guitar parts). The lyric presents a surrealistic portrayal of cut-throat life in Hollywood, with images derived in part from horror movies. Many music critics hated them for their AOR success, and the band split up in 1981.

I wanna be sedated

The Ramones' quintessential punk sound -- simple, high-speed, energetic guitar chords without solos -- influenced London punk groups and also became a blue print for L.A. hardcore bands. Although they project a street-tough image, all are from middle class Queens families. Their manager Danny Fields had previously worked with MC5, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, and Lou Reed. The Ramones gained popularity playing at CBGB&OMFUG; (Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music for Urban Gourmets), a Bowery bar that was a center of the NYC alternative music scene in the mid-1970s. They were one of the first of the CBGB bands to sign a record contract, with the indie label Sire. The Ramones' 1976 tour of England inspired many London Punk musicians. Their style was influenced by the Stooges, bubblegum music and surf music. "I Wanna Be Sedated" is a parody of the Beach Boys' style.

Flash Light(Parliament)

The apotheosis of funk music was a loose aggregate of musicians called Parliament (a.k.a. Funkadelic), led by George Clinton (a.k.a. Dr. Funkenstein). Clinton, an ex-Motown vocal group leader, hung out with hippies, listened to Iggy Pop, and changed style radically in the late 1960s. Enlisting some ex-members of James Brown's band (e.g., bassist Bootsy Collins), he developed a mixture of compelling polyrhythms, psychedelic guitar, jazz-influenced horn arrangements and R&B; vocal harmonies. Clinton expressed an alternative black sensibility, embodied in street talk and science fiction-derived images of intergalactic travel. He took stereotypes and stood them on their heads, reconfiguring funk -- a term originally used to describe unpleasant odors -- as a positive human quality. "Flash Light" exemplifies Clinton's brand of "deep funk": heavy bass; interlocking rhythms, and a collective sound as though the music is taking shape spontaneously in live performance. The variety of timbres is extraordinary; e.g. the bass is doubled by a synthesizer to give it a special sound.

Anarchy in the UK

The owner of a London "anti-fashion" boutique, Sex, Malcolm McLaren had first managed a glam-rock group, the New York Dolls, in 1975. McLaren conceived the idea of a Rock and roll band that would challenge the mainstream pop music industry. Glen Matlock (bass), Paul Cook (drums) and Steve James (guitar) were regular customers at the shop, and they were looking for a singer. McLaren found Johnny Rotten (who had never sung before), and formed the Sex Pistols in 1975. England's biggest and most conservative record label signed Sex Pistols in October, 1976, and they released the first single, "Anarchy in the UK," in December. That month, Rotten uttered an obscenity during a TV interview, and in January '77 EMI terminated their contract. In March, Matlock was replaced by Sid Vicious. A&M; signed up the Pistols only to drop them the next week. In May, Virgin signed them and released their second single, "God Save the Queen." Despite being banned from airplay, the song went to #2 on the British charts (cited as a blank). The Sex Pistols broke up in January 1978, during their only U.S. tour.

Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

Waylon Jennings

Funny How Time Slips Away

Willie Nelson