Vietnam and Protest Songs MUSC-21600: The Art of Rock Music Prof. Freeze 24 October 2016 Rock Music and Social Revolution? • Rock’s rebellious spirit: against parents (1950s) to anti-Establishment (1960s) • The Establishment vs. Counterculture • Rock as countercultural mouthpiece • “Satisfaction” (The Rolling Stones, 1965) • “Eleanor Rigby” (The Beatles, 1966) • “My Generation” (The Who, 1965) • “Light My Fire” (The Doors, 1967) • “Purple Haze” (Jimi Hendrix, 1967) • But rock also inextricably tied the establishment • Vietnam War = the ultimate symbol of the establishment • Expectation? • Rock music in the 1960s fostered a social revolution, galvanizing activism against the Vietnam War. Popular Musical Responses to Vietnam • Non-rock popular + country/western = solidly patriotic • “Ballad of the Green Berets” (Sgt. Barry Sadler, 1966) • Urban folk = solidly anti-war • Not really popular • “Masters of War” (Bob Dylan, 1963) • Hailed as pretest-singing prophet • “It’s not an anti-war song. • It’s speaking against what Eisenhower was calling a military-industrial complex.” • Sneering, poisonous rage • Rock = largely silent about the war • Business factors • Demographics • Politics • “Eve of Destruction” (Barry McGuire, 1965) = one of few popular, antiwar songs Vietnam and Rock Protest Songs • “I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag” (Country Joe MacDonald, 1967) • Initially, “Just another song. It wasn’t much of anything” • 1968 and the Four-Letter Word(s) • 1969 and Woodstock • Concurrent commercialization and trivialization: “selling peace . for $3.98” • Circus-like parody • Late 1960s: disenchantment with Vietnam spread • Rock emerges as economic leader of popular music • Rock protest songs more common after boom in antiwar sentiment • Artists recognized songs as commercial opportunities • “War” (Edwin Starr, 1970) • “Ohio” (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, 1971) Gaye (and Santana) • 1968: pivotal year in black pop • Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On (1971) • One of the first concept albums of black pop • Soul + gospel + political impetus of progressive rock • “What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye, 1971; Soul 1, Pop 2) • Plea for nonviolence • Framed by “street” sounds • Jazz (scat singing) and Latin (congas) influences • Retains lush Motown production with strings • Broader multicultural engagement of rock/soul in late 1960s • Carlos Santana • Latin rock fusion • Afro-Cuban rhythm section: congas, complex rhythmic layering • Blues and jazz: Hammond organ, Santana’s guitar style • “Oye Como Va” (Santana, 1971; Pop 13, R&B 32) • Groove-oriented sound • Layers (clave-like organ, bass riffs; guitar riff) • Light guitar style, yet distortion, pedal effects.