Buffy Sainte-Marie
One of Canada’s most interesting and culturally important musical exports is undoubtably First Nations folk singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, who rose to fame beginning in the 1960s. Please read the biography of Sainte-Marie here. You may be tested on this information.
The 1960s Continued
Three majorly influential aspects of 1960s popular music are covered in this module: the Rock Revolution of the 1960s, led by Dylan and The Beatles; Motown; and the Hippie Movement (culminating in Woodstock). The Woodstock documentary is optional and for your interest only; be sure to take notes as you watch the first two videos, as you may be tested on this information.
On October 16, 2016, it was announced that Bob Dylan had been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”(1) It was a controversial choice for many. Literature afficionados criticized the choice because they do not consider his work to be Literature, adding to a common (but gradually receding or outdated?) sentiment that popular music is not art. Other critics rolled their eyes at yet another white male being honoured in a field where the awards have been given mostly to white males. It is notable that none of the Beat poets and writers who influenced Dylan’s writing have been honoured with this award.
Dylan took quite a long time to acknowledge the win, and did not attend the ceremony. But he did provide a thoughtful acceptance speech for the ceremony, which was delivered by America’s ambassador to Sweden. Read excerpts from his speech here, as well as an analysis of what it means for the work of Bob Dylan to be considered Nobel-worthy literature.
Shakespeares in the Alley
The Motown Effect
Challenge Questions for blogging
If you have chosen to blog for your assignments, you may choose ONE of the following blog questions to blog on this week, for a total of 10% of your overall assignment grade. Note that there are blogging questions available for each module, and you need to complete up to two for the first deadline and up to two for the second deadline. Please see the Assignment Details and Blogging assignment pages for more information.
1. Classic Album Review: Using research, and knowledge and language gleaned from the textbook and course materials, analyze one album from the list below as a cohesive entity, finding common themes throughout and describing them with clarity. Explain why this album is important and influential. Throughout the review, use specific songs or portions thereof as examples to support your arguments. Use strong research to back up your points. Reference relevant textbook and online learning materials, as well as sources you have found. Embed videos and provide hyperlinks to further information where possible. You may contact your instructors to request permission to review an album not included on this list; however, albums must meet certain criteria to be acceptable for this assignment.
Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde
Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis
Janis Joplin – Pearl
Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced?
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles – Abbey Road
Nina Simone – Wild is the Wind
The Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed
The Stooges – The Stooges
The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico
#M7Q1
2. Each of the albums listed below was the top selling album of that year. You will notice that the artists and albums covered in our textbook, though influential and important, are more often than not NOT the biggest selling albums of the year. Your module 7 learning materials paint a picture of the 1960s that is revolutionary, outspoken, and often wild, but not everyone experienced or took part in “that” 1960s. Choose one of the albums below and, through research and thoughtful analysis, tell us what you think the popularity of that particular album during that year says about the time period and the majority of music buyers in America at the time. Who was purchasing this music? Why was this music so popular? How does it differ from, or how is it similar to, the music studied in the module (look at the music, the lyrics, the meaning, or all of these)? Provide a bit of background on the group or film, link to any interesting sources you find, and embed a video of your favourite (or least hated) song from the album. FOR THIS QUESTION ONLY, we encourage you to consult the Wikipedia page for the other bestselling albums from that year, to compare.
- 1964 – Hello Dolly soundtrack*
- 1965 – Mary Poppins soundtrack*
- 1966 – “Whipped Cream and Other Delights” – Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass
- 1967 – “More of the Monkees” – The Monkees
- 1968 – “Are You Experienced?” – Jimi Hendrix Experience**
- 1969 – “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” – Iron Butterfly**
* Be sure to use your textbook information on the Golden Age of Musicals for context if you choose one of these albums.
** Neither of these best-selling albums made it to number one on the charts that year! Be sure to address this in your analysis.
#M7Q2
3. Cock Rock: Read the brief article “Cock Rock” by Susan Hiwatt. In light of this article (which is also part of your Module 8 Learning Materials), reconsider this week’s textbook readings on the “canon” of rock in the 60’s. Choose one of the female groups or artists highlighted in this week’s textbook readings, and in a well-researched, thoughtful post consider the following questions: how does the group or artist reinforce the criticisms against 60’s rock that Hiwatt puts forward? What are the limitations (social, musical, hierarchical, whatever) that frame their performance space – that is, what prevents them from being more? What expectations must they meet? In what ways (if any) are they able to challenge the masculine structure of 60’s rock? Did this article challenge the way you understood this week’s materials? Explain your thoughts.
#M7Q3
4. Live Concert Review:
Attend a live concert and write a review detailing your experience. You may only complete one concert review for the whole course. If there are multiple groups on the bill, choose only one. The concert must take place during the course and reflect the knowledge you’ve gained from the course materials. It should be the same length as your other blog posts but must describe the following features:
- Performer: biographies, band history, current place in popular music. Assume the reader is unfamiliar with the group.
- Sound: specifics of the music – harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, lyrics (if applicable) etc. Focus on one or more songs and construct a thorough description.
- Venue and Audience: describe not only the practical details of the environment, but how the music might inform us of the social realities of the audience and vice versa.
- Reflection: how meaningful was this concert to you? Was it meaningful to a broader group of people? What contributed to this feeling, or what was lacking? Use your knowledge of the history of popular music to support these feelings.
- Organization, Spelling, References: cite what research you use, utilizing a recognized citation method (Chicago is preferred).
- Proof of Attendance: take pictures of the event for your blog post and/or a selfie.
#M7Q4