After reading deeper into my first book, Shots From the Hip, I decided to switch the way in which I looked at the relationship between American culture and music, specifically rock. After reading entries about what inspired some of the most popular musicians, especially in the 1970s, I was intrigued by the impact that events surrounding the Vietnam War had on the music of the later "Golden Age".
After investigating further, I stumbled across my second book, Battle Notes: Music of the Vietnam War by Lee Andresen. After beginning to read this, I have been enlightened to the incredible impact that the general (American) public's perspectives had pertaining to the music of the era. Many people were unhappy, hesitant at best, to support US involvement in Vietnam, and many of these opinions were reflected or even emphasized by the music of the time. Groups such as CCR, Buffalo Springfield, and The Rolling Stones were just a few of many to openly oppose the war through their music, but at the same time others such as Merle Haggard and Johnny Wright wrote pro-war songs to counteract them.
The atmosphere within the music industry was extremely unique during the Vietnam War, and created musical rivalries of sorts - and with musicians feuding, so were their followings. For every group that hopped on either the pro-war or anti-war bandwagon, thousands (if not millions) of their fans followed, joining the cause of their role models. As a result, the country became increasingly divided, and by the time the war ended (for the US, that is) in August of 1973, there might as well have been two new political parties: Pro-war and Anti-war. Vietnam may have had little to do with music when it began, but as US involvement became more and more serious, it came to shape the entire rock industry.
Delaney,
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how music was a platform in which people expressed their political, social, and cultural views. I think there is a lot to say regarding how social issues affect pop culture and how people view art. I am really excited to read this paper, if given the opportunity. Do you plan on expanding on the Vietnam War specifically, or are you going to use other wars/events? This is really neat how this topic relates to what we've been discussing in class in regards to art and how it is used and what inspires it. Great post!
I personally love all the music from this era not just because it is quality music, but it was also such a recognizable cultural form of expression. I can remember having class discussions about this time of musical and cultural revolt in our American Studies class. Although we went over these reasons last year, perhaps you could find out more why individual bands of this time had such strong opinions? I genuinely look forward to reading your paper.
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