McClary, Susan. 1994. "Same As It Ever Was: Youth Culture and Music." In Microphone Fiends: Youth Music and Youth Culture,eds. Andrew Ross and Tricia Rose. New York: Routledge.pp. 29-40.
Throughout the bulk of McClary's, she discusses music's effect on not only one's mind, but also the body. Throughout history, many philosophers and figures of "authority" shunned music's role in igniting emotion, emasculating its listeners, and just being negative to society as whole. Much of the apprehension from musical expression came from the "authority's" fear of being rebelled against. McClary, however, disagrees with the negative connotations given to music, challenging those who study popular music to "also include the study of popular music" before making negative proclamations about it.
Discussion Question: Shown clearly by Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour," there are some characteristics of certain music allows it to crossover racial, social, and age barriers. What, if anything specifically, is responsible for this crossover appeal?
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Thanks for posting a review right away! Seeing some posted for the first reading will help the rest of the class get into the rhythm of things.
ReplyDeleteI think what stands out in this example is that the appeal came from within the music. As opposed to Elvis the Pelvis, or Beatlemania craze, the appeal here cited by McClary facilitated broad appeal by creating a groove that was not specific to sexual expression, teenage fandom, or racial groups. The emphasis on the 2-4 backbeat created an inexplicable universal appeal, underscoring McClary's analysis of the disconnect between the music and its audience, which she attempts to explain with "technologies of the body." Though I disagree with that theory specifically, I think this example of Pickett is a good citation of a fundamental musical change that shifted both the musical and social climate, not unlike Phil Spector's "wall of sound" or Ray Davies' introduction of guitar feedback.
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