EDWARD'S LECTURE NOTES:
More notes at http://tanguay.info/learntracker
C O U R S E
History of Rock, 1970-Present
John Covach, University of Rochester
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C O U R S E L E C T U R E American Singer-Songwriters of the 70s Notes taken on February 19, 2015 by Edward Tanguay |
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1960s authenticity trend in rock music
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when you write a song, the lyrics should be about something important and serious-minded
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it shouldn't just be about I want to hold your hand, and she loves you yeah, yeah, yeah
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Dylan lead the charge in that direction
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came from the folk tradition
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one of the critics of Dylan was that he took the "we" out of folk music and turned it into the "me"
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naval gazing, thinking about his own thoughts
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the Beatles began to act more and more like singer-songwriters as the 60s progressed
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the importance of being earnest
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you have to create the impression of sincerity and personal expression
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you have to be understood by the listener that what you are singing is something that you really think, experienced or resonate with
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nothing should get in the way between the singer and the listener
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no extended guitar solos
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no cool sounds that come into the picture
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acoustic guitar and piano are the simple instruments to communicate this
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it's about the song, the sincerity, and the performance of it
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James Taylor
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starts out in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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a new artist with a direct connection back to the 1960s
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1969 album "James Taylor", with Apple Records
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"Carolina on my Mind"
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"Something in the Way She Moves"
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Warner Brothers, good success
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1970 "Fire and Rain"
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1971 "You've got a Friend"
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written by Carole King
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Carole King
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one of the most important song writers of the 1960s
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"Will You Still Love me Tomorrow"
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hit after hit after hit
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dry spell when the focus moved from New York to Los Angeles
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also wrote for the Monkees
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reemerges as a singer song-writer
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with encouragement of James Taylor
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"you can sing your own songs"
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1971 album: Tapestry
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a classic album
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number one in 1971
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"It's too Late"
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"I Feel the Earth Move"
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influential singer for you female singers
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Paul Simon
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after breaking up with Garfunkel
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roots in 60s are clear
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1972 "Kodachrome"
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used the word as a metaphor for our memories
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Kodak company insisted that it be acknowledged that Kodachrome was a trademark of the Kodak company
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the BBC refused to play the song on the air because they thought they would be promoting a trademark, i.e. an advertisement
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1973 "American Tune"
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uses a Bach melody
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rivaled Carole King and Bob Dylan as one of the best American song writers
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Carly Simon
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1971: Anticipation
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1973: You're So Vain
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a boyfriend who is self-absorbed
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perhaps Warren Beatty
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perhaps Mick Jagger
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would be especially delicious because she gets him to sing background vocals
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she has denied this
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Harry Chapin
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introspective songs
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1972: Taxi
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a taxi driver's passenger turns out to be an old woman friend
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1974: Cat's in the Cradle
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bitter sweet memories
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Don McLean
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1971: Vincent
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1971: American Pie
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one of the most studied songs when it first came out
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has references to history of rock
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Jim Croce
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1973: Bad Bad Leroy Brown
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1973: Time in a Bottle
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both number one singles in 1973