Rocking The Classics

Download or read book Rocking the Classics written by Edward Macan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1997-01-09 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few styles of popular music have generated as much controversy as progressive rock, a musical genre best remembered today for its gargantuan stage shows, its fascination with epic subject matter drawn from science fiction, mythology, and fantasy literature, and above all for its attempts to combine classical music's sense of space and monumental scope with rock's raw power and energy. Its dazzling virtuosity and spectacular live concerts made it hugely popular with fans during the 1970s, who saw bands such as King Crimson, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull bring a new level of depth and sophistication to rock. On the other hand, critics branded the elaborate concerts of these bands as self- indulgent and materialistic. They viewed progressive rock's classical/rock fusion attempts as elitist, a betrayal of rock's populist origins. In Rocking the Classics, the first comprehensive study of progressive rock history, Edward Macan draws together cultural theory, musicology, and music criticism, illuminating how progressive rock served as a vital expression of the counterculture of the late 1960s and 1970s. Beginning with a description of the cultural conditions which gave birth to the progressive rock style, he examines how the hippies' fondness for hallucinogens, their contempt for Establishment-approved pop music, and their fascination with the music, art, and literature of high culture contributed to this exciting new genre. Covering a decade of music, Macan traces progressive rock's development from the mid- to late-sixties, when psychedelic bands such as the Moody Blues, Procol Harum, the Nice, and Pink Floyd laid the foundation of the progressive rock style, and proceeds to the emergence of the mature progressive rock style marked by the 1969 release of King Crimson's album In the Court of the Crimson King. This "golden age" reached its artistic and commercial zenith between 1970 and 1975 in the music of bands such as Jethro Tull, Yes, Genesis, ELP, Gentle Giant, Van der Graaf Generator, and Curved Air. In turn, Macan explores the conventions that govern progressive rock, including the visual dimensions of album cover art and concerts, lyrics and conceptual themes, and the importance of combining music, visual motif, and verbal expression to convey a coherent artistic vision. He examines the cultural history of progressive rock, considering its roots in a bohemian English subculture and its meteoric rise in popularity among a legion of fans in North America and continental Europe. Finally, he addresses issues of critical reception, arguing that the critics' largely negative reaction to progressive rock says far more about their own ambivalence to the legacy of the counterculture than it does about the music itself. An exciting tour through an era of extravagant, mind-bending, and culturally explosive music, Rocking the Classics sheds new light on the largely misunderstood genre of progressive rock.

Download or read book Rocking the Classics written by Edward Macan and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1997 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first authoritative study of the music, history and culture of progressive rock, a genre remembered for its virtuoso guitar solos and massive stage shows. Among the bands covered are Jethro Tull, Genesis, Yes, and Pink Floyd.

Download or read book Rockin' the Classics and Classicizin' the Rock: written by Janell R. Duxbury and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2001-02-05 with total page 590 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rock music of all varieties has been influenced by classical music and vice versa, both in the form of direct quotes and in the form of borrowings of style, composition, and instrumentation. The average listener may be unaware of the many links between rock music and the classics. One might remember a few examples, such as Walter Murphy's chart-topping "A Fifth of Beethoven" or Eric Carmen's "All by Myself," but pass them off as interesting anomalies. However, the influence of the classics on rock music is pervasive and grows from a long line of precedents. This second supplement to Janell R. Duxbury's original 1985 discography, Rockin' the Classics and Classicizin' the Rock, brings the earlier work and first supplement up-to-date with hundreds of new entries documenting recently released or newly discovered examples of the interconnection between these musical genres. Duxbury details nearly 700 new examples of recorded rock instrumentals and songs that borrow musical themes from the classics. Variations range from contemporary renditions of complete classical works to brief classical quotes or phrases subtly incorporated into rock compositions. Duxbury also gives additional examples of recorded orchestral versions of songs originally composed and/or written by rock artists. In these examples, the musical style varies from strict classical interpretations to pop-style orchestral renditions. The second supplement then expands Duxbury's original compilation of sound recordings and live performances of rock groups performing with established orchestras and choruses, selected samples of recorded rock music that simulate baroque or classical sound/structure, examples of the manifest influence of rock on classical music, and instances of rock artists and classical artists switching roles. Lastly, this discography updates the 1985 version and the first supplement with new information, expanded details, and minor corrections to the earlier works. An extended list of selected non-rock background examples is included in several new appendixes. The Preface is updated. A general index includes the names of classical composers, rock artists and groups, orchestras, choruses, orchestra conductors, sound recording producers, and song or instrumental titles. With its incomparable scope and content, this supplement, together with Duxbury's previous discography, and its first supplement will be appreciated by students, researchers, record collectors, trivia buffs, music industry employees, and fans of rock music and the classics.

Download or read book Rock Crystal written by Adalbert Stifter and published by New York Review of Books. This book was released on 2015-12-15 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seemingly the simplest of stories—a passing anecdote of village life— Rock Crystal opens up into a tale of almost unendurable suspense. This jewel-like novella by the writer that Thomas Mann praised as "one of the most extraordinary, the most enigmatic, the most secretly daring and the most strangely gripping narrators in world literature" is among the most unusual, moving, and memorable of Christmas stories. Two children—Conrad and his little sister, Sanna—set out from their village high up in the Alps to visit their grandparents in the neighboring valley. It is the day before Christmas but the weather is mild, though of course night falls early in December and the children are warned not to linger. The grandparents welcome the children with presents and pack them off with kisses. Then snow begins to fall, ever more thickly and steadily. Undaunted, the children press on, only to take a wrong turn. The snow rises higher and higher, time passes: it is deep night when the sky clears and Conrad and Sanna discover themselves out on a glacier, terrifying and beautiful, the heart of the void. Adalbert Stifter's rapt and enigmatic tale, beautifully translated by Elizabeth Mayer and Marianne Moore, explores what can be found between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day—or on any night of the year.

Download or read book Kill Your Idols written by Jim DeRogatis and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of 34 essays in which some of the best rock critics of Generation X and Y address allegedly great' albums that they despise. A spirited assault on the pantheon that has been foisted upon this new generation of music critics, a defiant slap in the face to the narrow and hegemonic view of rock history presented by the Baby Boom generation's critics. As a collection of the new generation of rock writers, it is the first of its kind, as well as the first and only anthology devoted solely to critiquing rock and roll's most sacred cows.'

Download or read book Classic Rock written by and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Classic Rock' is a celebration of Britain's best climbing. With its coverage of the easier climbs, it is accessible to everyone who has ever taken an interest in rock-climbing and an ideal primer for those about to commence the sport.

Download or read book School of Rock written by and published by Quirk Books. This book was released on 2021-08-17 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For those about to read . . . we salute you! The zany and much-beloved comedy-musical film about pint-sized rockers sticking it to the man is now an adorable picture book! It’s just another ordinary day at Horace Green Prep School, and the students think they’re getting just another ordinary substitute teacher. Instead, Dewey Finn, a washed-up musician with dreams of greatness, whisks them away on a totally rocking adventure. After Dewey hears the kids practicing in music class, he discovers how talented they are and realizes he has another chance at his greatest dream: winning the Battle of the Bands. But when the parents discover what Dewey has been teaching their kids, will the School of Rock even be able to compete? With all the iconic moments and laugh-out-loud lines from the film included, the book's charm and spirit shines on every page. This delightful story of a diverse and passionate group of children coming into their own is a must-have for fans of the film, parents of musical kids, and anyone who’s ever stuck it to the man!