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According to famed music critic Robert Christgau, the transition from “Rock and Roll” to simply “Rock” occurred when “rock & roll” made conscious of itself as an art form. Whereas in the early 1950s, one might define Rock and Roll as primary a social dance music, by the 1960s it increasingly became a blank canvas through which musicians from across the country could paint their own unique perspectives.
This unit examines that transition by looking at how musicians across the country began innovating Rock and Roll , while still paying homage to the genre’s origins and history.
lesson:
Folk Music, Rock and Roll Attitude
How did Bob Dylan’s early experiences with Folk and Rock and Roll music influence his songwriting?
lesson:
The Musical Roots of the Surf Sound
What is the Surf sound and where did it come from?
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Jimi Hendrix: Introducing Hard Rock
In what ways did Jimi Hendrix help create a new "Hard Rock" sound while retaining a connection to the Blues and R&B of his past?
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Dylan as Poet
How did Bob Dylan merge poetry with popular music?
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Ritchie Valens
How did Ritchie Valens meld traditional Mexican music and Rock and Roll?
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The Sound of the Suburbs
How did the music of the Beach Boys reflect the suburbanization of postwar America?