The 1970s: A Decade in Rock (Music 81R)

Winter Quarter 2021 (Remote Instruction/Asynchronous Format)

Instructor: Samuel Cushman

Contact: sbcushma@ucsc.edu

Course Description:

Music 81R surveys the history and cultural significance of 1970s rock, including definitions of the genre, the development and differentiation of subgenres, and sociological, economic, technological, and political dimensions of rock music in the 1970s. The course explores the biases implicit in prevailing genre definitions; primarily with regard to race, gender, and sexuality; and challenges these biases by situating 1970s rock within the broader musical, social, and historical contexts of the 1970s. We will discuss a selection of representative albums and draw connections to other artists, albums, performances, and songs through recorded lectures, weekly listening lists, required readings, online discussions, and other assignments.

 

Learning Outcomes:

Students will:

•       Trace the development of distinct subgenres nested under the umbrella term “rock” during the 1970s and be able to identify the musical characteristics of each

•       Identify and recognize a selection of representative artists and their music

•       Connect musical, lyrical, and technical developments with their social, economic, and political contexts

•       Develop critical listening skills

•       Gain practice writing about music through weekly discussion assignments and a final project in the form of an album review

 

Course Materials:

All required readings will be made available on Canvas.

All listening materials are readily available on streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, and GooglePlay. Be sure to always verify that you’re listening to the intended album, as there are often tribute/cover versions available, as well as “anniversary” editions with additional (and often unnecessary) material. A good practice is to verify the track list on AllMusic.com (or even just Wikipedia), and make sure you’re listening to the intended songs.

Please remember that albums should be listened to in the correct track order, and in dedicated, focused listening sessions. Treat listening to albums as you would treat completing a reading assignment. Multitasking and “shuffling” are NOT good listenings practice for the purposes of this course.

Additionally, I recommend consulting the online repository Rock and Roll Backpages (available through UCSC Library databases) for an impressive collection of primary sources. It may be a good idea to read one contemporary review for each album assigned to guide and complement your listening and analysis.

 

Course Policies:

Attendance and Participation Given the asynchronous online format, your “attendance” and participation for this course will hinge on keeping up with the weekly units and projects, as well as participating in online discussions. Your creative projects will be circulated amongst the class via Canvas, and you will be expected to engage in weekly discussions to give one another constructive feedback on these projects in order to receive full credit for participation in the course.  

 

Grading:

  • Weekly Quizzes: 40%

  • Weekly Discussions and Participation: 40%

  • Final Project (Album Review): 20%

Grade breakdowns will be as follows—A+ (98-100), A (93-97), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (70-76), D (60-69), F (<60).

University Policies:

Academic Honesty

Both students and faculty bear responsibility for preventing academic misconduct. Students are responsible for becoming familiar with Sections 102.01–102.016 and

105.15 of the UC Santa Cruz Student Policies and Regulations Handbook. These sections include a listing of the many types of academic misconduct covered by this policy. Students need to avoid academic misconduct themselves and are enjoined to report any cases of academic misconduct that are known to them. Students making such reports may maintain anonymity. Instructors should clearly explain the University’s academic misconduct policy in the context of their courses and specify the academic sanction for misconduct (e.g., no credit for the work in question, failing grade for the course). Failure to include this information in the course syllabus, however, does not excuse students from knowing and being accountable for adherence to the precepts of academic honesty and the policy of the University.

 

Accessibility

UC Santa Cruz is committed to creating an academic environment that supports its diverse student body. If you are a student with a disability who requires accommodations to achieve equal access in this course, please submit your Academic Access Letter from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to me privately during my office hours or by appointment, as soon as possible in the academic quarter, preferably within 1 week. I also encourage you to discuss with me ways we can ensure your full participation in this course. I encourage all students who may benefit to learn about the DRC and the UCSC accommodation process. You can visit the DRC website at drc.ucsc.edu. You can make an appointment and meet in-person with a DRC staff member. The phone number is 831-459-2089, or email drc@ucsc.edu.

Title IX Mandatory Reporting Notice

As a faculty member at the University, I am subjected to mandatory reporting of any observed instance of discrimination, harassment, or violence to our Title IX office.

Title IX prohibits gender discrimination, including sexual harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. If you have experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence, you can receive confidential support and advocacy at the Campus Advocacy Resources & Education (CARE) Office by calling (831)

502-2273. In addition, Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) can provide confidential, counseling support, (831) 459-2628. You can also report gender discrimination directly to the University’s Title IX Office, (831) 459-2462. Reports to law enforcement can be made to UCPD, (831) 459-2231 ext. 1. For emergencies call 911.

Online Format:

§  At the beginning of each week, a new module will be published to Canvas.

Each module will include:

·      a lecture split into a series of video clips, interspersed with musical examples

·      a listening list consisting of 3-4 required albums per week

·      PDFs or links to required readings (these will never total more than 30-40 pages per week)

·      a discussion thread related to the week’s materials

·      a quiz based on lecture materials, required readings, and listening examples from the previous week (quizzes will begin in week two)

 

Graded Work:

o   Weekly Quizzes

Quizzes cover lectures materials, required readings, and listening examples. Expect to see listening questions that while ask you to identity particular styles or musical characteristics. All quizzes are open notes.

§  A quiz covering materials from the previous week will be published each Monday as part of the new unit beginning in the second week. Your quizzes are due each Sunday by 5 pm.

 

o   Weekly Discussions

Online discussions are intended to help you develop critical listening skills, reflect on the assigned albums, practice writing about music, and engage one another in conversation. These weekly assignments will also help you hone the skills needed to complete the final project and encourage you to offer and receive constructive feedback and learn from each other along the way.

§  Each week you will be graded on:

·      An original response (approx. 250 words) that responds to one of the albums assigned for that week. Separate discussion threads will correspond to the albums assigned. You will only be graded on your participation in one discussion thread per week. (6 points)

·      Original responses are due each Friday evening by 11:59 pm

§  Two substantive responses to classmates’ responses (2 points each)

·      These responses should aim to deepen the conversation about the music and its significance and provide constructive feedback to your peers. You don’t have to agree with your peers but at least disagree respectfully.

·      Secondary responses to classmates’ posts are due each Sunday by 11:59 pm

 

o   Final Projects: Album Reviews

§  For your final project you will be expected to:

·      Write an album review of approx. 750-1000 words

(samples will be provided!)

o   Begin by choosing one album from the 1970s that you want to explore in detail. This album can be one covered in the course or something of your own choosing. If there’s a 70s album you absolutely love that wasn’t covered in the course, this is the time to engage with it!

o   Once you have decided on an album, review the album in the style of a rock critic.

o   Your review should ideally:

§  Discuss each track on the album at least briefly

§  Demonstrate evidence of critical listening and intimate engagement with the music

§  Attempt to situate the music in its social and historical context

§  Reference at least one existing review of the album in question (search Rock and Roll back pages and AllMusic.com; reach out if you have trouble finding a review!)

§  Be creative and convey your unique voice and writing style

 

Weekly Schedule: (subject to change!)

 Unit I: Introductions, Definitions, and Paradigms (1/4)

What is rock? What was the state of rock music the 1970s?

 

Listening:

·      Funkadelic, Maggot Brain (1971)

·      Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

·      Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (1977)

Reading:

·      Brooks, “Rock,” pg. 184-189

·      Charry, “1970s,” pg. 104-113

·      Charry, “When Cultures Cross” pg. 308-319

 

Unit II: Blues, Appropriation, and Resistance (1/11)

 Listening:

·      Jimi Hendrix, Band of Gypsys (1970)

·      Janis Joplin, Pearl (1971)

·      Led Zeppelin, untitled (“IV”) (1971)

Reading:

·      Gilroy, “Bold as love? Jimi’s Afrocyberdelia and the challenge of the not-yet,”

pg. 112-124

·      McMullen, “‘Bring it on Home’: Robert Plant, Janis Joplin, and the Myth of Origin,”

pg. 369-385

Unit III: Songsmiths (1/19—Monday is a holiday)

Listening:

·      Joni Mitchell, Blue (1971)

·      Carole King, Tapestry (1971)

·      Elton John, Honky Chateau (1972)

·      Bob Dylan, Blood On The Tracks (1975)

Reading:

·      Charry, “The 1970s,” (pg. 113-117)

·      Kutulas, “‘That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard it Should Be’: Baby Boomers, 1970s Singer-Songwriters, and Romantic Relationships,” pg. 682-702

 

Unit IV: Folk Rock, Country Rock, and Southern Rock (1/25)

 Listening:

·      Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, Déjà Vu (1970)

·      Allman Brothers, At Fillmore East (1971)

·      Lynyrd Skynyrd, (Pronounced ‘Leh-‘Nérd ‘Skin-Nérd) (1973)

·      Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Damn the Torpedoes (1979)

Reading:

·      Charry, “The 1970s” (pg. 117-126)

·      Stimeling, “To Be Polished More than Extended: Musicianship, Masculinity, and the Critical Reception of Southern Rock,” pg. 121-131

Unit V: Characters and Concept Albums (2/1)

 Listening:

·      David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

·      Parliament, Mothership Connection (1975)

·      Pink Floyd, The Wall (1979)

Reading:

·      Erickson, “George Clinton and David Bowie: The Space Race in Black and White,”

pg. 563-574

 

Unit VI: Race, Taste, and the Politics of “Progressive” Music (2/8)

 Listening:

·      Miles Davis, On the Corner (1972)

·      King Crimson, Red (1974)

·      Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

·      Rush, 2112 (1976)

 

Reading:

·      Keister and Smith, “Musical Ambition, Cultural Accreditation, and the Nasty Side of Progressive Music,” pg. 433-436 and 446-451 (you can skip the middle sections)

·      Keister, “Black Prog: Soul, Funk, Intellect and the Progressive Side of Black Music of the 1970s,” pg. 5-20

 

 Unit VII: The Birth of Metal (2/16—Monday is a holiday)

Listening:

·      Black Sabbath, Paranoid (1970)

·      Judas Priest, Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

·      Motörhead, Overkill (1979)

Reading:

·      Waksman, “Metal, Punk, and Motörhead: Generic Crossover in the Heart of the Punk Explosion,” (digital article, no page numbers)

 

Unit VIII: Punk (2/22)

 Listening:

·      Patti Smith, Horses (1975)

·      Ramones, Ramones (1976)

·      The Sex Pistols, Nevermind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)

·      The Clash, London Calling (1979)

Reading:

·      Charry, “Punk,” pg. 135-138

·      Ervin, “The Sound of Subterranean Scuzz-Holes: New York Queer Punk in the 1970s,” pg. 483-497

 

 Unit IX: Techniques and Technologies (3/1)

 Listening:

·      Queen, A Night at the Opera (1975)

·      Kraftwerk, Trans-Europe Express (1977)

·      Van Halen, Van Halen I (1978)

Reading:

·      Braae, “The Development of the ‘Epic’ Queen Sound” (digital article, no page numbers)

·      Adelt, “Machines with a Heart,” pg. 359-373

 

 Unit X: New Wave and the Post-Punk Landscape (3/8)

 Listening:

·      Blondie, Parallel Lines (1978)

·      The Police, Outlandos d’Amour (1978)

·      Talking Heads, Fear of Music (1979)

·      Prince, Prince (1979)

Reading:

·      Charry, “The 1970s,” pg. 139-143

·      Cateforis, “Tracking the Tide: The New Wave Washes In and Out,” pg. 17-44

 

Exam Week: Album Reviews due Monday 3/15!!!