We discussed Zappa in my Vietnam history class yesterday as part of our discussion on whether the rock music produced really was part of the counterculture. We read an article (reference below) that indicted many rock musicians for only being in it for the money, cashing in on the anti-establishment later in the 60s. Zappa criticized everyone (counterculture included), so he was more counterculture than counterculture. However, he didn't have the sales to "matter" at the time we concluded. Whereas he is artistically significant, he is not exactly an influential pop musician of the time. Zach Bindas, Kenneth J. & Houston, Craig (1989). "Takin' Care of Business": Rock Music, Vietnam and the Protest Myth. Historian, 52(1), 1-23. -----Original Message----- From: Patrice L. Roussel [mailto:proussel@ichips.intel.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 12:47 PM To: Perfect Sound Forever Cc: zsteiner@butler.edu; zorn-list@mailman.xmission.com; proussel@ichips.intel.com Subject: Re: Pop innovators (was The Experimental Side of Burt Bacharach) On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 11:51:10 -0500 Perfect Sound Forever wrote:
Zappa's a great example, esp. as he was able to cause a stir at the outset
and reach the pop market also. I guess I'm just a little disappointed that
a lot of artists today aren't willing to risk more of their standing to do
something more... risky, edgy, unexpected. I think that someone like
Madonna pushes buttons more in terms of cultural mores than in terms of
music as she goes from album to album so I don't think I'd count her here.
But you have to put Zappa back in the counterculture movement of the sixties. People did not buy Zappa just for the music. Patrice.