Ready for a Brand New Beat

Ready for a Brand New Beat PDF Author: Mark Kurlansky
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1594632731
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description
Can a song change a nation? In 1964, Marvin Gaye, record producer William “Mickey” Stevenson, and Motown songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter wrote “Dancing in the Street.” The song was recorded at Motown’s Hitsville USA Studio by Martha and the Vandellas, with lead singer Martha Reeves arranging her own vocals. Released on July 31, the song was supposed to be an upbeat dance recording—a precursor to disco, and a song about the joyousness of dance. But events overtook it, and the song became one of the icons of American pop culture. The Beatles had landed in the U.S. in early 1964. By the summer, the sixties were in full swing. The summer of 1964 was the Mississippi Freedom Summer, the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, the beginning of the Vietnam War, the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and the lead-up to a dramatic election. As the country grew more radicalized in those few months, “Dancing in the Street” gained currency as an activist anthem. The song took on new meanings, multiple meanings, for many different groups that were all changing as the country changed. Told by the writer who is legendary for finding the big story in unlikely places, Ready for a Brand New Beat chronicles that extraordinary summer of 1964 and showcases the momentous role that a simple song about dancing played in history.

Ready for a Brand New Beat

Ready for a Brand New Beat PDF Author: Mark Kurlansky
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1594632731
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description
Can a song change a nation? In 1964, Marvin Gaye, record producer William “Mickey” Stevenson, and Motown songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter wrote “Dancing in the Street.” The song was recorded at Motown’s Hitsville USA Studio by Martha and the Vandellas, with lead singer Martha Reeves arranging her own vocals. Released on July 31, the song was supposed to be an upbeat dance recording—a precursor to disco, and a song about the joyousness of dance. But events overtook it, and the song became one of the icons of American pop culture. The Beatles had landed in the U.S. in early 1964. By the summer, the sixties were in full swing. The summer of 1964 was the Mississippi Freedom Summer, the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, the beginning of the Vietnam War, the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and the lead-up to a dramatic election. As the country grew more radicalized in those few months, “Dancing in the Street” gained currency as an activist anthem. The song took on new meanings, multiple meanings, for many different groups that were all changing as the country changed. Told by the writer who is legendary for finding the big story in unlikely places, Ready for a Brand New Beat chronicles that extraordinary summer of 1964 and showcases the momentous role that a simple song about dancing played in history.

Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980

Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980 PDF Author: James A. Cosby
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476693692
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
The history of rock and roll music can be seen in a long arc of Western civilization's struggle for both greater individual expression and societal stability. In the 1960s, the West's relationship with authority ruptured, in part due to the rock revolution. The lessons and implications of this era have yet to be fully grasped. This book examines the key artists, music, and events of the classic rock era--defined here as 1964 to 1980--through a virtual psychoanalysis of the West. Over these years, important truths unfold in the stories of British Invaders, hippies, proto-punks, and more, as well as topics to include drugs, primal scream therapy, the occult, spirituality, and disco and its detractors, to name just a few. Through a narrative that is equal parts entertaining, scholarly, and even spiritual, readers will gain a greater appreciation for rock music, better understand the confusing world we live in today, and see how greater individuality and social stability may be better reconciled moving forward.

The Stuff of Spectatorship

The Stuff of Spectatorship PDF Author: Caetlin Benson-Allott
Publisher: University of California Press
ISBN: 0520300416
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
Film and television create worlds, but they are also of a world, a world that is made up of stuff, to which humans attach meaning. Think of the last time you watched a movie: the chair you sat in, the snacks you ate, the people around you, maybe the beer or joint you consumed to help you unwind—all this stuff shaped your experience of media and its influence on you. The material culture around film and television changes how we make sense of their content, not to mention the very concepts of the mediums. Focusing on material cultures of film and television reception, The Stuff of Spectatorship argues that the things we share space with and consume as we consume television and film influence the meaning we gather from them. This book examines the roles that six different material cultures have played in film and television culture since the 1970s—including video marketing, branded merchandise, drugs and alcohol, and even gun violence—and shows how objects considered peripheral to film and television culture are in fact central to its past and future.

Reset

Reset PDF Author: Dwain Schenck
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
ISBN: 0738216968
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Welcome to the new world of job insecurity. Layoff. If you haven't experienced one, you know someone who has. Dwain Schenck speaks with authority; not only has he seen energetic, talented, and accomplished friends undergo the stress of job loss, but he, too, has felt the sting of being "let go." Reset is the uncompromising portrait of Schenck's journey: a successful journalist and communications professional who joins the ranks of the unemployed during the most dismal job market in modern history, his initial reactions of denial and depression sabotage his morale and motivation. Then, with the assistance of friends, wisdom from experts, and good old-fashioned creativity and tenacity, Schenck turns his attitude around. The hard-won, valuable advice and techniques in these pages can work for anyone concerned about job loss or keeping a job. Reset can position you to get back on your feet, often landing in a better place. Schenck covers a wide variety of topics with a humorous, light touch that balances the serious subjects within, which include: The Emotional Phases of Unemployment Who Am I? Insecurity and Uncertainty Rules for Effective Networking Knowing Your Value in a Buyer's Market The Social Life of the Unemployed Mastering the Art of Reinvention With insight and inspiration from Mika Brzezinski, Donald Trump, Christine Hefner, Mort Zuckerman, Susie Essman, Donny Deutsch, Larry David, Joe Echevarria, Mike Barnicle, and Joe Scarborough

Riverhead Books Summer 2013 Insider

Riverhead Books Summer 2013 Insider PDF Author: Riverhead Books
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698141644
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 59

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Book Description
Riverhead Books is proud to present our Summer 2013 Insider which gives readers more information about the stories behind—or sometimes from within—our Summer 2013 list. Included in the Riverhead Books Summer 2013 Insider are: A Q&A with Khaled Hosseini, author of And the Mountains Echoed, an unforgettable novel about finding a lost piece of yourself in someone else. An interview with Pransky, the layabout mutt turned therapy dog at the heart of Sue Halpern’s A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home: Lessons in the Good Life from an Unlikely Teacher. Ramona Ausubel’s essay, “Transformation,” about the inspiration for A Guide to Being Born, her enthralling new collection that uses the world of the imagination to explore the heart of the human condition. “The Story in the Mountains,” an essay by Anton DiSclafani about writing her debut novel, The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, a lush, sexy evocative story of family secrets and girls’-school rituals set in the 1930s South. “Looking through the Looking Glass,” an essay by Anna Badkhen on how she came to write The World is a Carpet, her unforgettable portrait of a place and people shaped by centuries of art, trade and war. A note from Mark Kurlansky about “Dancing in the Street,” the iconic song he uses as a lens to examine the story of the civil rights movement’s genesis in his new book, Ready for a Brand New Beat Matthew Berry’s essay, “It’s Fantasy Sports World, You Just Live in It,” about the growing world of fantasy sports and how it has shaped his career and personal life which he details in his new book, Fantasy Life. “Noodles of the Silk Road,” a field guide by Jen Lin-Liu, author of On the Noodle Road, in which she immerses herself in a moveable feast of foods and cultures and discovers some surprising truths about commitment, independence, and love A brief history of the historic raid on Harper’s Ferry which plays a key role in James McBride’s new novel, The Good Lord Bird, the story of a young boy born a slave who joins John Brown’s antislavery crusade—and who must pass as a girl to survive. Juan Gabriel Vásquez’s essay, “Memories of the Years of Chaos,” about how Colombia’s recent history informs his new novel, The Sound of Things Falling Each of these pieces is an engaging and informative introduction to these truly wonderful books.

The Musical Language of Rock

The Musical Language of Rock PDF Author: David Temperley
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190653779
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 313

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Book Description
In all of the books about rock music, relatively few focus on the purely musical dimensions of the style: dimensions of harmony and melody, tonality and scale, rhythm and meter, phrase structure and form, and emotional expression. The Musical Language of Rock puts forth a new, comprehensive theoretical framework for the study of rock music by addressing each of these aspects. Eastman music theorist and cognition researcher David Temperley brings together a conventional music-analytic approach with statistical corpus analysis to offer an innovative and insightful approach to the genre. With examples from across a broadly defined rock idiom encompassing everything from the Beatles to Deep Purple, Michael Jackson to Bonnie Raitt, The Musical Language of Rock shows how rock musicians exploit musical parameters to achieve aesthetic and expressive goals-for example, the manipulation of expectation and surprise, the communication of such oppositions as continuity/closure and tension/relaxation, and the expression of emotional states. A major innovation of the book is a three-dimensional model of musical expression-representing valence, energy, and tension-which proves to be a powerful tool for characterizing songs and also for tracing expressive shifts within them. The book includes many musical examples, with sound clips available on the book's website. The Musical Language of Rock presents new insights on the powerful musical mechanisms which have made rock a hallmark of our contemporary musical landscape.

All about the Beat

All about the Beat PDF Author: John McWhorter
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 144062965X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
The bestselling commentator, hailed for his frank and fearless arguments on race, imparts a scathing look at the hypocrisy of hip-hop—and why its popularity proves that black America must overhaul its politics. One of the most outspoken voices in America’s cultural dialogues, John McWhorter can always be counted on to provide provocative viewpoints steeped in scholarly savvy. Now he turns his formidable intellect to the topic of hip-hop music and culture, smashing the claims that hip-hop is politically valuable because it delivers the only “real” portrayal of black society. In this measured, impassioned work, McWhorter delves into the rhythms of hip-hop, analyzing its content and celebrating its artistry and craftsmanship. But at the same time he points out that hip-hop is, at its core, simply music, and takes issue with those who celebrate hip-hop as the beginning of a new civil rights program and inflate the lyrics with a kind of radical chic. In a power vacuum, this often offensive and destructive music has become a leading voice of black America, and McWhorter stridently calls for a renewed sense of purpose and pride in black communities. Joining the ranks of Russell Simmons and others who have called for a deeper investigation of hip-hop’s role in black culture, McWhorter’s All About the Beat is a spectacular polemic that takes the debate in a seismically new direction.

In with the In Crowd

In with the In Crowd PDF Author: Mike Smith
Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN: 1496851161
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Book Description
Most studies of 1960s jazz underscore the sounds of famous avant-garde musicians like John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Albert Ayler. Conspicuously absent from these narratives are the more popular jazz artists of the decade that electrified dance clubs, permeated radio waves, and released top-selling records. Names like Eddie Harris, Nancy Wilson, Ramsey Lewis, and Jimmy Smith are largely neglected in most serious work today. Mike Smith rectifies this oversight and explores why critical writings have generally cast off best-selling 1960s jazz as unworthy of in-depth analysis and reverent documentation. The 1960s were a time of monumental political and social shifts. Avant-garde jazz, made by musicians indifferent to public perception aligns well with widely held images of the era. In with the In Crowd: Popular Jazz in 1960s Black America argues that this dominant, and unfortunately distorted, view negates and ignores a vibrant jazz community. These musicians and their listeners created a music defined by socialization, celebration, and Black pride. Smith tells the joyful story of the musicians, the radio DJs, the record labels, and the live venues where jazz not only survived but thrived in the 1960s. This was the music of everyday people, who viewed jazz as an important part of their cultural identity as Black Americans. In an era marked by turmoil and struggle, popular jazz offered a powerful outlet for joy, resilience, pride, and triumph.

Back from the Dead

Back from the Dead PDF Author: Bill Walton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476716889
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
“An elegiac yet exuberant new memoir” (The New York Times Book Review)—Bill Walton’s New York Times bestselling memoir about his recovery from debilitating physical injury and how lessons from John Wooden at UCLA (and the music of the Grateful Dead) have inspired his darkest hours. In February 2008, Bill Walton suffered a spinal collapse so devastating he was unable to get up. It was the culmination of a lifetime of injury. Although Walton had played fourteen seasons in the NBA, he actually missed more games than he played during those years due to injury. From the time of his spinal collapse until his eventual recovery, he spent most of three years flat on the ground. The pain was excruciating, and he thought seriously about killing himself. But he survived, and Back from the Dead is the story of his injury and recovery, set in the context of his amazing athletic career. Walton grew up in southern California in the 1950s and was deeply influenced by the political and cultural upheavals of the 1960s. Although Walton identified strongly with the counterculture, especially in music, the greatest influence on him outside his family was Coach John Wooden, a thoughtful, precise mentor who seemed immune to the turmoil of the times. The two men would speak every day for forty-three years until Wooden’s death at age ninety-nine. John Wooden once said that no greatness ever came without sacrifice. In this “frequently stirring memoir…Walton’s love for life and the people and things in it—including his college coach, John Wooden—is infectious. You can’t stop reading, or rooting for the man” (Publishers Weekly). Back from the Dead shares his dramatic story, including his basketball and broadcasting careers, his many setbacks and rebounds, and his ultimate triumph as the toughest of champions. “[Walton] scores another basket—a deeply personal one.” (Kirkus Reviews)

The Bark of the Day

The Bark of the Day PDF Author: John Mikulan
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 1098071344
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 392

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Book Description
It all started with a simple e-mail from John to his coworkers. They were about to start a special project at the major healthcare organization John was working. He and his wife had just adopted Mojo from the Animal Friends pet shelter in Pittsburgh. One of the four principles John tries to follow is that your attitude will determine your altitude. MojoaEUR(tm)s name and his demeanor definitely reminded John of that fact. So he sent an e-mail as Mojo stating that on the first day of the project.Well, Mojo was voted the team mascot! His picture became displayed throughout the department. One of JohnaEUR(tm)s duties was as a subject matter expert. John approached his boss about sending a teaching e-mail to help everyone focus on their jobs each day. He sent an e-mail from the team mascot to help everyone want to read the message. It contained a quote from a famous person throughout history. He then applied the quote to that dayaEUR(tm)s lesson, and The Bark of the Day was born.At the core of The Bark of the Day are the beliefs that John has always tried to follow. These four beliefs are as follows: attitude equals altitude; perception is reality; live life in the spirit of thankfulness; and most importantly, practice forgiveness to yourself and others.When John retired, he stopped writing those e-mails. About three weeks into his retirement, while reading a book by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, he was inspired to write this book. It is his hope that you will find the book entertaining, thought-provoking, and helpful in adopting those principles in your own life.