Folk Rock
Folk Music Revival
• Begins in 1930s when Lomaxes,
Leadbelly, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie
end up in NYC
• Becomes center of folk music movement
• Gains national attention in 1950s
– Moe Asch - Folkways Records
– The Weavers Good Night Irene a top 10 hit
Backlash against Folk
• House Unamerican Activities Committee went
after folk singers because of associations with
unions and left-wing causes
– Weavers, Woody Guthrie, and some older folk
musicians blacklisted
• Younger, apolitical musicians lead movement
Late ‘50s/early ‘60s American folk
revival
• Initially two different approaches
– Rediscovery of musicians from older niche musics
– Recreated folk music by contemporary musicians
• Ex. Joan Baez, Wildwood Flower
• Eventually begin writing own songs in the folk style
– Simple accompaniments
– focus on melody - often narrow ranges, highly repetitive
– Lyrics explore of social and political themes
Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues
• Political commentary on HUAC and anticommunist organizations
• Typical Dylan vocal delivery
– weak vocals
– full of humor, sarcasm
– Conversational style
• Guitar strumming, harmonica combo from
country blues
• Completion of vocal phrases by instrument
Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman, 1941- )
• Gets into folk music in college after hearing
Woody Guthrie
• 1960 goes to NYC to meet Guthrie
• Gets work singing in coffee houses in the city
– Other NYC folk acts:
• Joan Baez
• Odetta
• Peter, Paul, and Mary
• Ritchie Havens
• Ramblin’ Jack Elliot
Dylan
• After short time in NYC, writes songs that explore
social and political themes
• Ex. Blowin’ in the Wind
– Highly repetitive melody, in claustrophobically narrow
range
– Strophic form – three verses, each with three phrases
• Last functions as refrain
– Simple, chordal accompaniment with slow harmonic
rhythm
– All place focus on lyrics
• Compare to Peter, Paul and Mary version
Newport Folk Festival
• 1965 – Dylan goes electric
• Folk rock is born
– Socially conscious messages of folk music
– Standard “rock” instrumentation
– Generally little studio production
Like a Rolling Stone
• Expanded instrumentation: organ, drums, piano,
electric guitar, harmonica
• Eight beat style beat and backbeat
• Repetitive accompaniment
• Electric guitar fill marks transition between sections
• Change in lyrical content
– Less overtly political
– Deals with more personal reflections
Intro
a
a
b
organ, electric piano, guitar, drums
piano, guitar, drums accomp.
Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fa ll"
You thought they w ere all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
organ enters with long, sustained
chords
Everybody that was hangin' o ut
Now y ou don't talk so loud
syncopated descending bass line,
faster harmonic rhythm
Now y ou don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal.
More active piano part
Electric guitar fill leads to
c
How d oes it feel (x2)
To be w ithout a home
Like a c omplete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
Organ riff
Electric guitar f ill leads to
Interlude: harmonica f ill, based on organ riff
Same fill bridges to
a
You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
As above + organ
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
a
And nobody has ever taught y ou how to live on the street
And now you find out y ou're gonna have to get used to it
b
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now y ou realize
He's not selling any alibis
As y ou stare into the vacuum of his ey es
And ask him do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on y our own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
Impact of folk rock
• Subject matter of Dylan songs changes
again –
– Less overtly political
– Deal with personal reflections, as do blues,
but darker, more obscure
• Exs. Like A Rolling Stone
Subterranean Homesick Blues
The Byrds
• After Dylan goes electric, other folk rock
bands, acts emerge
• First to hit big – The Byrds
– Part of CA music scene, along with Mamas
and the Papas
• Took Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man to #1
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there ainÕtno place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jing le jangle morning I'll come follo win' you.
Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand,
Vanished from my hand,
Left me blind ly here to stand but still not sleeping.
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet,
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming .
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for meÉ .
Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship,
My senses have been stripped , my hands can't feel to grip,
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'.
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my w ay,
I promise to go under it.
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine
Man
• Differences
– Change in feel created by opening riff
– Byrds simplify irregular form of Dylan
poem, abbreviate lyrics
– Vocal quality completely different
– Addition of vocal harmonies
The Byrds – Lasting contributions
• Vocal harmonies
– Maturation of Everly Brothers style
– David Crosby makes second part a
“composite” of 3rds, 4ths, and 5ths
• Help to popularize “jangly” Richenbacker
12 string guitar sound