Episode 17: Bookends

Episode 17: Bookends

Author: Pantheon Media April 15, 2019 Duration: 1:48:31
Chapter 17 of Rock N Roll Archaeology is bookended by a couple of Simon & Garfunkel albums: “Bookends” from the spring of 1968; and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” from January of 1970.  Our story takes place mostly in New York City: a city big enough to spawn two very different, very talented--and very influential--artists: Paul Simon and Lou Reed.  We skip work on a cold January afternoon to catch a movie: Mike Nichols’ “The Graduate.” It’s a generation milestone of a film, and Simon & Garfunkel’s music is a big part of that; what’s more, we argue, it’s a different kind of soundtrack, something new in film and popular culture.  We meet Tom Wilson, the first African-American staff producer at Columbia Records. Tom oversaw the first two Simon & Garfunkel albums. We follow him for a little while and he leads us to...Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. We get to know Lou and the Velvets, and the scene from which they sprang: Andy Warhol’s Factory. We meet a Factory hang-around, an angry young woman with good reasons to be angry, but she takes it way too far, with tragic consequences.  And we’ll meet the first Punk Rock band: The MC5, and the revolutionary political milieu they occupied. Wayne Kramer of the MC5 has some things to say about that, and about a fateful MC5 gig at the Fillmore East.  Finally, we’ll meet one of our favorite artists ever, who came from the same scene as the MC5: Iggy Pop. We say “Amen” to Iggy Pop.  We wrap it back around to Simon & Garfunkel, and their take on the anger and disappointment, on the turmoil of the late 1960s. An offer of comfort and healing is the first big Pop hit of the 1970s. Listen to episodes 1-16 of Rock N Roll Archaeology and all our other podcasts at www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digging through the layers of myth and memory, Rock N Roll Archaeology from Pantheon Media unearths the stories behind the soundtrack of our times. This isn't just a chronological retelling of famous bands and hit songs. Instead, each season functions as a deeply researched audio documentary, meticulously connecting the music to the forces that shaped it and that it, in turn, shaped. You'll hear how specific technological breakthroughs changed how music was made and heard, how political upheavals filtered into lyrics and attitude, and how cultural shifts were both reflected and accelerated by the rock genre. The podcast moves beyond biography to examine the interplay between the recording studio, the stage, the society, and the individual artist. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered not just who played a riff, but why that riff resonated when it did. With a narrative approach that blends storytelling with insightful commentary and a thoughtful touch of musicology, Rock N Roll Archaeology constructs a rich, contextual understanding of this powerful art form. Listen for a perspective that treats rock history as a vital part of our broader history, revealing how the music served as both a catalyst and a chronicle for the changing world from the latter half of the twentieth century into the present day. The production is crafted to be as immersive as the subject matter demands, making each episode a journey into the specific moments where sound, culture, and innovation collided.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Rock N Roll Archaeology
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Duration: 1:07:35
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