Philosophy at 33 1/3 rpm: Themes of Classic Rock Music [Paperback]

James Harris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 1999

Classic rock of the 1960s and early 1970s broke away from the harmless bubblegum and surfing music of the 1950s to become a vehicle for profound commentary upon the human condition. Theories and motifs from major figures in the history of philosophy, theology and literature were refracted and transfigured in this intelligent new popular art form. Classic rock, argues Professor Harris, should be taken as seriously as the loftiest creations of art and literature. In this book, he lays the groundwork for such an informed appreciation by exhibiting philosophical themes in the greatest rock 'n' roll songs. The writer's examples encompass all the major rock artists of the classic period, including Paul Simon, Elton John, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Cat Stevens, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Chicago, The Moody Blues and Joni Mitchell. His analyses draw upon the ideas of Descartes, Aristotle, Rousseau, Kant, Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, Laing and Camus, to situate the preoccupations of classic rock lyricists in the Western intellectual tradition. Among Professor Harris's detailed exegeses is Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock", which he sees as a defence of Rouseau's view of human nature against that of Hobbes. He argues that Mitchell's "We've got to get ourselves back to the garden" refers to Rousseau's call for a return to simple existence where natural human goodness can flourish. In another exegesis, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", one of the most celebrated of all rock albums, he argues that many listeners fail to understand that it is a systematic exploration of R.D. Laing's radical antipsychiatry concepts, the dark side of the Moon symbolising the authentic self, in contradistinction to the false self, which reflects light from the external source of social convention.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Harris attempts to explain the philosophical meanings of rock lyrics, trying in the process to legitimize rock and rock writing. Dismissing Fifties rock lyrics as meaningless, he concentrates on Sixties rock songs, focusing on such themes as alienation, friendship, community, hedonism, self-assertion, judgment, and redemption. Harris connects these "big ideological issues" of rock to such philosophers as Aristotle, Freud, Rousseau, and Camus. Though undoubtedly highlighting some important aspects of Sixties rock, he never explains the direct link between rock and the classic philosophers, fails to detail the uniqueness of the themes he isolates, and combines all post-1950s rock into one undifferentiated lump. The result is an overly generalized and overly intellectualized study of rock that misses the emotionalism of the music. Not recommended.
- David Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Open Court (January 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812692411
• ISBN-13: 978-0812692419
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,819,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's not only rock'n'roll, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Philosophy at 33 1/3 rpm: Themes of Classic Rock Music (Paperback)

Harris uses excerpts from songs and historical sketches of the classic rock era to illustrate the philosophical significance of what has been condemned as just noise made to annoy parents. Obviously music that moved so many at a pivotal point in our nation's history has many philosophical underpinnings, and Harris points out themes and relates them to the work of many philosophers, including (big surprise!) Nietzsche. It's an entertaining read and made me wish for a class using this as a text.