Beat Culture and the New America
"The evolution of rhythm and blues into rock and roll as a high art form, as evidenced by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and other popular musicians influenced in the late fifties and sixties by Beat generation poets' and writers' works," shows the Beat Movement's pervasive effect on Western culture. ~Allen Ginsberg
Bob Dylan was to the Folk Movement what Jack Kerouac was to the Beats. Dylan's unique style and lyrics began a musical chain reaction that still reverberates today.
In the lyrics of Dylan's 1965 hit, ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’, along with other notable sociopolitical songs such as 'Blowin' in the Wind' and 'Like a Rollin' Stone' reflect the influence of his good friend and Beat poet, Allen Ginsberg:
"Come mothers and fathers, throughout the land and don't criticize what you can't understand. Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly aging'. Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand for the times they are a-changin’”
Not only did Dylan influence the singing side of the industry but also the business side when he became the first singer-songwriter to also produce his own music.
In the lyrics of Dylan's 1965 hit, ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’, along with other notable sociopolitical songs such as 'Blowin' in the Wind' and 'Like a Rollin' Stone' reflect the influence of his good friend and Beat poet, Allen Ginsberg:
"Come mothers and fathers, throughout the land and don't criticize what you can't understand. Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly aging'. Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand for the times they are a-changin’”
Not only did Dylan influence the singing side of the industry but also the business side when he became the first singer-songwriter to also produce his own music.
The Taverns of Greenwich Village
The early folk artists were a central part of the Beatnik movement in the late 1950s. The 'anti-society' ideology struck a chord with the new singer-songwriters who began to weave threads of sociopolitical dissent through their songs. The clubs, coffeehouses, and underground dives located in the west side of New York City--known as Greenwich Village--were filled with the movement's harbingers: musicians, comedians, and poets. Traveling the "coffeehouse circuit," open mike night was the most popular venue and allowed many new artists a chance to be heard by fellow musicians as well as music industry professionals. The Bitter End (1961) launched the careers of many legends:
Joan Baez Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Bill Cosby Peter,Paul, & Mary
John Denver The Chad Mitchell Trio
Bob Dylan Pete Seeger
Arlo Guthrie Neil Young
Jimi Hendrix Janis Joplin
These are only a few of the many thousands who have been helped by the counter-culture scene in Greenwich Village. The Bitter End wasn't the only club frequented by the different beat genres. Some of the other establishments were Café Wha? (one of Allen Ginsberg's favorites), The Gaslight Cafe , Café au Go Go, The White Horse Tavern, Gerde's Folk City, Cafe Bizarre, and The Bottom Line .
Joan Baez Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Bill Cosby Peter,Paul, & Mary
John Denver The Chad Mitchell Trio
Bob Dylan Pete Seeger
Arlo Guthrie Neil Young
Jimi Hendrix Janis Joplin
These are only a few of the many thousands who have been helped by the counter-culture scene in Greenwich Village. The Bitter End wasn't the only club frequented by the different beat genres. Some of the other establishments were Café Wha? (one of Allen Ginsberg's favorites), The Gaslight Cafe , Café au Go Go, The White Horse Tavern, Gerde's Folk City, Cafe Bizarre, and The Bottom Line .
As the 1960s progressed, so did the folk movement. By the end of the decade, the
Joan Baez & Bob Dylan
country's political problems fueled the growing number of popular groups (and individuals) such as: Peter, Paul & Mary, The Freedom Singers, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger (The Weavers) to name just a few. They gained a huge following among the students attending the larger universities and colleges across the United States, giving a new voice to future generations.
By the end of the 1960s, two very important events allowed for a massive expansion of the message that had begun in the early 1950s among a few friends in Greenwich Village, New York: creation of the television and promotion of the music festival.
...And the world would never be the same.
Interesting Links:
History of Folk Music 101
Larry Keenan-Beat Photographer
Village Walking Tour
Greenwich Village East and West
Larry Keenan-Beat Photographer
Village Walking Tour
Greenwich Village East and West