Songs of the Vietnam Conflict

Offering the widest scope of any study of one of popular music's most important eras, Songs of the Vietnam Conflict treats both anti-war and pro-government songs of the 1960s and early 1970s, from widely known selections such as Give Peace a Chance and Blowin' in the Wind to a variety of more obscure works. These are songs that permeated the culture, through both recordings and performances at political gatherings and concerts alike, and James Perone explores the complex relationship between music and the society in which it is written. This music is not merely an indicator of the development of the American popular song; it both reflected and shaped the attitudes of all who were exposed to it.

Whereas in previous wars, musicians rallied behind the government in the way of Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber, the Vietnam conflict provoked anger, frustration, and rage, all of which comes through in the songs of the time. This reference work provides indispensable coverage of this phenomenon, in chapters devoted to Anti-War Songs, Pro-Government Songs, and what might be called Plight-of-the-Soldier (or Veteran) songs. A selected discography guides the reader to the most notable recordings, all of which, together, provide a unique and important perspective on perhaps the 20th century's most contentious time.

Author: James E. Perone
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 08/30/2001
Pages: 184
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.03lbs
Size: 9.76h x 6.16w x 0.73d
ISBN: 9780313315282

Review Citation(s):
American Reference Bks Annual 01/01/2002 pg. 524
Choice 03/01/2002 pg. 1250
Reference and Research Bk News 02/01/2002 pg. 182

About the Author

JAMES PERONE is Associate Professor of Music at Mount Union College, and the author of many books on music, including Paul Simon: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood, 2000), Carole King: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood, 1999), and Orchestration Theory: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood, 1996).