Supernatural and the Underclass- 3

[laespada]

Supernatural and the Underclass 3- Music

Part 1- Intro
Part 2- Dangers of Underclass

If I were to start by using one thing, I would point out the music. American rock oldies, you say. Yeah, okay, big deal. Yes,  very American, so what's your point? The point belongs to that of a generational divide that, unless you are someone born in  the 50s, or

Comments

[ju4jen]

I have been really enjoying your thought provoking metas and the stimulating discussion that follows them.

(Just for background - I am first generation university educated from a solidly mixed working class with Romany gypsy itinerant family background (British) I am now what I would describe in the professional classes (I am the principal of a primary (elementary school)). I have had to work very, very hard all my life to get to where I am now, and still work hard. Despite what some commentators would like to say, I don't believe there is such thing as a classless society anywhere in the world. And I am amazed at how many people seem to get through life easily - and its largely due to class they were born in)

But I digress...

I'm afraid as a Brit my knowledge of American music is limited to what has reached our shores, particularly the folk stuff (I am really into British folk as well as classic rock) but I was convinced by your arguments about the music in SPN.

What I did want to know is how you see the strong showing of British rock (i.e Led Zepplin, Def Leppard, Ozzie) fitting into this, as surely this is not music that could be identified with the american working classes in the same way as, say, Lynard Skynard. It is the music of a time, and of the British working class (to a certain extent but Zepplin and the whole hippy scene is much more middle class than they would like to think) but it doesn't fit so easy, at least in my humble opinion, with Kripke's mission for 'americana'.

Thanks for the interesting debate.

[laespada]

No problem!

Lynard Skynard, while definitely an American symbol, is kind of paradoxical. On one hand, yeah, definitely American with a lot of very American roots, but there's also a certain political undertone behind them. I forget which song it was exactly it was in protest to, but Lynard Skynard made Sweet Home Alabama in order to smooth over the recently ruffled feathers of the south. It was calling back to a sort of idealized version of the South, of courtly love and tradition and stuff, in contrast to a song that brought up some of the worse points of the South.

So yeah; they are very American, but a lot of people think they sometimes cross the line into trailer trash territory. This is just what I've heard; basically, it could only ever represent a certain demographic (deep South), rather than a generation.

What's weird is that the Britishness of said artists were never really a big issue. Seriously, I had no idea Def Leppard was even a British band, which probably sounds terrible, but that's just to give you an idea. I'm thinking that this was more of, like you said, a generational thing, where music swapping was getting bigger. I think it wasn't Americana when it first came over in the 60's and 70's, but then was gradually absorbed into the '80s subset of Americana. I can't really give you much more specific discussion about British artists on American shores, my knowledge there is limited.

If we wanted to talk about old American views in modern american music without getting political, I'd say probably Cash is a really good example. A lot of working and underclass stuff raised there. Dylan, too. Then there are random, individual songs that are pretty strongly Americana.