Title: Apocalypse Jukebox: The End Of The World In American Popular Music
Authors: David Janssen and Edward Whitelock
Year: 2009
Every so often, a book will come along that feels like it was put on the shelves specifically to appeal to you. This happened to me with Apocalypse Jukebox, a book which combines my twin loves of popular music and dystopian themes. The book features some frighteningly thought-out and well-researched points, arguing the general thesis that apocalyptic imagery has been a part of American music (specifically rock & roll) since the beginning.
Janssen and Whitelock use a variety of bands as case studies, ranging from R.E.M. to John Coltrane. Each chapter is devoted to a specific band or artist (and often only a specific album by said artist). The authors identify the apocalyptic themes as either religious in tone (a la biblical revelation) or atomic, which makes sense, given that rock & roll “grew up” in a post-bomb world. Both of these have multiple musical examples supporting them, with some, like Bob Dylan, representing both.
Apocalypse Jukebox is well-written and well-argued, although the authors can occasionally get lost in their starry-eyed analysis of the music at hand. While chapters about Leonard Cohen and Sleater-Kinney are quality discussions of the themes and imagery within the music, they feel a bit forced into the overall picture “apocalypse-in-America.” However, strong chapters about Green Day and Devo balance things out. Despite getting occasionally lost in their own love for their subject matter, Janssen and Whitelock have written an impressive piece of cultural analysis.
Janssen and Whitelock use a variety of bands as case studies, ranging from R.E.M. to John Coltrane. Each chapter is devoted to a specific band or artist (and often only a specific album by said artist). The authors identify the apocalyptic themes as either religious in tone (a la biblical revelation) or atomic, which makes sense, given that rock & roll “grew up” in a post-bomb world. Both of these have multiple musical examples supporting them, with some, like Bob Dylan, representing both.
Apocalypse Jukebox is well-written and well-argued, although the authors can occasionally get lost in their starry-eyed analysis of the music at hand. While chapters about Leonard Cohen and Sleater-Kinney are quality discussions of the themes and imagery within the music, they feel a bit forced into the overall picture “apocalypse-in-America.” However, strong chapters about Green Day and Devo balance things out. Despite getting occasionally lost in their own love for their subject matter, Janssen and Whitelock have written an impressive piece of cultural analysis.
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