All Shook Up Book Review

While reading Glenn C Altschuler’s All Shook Up: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America, it becomes apparent that Altschuler is dissecting and further investigating the birth of the now traditional notion of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Altschuler examines the immense effect rock ‘n’ roll had on the social dynamics on the United States. He states that “rock ‘n’ roll unsettled a nation” (p 7). The thesis of All Shook Up is that rock ‘n’ roll redefined the United States and what it meant to be an American and also brought about social change that might otherwise been left unchanged.

Altschuler support his thesis by focusing on three aspects of American culture: race, sex and teenagers. He first focuses on how rock ‘n’ roll challenged the issue of race. First appearing in the late 1940s - early 1950s, this new genre of music disrupted the idea of racial segregation. Altschuler points out “the more attractive R&B became to white youth, the more controversial it became” (p 19). Southern segregationists feared miscegenation and “that exposure to black culture promoted juvenile delinquency and sexual immorality” (p 37). Some African Americans feared that the integration would lead to the younger generation forgetting their own heritage. However, despite the protests of the adult generation, African American and white teens continued to enjoy music together. On page 42, Herbert Reed gives an example of a show in Austin, Texas where both African American and white teenagers danced together, destroying the rope that was originally dividing them. Of course, the issue of racial integration was not the only problem parents had with rock ‘n’ roll. Some declared rock ‘n’ roll was ruining the “morals of a generation of Americans” (p 6). This highly sexualized music concerned many parents and they felt as though it promoted promiscuity and disobedience. In reality, as Altschuler states, lyrics hardly ever supported sex outside of a relationship. Still, parents still tried to promote “wholesome” figures such as Dick Clark and Pat Boone. Altschuler points out that “more than ever before, teenagers had the means, the motive, and the opportunity to transgress” (p 68). The corrupting lyrics of Elvis and The Dominoes’ “Sixty Minute Man” lead to many protests and eventually the record companies were forced to rewrite several lyrics determined “raunchy” in many R&B songs. Rock ‘n’ roll also defined teenagers. Growing up in a material world, without the experience of the Depression, teens held different values than their parents. Rock ‘n’ roll accentuated these values and satirized the power struggles between the parent and teen. Altschuler states “many Americans believed that rock ‘n’ roll was an irritant that provoked conflict between parents and teenagers and increased antisocial behavior” (p 99).

It is interesting to see how rock ‘n’ roll defined an age group that plays such an important role in pop culture today. It would be fascinating to further investigate how the ‘teenager’ became what it is today through rock ‘n’ roll.