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Summary
Summary
"NOBODY KIDS THEMSELVES INTO BELIEVING THAT THEY CAN SOLVE THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, TO CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER WHEREVER WE CAN. AND IF IT TAKES A LONG PUSH, THEN WE'RE IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL. A LOT OF TIMES THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE GENIUS OF THE MOMENT. IT'S ABOUT PERSISTENCE. IT'S ABOUT BEING IN THERE AND STAYING IN THERE."
Since the early sixties, musicians have put themselves on the line for the causes they believed in, raising public awareness about important issues through songs, rallies, and benefit events. For more than thirty years, musician David Crosby has been one of rock 'n' roll's most outspoken voices for social change. in Stand and Be Counted, he and coauthor David Bender recount the stories of the artists who made a difference and the passionate convictions that moved them. Crosby's personal participation and his friendships with many of the artists involved give readers a behind-the-scenes look at events from the civil rights marches and antiwar moratoriums of the sixties, to the antinuclear events of the seventies, to Live Aid and the Amnesty International events of the eighties--right up to the Tibetan Freedom concerts of today.
This compelling story includes new interviews with such diverse artists as Harry Belafonte, Whoopi Goldberg, Adam Yauch, Phil Collins, Robin Williams, Eddie Vedder, Joan Baez, and Jimmy Buffett. Poignant and inspirational, Stand and Be Counted is an unforgettable document of the history of activism in late twentieth-century America.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Adult/High School-Writing in anecdotal style and arranging the stories by topic rather than by chronology, these authors describe popular musical artists' involvement in American culture and history from the 1960s through 1999. Their emphasis is the political activism of performing artists and, just as im-portantly, the political power of their lyrics and songs. The authors showcase musicians' participation in civil rights, the antiwar movement, birth of the benefit, global activism, farm aid, and human rights, and provide both personal narrative and the collective memory of hundreds of performers from Harry Belafonte and Joan Baez to REM and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The case for activism is well made. The chapters include the how and why of involvement at each step along the way, the songs that sparked and fed the fires of protest, and the specific lyrics and quotes that reveal their dreams. A short preface and conclusion help structure this personal review. Behind-the-scenes black-and-white glossy photos of protests and concerts enrich the text. Crosby's recent concert tour and interview will bring teens to this book. They'll also find, however, eye-opening social history wrapped in the performer's credo, "I'm here for the same reason you are. Just to stand up and be counted for what I believe-."-Becky Ferrall, Stonewall Jackson High School, Manassas, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Subtitled "the Dramatic Story of the Artists and Causes that Changed America," this music history by Crosby (singer-songwriter of 1960s-1970s legends Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) and Bender ( a political activist and founding editor of George magazine) present an overview of the musicians who stimulated America's political consciousness. This well-intentioned chronicle meets the authors' self-proclaimed goal of presenting "stories that are meant to give a sense of the wide range of activism in which artists are involved," as well as offering "a glimpse of where that ethic of activism came from, how it's grown over the years, what it's accomplished, and how it's been transmitted down the line." However, unlike Crosby's autobiography Long Time Gone, in which co-author/activist Carl Gottlieb's insightful analyses of aspects of Southern California culture gave weight to Crosby's wild tales of stoned-out times, this book reads like a collection of news clippings on more than 100 major events such as George Harrison's Bangladesh benefit, the No Nukes benefit, Live Aid, "We Are the World" and Comic Relief. (Crosby even admits to maintaining his Woodstock Concert-formed belief that "half a million people yelling Fuck! at the top of their lungs is one hell of a powerful political statement.") Crosby is sincere in his belief that musicians can help "create a climate where [world change] can happen." But this book remains more an easy-reader of protest rock than any sort of hardheaded, insightful look at the way popular music has influenced and been influenced by politics. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Noted hedonist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Crosby gives us a book about rock activism for civil rights, pacifism, and other causes. It describes such events as George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh, which included the first American appearance by any Beatle in five years (actually, another Beatle played for Bangladesh that night: Ringo) and Eric Clapton's emergence from a short retirement. The one-shot supergroup performance was the first modern benefit concert, says Crosby, who lavishes as much attention on the causes as on the stars' stage antics and musical performances. Smoothly written and insightful, the book proceeds to chronicle an important subtext of pop-music culture. Provided, perhaps, that he gets more help from Bender or another writer, Crosby may have a fruitful future as a chronicler of a time when music, politics, and awareness threatened to congeal into an alternative culture. At the very least, he has coauthored one fine piece of nostalgia and what may be by now the same thing, rock history. --Mike Tribby
Table of Contents
| Preface | p. vii |
| Acknowledgments | p. xii |
| Chapter 1 The Civil Rights Movement "We Shall Overcome" | p. 1 |
| Chapter 2 The Antiwar Movement "And It's One, Two, Three ... What Are We Fighting For?" | p. 25 |
| Chapter 3 The Birth of the Benefit "With a Little Help from My Friends" | p. 48 |
| Chapter 4 Political Activism "Power to the People" | p. 97 |
| Chapter 5 The Antinuclear Crusade "We Almost Lost Detroit" | p. 118 |
| Chapter 6 Global Activism "We Are the World" | p. 141 |
| Chapter 7 Lending a Hand "That's What Friends Are For" | p. 178 |
| Chapter 8 Human Rights "Keep On Rockin' in the Free World" | p. 212 |
| Conclusion | p. 234 |
| Index | p. 235 |