Every Single Sound Speaks In The Plural: West Coast hardcore punk and grunge
Façade of ‘Take It Easy’, Social Fabric of Grunge, Straight Edge, Reaganomics & the Recession of 1981-1982 in Seattle.
‘’All music, even the stylistically most individualistic, takes on a collective content: every single sound speaks in the plural’’ -Theodor W. Adorno
The artist cannot be separated from the social construct and politics, something that Theodor W. Adorno labels the 'social fabric'. However, to situate grunge in the framework of sociomusicology, the social fabric of the 1980s must be addressed. As this social fabric is responsible not only for grunge or punk movements but is also significant for understanding Generation X. Unlike Generation X, the Baby Boom generation and its counterculture had advertised a ‘take it easy’ mentality in the 1960s. It became its own form of conservatism saturated with ideas by Timothy Leary`s book Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out (1966).
Whilst Timothy Leary concluded that his legendary phrase had been misinterpreted, the importance of detachment, consumerism and self-indulgence only intensified in the 1970s. President Jimmy Carter concluded his ‘’A Crisis of Confidence speech’’ (1979) by expressing that: ‘‘too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns’’ (Carter, 1979, p. 4). This statement makes it clear that American society in 1979 had prioritised materialistic wellbeing. Even countercultures such as the Hippies who were agitating for social change and for peace and love couldn’t win over capitalism. The ‘take it easy’ mentality was a façade which encouraged and progressed the politics of 1980s Republicans. Whilst at the same time, conservatives copied the style of 1960s counterculture not only in the political sphere but in the entertainment sector (Rising, 2010, p.285). The California hardcore punk scene in the 1980s fought back at the 1960s counterculture and conservatists of the 1980s.
Kevin Mattson highlights that ‘’baby boomers overemphasised the theme of liberation and freedom while ignoring the self-destructive and diluted political visions of the 1960s’’ (Mattson, 2020, p. 22). Whilst at the same time President Ronald Reagan articulated the importance of materialism and consumerism as ‘’during the 1980s, they were once again celebrated as evidence that one adhered to righteous values such as hard work and prudence’’(13.1 Conservatism and the “Reagan Revolution”, 2012). If the argument is made that the Hippie movement heightened the importance of non-materialistic qualities and advertised world peace, then such a transition towards Conservatism suggests flaws in the movement. Liberals and Republicans displaced a portion of American society as both political ideologies valued self-indulgence and aspirations that were not available for everyone.
Hardcore punk, as a representative of the lower and middle classes, showcases how financially challenging the 1980s had become. Therefore, the transition to Republicanism in American society, specifically in relation to Ronald Reagan, is indicative of the failure of the 'take it easy' mentality and the 1960s counterculture Democrats. This becomes evident in the Dead Kennedys song ‘’California Über Alles’’(1987) which compares the hippie culture to zen fascism:
‘’Zen fascists will control you
Hundred percent natural
You will jog for the master race
And always wear the happy face
Close your eyes, can't happen here
Big Bro' on white horse is near
The hippies won't come back, you say
Mellow out or you will pay’’
(Biafra,J., East Bay Ray, Flouride, K., Peligro, D.H., 1987)
American punk artist Winston Smith (known for producing the artwork for Dead Kennedys and Green Day) recalls that, in 1968, ‘’it was people fighting in the streets, wanting to burn everything down. When I returned [in 1975] everyone was frumped out on earth shoes and health food’’ (Mattson, 2020, p. 16). ‘‘California Über Alles’’ infers this with the line ‘’hundred percent natural’’ suggesting 1970s popularity with organic products due to worldwide environmental organisations being concerned with pollution. Likewise lyrical lines ‘’close your eyes, can't happen here’’ suggests the 'take it easy' mentality which often resulted in delusional perceptions. George Orwell's novel 1984 (1949) and its themes of control and fear are referenced through the line ‘’Big Bro' on white horse is near’’, specifically referencing Orwell's Big Brother character in the novel.
The dramatic difference between 1968 and 1975 indicates the progression and priority of the 'take it easy' movement and that it had become infiltrated into the mainstream. It’s lack of desire for political involvement worked as an encouragement for indifference. Leary's 'drop out' phrase was reflective of Hippies disengaging from society, either by dropping out of education or work, or becoming engaged in drug experimentation, particularly LSD. This is an issue that hardcore punk artists would address, as exemplified by the most prominent examples of Dead Kennedys, Black Flag and Minor Threat.
Not only did hardcore punk protest against drug experimentation but also, the rises in alcohol consumption which were encouraged in the 1980s. The 1980s Californian hardcore punks, such as the aforementioned Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat and Black Flag, took on a ‘straight edge’ mentality in protesting against the self-indulgence of the 1980s. Dead Kennedys ‘’Too Drunk To Fuck’’(1981) and Black Flag’s ‘’6 pack’’ (1981) reference The Official Preppy Handbook (1980). This book (popular with Reagan voters) discussed North American ‘prepdom’; guiding the reader on how to mimic the aesthetic, lifestyle, speech pattern of those in prep schools and high-class society.
It highlighted the importance of drinking culture in particular. It assured readers that ‘’failure to master the skill of consuming large amounts of alcohol will result in a lifetime of denied invitations. The cocktail`s ubiquitous presence proves that pleasure is life`s main concern’’ (Mattson, 2020, p.35). Kim Gordon, the bass player for Sonic Youth, explains that 'straight edge' disregarded addictive substances ‘’not so much out of puritanism as from a desire to be in control, and to avoid being manipulated by the consumerist system’’ (Mattson, 2020, p. 34). In 1983, Ian Mackaye from Minor Threat claimed that: ‘’straightedgers are a 'new breed of punks…I've got my head straight, my shit together, and I've got an advantage on you’’ (Wood, 2006, p.33). This indicated a new awareness in punk. During the 1970s, punk in New York or London had gained a heroin abuse reputation.
Alongside the straightedge mentality, environmental conservationism had become more prominent.Some agitated for pro-vegetarianism with hardcore bands such as Burn addressing meat eaters by singing ‘’this will lead to the destruction of our earth.... We have killed and shall be judged’’ (Malik, DiCara, Lang and Cage, 1990). Grunge band Nirvana touched upon such ideas in their song ‘’Something In The Way’’ (1991). Kurt Cobain sings ’’It’s okay to eat fish…Cause they don't have any feelings’’ (Cobain, 1991).
Robert T. Wood argues that lyrical condemnations of animal exploitation had become more intense in the 90s and ‘’the issue of animal rights became a fundamental element of straightedge cultural ethos during the late 1980s and seems to have persisted’’ (Wood, 2006,p.41). It was a clear contrast to the self-indulgent behaviour of the 1980s generation which had disregarded environmental responsibility, focusing on the celebration of oneself. Prominent Seattle grunge bands such as Pearl Jam and Soundgarden have praised West Coast hardcore punk bands such as Black Flag, Dead Kennedys and Fugazi. They have praised the politically driven lyrics and mentality. The ideological foundation of the hardcore punk scene was modified and used as a framework by grunge musicians.
Real estate agents Bob McDonald and Jim Youngren's billboard in Seattle (The Seattle Times, 1999)
The political atmosphere of the 1980s is one of the most important factors 1980s punks addressed and which influenced the 1990s Seattle movement. Notably, the 1981-1982 recession affected the working-class sector by challenging the manufacturing and construction industries. For example, the goods producers held ‘’30 percent of total employment at the time, they suffered 90 percent of job losses in 1982’’ (Sablik, 2013). Furthermore, by December of 1982, the ‘’unemployment rate stood at its recession peak of 10.8%’’ (Auxier, 2010). The recession in Seattle ‘’is somewhat deeper and will be somewhat longer lasting that of the general national economy’’ (Markusen, Deitrick, Hall and Campbell, 1991, p.159). This was observed by Cleveland Anschell, the associate economist at Rainer National Bank.
Seattle needed more political and financial attention, yet the situation did not improve significantly. Importantly, the declining timber and fishing industries, as well as the decline of the famous Boeing company in Seattle (Boeing Bust 1969-1971), left many to search for work outside of Seattle. Famously, real estate agents Bob McDonald and Jim Youngren ‘’rented a billboard near Sea-Tac Airport and posted the humorous message Will the last person leaving SEATTLE -- Turn out the lights’’ (Lange, 1999). This remark visualised the financial struggles of Seattle and how the city had become economically isolated.
Only with the birth of companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon in the late 1990s did the city start to transform. These corporate shifts led to such influence that even the recording studio owned by the Seattle grunge band Soundgarden was acquired by Facebook. Matt Cameron of Soundgarden comments that: ‘‘tech squashed the grunge building’’ (Seattle Today, 2021). Like the Hippies, this is symbolic of the movement's inability to win over capitalism. Financial crisis is an important element when considering the punk driven Seattle movement of the 1990s which had engaged visually and lyrically with the issue of poverty. For example, Pearl Jam's song ‘’Even Flow’’ (1991) comments on this issue and the movement's preference towards thrifted clothing. The song is reflective of the struggles of the lower-middle class in the 1990s. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam recalls:
“I'd fall asleep… and they'd lecture me about the reality of their classroom. I said one day, 'You want to see my reality? ' I opened up my backpack to where you usually keep your pencils. That's where I kept my bills . . . electric bills, rent . . . That was my reality” (Hilburn, 1994).
This indicates how personal the issue of poverty and financial despair was for the artists within the movement and the broader struggles of Generation X across the U.S. Kevin Mattson notes that: ‘’the dissolution of marriages and parental absence left many kids with a sense of mistrust. By 1972, Neil Postman, a popular sociologist, would announce the ‘end of childhood’’ (Mattson, 2020, p. 65). Parental absence created even more pressure on children who faced this issue and it was common. Eddie Vedder's statement showcases the lower-middle class issue.
Poverty figures in the youth population in Marc Miringoff's study (1989) indicate that ‘’one in five children lived in poverty in the United States. By the late 1980s, poverty figures once again reached the levels attained in the 1982-1983 economic recession (Batchelor and Stoddart, 2007,p.35). Miringoff's study (1989) for Innovation in Social Policy, revealed that the:
‘’wellbeing of children in the United States declined dramatically since the 1970s. Miringoff created an index that measured 'social health' among American young people in areas such as infant mortality, child abuse, children living in poverty, suicide, high school dropout rates, and substance abuse. The index calculated each area on a 100-point scale. In 1970, the index for children's social health reached 68. In 1987, the number plummeted to 37 ‘’ (Batchelor and Stoddart, 2007, p.35).
This study indicates how neglected children's social health had become and, when considering that children examined in the study would be considered as Generation X, statistics such as these are important indicators of the social fabric of grunge music. Teenagers, instead of focusing on their education and enjoying their youth, were forced to worry about their financial survival. This contributed to a mindset shaped by constant challenges, depression, and a lack of focus on individual goals. This illustrated the mindset of Seattle; a low-income town with no future that turned to drug use among its troublesome youth. As a result of the 1981-1982 recession, Seattle experienced financial despair and poverty. Combined with parental absence, the economic crisis meant that children's wellbeing was especially compromised in America. This is the social fabric of the art within the movement. Therefore, the thematic treatment of depression, which is present in the grunge aesthetic, is reflective of the political and social atmosphere.
