Your goal is to explore the significance and impact of one of the albums listed below.
The objective of this essay is to develop an interpretive argument about the
significance of the album. The following questions may help to start the process of
finding a focus for the paper:
• Where does this album sit in the history and development of rock?
• In the context of its genre, what is its importance and what kind of musical
statement does it make?
• How does the album’s musical content connect to lyrical content?
• Why has the album endured and why will it continue to endure?
• How does it fit within the career of the band?
• What influence has the album had on other artists and the development of the
genre?
Read the critical reviews of the album (go to the sources listed on our resource page:
Allmusic, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Billboard, etc. as well as the database
Rocksbackpages). It is your goal not only to report on what others have said about the
album (and to cite them properly!), but also to analyze critically the material of the
album. References to specific elements of the musical content are required.
The paper will be evaluated on the following elements:
1) The thesis statement must be tied to your interpretive argument. This means that your thesis
should be something you want to demonstrate; the thesis should have an active purpose for the
analysis of the album.
2) The paper must feature a clear organization and purposeful delivery of content.
3) Any analysis of musical materials must be well presented and based on the tools and methods
that are covered in the course. Analysis should not simply be a descriptive narrative of the music,
but rather should proceed from the stated interpretive goals.
4) Historical contexts and critical reception should also be offered in relation to your stated goals.
5) The paper must feature proper academic style and grammar. You may choose to adopt the
authorial first person voice (“In this paper, I will examine….”; however, try to avoid personal
statements (“I like how the music sounds” or “I feel that the artist is saying…”).
6) “Song Titles” should be placed within quotation marks and Album Titles in italics.
7) Material that has come from another source must be properly cited; please use the APA style
guide, available on the uOttawa library site:
https://orbis.uottawa.ca/search~S0?/tAPA&sort=/tapa/1%2C193%2C261%2CB/frameset&FF=tap
a+style+guide+to+electronic+references&1%2C1%2C)
8) The typed and printed essay should be no longer than 5 pages, font size 12, double-spaced, with
one-inch margins all around (electronic copies will not be accepted). Supporting examples and
references should be appended to the end of the paper and are not part of the page count.
9) The attached cover page must be included as the top page of your submission. Please tick
the appropriate box from the list.
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|