All Shook Up: How Rock n' Roll Changed America

             Altschuler's book, All Shook Up: How Rock n' Roll Changed America is a mesmerizing breakdown of the impact that rock n' roll music has had on American culture. From chapter to chapter he thoroughly conveys the social change that was initiated by the rise of rock n' roll in the 1950's. Through a political eye he first discusses the impact that rock n' roll had on society's view of race. Developed from a blend of Southern blues and gospel music with an added strong back beat, rock n' roll soon turned popular with teenagers who were trying to break out of the mainstream, conservative, American middle class mold. Noticing this trend African American's began to view rock n' roll music as a way to promote racial harmony and social mobility. Altschuler's provides many examples to describe the attempts that white elders made in order to reinforce white supremacy; for example, promoting white rock n' rollers such as Pat Boone, exploiting black rock n' rollers (Allen Freed), and through physical violence (assault on Nat King Cole) . Regardless of these White attacks, through the use of rock n' roll and the sweeping wave of Supreme Court judgments in favor of integration (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka) African American's civil rights were beginning to not only get noticed but now they are finally getting enforced. .
             Altschuler's focuses next on influence rock n' roll music played in America's generational conflict and cultural conflict regarding sexuality. He mentions first, "rock n' roll was pivotal in a reassessment of sexual attitudes and behavior that only seemed to spring out of nowhere in the 1960's. (p. 68) With lyrics like, "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle/ I just love your sexy ways/ Upside down, all around,/ Any old way, just pound, pound, pound;" Times magazine had every right to publish that "There is no denying that rock and roll evokes a physical response from its most reluctant listeners" (p.