ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author examines the aging pop-rock lovers’ musical experience by retracing their collective memory, which revolves around their youth in the neighborhoods of the US military Rest and Recreatio centers in Taipei. He introduces the social background of the early pop-rock scene in Taiwan, which is closely attached to the US military’s presence. The Military Assistance Advisory Group soon became the highest US administration in Taiwan. It could even supervise the annual budget audits of the national defense of Taiwan. The American military visiting Taiwan during the Vietnam War drove the consumption of pop-rock that encouraged the development of the local music industry. Tommy Wang, the main organizer of the Melody of Youth series, stated that: This neighborhood was a world full of foreigners [note: American military and businessmen], and the military clubs were reserved to people having member cards.
