A few months ago, I started to ask readers what the 3 pieces of music, pop music, had the most emotional impact on them. I hear certain pieces of music and get so excited that it totally demands my attention and there is a visceral pleasure....
I got some very interesting responses from people. Yesterday, wjohnson sent me a list of three pieces that he thought idealistically were important to him. It made me think abouut how important music was in the 60's as an instrument of cultural change and promotiona and exchange of politiical ideas, whether it be James Brown singing "I'm Black and I'm Proud!", "Trouble Comin' Everyday" by Frank Zappa or "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills and Nash. Earlier, it was the folk music movement of the late 50's and early 60's. Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez singing for social change. Probably one of the most powerful "Protest" songs ever written and recorded was "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holliday. Though it professed to be against everything, Punk was at its best when it took on political rage...even the Ramones recorded "Bonzo Goes to Bitzberg" when Reagan made his trip to Germany in the early 80's.
I loved Gang of Four!
I played in a band in the early 80's called Belle Starr. We were somewhere between Punk, folk, and had some funk in the brew...but we were all basically political animals and it came into the passion and subjects of the music.
Who was our audience? Did we actually expect to influence the political thinking of the Lower Manhattan Clubbers who danced to songs like "Free The Rich", "Gulag Rock" or "Videlas' Last Tango"? Probably not, but we were passionate and played Rock Against Racism concerts in Central Park with other like minded artists.
I try to listen to music today, but I hear American pop in ragged fits and starts. I hear a lot of European and French Music. There is a lot of very politiical rap here, the Algerian, eastern European and African elements here all blend together to make a heady mix. Rap has become a French art...the language is more suited to the wordplay and rythmn games of rap than rock.
Are there musicians that manage to be popular, entertaining and consistantly political at the same time? Do you have any suggestions? I will publish them and if you can send sound byte and promo stuff to me, I will publish it also!
The CD cover illustration of this post is the latest release by a great American Band called Ollabelle. It is their second CD and is called Riverside Battle hymns. I am recommending this music because it manages to be political, spiritual and real American Roots music all at the same time. Incredible vocals by the entire band with an emphasis on harmony. Blues, country, New Orleans, Gospel, Rock all served up by Glenn Patscha who lived and recorded in New Orleans for many years, he is the keyboard player, Fiona McBain, singer and multi instrumentalist, Byron Hawkes, singing bassist, Tony Leone, singing and drumming and Amy Helm, singer and multi instrumentalist who by the way is the daughter of Levon Helm, the drummer of The Band.
For soundclips and more, go check out their website: www.ollabelle.net
I have to admit, they are friends of mine and I am a fan!
I'm looking forward to your contributions as to what you think about music that manages to be political in America today!
4 comments:
There will never be one point in the future time line of music, where the political message carried out in the raw, (naked) emotion of the 60's and 70's, will be matched. But, I think the closest we have come to music really protesting, pushing the limits of "true expression" are in some early and current rap music. Public Enemy in the late 1980's and early 90's took their beliefs and plastered them in your face, whether you liked it or not. With songs like Fight the Power and Shut'em Down, Rap music took a huge slap at the large corporations, even those whose business came from the Black community. Music will never be devoid of debate over the perfect dogma but I just hope that the quality of music becomes more potent. The passion in music lately, in the mainstream has turned into frustrating chants of nothingness. I personally would like to see the passion of the late 60's and very early 70's mix with the creativity of the 80's. I think we shall see this soon. Already we are seeing it in fashion.
To Anonymous,
I would have to agree with your evaluation that you can never go back and repeat a moment in time with the same feelings that it once had. Being an old musician myself, I can appreciate your references to Rap music that grew up from the streets is about as close to the Hippy or Freak revolution of our time. I think that it is a good analogy. I try to get young people involved in the political process as often as I can. These people in charge now are dictating your future as we speak. If you disagree, now is the time for your generation to speak out and get them stopped. Your future and destiny is in your own hands.
An as far as fashion, I saw this young late teen girl in bell-bottom jeans, wedgies shoes, and flowered print peasant blouse. I stopped her and said, “I think I dated your mother.” We both just smiled because she understood got the joke.
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