I know I’m a little delayed in reacting to Pearl Jam’s debut of “Got Some” from their upcoming album “Backspacer” on Conan O’Brien Monday night.
Maybe I’m delayed because I needed time to think about it, or maybe I’m delayed because I didn’t want to say what I feel I have to.
I’m a huge Pearl Jam supporter, have been for years – but I was not impressed at all with this song and Eddie Vedder’s performance for that matter. The man is 44 years old and sounds like it.
I’ll give him some leeway as he has been on tour supporting his solo work and TV studio’s are not always a flattering place to play. The fan in me wishes he was just having an off night, but the critic in me thinks he should stick to mellow, low tempo songs as clearly his voice cannot handle it anymore.
What do you think?
June 03, 2009
June 01, 2009
The Influence Of Politics
“Let me ask you one question / Is your money that good / Will it buy you forgiveness / Do you think that it could / I think you will find / When your death takes its toll / All the money you made / Will never buy back your soul”
Powerful lyrics from one of the greatest political singer/songwriters to ever live.
Bob Dylan moved a generation with his words. He opened their eyes, expanded their minds and moved them to fight for change.
Dylan was a key figure in the 1960’s protest movement with songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" (1962), "Masters of War" (1963), "Talking World War III Blues" (1963), and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (1964). His landmark songs inspired a generation, not only in the 60’s, but for the next 50 years as Bob Dylan is still - to this day a respected and admired artist.
In 1976, Dylan wrote “The Hurricane”, a protest song inspired by the false imprisonment of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter as a result of alleged acts of racism and profiling against Carter, which Dylan describes as leading to a false trial and conviction. The Hurricane is considered, in some circles, to be a contributing factor in Carter having all charges dropped against and released from prison in 1988.
"It Better End Soon" by Chicago, "War" by Edwin Starr, "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and "Imagine" by John Lennon were all recorded and released in the early 70’s in protest of the Vietnam war.
In fact, this week mark’s the 40th anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s week long “bed-in for peace” at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.
Soul artists like Marvin Gaye were using their voices as well to demand peace in the 70’s. Gaye’s legendary 1971 protest album "What's Going On” included the songs "Inner City Blues", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and the title track, “What’s Going On”.
The 80’s ushered in new forms of protest songs and original ideas to bring global awareness to ongoing global problems.
Rap group NWA had hits like “Fight The Power” (1989) and “Fuck Tha Police” (1988). All American boys Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen rebelled against government policies with their songs “Allentown” (1982) and “Born In The USA” (1984).
And on July 13, 1985, former Boomtown Rats front man Bob Geldof would organize a global benefit concert to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. The concert would showcase bands like U2, Queen, David Bowie, The Who, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Run DMC, The Beach Boys, Madonna, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. Live Aid was viewed by an estimated 400 Million people worldwide and would raise an outstanding $283.6 million.
After that, politics and music just didn’t seem to mesh as well as it once did. More recently, notable acts like Rage Against The Machine (essentially their entire library), Green Day (American Idiot), Arcade Fire (Neon Bible), Eminem (Mosh) and Eddie Vedder have all made music rebelling against social trends, trying to evoke some sort of passion from the masses to demand change as they see it, but none have made the kind of significant impact – with all due respect - that our musical voices of the past have. Not through any fault of their own, it’s just that nobody seems to care anymore.
Another reason to believe that we are living in Generation... meh.
Where is the fire? Where is the passion, the need to see bullshit policies and human suffering overturned? Have we just stopped caring? Do we just accept what is going on around us these days with no desire to fix what’s broke?
To say that we haven’t had our share of live-changing historic moments would be false as well. Most of us lived through 9/11 – that was life changing; at least in North America, wasn’t it? And what do we have to show for it that is of any cultural significance? Neil Young’s “Let’s Roll” (2002) and the subsequent movie “United 93” (2006) that followed soon after. What about global warming – is that our generations issue? If so, why are bands today not being progressive like Dylan and Lennon and demanding change. No, instead lets all listen to songs about some chick’s poker face.
If the music is out there, and if bands are still exercising their right to free speech, I apologize and maybe my focus should be on the media for not giving them the air time.
I refuse to mention Al Gore’s Live Earth and Geldof’s Live 8 as significant, because they weren’t. Time has already proven it.
Powerful lyrics from one of the greatest political singer/songwriters to ever live.
Bob Dylan moved a generation with his words. He opened their eyes, expanded their minds and moved them to fight for change.
Dylan was a key figure in the 1960’s protest movement with songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" (1962), "Masters of War" (1963), "Talking World War III Blues" (1963), and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (1964). His landmark songs inspired a generation, not only in the 60’s, but for the next 50 years as Bob Dylan is still - to this day a respected and admired artist.
In 1976, Dylan wrote “The Hurricane”, a protest song inspired by the false imprisonment of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter as a result of alleged acts of racism and profiling against Carter, which Dylan describes as leading to a false trial and conviction. The Hurricane is considered, in some circles, to be a contributing factor in Carter having all charges dropped against and released from prison in 1988.
"It Better End Soon" by Chicago, "War" by Edwin Starr, "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and "Imagine" by John Lennon were all recorded and released in the early 70’s in protest of the Vietnam war.
In fact, this week mark’s the 40th anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s week long “bed-in for peace” at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.
Soul artists like Marvin Gaye were using their voices as well to demand peace in the 70’s. Gaye’s legendary 1971 protest album "What's Going On” included the songs "Inner City Blues", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and the title track, “What’s Going On”.
The 80’s ushered in new forms of protest songs and original ideas to bring global awareness to ongoing global problems.
Rap group NWA had hits like “Fight The Power” (1989) and “Fuck Tha Police” (1988). All American boys Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen rebelled against government policies with their songs “Allentown” (1982) and “Born In The USA” (1984).
And on July 13, 1985, former Boomtown Rats front man Bob Geldof would organize a global benefit concert to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. The concert would showcase bands like U2, Queen, David Bowie, The Who, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Run DMC, The Beach Boys, Madonna, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. Live Aid was viewed by an estimated 400 Million people worldwide and would raise an outstanding $283.6 million.
After that, politics and music just didn’t seem to mesh as well as it once did. More recently, notable acts like Rage Against The Machine (essentially their entire library), Green Day (American Idiot), Arcade Fire (Neon Bible), Eminem (Mosh) and Eddie Vedder have all made music rebelling against social trends, trying to evoke some sort of passion from the masses to demand change as they see it, but none have made the kind of significant impact – with all due respect - that our musical voices of the past have. Not through any fault of their own, it’s just that nobody seems to care anymore.
Another reason to believe that we are living in Generation... meh.
Where is the fire? Where is the passion, the need to see bullshit policies and human suffering overturned? Have we just stopped caring? Do we just accept what is going on around us these days with no desire to fix what’s broke?
To say that we haven’t had our share of live-changing historic moments would be false as well. Most of us lived through 9/11 – that was life changing; at least in North America, wasn’t it? And what do we have to show for it that is of any cultural significance? Neil Young’s “Let’s Roll” (2002) and the subsequent movie “United 93” (2006) that followed soon after. What about global warming – is that our generations issue? If so, why are bands today not being progressive like Dylan and Lennon and demanding change. No, instead lets all listen to songs about some chick’s poker face.
If the music is out there, and if bands are still exercising their right to free speech, I apologize and maybe my focus should be on the media for not giving them the air time.
I refuse to mention Al Gore’s Live Earth and Geldof’s Live 8 as significant, because they weren’t. Time has already proven it.
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