Despite my best intentions I probably will post a 'best of 2010' in some form or another. I think they're silly and pointless lists but this is a blog and by it's nature is at least partly self indulgent, and I always love to share music even if just one person discovers a track they haven't heard before and makes their day I'm happy.
So before I indulge, and considering a lot of people feel times they are a changin' – from the nutcases on the right such as the Tea Party and their supporters in the U.S. (watch this video to witness the level of collective insanity), to the left busily looking to their holy texts for some reassurance the proletariats are ready for revolt – I thought it's a perfect time to reflect on great political music. Not protest songs, necessarily (you can find a fairly flimsy list of those decided by someone at The American Sociological Association here) but songs that have moved me the most politically.
For me, some of the most political songs avoid directly political lyrics, though not all. I guess that's why I'm averse to any (post-) modern or current notions of protest music. Early '90s dance music and events such as reclaim the streets and the UK motorway protests are proof that the sounds, energy and resulting culture are easily as potent and political as any lyrical dissent. But, as you can probably tell, I'm no academic so I can't prove any of this.
Anyway, here's my top 5 favourite political tracks.
Suggestion - Fugazi
I could have picked any Fugazi track but I remember pretty much everyone programming this track on Rage when I was in my early teens and watching it over and over. Their lyrics are never preachy and often much less obvious than this but 'Suggestion' encapsulates everything that elevates good political music above what I feel is the stagnant discussions of the left and academia, as well as the passion and real sense that we own our destiny, can have our own, disparate opinions and change things. That's about as idealistic and optimistic as you'll ever hear me but when I listen to Fugazi, I feel it. Man!
Flutter - Autechre
I'm not a big fan of Autechre but they have done some great stuff. Kidcalmdown told me about this one. It was a response to the Criminal Justice Bill being introduced in the UK in 1994 which was an attempt to outlaw gatherings with repetitive beat music, otherwise referred to as the anti-rave bill.
The Anti EP comes with a warning that the other two tracks contain repetitive beats and, amongst other things, states “by breaking this seal, you accept full responsibility for any consequential action resulting from the product's use, as playing the music contained within these recordings may be interpreted as opposition to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill.”
'Flutter', on the other hand, is constructed in a way so that no bar repeats the same beat. It's smart-arse but clever enough to make the point well. It helps that Flutter is a really great track; easily the best of the EP.
Panopticon - Coldcut
Another political track with no lyrics. I love this one and I'm sure seeing the video helped reaffirm the politics but even before that I always felt it encapsulated the sadness of the grey, controlled society we have found ourselves in. It's a pretty great musical description of the panopticon... except there's a sense of hope rather than hopelessness.
The Irresistible Force mix is also great. What's happened to Mixmaster Morris?
Fight The Power - Public Enemy
I would prefer a bunch of other Public Enemy tracks because they're all political, really. However, like a bad online journalist, surveying a few friends is enough to prove any idea you have true and when asked what is Public Enemy's best political track, the answer is always Fight The power.
What more can be said?
Pay No Mind - Beck
Beck's probably a lot more political than most people realise, or not. I think Scientology may have killed that as well. But this is an awesome comment on middle America and middle Americans, without coming across all snobby like some sort of Jeff Koons. And all that apathy woven into a song that resembles a 'real' protest song. And I think it's that love of American folk tradition that saves it from being elitist rather than critical. This might also be my favourite Beck song.
Between Empathy and Sympathy Is Time - Terre Thaemlitz
I could write lots about this. I don't think I anything I can say would do this track justice. There's no youtube video for this, just a small clip on Terre Thaemlitz's Comatonse site which you can find here.
Thaemlitz has taken an ANC speech and effected it with a vocoder. Rather than trivialising the content of the speech, for me, it appears to have the effect of making the speech and the intentions behind it more real.
It's beautiful, it's clever and really has an effect on me. It was also done way back in 2002 before a bunch of kids were making youtube videos auto-tuning everyone with slight political but mostly comedic value.
The album it's from, Lovebomb, is one of my favourite albums and having a look around the Comatonse website just now I noticed there's also an accompanying DVD which I will be getting.
Anyway, check it out, and all of Thamlitz's work.
So, a fairly hastily put together list. Let us know your favourite political tracks!