Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

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Music can change the world, rearrange the world. Almost nobody from my generation doubts this. We found no contradiction between All You Need Is Love and Stop! In The Name of Love and Love Potion #9. We knew that the answer, my friend, was blowing in the wind and when Jimi Hendrix played the Star Spangled Banner, it took on a whole new meaning. We heard the drummin' when four died in Ohio and we knew we could overcome. We said we wanted a revolution yet nothing's gonna change our world. Nothing but music and poetry and Dionysian wonderment and revelry and dancin' in the streets and pure abandoned profligate humor will put a bridge over troubled waters.

We've known for a long time that you can't get no satisfaction and you can't always get what you need, but you get what you can and that there ain't no place for a street fightin' man.

So now come the Rolling Stones with the release of their new album, the first studio album in eight years which coincides with the beginning of their latest concert tour. I suppose that it is no surprise that the pre-release buzz should be about a politically outspoken tune on the new disk called My Sweet Neo Con. I haven't seen any bootlegged copies of the tune available on the internet yet, but they are probably out there somewhere.

The lyrics have already been released. Here are some of them:

"How come you're so wrong? My sweet neo-con, where's the money gone, in the Pentagon,"
It's liberty for all, democracy's our style, unless you are against us, then it's prison without trial.

You call yourself a Christian,
I call you a hypocrite,
You call yourself a patriot,
well I think you're full of shit."

There is not much metaphor here. It's pretty much to the point. Yet Mick, ever the wise businessman, shows his palms and shakes his head when someone suggests that he is talking about BushCo. I'm sure he's thinking about preserving his access to Clear Channel.

Am I just getting old and out of touch or is music somewhat less of a revolutionary force than it used to be? My teen aged cultural consultant is lounging as I write and watching music videos. Am I correct in observing that music videos are a perfect example of image over substance? I watch as one after another pin-up girl is passed off as recording talent. I'll admit that Gwen Stefani is to die for and not a bad dancer, but this is pure product. These aren't musicians, let's face it, they are strippers. This isn't music, this is fashion advertising and semi-soft porn.

Now, I have nothing against either fashion advertising or porn, but let's call a spade a spade. This ain't real music because it's just a bunch of kids dancing in lock-step to drum machines and it has no message beyond product placement. This is why, when the Rolling Stones release a tune with some actual statement, it creates a buzz. Oh yeah, and plus they are the Rolling Stones.

I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
In their eyes there's something lacking
What they need's a damn good whacking.
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
No, no!

But what can a poor boy do
Except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause in sleepy London town
There's just no place for a street fighting man
No
I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends

We can change the World.
Rearrange the World.
It's dying
to get better.

else

Happiness is a warm gun.

--Buffalo Springfield, Beatles, Who, Stones, Ochs, Nash

Well, out of context i say good for the mick. they began as 'bad boys' and haven't given in except for the fact they are no longer boys by any stretch of the imagination... but 'bad men' don't cut it (how 'bout 'bad guys'..?)

As far as your assessment on todays 'hitmakers' - right on! It is all produced by a machine for a profit... nothing less will do. a disgusting state of affairs.

But I know, without 'knowing', there are bands our there playing and singing without the support of the music-money machine... that's why i don't hear them. and at my age i really don't give a damn. revolutions are for the young.

There is not much metaphor here. It's pretty much to the point. Yet Mick, ever the wise businessman, shows his palms and shakes his head when someone suggests that he is talking about BushCo. I'm sure he's thinking about preserving his access to Clear Channel.

I say to good for the mick too,

Tim Leary is dead, long live tim leary
this is probably so corny problem been on a poster from the sixties
"turn on tune in drip in

My little punk brother said he is going to "have to get back in the system Jello Biafra is god to him. Rolling Stones no big thing to him just some band from way back when.

i heard something about the rollingstones getting into a bit of trouble with the people who are advertising there concert or something like that.

of all the musictions from the 60's i don't know, the Rollingstones can be seen as more of a sell out then most. recently they went for that deal with Best Buy, where only there could you buy there 40 licks album...Best Buy isn't exactly the kind of place you'd find "different" music, they mostly sell greatest hits albums and top 10 albums. or what about the fact that when disco was hot, they had a disco like song...when country music was cool...or Alt Country, Mick put on a southern accent and did a couple country songs...anyways i'm just playing Devils advocate, i like the stones. there tickets are pretty expensive though...you know who i'm not happy with these days Paul McCartney

K&D

The only impression I got from the punk is that the rolling stones are irrelevant to him, Paul Mc more so. He has a very dangerous job and it scares me half to death, He listens to a lot of music, none of it do I ever hear mentioned on studio eight.

Lrod,

is this a chain email circulation?

(i expect better writing from a master of prose and poetry such as yourself.)

no, dog

I must admit that I wrote it.

call it pandering to the masses if you will

i'm just joking.

what i find surprising is how nothing is important until it's been said by a rockstar. i mean - duh, doesn't everybody know that your holy "christian" goverment are hypocrytes, liars, thieves and killers?

but until somebody in leather pants says it, nobody seems to mind.

the US gov't has ENORMOUSLY pissed off my country, and today, we are ready to take action against them, and rightfully so. but until somebody writes a song about it, it's not important?

indeed Glam, too true, too fuckingly annoyingly true......


h

perhaps the lesson here is "don't bitch about it - sing about it!" ?

alright then.... this one has kind of a john lee hooker-esque blues rhythm to it...

well you stole our money bitches,
and you sho nuff been told to give it back
well you stole 5 billion you governmental bitches,
and you been told by a panel 3 times now to give it back
but you're just white collar thieves, in SUV's
and the whole world is watching this way that you act.

well you set up this thang called NAFTA
and you made everybody sign (on the dotted line, no less)
well you told us all that we'd hafta
comply by those rules or we'd be left behind (it'd be a crime to break 'em)
but you're the one who can't play by the rules
and your cheating ways make you look the fools
(in designer dunce caps, no less)

Record it, K! Very cool...

He is twenty two, the closest thing to a son I will ever have. He is not slacker. He is a worker. His job now is very dangerous. He lives my his wits and fists. He is looking for a way out. I am trying to set him up with some othe line a work. But america eats its young. If anything happens to him I fear for my sister's life. That sum bitch yabyum says he needs a couple of months in jail.But he says that only cause that is my worst nightmare. My nephew could fuking careless about Mick. But I think he could hear this one. going to show it to him. Good info thanks.

Just a hip shot yabyum. I cut poets a lot of slack

He is not doing anything illegal. Just a dangerous job, very dangerous.