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Music and politics

A post yesterday about U2 prompted me to listen to them today. And one comment from yesterday got me to thinking. The author wrote dismissively that they should "keep their politics to themselves." (Those may or may not have been the exact words, but that gets to the point.) As I've been listening this afternoon, I've thought: I'm neither a born-again Christian nor a political leftie, but I do love this band. And then I thought further: If I listened only to bands or singer-songwriters whose politics were like mine, I surely wouldn't spin a whole lot of recordings. (For the record, I consider myself a radically pragmatic centrist with occasional libertarian leanings. Got any bands who'd fill that bill?) I care about the music, and not about what the people making that music happen to believe. Am I alone in this? Do others dismiss certain artists because of their politics -- or religion or the kind of car they drive or whatever else?
hodu
zenblaster
504 posts
 
I listen to music to be entertained.
Any musician that thinks I give a rats behind as to what their political views are has seen my last dollar.
Most of them are hypocrites that create more polution and consume more resouces than a small nation.
Last year Paul McCartney was bragging about a hybrid Lexus that he had purchased. You didn't hear that it was delivered by a charter 737 from Japan to England that consumed more fuel than 100 Escalades would circling the planet.

These idiots are so out of touch, surrounded by psychofants, that they actually think they make a difference.

Most of them are liberal- redistribute the wealth as long as they have a license to print the stuff.
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route9's avatar
route9
55 posts
 
most artists are progressive to begin with,whether they are writers,poets,singers etc.etc.those performers that have their roots from the 60's or 70's ,they are even more so.politics has always been intertwined with song since forever.
like the poster previously said..don't go,listen or buy.listen to the lawrence welk reruns and new age music.
joeylawn36111
574 posts
 
I personally hate it when foriegn bands critisize the US politically - they just need to "Shut Up and Sing" just like Audiofeil said.
bongofury
1,160 posts
 
I LOVE POLITICALLY SLANTED MUSIC. The world would be poorer without the varied songs like Big Bill Broonzy's "This Train", Bruce Springsteen's "Youngstown", The Clash's "Washington Bullets", The Beatles "Revolution", Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man", Green Day's "American Idiot", and U2's "Pride" in our daily lifes. You would have to live in a cave not to give these artists their fare shaking in reshaping popular culture. Why sit back in silence? I see no reason that they not share their views openly in public as an extention of their celebrity.
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