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Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:03 pm
by muy_thaiguy
Which do you prefer and why?

Me, I prefer it without politics, simply because I don't want to hear politics while trying to listen to music.

National anthem (and related songs) being the exception. Mainly because I'm a sucker for big choruses.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:08 pm
by Neoteny
Depends on my mood.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:11 pm
by muy_thaiguy
Neoteny wrote:Depends on my mood.

Bad!


You should have voted for cheezbrgr.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:38 pm
by Neoteny
muy_thaiguy wrote:
Neoteny wrote:Depends on my mood.

Bad!


You should have voted for cheezbrgr.


Bah, I never cast a throwaway vote, kittens and hecter be damned. If a poll does not have an option I can justify agreeing with, I just don't vote.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 8:00 am
by thegreekdog
I'm indifferent. I listen to political music or musicians (e.g. Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine) and don't really care about the hypocritical messages.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:20 am
by aage
The political Occupy-stuff in 2nd Law album (I listen to Muse sometimes) both entertains and annoys me, idunno. I usually listen to things that are about people, not about laws and countries.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 3:50 pm
by Symmetry
Bob Dylan

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:11 pm
by kentington
Green Day bugs the crap out of me.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:14 pm
by Symmetry
kentington wrote:Green Day bugs the crap out of me.


For the politics? Or in general?

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:22 pm
by kentington
For the politics mostly. I could tolerate them if it wasn't for the politics. Mostly because their politics were very hypocritical.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:25 pm
by Symmetry
kentington wrote:For the politics mostly. I could tolerate them if it wasn't for the politics. Mostly because their politics were very hypocritical.


My brother in law (American) won't listen to them after the American Idiot album, for much the same reason. I don't really sympathise with the reason, but I can certainly understand not wanting to listen to them pontificate.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:39 pm
by kentington
Ah, that Album was just icing on the cake.
I had heard the lead singer speaking in an interview on a talk show or something awhile back. He was saying how much he hated capitalism and how rich people are the bad guys yadda yadda.
But he is a product of capitalism and he is a rich guy trying to look like a regular person. I am annoyed with him as people were with Romney. I would prefer silence.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:44 pm
by Symmetry
kentington wrote:Ah, that Album was just icing on the cake.
I had heard the lead singer speaking in an interview on a talk show or something awhile back. He was saying how much he hated capitalism and how rich people are the bad guys yadda yadda.
But he is a product of capitalism and he is a rich guy trying to look like a regular person. I am annoyed with him as people were with Romney. I would prefer silence.


I'd like it if it was a smarter critique, or maybe some more specific cause. I've got no problem with someone bucking the system that produced them, as long as it's done with a bit more merit, smarts, and musical cleverness.

Greenday, not so much.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:49 pm
by kentington
Symmetry wrote:
kentington wrote:Ah, that Album was just icing on the cake.
I had heard the lead singer speaking in an interview on a talk show or something awhile back. He was saying how much he hated capitalism and how rich people are the bad guys yadda yadda.
But he is a product of capitalism and he is a rich guy trying to look like a regular person. I am annoyed with him as people were with Romney. I would prefer silence.


I'd like it if it was a smarter critique, or maybe some more specific cause. I've got no problem with someone bucking the system that produced them, as long as it's done with a bit more merit, smarts, and musical cleverness.

Greenday, not so much.


Yes I agree. Cleverness is always appreciated. But blasting American Idiot. I can't believe American's are willing to buy it. He is laughing all the way to the bank. Also, if he was trying to do something to try to change the system that would be different, but he seems to just complain.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:58 pm
by Symmetry
kentington wrote:
Symmetry wrote:
kentington wrote:Ah, that Album was just icing on the cake.
I had heard the lead singer speaking in an interview on a talk show or something awhile back. He was saying how much he hated capitalism and how rich people are the bad guys yadda yadda.
But he is a product of capitalism and he is a rich guy trying to look like a regular person. I am annoyed with him as people were with Romney. I would prefer silence.


I'd like it if it was a smarter critique, or maybe some more specific cause. I've got no problem with someone bucking the system that produced them, as long as it's done with a bit more merit, smarts, and musical cleverness.

Greenday, not so much.


Yes I agree. Cleverness is always appreciated. But blasting American Idiot. I can't believe American's are willing to buy it. He is laughing all the way to the bank. Also, if he was trying to do something to try to change the system that would be different, but he seems to just complain.


I took it as more an attack on the Bush era, but yeah- it wasn't a smart attack. When September Ends being the smartest song. If everything coming before isn't smart, and everything that follows isn't smart, a catchy tune with a bit of smarts ain't gonna cut the mustard.

A decent single does not an album make.

And urgh- the song they did with U2...

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 5:05 pm
by Gillipig
kentington wrote:
Symmetry wrote:
kentington wrote:Ah, that Album was just icing on the cake.
I had heard the lead singer speaking in an interview on a talk show or something awhile back. He was saying how much he hated capitalism and how rich people are the bad guys yadda yadda.
But he is a product of capitalism and he is a rich guy trying to look like a regular person. I am annoyed with him as people were with Romney. I would prefer silence.


I'd like it if it was a smarter critique, or maybe some more specific cause. I've got no problem with someone bucking the system that produced them, as long as it's done with a bit more merit, smarts, and musical cleverness.

Greenday, not so much.


Yes I agree. Cleverness is always appreciated. But blasting American Idiot. I can't believe American's are willing to buy it. He is laughing all the way to the bank. Also, if he was trying to do something to try to change the system that would be different, but he seems to just complain.

I just like how they don't like america. It's a crappy country going outhill, + I just digg when someone says "idiot" and "america" in the same sentence.

I'm not solely picking on the U.S, I think there are a lot of countries with hyped egos, my own being one of them. I actually think the misstakes made in Sweden have been more severe than the misstakes made in US. But yes, americans are idiots (in general).

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:30 pm
by Lootifer
Generally I dont like specific or detailed lyrics of any kind (political or otherwise); music lyrics should be a form of poetry and thus try and maintain a certain abstractness about them.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:00 pm
by Symmetry
Lootifer wrote:Generally I dont like specific or detailed lyrics of any kind (political or otherwise); music lyrics should be a form of poetry and thus try and maintain a certain abstractness about them.


Why should poetry be abstract?

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:10 pm
by thegreekdog
I've never really been a fan of Green Day, but I don't think their politics would have pushed me away. It doesn't get much more vehemently liberal (or socialist) than Rage Against the Machine and they are one of my favorite bands of all time. "Who's down with DDT? / Yeah, you know me!"

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:16 pm
by Symmetry
thegreekdog wrote:I've never really been a fan of Green Day, but I don't think their politics would have pushed me away. It doesn't get much more vehemently liberal (or socialist) than Rage Against the Machine and they are one of my favorite bands of all time. "Who's down with DDT? / Yeah, you know me!"


Fair point, but they've always been pretty political, and smart with it- combining the music with the words.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:18 pm
by BigBallinStalin
Gillipig wrote:
kentington wrote:
Symmetry wrote:
kentington wrote:Ah, that Album was just icing on the cake.
I had heard the lead singer speaking in an interview on a talk show or something awhile back. He was saying how much he hated capitalism and how rich people are the bad guys yadda yadda.
But he is a product of capitalism and he is a rich guy trying to look like a regular person. I am annoyed with him as people were with Romney. I would prefer silence.


I'd like it if it was a smarter critique, or maybe some more specific cause. I've got no problem with someone bucking the system that produced them, as long as it's done with a bit more merit, smarts, and musical cleverness.

Greenday, not so much.


Yes I agree. Cleverness is always appreciated. But blasting American Idiot. I can't believe American's are willing to buy it. He is laughing all the way to the bank. Also, if he was trying to do something to try to change the system that would be different, but he seems to just complain.

I just like how they don't like america. It's a crappy country going outhill, + I just digg when someone says "idiot" and "america" in the same sentence.

I'm not solely picking on the U.S, I think there are a lot of countries with hyped egos, my own being one of them. I actually think the misstakes made in Sweden have been more severe than the misstakes made in US. But yes, americans are idiots (in general).


You sure? The economy within Sweden has weathered the recent financial crisis pretty well---all things considered---THIS IS NPR, Nationalist Public Radio. HAIL OBAMA. HAIL OBAMA. HAIL OBAMA. OH RAWR OH RAWR OH RAWR.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:18 pm
by BigBallinStalin
Symmetry wrote:
Lootifer wrote:Generally I dont like specific or detailed lyrics of any kind (political or otherwise); music lyrics should be a form of poetry and thus try and maintain a certain abstractness about them.


Why should poetry be abstract?


Because fiction usually gets it wrong anyway.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:21 pm
by Symmetry
BigBallinStalin wrote:
Symmetry wrote:
Lootifer wrote:Generally I dont like specific or detailed lyrics of any kind (political or otherwise); music lyrics should be a form of poetry and thus try and maintain a certain abstractness about them.


Why should poetry be abstract?


Because fiction usually gets it wrong anyway.


Elaborate.

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:31 pm
by thegreekdog
Symmetry wrote:
thegreekdog wrote:I've never really been a fan of Green Day, but I don't think their politics would have pushed me away. It doesn't get much more vehemently liberal (or socialist) than Rage Against the Machine and they are one of my favorite bands of all time. "Who's down with DDT? / Yeah, you know me!"


Fair point, but they've always been pretty political, and smart with it- combining the music with the words.


I don't think they are alone in that respect. Pearl Jam does a great job. So did Rage Against the Machine. I've heard Muse does it. Almost every System of a Down song is related to society or politics.

The difference is that I prefer Pearl Jam, Rage, and System of a Down to Green Day because of the music (and I like to think those musicians are much more talented than Green Day, but I may be wrong about that).

Re: Music with or without politics?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 11:36 pm
by TA1LGUNN3R
For the most part I don't really register what singers are saying anyway. There are a couple of bands where I'll go, "ah, ok, yeah cool." But most the time the singing is just another instrument.

-TG