New at Reason

David Weigel | April 24, 2006

Brian Doherty contemplates Neil Young and sees a warnin' sign on the road ahead.

Comments

|4.24.06 @ 4:29PM|#

Good article, and a particularly good closing paragraph.

|4.24.06 @ 4:31PM|#

I loved it Mr. Doherty. As much as I like Young, most of his political music sucks ("Vampire Blues"?). I think we can safely assume this album will suck just as much as the "Music to Beat Bush By" album.

|4.24.06 @ 4:39PM|#

"So why do pop stars return again and again to the political, despite the risk of ridicule, misunderstanding, artistic failure, and ineffectuality?"

Because everyone wants to be something that they are not. No matter how talented someone is at something, they ussually are either insecure and want to prove that they are not just a one trick pony (like Elvis trying to be an actor) or so egotistical they let the fact that they are great at one thing convince them that they are great at everything (George Clooney lecturing the world on politics). Young is probably neither one entirely though some of the latter.

The problem is you can't force inspiration. Who knows, maybe Young is really inspired and will make a great record. It is possible. If he is not inspired and is just pissed off or wants attention and is just forcing it, then like most political records it will suck.

|4.24.06 @ 4:49PM|#

Gotta hand it to you, dude. Neil Young's "Union Man" is the funniest, [most?*] contempt-dripping song about unionized musicians ever written. Damn straight! Goddamn straight!

*I'm guessing the omission of the superlative qualifier here was accidental. Right, partner?

|4.24.06 @ 4:53PM|#

I'm disappointed that Brian Doherty didn't mention or link to the David Gates and Bread tune: This Isn't What The Government.

A forgotten song, but truly a libertarian classic.

4 word summary|4.24.06 @ 4:56PM|#

Less Young More Hamburger

wingnutx|4.24.06 @ 5:02PM|#

I'm disappointed that he didn't mention "When the shithits the fan" by the Circle Jerks.

|4.24.06 @ 5:07PM|#

There are, of course, some counter arguments to Mr. Douherty's conclusion. For instance, after people began singing pro-union songs, the unions became prominent. When people stopped singing those songs, well, would like fries with that?

Similarly, antiwar songs were all the rage right before the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam. Look what happens when we stop listening to those songs. Not only are we at war, but we have to listen to Britney Spears and Ashley Simpson's sister.

Now, if only George Clooney would cut an album...

|4.24.06 @ 5:10PM|#

Well, I'm disappointed that he mentioned Styx, but forgot to point out that Rush was warning about the dangers of rock'n'roll banning theocracies much earlier in their subtle political fable "2112". Nor, thanks probably only to Rush's political music, has the car-banning future foreseen in "Red Barchetta" come to pass either. So at least one band has done its part to preserve our freedoms.

fyodor|4.24.06 @ 5:14PM|#

What DOES effect social change? Does conscious effort EVER make a difference? Or are we inevitably pawns in some larger game, played by the gods? Someone should research this...

|4.24.06 @ 5:40PM|#

"The biggest gang I know is called the government" will always be one of my favorite lines from a song.

|4.24.06 @ 5:48PM|#

I've always liked "Ball of Confusion"...Both the original Temptations version and the Love and Rockets cover. I always felt it was the quintessential Cold War song. Though it lacks any serious political thought or solutions...It's really just a laundry list of modern day gripes and problems. But maybe that's why I like it so much.

|4.24.06 @ 6:50PM|#

"Let's just remember that Abraham Lincoln was the last president brought down by a popular entertainer. (with link to photo of JW Booth)"

Now that's just plain whitty :)

|4.24.06 @ 7:02PM|#

XTC has done some great political music ("Ball and Chain", "This World Over", "Reign of Blows") though I don't agree with the messages for the most part.

|4.24.06 @ 7:05PM|#

Keep on suckin' in the free world, Neil.

|4.24.06 @ 7:22PM|#

I think my two favorite contemporary anti-war songs are Springsteen's "Devils and Dust" and The Angels of Light's "Destroyer" (about a mesopotamian war goddess coming down out of the sky and killing everyone for their sins-- with G.W. presumably at the top of the list).

|4.24.06 @ 7:47PM|#

I only skimmed your article, but agree with everything you say, however, i think you missed the point

I cant speak for neil, because i dont know what his political motives are, but i assume he's going to change everyone's worldview by getting them through their ipods. Well he might get neil young fans to listen up, but chances are they already agree with niel's political views, and that's why they download him in the first place.

but music has a tendency to bring people together, and in my opinion the best music is beautiful and a -political. When expienced in a live setting, it has a tendency to bring people togher, that is all. Any political conversations that may result from this congregating should not express the views of the musician (chances are he's a nihilist), his role is simply to give people a good reason to come together, and when that happens, productive conversation among likeminded individuals would be a beneficial result.

|4.24.06 @ 8:12PM|#

like Elvis trying to be an actor

Hey, Elvis was an actor...for a while...before he was a whore for a production company. But some of us choose to focus on the good, John. Geez.

|4.24.06 @ 8:33PM|#

"So why do pop stars return again and again to the political, despite the risk of ridicule, misunderstanding, artistic failure, and ineffectuality?"

Because they think they are blogging?
Or do they imagine that they are posting in Reason?

|4.24.06 @ 8:42PM|#

Along with the way that music can touch us, it can also inspire and focus political/ideological fervor.

From the 60's, the catchy Sunshine by Jonathan Edwards is quite libertarian:

Sunshine go away today
I don't feel much like dancing
Some man's gone, he's tried to run my life
Don't know what he's asking

He tells me I'd better get in line
Can't hear what he's saying
When I grow up I'm going to make it mine
But these aren't dues I been paying

(Chorus)
How much does it cost, I'll buy it
The time is all we've lost, I'll try it
But he can't even run his own life
I'll be damned if he'll run mine, Sunshine

Sunshine go away today
I don't feel much like dancing
Some man's gone he's tried to run my life
Don't know what he's asking

Working starts to make me wonder where
The fruits of what I do are going
He says in love and war all is fair
But he's got cards he ain't showing

Nick Gillespie|4.24.06 @ 8:43PM|#

hey, all that stood between us and jerry brown's suede-denim secret police, organic poison gas, and mandatory meditation in school was the dead kennedy's california uber alles

|4.24.06 @ 8:56PM|#

Not mentioned yet, but I have always thought that Young's "Ohio," recorded and released right after the Kent State shootings, was a powerful song that might have really affected public perception of the incident. But, I was only 5 at the time, so I only experienced it after the fact. Was that taken as a serious political song at the time? And if so, it may offer evidence contrary to the thesis of the article.

|4.24.06 @ 8:58PM|#

There's also Nation of Ulysses (from their homepage-- my favorite is "the nation shall resemble a self-cleaning oven"):

"Political Objectives/Target Audiences: Wreck society through direct action by destroying its institutions and the men who serve it, and by relying on the people's forces to spread the doctrines of "P-Power" and "Ragnarok." To consolidate the New Nation, while never forgetting the need for constant purging, "as the nation shall resemble a self-cleaning oven."

Background: The Conservative Nation of Ulysses (conservative refers to a reserved manner of dressing and acting) is a violent and rejectionist group operating out of the Washington, D.C. area who seek to "wreak their vision on the world" through the medium of music. Despite fiery condemnation by both liberals and the right, and a virulent campaign waged by the media and by parents' groups, their aggressive campaign seems undaunted, and schoolyards now more than ever chime with the chant: "Ulysses, Ulysses, little flower, beloved by all the youth.""

|4.24.06 @ 9:08PM|#

Ho-hum.....but I ain't a-marchin anymore.

|4.24.06 @ 10:28PM|#

I know that fyodor understands music cuz he creates his own excellent tunes:

http://littlefyodor.com/mainpage.html

So perhaps he or someone would give me their appraisal of the "eggheads" link that Brian provides.

|4.24.06 @ 10:28PM|#

XTC has done some great political music ("Ball and Chain", "This World Over", "Reign of Blows")...

Their "Making Plans for Nigel" actually works much better as a critique of government instead of industry, but unfortunately, that's not how they meant it.

I second wingnutx's disappointment at the CJ omission, especially if he meant the doo-wap version from Repo Man

COOP|4.24.06 @ 11:38PM|#

"Shoopity-doo-wap-wap-say-what-yeah!"

|4.24.06 @ 11:47PM|#

Pink Floyd's Animals was good political stuff.

|4.25.06 @ 12:57AM|#

COOP - "I can't believe I used to like these guys."

COOP|4.25.06 @ 1:54AM|#

Some nerds can recite "Holy Grail" chapter and verse - Me, I'm a "Repo Man" guy.

Solon|4.25.06 @ 1:54AM|#

"So why do pop stars return again and again to the political, despite the risk of ridicule, misunderstanding, artistic failure, and ineffectuality?"

I think for the same reason writers make political books, directors and producers make political movies and documentaries, people keep political blogs or write political op-eds, and journalists from Robert Fisk to Bill O'Reilly talk/write about politics. As always, the problem's not in the medium but in the eye of the beholder and how serious he takes it all.

|4.25.06 @ 2:52AM|#

Hey, the only reason people remember the Edmund Fitzgerald is because of the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.

|4.25.06 @ 10:54AM|#

There was a nifty thread on Cafe Hayek about "songs for classical liberals" which everyone here should check out (even though I think some songs like, well, anything by Rush, can be equally as corny as the corniest lefty songs. But then, I like corny songs).

Larry A|4.25.06 @ 2:14PM|#

Let's just remember that Abraham Lincoln was the last president brought down by a popular entertainer.

Unless you count Jimmy Carter.