@@nectarinedreams7208 Well, from 1955 to the mid-90s, pop did interesting things. It did interesting things that influenced rock and rock did interesting things that influenced pop. So many people got into really interesting music through pop. Pop is now an algorithm. People who can't see that were not alive before the algorithm flattened everything. Every hit song in the past 15 years, and someone looked this up, came from one of two producers. For fifty years, that was unimaginable. Artists were always changing, the sound was always changing, now everything is the same.
I love your avatar! 'Rock Against Communism' is also the title of one of our own tracks. It appears on a compilation album we posted to Scot a few days ago. Splendid.
the European views on the spectrum of ideology is different than America's (or Canada by extension) or had been. As we've turned on the internet, that Euro (world wide web..) view on ideology has redefined what libertarian or reform or not the biggest fed gov possible means to effectively lazy people (be nice! love wins!) . Neil ran into this 40 years ago, before it had taken over everything and it clearly bothered him, though he would have done better to tell social rock press nerd that his views aren't final or accurate in definition.
The thing with politics in prog is that you have to listen properly whereas in popular music it's usually readily apparent. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised!
The 2 Tone record label in the uk ( late 70s +) was a very positive force against racism. Not my kind of music, but a genuine breath of fresh air at the time.
Love how so many bands are suing and saying cease and desist to a certain old guy.......as a thief he just takes and takes. Without permission. GO Bands!
Nothing new. Rush sent C and Ds to Republicans like Limbaugh and Paul Ryan. Pink Floyd Management sent Alex Jones a C and D for using Learning to Fly and Run Like Hell. Roger on the other hand allowed Mother to be used. Harris hates Heavy Metal and Rock music. Dennis DeYoung was touched when a Republican senator from Illinois quoted Rockin the Paradise and Dennis had songs bashing Clinton and CNN. Plus he last voted in 2008 for Obama and was fooled by Obama and now is apolitical. His two favorite Presidents were JFK and Reagan.
Music transcends politics. Complex chord progressions and odd time signatures are apolitical. The people who create music can have political beliefs, and they can express those beliefs through the lyrics of their music, but the musical building blocks remain separate from those lyrics. I’ve always been drawn to the more instrumental aspects of music - the melody, the harmony, the rhythm, the timbre - with the actual lyrical content being secondary. So if someone makes good music, I will likely enjoy it no matter what the politics.
@@bobsala7780 True but music is not content that stands alone. It is art and art cannot be removed from its political/social/cultural context and the lived experience of the artists who made it. If you engage with music solely on a level of "Do I enjoy this music or does it make me feel good" then youre not really engaging with the art as intended (most of the time) To quote jethro tull, "I may make you feel but I cant make you think"
@@jacklynam5653 I will agree that if I engage with music solely on a level of "Do I enjoy this music or does it make me feel good" then I might not really engaging with the art as intended. But sometimes I feel that the power of music can be so strong that it can overcome what the composer intended and music can go beyond its original intent. Most notably, this is the case for me with Bach. I absolutely treasure listening to the Bach cantatas. The intent of the cantatas was to provide musical accompaniment to the Lutheran church services. He wrote most of his cantatas because it was just part of his job. I do not understand the German language and my religious beliefs are not in line with Bach’s Lutheran beliefs. But these cantatas speak to me in such a way that transcends his original intent. Bach’s music speaks to the very heart and soul of humanity, which is why I and so many others can enjoy Bach’s music outside of the original context and intent.
@@bobsala7780 Thats a great point. That said, and this is where i get a little wishy washy and spiritual, but I think that the music, whether bach intended to or not, reflects bachs life, identity, and emotions on what you might think of as a subconscious level. Everything he had done and experienced up to that moment influenced minute details of his music without him ever knowing. Simply put, the context of the music is not just commercial use but also bachs entire life and all his beliefs up to that point. If bach had lived a slightly different life, the music would be slightly different (for better or worse). This is why I think you cant seperate music from its political context lyrics or not, because if the political climate around the artist was different, the the music would be different. An artists life, beliefs and environment are just as integral to compositon as the notes they choose
The music is absolutely not separate from the lyrics in most cases. It is always the case that either the music is a response to the lyrics or the lyrics a response to the music. In great music, they are one. In mediocre music, they have little to do with each other.
I *mostly* agree with you about all this, and appreciate you making the video - it's an important topic and people completely lose their heads about this stuff. My point of minor disagreement: There's a difference between observation about the world, commenting about what you think, and telling people what they ought to think (and if they don't think it, they're bad). Most of Ian Anderson's political lyrics are the former - you'd have a hard time telling from Jethro Tull songs if Ian is a liberal or a conservative or where he falls on most issues. I like that, it's interesting and engaging. Neal Morse's Christian-themed prog is usually the second - Neal will tell you what he believes and why, or tell stories about characters from the bible, but he never jumps to "and if you don't believe this too, you're going to hell". I appreciate that too. But I don't want to be preached to or told what to think. It's actually one of the things I really like about prog - even people who might sometimes right more politically-tinged music usually do it in a subtle way, with allegories or stories or, with Ian Anderson or early Genesis, in a satirical way that makes you think about an issue. But people who say "this is what you have to think", screw that. Where do you get off? Why do you think you have some special insight or access to the truth that I don't have? Of course songwriters can write music like this, that's their right. And it's my right to say "this is shit and I don't want to listen to it", especially when it comes from rank hypocrites like Roger Waters, or Rage Against the Machine. You want to tell me how awful money and capitalism are when you're signed to multi-million dollar record contracts? Shove it up your ass (there are many insufferable assholes of other political bents too - I'm looking at you Kid Rock).
Taylor Swift can get wrekt. She's a climate hypocrite with a carbon footprint 500 times yours or mine. Hypocrisy is something I absolutely detest, and the Dems do it in spades these days, talk about 'dangerous rhetoric', you've had a Dem calling for Trump to be eliminated. God, I hate politics, so of course I hate it when art gets politicised in a crass way.
If you think of it, someone could write a "perfect prog suite" by just using all differing political opinions, ideals, and practices. It would have so many twists, turns, and changes, it would become an instant prog classic
I have lived through some of the worse violence in my countries history, the cold war, the collapse of the iron curtain, at least two gulf wars, civil war in the balkans and Rwanda, 9/11, economic rise and fall, and a whole lot more. People say that you become more conversative as you get older but I still hark back to punk, grindcore and the feisty european prog scene. I just want equality for everyone rather than an elite ruling class getting rich on sowing division
I have long argued that Eno's "Baby's on Fire" was about that infamous photo of the little girl burning from napalm. The gist being that the photographer was an idiot because he was taking pictures instead of helping her. "Take your time, she's only burning. This kind of experience is necessary for her learning..."
@@MusicVersa those liner notes read like talk radio calling their shot, "see I told you they're into revolution". They are. They're winning too. It's too bad. It's not going to go well or work.
I lean conservative but if I stuck to that for music I’d have nothing to listen to! 😂 For example, I have lived and worked in Alberta for decades in the oil patch (retired now). Neil Young came out here and shat all over it, despite having made millions selling vinyl, cassettes, CDs and burning all kinds of fossil fuels touring over the decades. Massive hypocrite but I still love his music. Same with U2 and Bono etc. Wanting us peons to give till it hurts for every cause under the sun, despite them being tax exiles from Ireland so they can remain rich champagne socialists. I learned decades ago to separate the politics from the music.
Funny how everyone takes issue with rich socialists but not rich conservatives... As if making lots of money from making music prohibits you from wanting the government to take some of it and put it towards something like building a school instead of a 3rd vacation home.
@@nectarinedreams7208 Because in U2’s case for example, they are champagne socialists aka hypocrites. The hypocrisy is the problem. And they ain’t building schools in Ireland because they bolted from Ireland in self-exile to avoid paying taxes for said schools etc. And I suspect they have several mansions. The “rich” isn’t the problem be it socialist or conservative. The hypocrisy is.
Well said my friend! When I came of age, The Iraq War was beginning and frankly, my generation was terrified we were going to be drafted and fight what seemed like another Vietnam (which unfortunately came to pass). My high school band started working on a conceptual piece which eventually became an album called From the Beginning by 7th Sun (still on streaming services, sorry for the plug Scot 😅). But I did remember thinking “Where are all the other protest albums coming out right now?” Green Day thankfully filled that void with American Idiot, but there was always this stigma against making protest songs. Even in 2020 when we put out the song “Never Let the Bastards Grind You Down“, it was in response to the BLM and social justice movement. Obviously we got some expected flack from the right, but even the left was judging us, “Oh you’re just using the movement to promote yourself.” 🙄 Regardless my opinion stated in any of those songs has not changed and I am not afraid to let them be known, nor should any artist. The best advice I got when we were debating whether or not to include protest footage in our video was from someone who is very involved with BLM and said “It is your art and you should say what you feel is right.”
Some amazing albums have politics message, like six degrees of inner turbulance, and also one of my favourite albums of all time, hail to the thief by radiohead
If you have a moral compass then what is sung about and voted for does matter a great deal. I love music, but it won't save anyone... only one way for salvation!
Your timing here is superb. A few days ago I posted a couple of CDs to you, wrapped up in 3 pages - print-outs of the Political Compass for each of our group members which show how 3 people of divergent political beliefs and values can continue to work together for 8 years and produce 21 albums in that period. The Political Compass is divided into 4 quadrants: left authoritarian, left libertarian, right libertarian and right authoritarian. One answers a long series of questions and the programme determines where you reside within these 4 quadrants. Thus we have Colin who emerges as slightly left wing and very libertarian, Keilan who is very slightly right wing and very libertarian and myself who is stridently right wing and authoritarian. In the 2010s our personnel consisted of 3 Chinese teenagers plus myself and, toward the end, Colin as well. In 2007 they released a musically interesting but lyrically horrendous album called Rock In Opposition: Phase 2 filled with vile and loathsome rants about 'Palestine' with a notoriously antagonistic attitude toward Israel. I absolved myself of any connection with its contents although I did sing and play keyboards and / or saxophone on some of the numbers. This, I contend, displays far more tolerance than would ever be shown by any member of the progressive left. Ye gods, they even ostracise their own membership if anyone diverges slightly from the current polemical dogma. I recall Lemmy Kilminster said politics and music don't mix and, in fact, should not mix. I can sympathise with that idea as an ideal state of play but, alas, especially given our current political crisis, I really don't see how it is possible, at least not for a group such as ours which is known for its social and political commentary. The disadvantage, of course, is that any group which releases tracks that promote (or appear to promote) an ideology run the risk of alienating sections of their audience. That happened to us. When we released The Voice Of Reason in 2020 on which every track is directly inspired by videos made by Ben Shapiro, Dennis Prager and Turning Point USA, we lost nearly a third of our You Tube subscribers and regular correspondents. Band Camp sales diminished to a trickle. C'est la vie. It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not. Anyway, thank you for another interesting video.
Several Maiden songs are linked to political events in the UK and America. Very interesting issue Scot. I congratulate a huge musician like Neal Morse for singing and thanking God, because he is a believer who is not ashamed (as many are) to spread the word of God and the Gospel. Trump 2024!
I grew up with punk rock which always mixed politics & music. I didn’t always agree with the message but it didn’t stop me liking the bands / songs. Rock n roll is all about rebellion, which makes it political!
When I look over across the Atlantic Ocean at the USA and when I visit your nation (which I have done many times) I can’t but be struck by the strange fact that people only have two choices to make in politics, Republican Party or Democratic Party. Now perhaps that’s because notwithstanding the fact that the USA is the most powerful in the world (with China now vying for that honour), it is still a very young country, still developing, still growing and learning. And because of that inevitable immaturity, as I perceive it, it does concern me that a person who behaves like a juvenile schoolyard bully (DJT) can even stand for election to the most powerful office in the world. However, all that said, nowadays I like to live my life in accordance with the words of Paul Stump, “The Music’s All That Matters”….. 🎶 🎼 🎵 . 🖐️ Live Long And Prog (or Prosper).
I consider myself to be a conservative super-liberal. I'm a proud Canadian but Ive been paying close attention to my noisy neighbours downstairs. What happens in the Divided States of Unamerica affects Canada. However I like what's been happening as of late. Music in politics doesn't bother me as long as it's done right. Dylan launched that boat with one of my favourite tunes of all time: Masters of War. And what about the Sex Pistols? I think punk is very political. Prog not as much for me or at least I never viewed Prog as being overtly political. Certainly songs about war, environmental concerns and just generally being a good human being don't make me run for the hills. I also don't mind Christian themes in prog, it appeals to me despite the fact that I would burst into flames if I ever stepped into a church. So in the end if you're saying stuff I approve of then it's something I like hearing about. Keep on rocking in the free world indeed.
"Go back to that i love you stuff", hm, does peter hammil screaming "i love you i love you" at the end of that beautiful epic called lost by VDGG counts? I don't think so
I grew up in the '60s in a Military family. Nevertheless, I did love a good protest song - "Ohio", "War", "Machine Gun", Sly Stone, Sabbath, Grand Funk, Steppenwolf, The Doors, etc. The stuff felt real, still does. Living Colour's songs about society's ills still feels real to me ...35 years now since VIVID?!? I guess if you live long enuff, you'll see it all...Anti-Establishment bands now morphing into "the man"? Fascinating.
I vote whole heartedly for Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Cha , cha , cha , cha. If music moves my mind I'm interested whether it's political or not... my body doesn't move to well these days , well never did. 😅 Lyrics are key to everything. Great topic and video Scot. 😍🎵🎵🤘
Rock music is a great art form but rock and roll as a political thing/protest activity no longer exists. Back in the 60s and 70s, rock and roll was all about “Stick it to The Man” (The Man meaning any form of authority- the government, establishment etc). This was the ethos of the hippies and the punks. They were all about questioning the government and rebelling against it. They were left wing, but back then, the left was a lot different than it is today. Then came MTV and the 80s which ruined rock and roll through commercialization, videos, musical conformity, and dumbed-down music. Rock stars started to sell out. Since then, rock music has been more of an art form rather than a form of protest. The sad truth is that the majority of rock stars, classic and modern, are left-leaning sellouts. Ever since they became rich and famous, they stopped caring about what they were fighting for- even the punks and hippies. Politics doesn’t effect them because they are rich. As a result, they don’t know or care what’s actually happening in the world. They have to agree with the left/feel pressured to be left because the entire music industry is corrupt. Rage Against the Machine are raging FOR the machine now. They’re communists. So is Mr “Rockin in the Free World” Neil Young who supports censorship. Heck, even those “Patriotic heartland rockers” like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellancamp are lefties. The very few rock stars who are actually sticking it to the man these days are people like Ted Nugent, Van Morrison, and Eric Clapton.
Very well said! I'd be the first to admit I have pretty strong left-leaning opinions (or as I phrase it, I like my politics as progressive as my rock), so of course I think that criticizing art for "getting political" is a joke. And while I can have a bit of a harder time looking past the political aspects of art that I disagree with, I at least tend to frame my criticisms there as "I disagree with what this song is saying, and this is why" rather than just trying to pretend that artists getting political is somehow inherently bad. And usually, unless there's no interesting qualities to the music, I can at least in theory look past lyrics I disagree with - I just can do that sometimes better than others, I'm only human. If I ever get to making art of my own to put out there, or even just make videos about existing music, you can bet that I'd be getting super political, but that's just because I have strong genuine feelings about things. I know some would probably dislike it, or accuse me of being too "woke" (whatever that means that particular fifteen minutes) but others would probably be happy that I was out there saying things I think not enough people in music spaces are saying. (And since you brought up Neil Peart, my hot take is that people really overlook how much his opinions shifted over the years - he said himself he moved away from Ayn Rand not too long into being in Rush, and it's hard to argue that someone still following her books would have written songs like Roll the Bones or The Larger Bowl, or to a less direct degree something like Territories. And even something like 2112 or Anthem I can reinterpret to some degree, certainly more so than the writings they were based on.) Long story short, politics is a big part of how everyone engages with art, and at least I'm not afraid to admit it or even embrace it when I feel it's appropriate. Take all that as you will, I guess.
Priorities matter. Kindness and magnanimity matters, as they can foster peace, and all the riches that flow therefrom. Clean air, earth and water matters. Wildlife matters. Movement matters. And in order to get from A to B, you have to be very clear on what and where A is as well as B. Truth and reality are paramount, essential. No truth, no movement because no reality upon which to tread. Whomever can satisfy these few demands will have my vote every time. Whomever goes against these priorities I will vote against every time. It is how change and progress happens. By knowing your reality, and by having a clear and sustainable vision. [Found written on a subway toilet along with a pack of Kools]
I love politics in music, when I agree with it. haha If I only watched movies or listen to music that shared my views, I'd be left with very little. I'm a Libertarian (yay Neil Peart! =), so I pretty much disagree with EVERY politician on both sides. I agree 100% Scot, I want to hear people singing about anything that moves them. I don't believe in demons and wizards, but give me some Uriah Heep any day! Everyone just needs to chill out and listen to Prog Radio...I'll play Cog's "Swamp" for ya! =)
Very interesting video. The problem with groups who indulge in political statements is that whole swathes of their audience can be turned away. Then again, perhaps an honest political stance may attract a few new fans. I'm Irish and I'm old enough to remember 'the troubles' and I lived through that whole 1980s Thatcher Vs Jerry Adams farce. Irish bands tended to be careful not to make any statements on the affair except for a punk band called Stiff Little Fingers. If there were others than please excuse my ignorance. I enjoyed those Ayn Rand influenced albums by Rush but then I admire Ms Rand. For people who find her atheist free market fanaticism difficult to tolerate, well, I can see why that might be a barrier for people - in which case I recommend they check out the later Rush albums where that influence appears to have been abandoned. If it's done obliquely - cf Gentle Giant 'The Power & The Glory' - then it can be most effective. I do have slight difficulties with a few of the stridently right wing conservative lyrics on the last 3 albums by UNIT, for instance, and I understand they've lost a lot of followers and fans as a consequence of their open support of Ben Shapiro, Prageru and TPUSA. I don't think this is healthy for a group because it means potential detractors can simply dismiss them as 'a Ben Shapiro groupie outfit'. It happened in England with bands like The Pop Group and Crisis whose blatantly Marxist sentiments deterred many potential enthusiasts from engaging with the groups. Anyway, lest I babble even more than usual, thank you (again) for a highly interesting video...but it should have been longer!
Being an artist is all about free speech, and every artist needs to be allowed to say whatever they want. The Minutemen were the first band I listened to that were very political. I always wonder what D. Boon would have to say about the world today.
YES'S SIBERIAN KHATRU song has lines about a 'Cold Reigen Kin' hiding secrets from you'. Each time I hear this song, I can't keep thinking that Jon Anderson is describing the Orange one when he sings about the Cold Reigen King.
I’m right leaning, but my favorite band King Gizzard is incredibly left leaning. I don’t care if we don’t agree, their passion is their fuel for their music. Political diversity is insanely important and refusing to listen to amazing music because you have different views is just wild
Couldn’t agree with you more Scot; bottom line is THE PERSONAL IS THE POLITICAL and anyone who pretends otherwise is just delusional. My undergrad degree is History and Politics, I’ve worked in politics and government my whole life, I’m always very open about my political views and honestly I couldn’t respect an artist if they didn’t have any opinions about the world we live in and didn’t care about social issues. Like you say, there are artists whose positions I don’t agree with but at least I can respect the fact that they have a position and are willing to express it. I’m so uninterested in anyone who doesn’t have anything to say for themselves!
How inclusive of you. What's the difference in policy between Sunak and the son of Harold Wilson, Comrade Starmer. A: comrade thinks that if you have savings, then you are rich and he will take most of it via tax. " Taxman, one for me, 19 for it".
@@jacklynam5653 I'm not British. I voted for the left for 40 years. But today left in the West are actually bad, very bad, on all the metrics that matter to people in the middle, left or right.
Disagreements are healthy but how that disagreement is conducted matters and being civil and honest is crucial. Humans need each other so our art reflects this. I dislike any activity that seeks to silence dissent and cannot abide anything that is not lockstep and my tastes in all things reflect this. Repression and suppressing doesnt work... humans are skittery critters.
Everyone has a right to an opinion, but nobody has the right to demand my respect for their views by default. I can still listen to Ted Nugent's stuff even if his politics stink. And Roger Waters is just like a dear old friend who has disappointed me a bit lately. Still dig Floyd.
The problem these days is most of the politics in rock and metal these days is not very “revolutionary”. They seem to spout the official narrative, which of course sounds good-it’s worded that way-but, meanwhile, not enough people are looking behind the curtain to see what it really means, where it’s leading us!
My issue with politics in music, or in movies/TV always comes back to how transparent it is. For example, current Star Trek... People who loved Trek bitch about the modern stuff being political and if you take that complaint on a surface level it seems insane, Trek was ALWAYS political... the difference is, and if you don't look deeper, you'll never see it, is that it's a difference of allegories and stories meant to show a similar plight, to the newer Trek just flat out soapboxing and speeching about specific stuff of today... It's the difference between trying to explain a point of view and ranting. Even many people who agree with the points (like myself) just can't stand being speechified to. Some don't, but it can be more divisive and WON'T get others to listen who otherwise might. The same is true with music. Well written music that happens to be political doesn't beat you over the head with the point. Some does, and is meant to, like punk, but the stuff that gets it's point across without being preachy does a better job of getting anyone to at least listen. TLDR: You get more flies with honey than vinegar.
Sometimes music needs to be just escapism. As example frank bornemann of eloy. Eloy startet as a left wing politrock band and bornemann decided to let the politics out of music. I understand why he did it but i also understand the opposits. Its art, everything is allowed.
@@TheProgCorner I think the fact that we all agree about Jethro Tull etc is a far cooler thing than disagreeing about politics, besides has anyone ever changed their mind based on TH-cam comment ?
Some of my favorite music is extremely political! And when a lot of fans go to see their shows, they say shit like “stop bringing up politics at your shows, I’ve lost respect for you” meanwhile their biggest hits are all politicly charged and they’ve all been saying the same shit since the mid to late 60’s
Both candidates appear to be adopting the prog approach to their campaigns. Trump has chosen the Topographic oceans style,(too much waffle and you're bored after the first half hour) whereas Harris appears to have been speaking Andersonesque for some time now. In fact didn't Jon Anderson release an album called "The Great Significance of the Passage of Time " some years ago?😂 Good luck, whichever you choose.
to try and divorce any kind of art form, try to remove it from the society and set of circumstances in which it was created isn't possible. even if the beatles weren't singing about politics overtly they were changing attitudes about what you could achieve if you were not from a backround of privilege. same with sabbath. art doesn't happen in a vacuum. 🐔 i could cluck on forever.
I'd like to believe that it doesn't matter, but when your wife's Student Loan Debt is impacted by the result, it does end up mattering. Or say, you have Diabetes like I do, and the Cost of Insulin could be impacted?
Scott, it does matter. I don't want a fatter wallet...I want better buying power - Something we have all lost these past 3+ years. I have my own health issues (CABGx4 & cancer). The last thing I want is the Gov't meddling with my private health care. Peace out...
I don't see a lot of politics in Genesis' music but Supper's Ready is one big retelling of the book of Revelation. Supper's Ready - the Lord's Supper Supersonic Scientist - the antichrist Apocolypse in 9/8 - just that
There’s always been a strong left-wing current among the more avant-garde prog groups. The RIO movement spearheaded by Henry Cow stood out like a stiff middle finger against corporate bootlickers. Robert Wyatt was always a big leftie as is Charles Hayward and This Heat. Current bands following in the uncompromising example set by RIO movement are Thinking Plague and Sleepytime Gorrilla Museum.
Shut up and sing is right. I don't want to hear Roger Waters' or Todd Rundgren's political diatribes before they play their songs, I just want to hear the music. Back in the late 60s and early 70's during the hippie movement I knew a lot of the bands I loved were political but I didn't care, I just loved the music.🤩
Your political perspective is very male! Females have lost tons of autonomy and shame on you for not recognizing it. There is a huge difference in each administration for females.
@@TheProgCorner i’ve been a Prog fan for 40+ years. I’m kind of used to it, but I’m also very tired of it. You guys need to help stop this constant cycle of madness! Thanks for the reply
The last two minutes of this are excruciating - basically "don't worry about anything because nothing bad will happen no matter who gets elected" HUH?!?!?
Comparing Get 'Em Out By Friday to Illegal Alien was absolutely devious 💀 What a fall from grace! It would also be good to add, that Selling England by the pound is an entirely political masterpiece and gives others like Area's debut, The Power And The Glory and In Praise Of Learning a run for their money in that respect.
I don't mind political lyrics in music, even if I don't agree with them. In prog, it's all about the music anyway. But what I can't stand is musicians pontificating. I went to see prog band Karnataka recently and one of the main themes on their latest album is the so-called cl1m@te emergency, something I think is a complete h0ax. The show was great and the band were excellent. But before the last song, the 24 minute long title track from the aforementioned album, the band leader gave his spiel basically saying "the world is undoubtedly burning up and if you don't agree with me you have your head buried in the sand". I found that grossly offensive.
Even though a lot of Trump allies are behind Project 2025, Trump has made it clear he wants little to do with Project 2025. “I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal." he wrote. He disavows Project 2025, saying the authors of the text are part of the far-right. He said he has not read the platform because he doesn't want to be associated with them in any way. Just sayin'.🤩
@@jazzpunk, that’s true. In fact, he has also said he “doesn’t know anything about it”. But he has followed that up by saying that there are things he likes about Project 2025, and things he doesn’t like about it. How can he have an opinion on something he “doesn’t know anything about”?! He’s obviously lying about something regarding it.
prog rock is liberal. but liberal in 1970s, so basically conservative in our times due to the two parties getting further and further away from each other over time
the only guy who should not get into poilitics is roger waters from pink floyd. whatever he says instantly becomes wrong simply because he's annoying. a life lesson for all of us
Interesting. You immediately went against your own message @@TheProgCorner. Are you a Zio and how do you think the MIC works ? The media owners have laid fogged up paradigms i.e. planted triggers in people's minds and so they sh 00 t the messengers just because of triggers and being annoyed from them. Political issues really concerning humanity are litmus tests for us, both intellectually and emotionally.
Scot you are the voice of reason
👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Politics aside, I will never get enough of this channel's beef with pop music-- it's genuinely refreshing 😂
I call it like I hear it!!!!!!
...still love the '60s Pop I grew up with.
Refreshing? It seems all older folk want to talk about these days is how much the pop music sucks. Boring.
@@nectarinedreams7208 Well, from 1955 to the mid-90s, pop did interesting things. It did interesting things that influenced rock and rock did interesting things that influenced pop. So many people got into really interesting music through pop. Pop is now an algorithm. People who can't see that were not alive before the algorithm flattened everything. Every hit song in the past 15 years, and someone looked this up, came from one of two producers. For fifty years, that was unimaginable. Artists were always changing, the sound was always changing, now everything is the same.
Zappa was pretty political from time to time.On the US eastcoast portion of the '88 tour he had people register to vote at his shows.
Yes!!!
...I have Zappa pegged as a small Gov't Libertarian. I would love to hear what he would be thinking today.
@@hansvandermeulen5515 his appearances on Crossfire are legendary! Most available on YT! He predicted the Theocracy
If FZ was alive today he would be cancelled.
@@jazzpunk he would probably have made another 3 record musical destroying Trump and those christo fascists.
He was very much an independent.
Rush got annihilated in the press in the 70s because of 2112's dedication to Ayn Rand.
Indeed they did.
I love your avatar! 'Rock Against Communism' is also the title of one of our own tracks. It appears on a compilation album we posted to Scot a few days ago. Splendid.
Entirely justified. Absolutely embarassing on their part. I bet they look back and cringe.
@@nectarinedreams7208Don't think so. Ayn Rand was a genius.
the European views on the spectrum of ideology is different than America's (or Canada by extension) or had been. As we've turned on the internet, that Euro (world wide web..) view on ideology has redefined what libertarian or reform or not the biggest fed gov possible means to effectively lazy people (be nice! love wins!) . Neil ran into this 40 years ago, before it had taken over everything and it clearly bothered him, though he would have done better to tell social rock press nerd that his views aren't final or accurate in definition.
The thing with politics in prog is that you have to listen properly whereas in popular music it's usually readily apparent. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised!
True that!!!!
I think it's safe to say that neither presidential candidate listens to prog. Lol.
But Tim Walz does!!!!
@@TheProgCorner What??? Oh man!
Well Kamala Harris did mention Miles and Trane in her acceptance speech. pretty damn prog IMHO
The greatest bands of the sixties invoked politics in their songs...CCR, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, CSNY.
They ALL did!!!!!
The 2 Tone record label in the uk ( late 70s +) was a very positive force against racism. Not my kind of music, but a genuine breath of fresh air at the time.
The Beat!!!!
@@TheProgCorner Best 2Tone band for me.
Love how so many bands are suing and saying cease and desist to a certain old guy.......as a thief he just takes and takes. Without permission. GO Bands!
Yep!!!
Nothing new.
Rush sent C and Ds to Republicans like Limbaugh and Paul Ryan.
Pink Floyd Management sent Alex Jones a C and D for using Learning to Fly and Run Like Hell. Roger on the other hand allowed Mother to be used.
Harris hates Heavy Metal and Rock music.
Dennis DeYoung was touched when a Republican senator from Illinois quoted Rockin the Paradise and Dennis had songs bashing Clinton and CNN. Plus he last voted in 2008 for Obama and was fooled by Obama and now is apolitical. His two favorite Presidents were JFK and Reagan.
Music transcends politics. Complex chord progressions and odd time signatures are apolitical. The people who create music can have political beliefs, and they can express those beliefs through the lyrics of their music, but the musical building blocks remain separate from those lyrics. I’ve always been drawn to the more instrumental aspects of music - the melody, the harmony, the rhythm, the timbre - with the actual lyrical content being secondary. So if someone makes good music, I will likely enjoy it no matter what the politics.
Very good comment.
@@bobsala7780 True but music is not content that stands alone. It is art and art cannot be removed from its political/social/cultural context and the lived experience of the artists who made it.
If you engage with music solely on a level of "Do I enjoy this music or does it make me feel good" then youre not really engaging with the art as intended (most of the time)
To quote jethro tull, "I may make you feel but I cant make you think"
@@jacklynam5653 I will agree that if I engage with music solely on a level of "Do I enjoy this music or does it make me feel good" then I might not really engaging with the art as intended. But sometimes I feel that the power of music can be so strong that it can overcome what the composer intended and music can go beyond its original intent. Most notably, this is the case for me with Bach. I absolutely treasure listening to the Bach cantatas. The intent of the cantatas was to provide musical accompaniment to the Lutheran church services. He wrote most of his cantatas because it was just part of his job. I do not understand the German language and my religious beliefs are not in line with Bach’s Lutheran beliefs. But these cantatas speak to me in such a way that transcends his original intent. Bach’s music speaks to the very heart and soul of humanity, which is why I and so many others can enjoy Bach’s music outside of the original context and intent.
@@bobsala7780 Thats a great point. That said, and this is where i get a little wishy washy and spiritual, but I think that the music, whether bach intended to or not, reflects bachs life, identity, and emotions on what you might think of as a subconscious level. Everything he had done and experienced up to that moment influenced minute details of his music without him ever knowing. Simply put, the context of the music is not just commercial use but also bachs entire life and all his beliefs up to that point. If bach had lived a slightly different life, the music would be slightly different (for better or worse). This is why I think you cant seperate music from its political context lyrics or not, because if the political climate around the artist was different, the the music would be different. An artists life, beliefs and environment are just as integral to compositon as the notes they choose
The music is absolutely not separate from the lyrics in most cases. It is always the case that either the music is a response to the lyrics or the lyrics a response to the music. In great music, they are one. In mediocre music, they have little to do with each other.
VENOM! Love their first three albums! Such an unbelievable racket!
I love them!!!!!
I love Black Metal - both the Venom album and the genre it spawned.
I *mostly* agree with you about all this, and appreciate you making the video - it's an important topic and people completely lose their heads about this stuff.
My point of minor disagreement:
There's a difference between observation about the world, commenting about what you think, and telling people what they ought to think (and if they don't think it, they're bad). Most of Ian Anderson's political lyrics are the former - you'd have a hard time telling from Jethro Tull songs if Ian is a liberal or a conservative or where he falls on most issues. I like that, it's interesting and engaging. Neal Morse's Christian-themed prog is usually the second - Neal will tell you what he believes and why, or tell stories about characters from the bible, but he never jumps to "and if you don't believe this too, you're going to hell". I appreciate that too.
But I don't want to be preached to or told what to think. It's actually one of the things I really like about prog - even people who might sometimes right more politically-tinged music usually do it in a subtle way, with allegories or stories or, with Ian Anderson or early Genesis, in a satirical way that makes you think about an issue. But people who say "this is what you have to think", screw that. Where do you get off? Why do you think you have some special insight or access to the truth that I don't have? Of course songwriters can write music like this, that's their right. And it's my right to say "this is shit and I don't want to listen to it", especially when it comes from rank hypocrites like Roger Waters, or Rage Against the Machine. You want to tell me how awful money and capitalism are when you're signed to multi-million dollar record contracts? Shove it up your ass (there are many insufferable assholes of other political bents too - I'm looking at you Kid Rock).
That’s right!!!! Don’t preach, teach.
Taylor Swift can get wrekt. She's a climate hypocrite with a carbon footprint 500 times yours or mine. Hypocrisy is something I absolutely detest, and the Dems do it in spades these days, talk about 'dangerous rhetoric', you've had a Dem calling for Trump to be eliminated. God, I hate politics, so of course I hate it when art gets politicised in a crass way.
If you think of it, someone could write a "perfect prog suite" by just using all differing political opinions, ideals, and practices.
It would have so many twists, turns, and changes, it would become an instant prog classic
I love it.
SCOT FOR PRESIDENT!!!!
Yes!!!! I can fix everything!!!!
I have lived through some of the worse violence in my countries history, the cold war, the collapse of the iron curtain, at least two gulf wars, civil war in the balkans and Rwanda, 9/11, economic rise and fall, and a whole lot more. People say that you become more conversative as you get older but I still hark back to punk, grindcore and the feisty european prog scene. I just want equality for everyone rather than an elite ruling class getting rich on sowing division
Me too!!!
I have long argued that Eno's "Baby's on Fire" was about that infamous photo of the little girl burning from napalm. The gist being that the photographer was an idiot because he was taking pictures instead of helping her. "Take your time, she's only burning. This kind of experience is necessary for her learning..."
Yes!!!!👍
One more reason I only listen to instrumental music.
There is a lot to that…
Don't read the liner notes to Godspeed You! Black Emperor albums...
Aww, little baby doesn't like adult lyrics in his music! He just wants to hear the instruments make a boo-boo!
@@MusicVersa those liner notes read like talk radio calling their shot, "see I told you they're into revolution". They are. They're winning too. It's too bad. It's not going to go well or work.
I lean conservative but if I stuck to that for music I’d have nothing to listen to! 😂 For example, I have lived and worked in Alberta for decades in the oil patch (retired now). Neil Young came out here and shat all over it, despite having made millions selling vinyl, cassettes, CDs and burning all kinds of fossil fuels touring over the decades. Massive hypocrite but I still love his music. Same with U2 and Bono etc. Wanting us peons to give till it hurts for every cause under the sun, despite them being tax exiles from Ireland so they can remain rich champagne socialists. I learned decades ago to separate the politics from the music.
I’m not a huge fan of hypocrisy!!!!!
Funny how everyone takes issue with rich socialists but not rich conservatives... As if making lots of money from making music prohibits you from wanting the government to take some of it and put it towards something like building a school instead of a 3rd vacation home.
@@nectarinedreams7208 Because in U2’s case for example, they are champagne socialists aka hypocrites. The hypocrisy is the problem. And they ain’t building schools in Ireland because they bolted from Ireland in self-exile to avoid paying taxes for said schools etc. And I suspect they have several mansions. The “rich” isn’t the problem be it socialist or conservative. The hypocrisy is.
I also dont like neil Young as a Person but love his old albums. Same for clapton, Waters...but i love the music and i will always listen to
I really appreciate your mature and open minded take on such a dividing subject, Scot!
It’s a tough one…
Well said my friend!
When I came of age, The Iraq War was beginning and frankly, my generation was terrified we were going to be drafted and fight what seemed like another Vietnam (which unfortunately came to pass). My high school band started working on a conceptual piece which eventually became an album called From the Beginning by 7th Sun (still on streaming services, sorry for the plug Scot 😅). But I did remember thinking “Where are all the other protest albums coming out right now?” Green Day thankfully filled that void with American Idiot, but there was always this stigma against making protest songs. Even in 2020 when we put out the song “Never Let the Bastards Grind You Down“, it was in response to the BLM and social justice movement. Obviously we got some expected flack from the right, but even the left was judging us, “Oh you’re just using the movement to promote yourself.” 🙄 Regardless my opinion stated in any of those songs has not changed and I am not afraid to let them be known, nor should any artist. The best advice I got when we were debating whether or not to include protest footage in our video was from someone who is very involved with BLM and said “It is your art and you should say what you feel is right.”
That’s right, JT!!!! 👍❤️👍❤️
Some great points, Scot. And Ice Thinning is our political statement for 2024.
Yes!!!!👍
The silence from ALL OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY with the current worldwide events going on is sickening. 🤮
👍👍👍
Some amazing albums have politics message, like six degrees of inner turbulance, and also one of my favourite albums of all time, hail to the thief by radiohead
Yes!!!!!
I can appreciate all genres of music. So, let the music play...
Yes sir!!!!!!👍👍👍
If you have a moral compass then what is sung about and voted for does matter a great deal. I love music, but it won't save anyone... only one way for salvation!
You are correct about that!!!!
Your timing here is superb. A few days ago I posted a couple of CDs to you, wrapped up in 3 pages - print-outs of the Political Compass for each of our group members which show how 3 people of divergent political beliefs and values can continue to work together for 8 years and produce 21 albums in that period. The Political Compass is divided into 4 quadrants: left authoritarian, left libertarian, right libertarian and right authoritarian. One answers a long series of questions and the programme determines where you reside within these 4 quadrants. Thus we have Colin who emerges as slightly left wing and very libertarian, Keilan who is very slightly right wing and very libertarian and myself who is stridently right wing and authoritarian.
In the 2010s our personnel consisted of 3 Chinese teenagers plus myself and, toward the end, Colin as well. In 2007 they released a musically interesting but lyrically horrendous album called Rock In Opposition: Phase 2 filled with vile and loathsome rants about 'Palestine' with a notoriously antagonistic attitude toward Israel. I absolved myself of any connection with its contents although I did sing and play keyboards and / or saxophone on some of the numbers. This, I contend, displays far more tolerance than would ever be shown by any member of the progressive left. Ye gods, they even ostracise their own membership if anyone diverges slightly from the current polemical dogma.
I recall Lemmy Kilminster said politics and music don't mix and, in fact, should not mix. I can sympathise with that idea as an ideal state of play but, alas, especially given our current political crisis, I really don't see how it is possible, at least not for a group such as ours which is known for its social and political commentary. The disadvantage, of course, is that any group which releases tracks that promote (or appear to promote) an ideology run the risk of alienating sections of their audience. That happened to us. When we released The Voice Of Reason in 2020 on which every track is directly inspired by videos made by Ben Shapiro, Dennis Prager and Turning Point USA, we lost nearly a third of our You Tube subscribers and regular correspondents. Band Camp sales diminished to a trickle. C'est la vie. It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not.
Anyway, thank you for another interesting video.
Hey - I just got a little something in the mail!!! Almost perfect timing!!!! Thank you!!!! ❤️👍❤️👍
What is the problem with Waters' politics? He is basically a very vocal humanitarian. It's his ego that needs some attention.
👍👍👍
Several Maiden songs are linked to political events in the UK and America.
Very interesting issue Scot.
I congratulate a huge musician like Neal Morse for singing and thanking God, because he is a believer who is not ashamed (as many are) to spread the word of God and the Gospel.
Trump 2024!
Absolutely!!!
I grew up with punk rock which always mixed politics & music. I didn’t always agree with the message but it didn’t stop me liking the bands / songs. Rock n roll is all about rebellion, which makes it political!
Yes indeed!!!! You are so right.
Love Mellencamp and Bruce because of their PRO people stances.
They have the right to speak their minds.
@@TheProgCorner There is more soul in their music than any prog. Its the reason I only listen to prog occasionally even though it was my first love.
@@TheProgCorner And good people love them for it.
@@TheProgCorner Yeah, because the rock singers really know so much about American policies...
When I look over across the Atlantic Ocean at the USA and when I visit your nation (which I have done many times) I can’t but be struck by the strange fact that people only have two choices to make in politics, Republican Party or Democratic Party. Now perhaps that’s because notwithstanding the fact that the USA is the most powerful in the world (with China now vying for that honour), it is still a very young country, still developing, still growing and learning. And because of that inevitable immaturity, as I perceive it, it does concern me that a person who behaves like a juvenile schoolyard bully (DJT) can even stand for election to the most powerful office in the world. However, all that said, nowadays I like to live my life in accordance with the words of Paul Stump, “The Music’s All That Matters”….. 🎶 🎼 🎵 . 🖐️ Live Long And Prog (or Prosper).
Very concerning but I trust America. I believe in her. She will (eventually) do the right thing…always has!!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I consider myself to be a conservative super-liberal. I'm a proud Canadian but Ive been paying close attention to my noisy neighbours downstairs. What happens in the Divided States of Unamerica affects Canada. However I like what's been happening as of late.
Music in politics doesn't bother me as long as it's done right. Dylan launched that boat with one of my favourite tunes of all time: Masters of War.
And what about the Sex Pistols? I think punk is very political. Prog not as much for me or at least I never viewed Prog as being overtly political.
Certainly songs about war, environmental concerns and just generally being a good human being don't make me run for the hills.
I also don't mind Christian themes in prog, it appeals to me despite the fact that I would burst into flames if I ever stepped into a church. So in the end if you're saying stuff I approve of then it's something I like hearing about. Keep on rocking in the free world indeed.
All very true!!!!
Politics is very emotional. Music needs emotion to be great! It's almost impossible to separate the two so sit back and enjoy the music I say!
Yes sir!!!!
Not sure if this is relevant to the conversation, but I have seen Bob Dylan 55 times (and counting)
Very relevant!!!
Love the shirt Scot!
"Go back to that i love you stuff", hm, does peter hammil screaming "i love you i love you" at the end of that beautiful epic called lost by VDGG counts? I don't think so
Probably not!!!!!!!
What a great video have a wonderful day also I am going to college in Canada where I live in Scot ❤😊
Get good grades and conquer the world, my friend!!!
I grew up in the '60s in a Military family. Nevertheless, I did love a good protest song - "Ohio", "War", "Machine Gun", Sly Stone, Sabbath, Grand Funk, Steppenwolf, The Doors, etc. The stuff felt real, still does.
Living Colour's songs about society's ills still feels real to me ...35 years now since VIVID?!?
I guess if you live long enuff, you'll see it all...Anti-Establishment bands now morphing into "the man"? Fascinating.
Indeed it is.
What was used for subversion is now in control. It was never about being consistent or even correct. The revolution is never ending.
I vote whole heartedly for Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Cha , cha , cha , cha.
If music moves my mind I'm interested whether it's political or not... my body doesn't move to well these days , well never did. 😅 Lyrics are key to everything.
Great topic and video Scot. 😍🎵🎵🤘
Thank you!!!!🙏
Rock music is a great art form but rock and roll as a political thing/protest activity no longer exists. Back in the 60s and 70s, rock and roll was all about “Stick it to The Man” (The Man meaning any form of authority- the government, establishment etc). This was the ethos of the hippies and the punks. They were all about questioning the government and rebelling against it. They were left wing, but back then, the left was a lot different than it is today. Then came MTV and the 80s which ruined rock and roll through commercialization, videos, musical conformity, and dumbed-down music. Rock stars started to sell out. Since then, rock music has been more of an art form rather than a form of protest. The sad truth is that the majority of rock stars, classic and modern, are left-leaning sellouts. Ever since they became rich and famous, they stopped caring about what they were fighting for- even the punks and hippies. Politics doesn’t effect them because they are rich. As a result, they don’t know or care what’s actually happening in the world. They have to agree with the left/feel pressured to be left because the entire music industry is corrupt. Rage Against the Machine are raging FOR the machine now. They’re communists. So is Mr “Rockin in the Free World” Neil Young who supports censorship. Heck, even those “Patriotic heartland rockers” like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellancamp are lefties. The very few rock stars who are actually sticking it to the man these days are people like Ted Nugent, Van Morrison, and Eric Clapton.
Dennis DeYoung as well. Songs like Turn Off CNN, High Crimes and Misdemeanors (about Clinton and his scandals) and both sides
Very well said! I'd be the first to admit I have pretty strong left-leaning opinions (or as I phrase it, I like my politics as progressive as my rock), so of course I think that criticizing art for "getting political" is a joke. And while I can have a bit of a harder time looking past the political aspects of art that I disagree with, I at least tend to frame my criticisms there as "I disagree with what this song is saying, and this is why" rather than just trying to pretend that artists getting political is somehow inherently bad. And usually, unless there's no interesting qualities to the music, I can at least in theory look past lyrics I disagree with - I just can do that sometimes better than others, I'm only human. If I ever get to making art of my own to put out there, or even just make videos about existing music, you can bet that I'd be getting super political, but that's just because I have strong genuine feelings about things. I know some would probably dislike it, or accuse me of being too "woke" (whatever that means that particular fifteen minutes) but others would probably be happy that I was out there saying things I think not enough people in music spaces are saying. (And since you brought up Neil Peart, my hot take is that people really overlook how much his opinions shifted over the years - he said himself he moved away from Ayn Rand not too long into being in Rush, and it's hard to argue that someone still following her books would have written songs like Roll the Bones or The Larger Bowl, or to a less direct degree something like Territories. And even something like 2112 or Anthem I can reinterpret to some degree, certainly more so than the writings they were based on.) Long story short, politics is a big part of how everyone engages with art, and at least I'm not afraid to admit it or even embrace it when I feel it's appropriate. Take all that as you will, I guess.
Yes indeed!!!!!
Politics is f***ing everything !!
(Literally...)
It's in everything, despite people knowing it or not. Now I'm going to go listen to some rap metal about knocking over consumerism from Sony records.
@@colinburroughs9871 🤣
If you listen very carefull to the lyrics of AC/DC you will hear they are all about politics.
Really??? I’m not a huge AC/DC fan so…
Seriously? Like what tunes??
Priorities matter. Kindness and magnanimity matters, as they can foster peace, and all the riches that flow therefrom. Clean air, earth and water matters. Wildlife matters. Movement matters. And in order to get from A to B, you have to be very clear on what and where A is as well as B. Truth and reality are paramount, essential. No truth, no movement because no reality upon which to tread. Whomever can satisfy these few demands will have my vote every time. Whomever goes against these priorities I will vote against every time. It is how change and progress happens. By knowing your reality, and by having a clear and sustainable vision. [Found written on a subway toilet along with a pack of Kools]
Can’t use a map unless you know where you are to start with!!!!
@@TheProgCorner True dat! I was a Scout once.
I love politics in music, when I agree with it. haha If I only watched movies or listen to music that shared my views, I'd be left with very little. I'm a Libertarian (yay Neil Peart! =), so I pretty much disagree with EVERY politician on both sides. I agree 100% Scot, I want to hear people singing about anything that moves them. I don't believe in demons and wizards, but give me some Uriah Heep any day! Everyone just needs to chill out and listen to Prog Radio...I'll play Cog's "Swamp" for ya! =)
Yes, Kevin!!!!👍👍👍
I’m middle of the road but I despise both parties which turned into a Civil War which will snowball no matter who gets in
Only one side tried to overturn an election.
Very interesting video. The problem with groups who indulge in political statements is that whole swathes of their audience can be turned away. Then again, perhaps an honest political stance may attract a few new fans. I'm Irish and I'm old enough to remember 'the troubles' and I lived through that whole 1980s Thatcher Vs Jerry Adams farce. Irish bands tended to be careful not to make any statements on the affair except for a punk band called Stiff Little Fingers. If there were others than please excuse my ignorance. I enjoyed those Ayn Rand influenced albums by Rush but then I admire Ms Rand. For people who find her atheist free market fanaticism difficult to tolerate, well, I can see why that might be a barrier for people - in which case I recommend they check out the later Rush albums where that influence appears to have been abandoned.
If it's done obliquely - cf Gentle Giant 'The Power & The Glory' - then it can be most effective. I do have slight difficulties with a few of the stridently right wing conservative lyrics on the last 3 albums by UNIT, for instance, and I understand they've lost a lot of followers and fans as a consequence of their open support of Ben Shapiro, Prageru and TPUSA. I don't think this is healthy for a group because it means potential detractors can simply dismiss them as 'a Ben Shapiro groupie outfit'. It happened in England with bands like The Pop Group and Crisis whose blatantly Marxist sentiments deterred many potential enthusiasts from engaging with the groups.
Anyway, lest I babble even more than usual, thank you (again) for a highly interesting video...but it should have been longer!
I love Stiff Little Fingers!!!! Suspect Device is an all time favorite.
Some good points here.
Being an artist is all about free speech, and every artist needs to be allowed to say whatever they want. The Minutemen were the first band I listened to that were very political. I always wonder what D. Boon would have to say about the world today.
He would say:
A little hanging down in Turkey
Two necks in a noose
One’s a rightist
The other a leftist
What the F•••
Fanatics!!!!!!!
Go Scot!😂❤
Yeah!!!!!👍
YES'S SIBERIAN KHATRU song has lines about a 'Cold Reigen Kin' hiding secrets from you'. Each time I hear this song, I can't keep thinking that Jon Anderson is describing the Orange one when he sings about the Cold Reigen King.
👍👍👍
I’m right leaning, but my favorite band King Gizzard is incredibly left leaning. I don’t care if we don’t agree, their passion is their fuel for their music. Political diversity is insanely important and refusing to listen to amazing music because you have different views is just wild
It makes zero sense!!!! Thank you!!!!
Couldn’t agree with you more Scot; bottom line is THE PERSONAL IS THE POLITICAL and anyone who pretends otherwise is just delusional. My undergrad degree is History and Politics, I’ve worked in politics and government my whole life, I’m always very open about my political views and honestly I couldn’t respect an artist if they didn’t have any opinions about the world we live in and didn’t care about social issues. Like you say, there are artists whose positions I don’t agree with but at least I can respect the fact that they have a position and are willing to express it. I’m so uninterested in anyone who doesn’t have anything to say for themselves!
Absolutely!!!!!👍
All hail the prophet, Scot!
❤️❤️❤️
"where were you in 1968?"
David Peel lyric - 'King of Punk'
Check it out
Wow!!! I gotta check it out.
We're all human! Except maybe Tories... I don't have enough evidence for that yet.
How inclusive of you. What's the difference in policy between Sunak and the son of Harold Wilson, Comrade Starmer. A: comrade thinks that if you have savings, then you are rich and he will take most of it via tax. " Taxman, one for me, 19 for it".
@@lupcokotevski2907 Another Tory who hears "Tories are bad" and translates it to "Labour is good".
@@jacklynam5653 I'm not British. I voted for the left for 40 years. But today left in the West are actually bad, very bad, on all the metrics that matter to people in the middle, left or right.
Disagreements are healthy but how that disagreement is conducted matters and being civil and honest is crucial. Humans need each other so our art reflects this. I dislike any activity that seeks to silence dissent and cannot abide anything that is not lockstep and my tastes in all things reflect this. Repression and suppressing doesnt work... humans are skittery critters.
Indeed they are!!!!
Everyone has a right to an opinion, but nobody has the right to demand my respect for their views by default.
I can still listen to Ted Nugent's stuff even if his politics stink. And Roger Waters is just like a dear old friend who has disappointed me a bit lately.
Still dig Floyd.
And I still love Free For All.
The problem these days is most of the politics in rock and metal these days is not very “revolutionary”. They seem to spout the official narrative, which of course sounds good-it’s worded that way-but, meanwhile, not enough people are looking behind the curtain to see what it really means, where it’s leading us!
👍👍👍
My issue with politics in music, or in movies/TV always comes back to how transparent it is. For example, current Star Trek... People who loved Trek bitch about the modern stuff being political and if you take that complaint on a surface level it seems insane, Trek was ALWAYS political... the difference is, and if you don't look deeper, you'll never see it, is that it's a difference of allegories and stories meant to show a similar plight, to the newer Trek just flat out soapboxing and speeching about specific stuff of today... It's the difference between trying to explain a point of view and ranting. Even many people who agree with the points (like myself) just can't stand being speechified to. Some don't, but it can be more divisive and WON'T get others to listen who otherwise might.
The same is true with music. Well written music that happens to be political doesn't beat you over the head with the point. Some does, and is meant to, like punk, but the stuff that gets it's point across without being preachy does a better job of getting anyone to at least listen.
TLDR: You get more flies with honey than vinegar.
I like this.
Sometimes music needs to be just escapism. As example frank bornemann of eloy. Eloy startet as a left wing politrock band and bornemann decided to let the politics out of music. I understand why he did it but i also understand the opposits. Its art, everything is allowed.
That’s right!!!!
Progitics
👍👍👍
@@TheProgCorner I think the fact that we all agree about Jethro Tull etc is a far cooler thing than disagreeing about politics, besides has anyone ever changed their mind based on TH-cam comment ?
Quem não gosta de política é também governado por quem gosta.
Some of my favorite music is extremely political! And when a lot of fans go to see their shows, they say shit like “stop bringing up politics at your shows, I’ve lost respect for you” meanwhile their biggest hits are all politicly charged and they’ve all been saying the same shit since the mid to late 60’s
Idiots!!!!
Scot, Your wrong. IMHO
Could not really be friends with a Trump voter, I couldnt care if he was Jon Anderson himself.
"Walk On By"🎼🎼
I understand that but we must fight for sanity. We need to do the work because they have proven that they will not!!!
Both candidates appear to be adopting the prog approach to their campaigns. Trump has chosen the Topographic oceans style,(too much waffle and you're bored after the first half hour) whereas Harris appears to have been speaking Andersonesque for some time now. In fact didn't Jon Anderson release an album called "The Great Significance of the Passage of Time " some years ago?😂 Good luck, whichever you choose.
Nice!!!!!
👍☮️😎
Trump doesn’t listen to music. Someone should turn him onto Gentle Giant and the world could be a better place 😂
Just dont play him "The power and the Glory"
Yes it would.
Whatever peanut he has for what passes for his brain would explode.
Well, the world might be a better place then.
@@fezcrystal9 lol. Probably.
@@hansvandermeulen5515u hopeless.
to try and divorce any kind of art form, try to remove it from the society and set of circumstances in which it was created isn't possible. even if the beatles weren't singing about politics overtly they were changing attitudes about what you could achieve if you were not from a backround of privilege. same with sabbath. art doesn't happen in a vacuum. 🐔 i could cluck on forever.
Exactly!!!
I'd like to believe that it doesn't matter, but when your wife's Student Loan Debt is impacted by the result, it does end up mattering.
Or say, you have Diabetes like I do, and the Cost of Insulin could be impacted?
All politics is local …
Scott, it does matter.
I don't want a fatter wallet...I want better buying power - Something we have all lost these past 3+ years.
I have my own health issues (CABGx4 & cancer). The last thing I want is the Gov't meddling with my private health care.
Peace out...
I don't see a lot of politics in Genesis' music but Supper's Ready is one big retelling of the book of Revelation.
Supper's Ready - the Lord's Supper
Supersonic Scientist - the antichrist
Apocolypse in 9/8 - just that
For sure!!!
Genesis would be Tories for certain, what are they going to write about?
Screwing the middle class more?
@@WooBino. Genesis IS middle class.
Here is my take on that: Music should not involve in in Music, Music is peace and love and relaxation such thing NEVER exists in Politics Dude.
Do they make Ostrich brand speakers?
There’s always been a strong left-wing current among the more avant-garde prog groups. The RIO movement spearheaded by Henry Cow stood out like a stiff middle finger against corporate bootlickers. Robert Wyatt was always a big leftie as is Charles Hayward and This Heat. Current bands following in the uncompromising example set by RIO movement are Thinking Plague and Sleepytime Gorrilla Museum.
Yes!!!! Nice!!!! I love the new Sleepytime album…
Shut up and sing is right. I don't want to hear Roger Waters' or Todd Rundgren's political diatribes before they play their songs, I just want to hear the music. Back in the late 60s and early 70's during the hippie movement I knew a lot of the bands I loved were political but I didn't care, I just loved the music.🤩
It’s all about the music, baby!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️
@@TheProgCorner That it is Scot, just the music! By the way, I'm hooked on 'True' by Jon and the Geeks.🤩
👍👍👍👍👍😎
Your political perspective is very male! Females have lost tons of autonomy and shame on you for not recognizing it. There is a huge difference in each administration for females.
You make a solid point - the same one my wife keeps making!!!! I am such a dude…
@@TheProgCorner i’ve been a Prog fan for 40+ years. I’m kind of used to it, but I’m also very tired of it. You guys need to help stop this constant cycle of madness! Thanks for the reply
@@janewells5970 Hi Jane
The last two minutes of this are excruciating - basically "don't worry about anything because nothing bad will happen no matter who gets elected" HUH?!?!?
@@TheProgCornerI've been a dude for 62 years!!!👍😎
further more holy cow HENRY COW you don't arf know your stuff Scot.🐔
👍☮️👑🐍🙏😎
Jeff!!!!!
How dare you!
I’m scared!!!! Making sense is a thing of the past??? 👍👍👍
Comparing Get 'Em Out By Friday to Illegal Alien was absolutely devious 💀
What a fall from grace!
It would also be good to add, that Selling England by the pound is an entirely political masterpiece and gives others like Area's debut, The Power And The Glory and In Praise Of Learning a run for their money in that respect.
@@TheProgCorner "And from the whirlwind/ Comes the breath of life..."
Well, 75% of Pop/Rock music are all about love or romantic relationships
Exactly!!! Awful. Petty. And insincere!!!
If your an artist and you believe one party is different to the other one then you gotta be a bit braindead.
👍👍👍
Genesis Yes and Pink Floyd all had songs about money, so if you don't like politics stay away from prog rock.
👍👍👍
I don't mind political lyrics in music, even if I don't agree with them. In prog, it's all about the music anyway. But what I can't stand is musicians pontificating. I went to see prog band Karnataka recently and one of the main themes on their latest album is the so-called cl1m@te emergency, something I think is a complete h0ax. The show was great and the band were excellent. But before the last song, the 24 minute long title track from the aforementioned album, the band leader gave his spiel basically saying "the world is undoubtedly burning up and if you don't agree with me you have your head buried in the sand". I found that grossly offensive.
Yeah, don’t tell me I’m dumb if I disagree!!!! That is offensive. We can all see things a little differently…
Project 2025 worries me. Without that on the table, I wouldn’t be nearly as concerned about the election.
Project 2025 is worrisome but would not become law automatically if Trump wins…
Even though a lot of Trump allies are behind Project 2025, Trump has made it clear he wants little to do with Project 2025. “I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal." he wrote. He disavows Project 2025, saying the authors of the text are part of the far-right. He said he has not read the platform because he doesn't want to be associated with them in any way. Just sayin'.🤩
Trump has repeatedly disavowed Project 2025...
@@jazzpunk He has and he said he won't read the platform of it because he doesn't want to be associated with it at all.🤩
@@jazzpunk, that’s true. In fact, he has also said he “doesn’t know anything about it”. But he has followed that up by saying that there are things he likes about Project 2025, and things he doesn’t like about it. How can he have an opinion on something he “doesn’t know anything about”?! He’s obviously lying about something regarding it.
I'm sorry,this Roger waters dude has gone too far for me with his antisemitic opinions.i can't ignore that
and that is okay too!!! You have a right to have your voice heard too. Hit ‘em in the old pocketbook!!!
Do your RESEARCH into that complex issue. Even Marillion wrote Gaza
Yes and if anyone doubts what a complete Jew hating bigot Waters is, check out what David Gilmour and his wife wrote about him!
1:50 Hey! Im an HVAC tech. You saying you dont care who i vote for?!
Good
You shouldn't
P.S. I dont vote.
Ha ha!!!!
Steppenwolf wrote that song about a giant land bird. They may have wrote that tune for you. You must be rich af to be so unaffected.
I am unaffected because I am rich - in faith!!!!!!!
prog rock is liberal. but liberal in 1970s, so basically conservative in our times due to the two parties getting further and further away from each other over time
Exactly!!!
the only guy who should not get into poilitics is roger waters from pink floyd. whatever he says instantly becomes wrong simply because he's annoying.
a life lesson for all of us
Indeed!!!!!
Interesting. You immediately went against your own message @@TheProgCorner. Are you a Zio and how do you think the MIC works ? The media owners have laid fogged up paradigms i.e. planted triggers in people's minds and so they sh 00 t the messengers just because of triggers and being annoyed from them.
Political issues really concerning humanity are litmus tests for us, both intellectually and emotionally.
I'm voting blue! :D
Is that a thing in Canada?
How long has your brain been misfiring??
@@westsidecater Not quite as long as yours.