Friday again. Time to lighten up and start chilling out in advance of the weekend? In anxious days like these?
Maybe the soundtrack is less Van-the-man and more Dead Kennedys? Well, every cloud has a silvery lining. For the past 20-30 years or so, politics seems to have developed a safer veneer, and this has been reflected in a more anodyne mainstream music scene. Elections don’t seem to have been about quite as much once The End of History had been declared and agit-pop has been fairly quiet accordingly.
If ‘may you live in interesting times’ is a curse, personally, I’d at least be happy about the soundtrack.
Here’s the best embeddable political angst I’ve been able to find with a quick scan around YouTube – all originating from the 1970s and early 1980s – let me know if there are any other suitable videos that fit the bill and I’ll add them.
In a bizarre recent twist, the riff from The Gang of Four‘s anti-consumerist classic Natural’s Not In It has been used by Microsoft X-Box for their ads. Probably fair game after it was used for the Marie Antoinette soundtrack?
Here’s Jello Biafra et al:
And lastly, a bit of authentic anti-Nixon rage from earlier in that decade from Gil Scott-Heron. It starts off with a bit of political personality baiting, but give it time – the final two or three minutes are furious:
(Little known fact: His dad was the first black Celtic player!)
Any more suggestions to add here?
Living in London, working as a trade union official in the film and TV industry (opinions my own). Author of “Save Democracy, Abolish Voting” (published by Demsoc in November 2017). Personal website with link to other writing here. On twitter as @paul0evans1
Discover more from Slugger O'Toole
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
