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Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Right On Music Choice
Danny Finkelstein is soliciting favourite pieces of right of centre music. Here's my contribution.
I think the right has all the music except that vile world music with its fatuous coffe table cook book flavours of this and that.
Music is essentially conservative as it communicates , uniquely without language . The form is the meaning and both are created by tradition and culture.
The left hate music and indeed all creativity showing as it does the human spirit so clearly far more than an economic unit in their post Marxist fantasies.
Liberals also make useless records and would probably like our national Anthem to be something by Bob Geldoff. They hate life itself and all that is sweet and good in the world
What is so bizarre is, who are these people who float beneath the surface, hating Britain? Yes, The BBC, ca va sans dire - The Guardian, The Independent, the faculty of many British universities ... and who else? Why do they hate our wonderful country so much, and why have they done so much to destroy it with mass immigration from alien societies and bending the knee to laughable Brussels?
Well, we know the agenda.
What I cannot figure out is, why the British let it happen. Why were they so frightened to speak up for their country? I don't mean dying for their country in Spitfires over Germany. I mean opposition to the left right here, at home where they could continue to use their Tesco loyalty cards.
Why did they allow them to become asecendant? I am so baffled by the success of the left ... and the success they may, if we are not very alert, succeed with by pushing "climate change". Like the world has been stable for the last 28m years, but now, oh, no! There's a blip!
Send for a climatologist! Does anyone have Al Gore's cellphone number as he is probably in his jet, jetting to a new emergency photo op?
A confident, successful society of over a thousand years, unravelled by one madman in 10. And one in No 11.
Iain, sorry to blog-plug, but if you're after Anglophile music, have you heard the latest from "Show Of Hands"? I blogged it here a few weeks ago, and transcribed the lyrics as best I could, you might find it worth a listen? Cheers.
Verity, yes it's bizarre at first, but you're essentially asking the same question as one which had puzzled me up until recently, i.e., "How did the Germans ever allow the Nazi Party to take hold in the late 1930's". It seems to me that the answer is that socialism seems attractive at first sight to the person in the street. After all, we all want "a better life, a fairer society for all", etc etc. It is easy to be taken in by promises. When I say (as I do say often, on the blogs I frequent) that "I hate the left", I don't so much mean that I hate ordinary left-wingers, no, I think most of them want the same things I want in life: An end to injustices, a "fair" society, and so on. No, what I mean is that I hate left-wing (socialist) ideology, because it promises solutions which it cannot deliver. But socialism is attractive to the non-thinking person, you have to give it that much. Heck, Britain is sometimes described as "a nation of animal lovers", isn't it? We are naturally drawn to an affinity with the cuddly, the warm, the nice. And socialism seems like a "nice" ideology, at first glance.
Hah! At long last, I feel like I finally understand why and how the German people rolled along with Hitler's Nazi Party until it was far too late: They simply let their hearts rule their heads, and were content to roll along with an ostensibly "nice" ideology. History seems to repeat and repeat and repeat. We learn nothing from the past.
And are those Scooch's ghost singers I can hear in the long intro? But the rap. A bit like the American's involvment in the war itself. Late coming and we'll argue about whether it was worth waiting for
There's always Mrs T's Gettysburgh address. Though we might have to change one or two words...
You guys. Are you saying that socialists did not fight in World War 2? Who do you think saved your butts by destroying the German army? Was it the 18 US divisions and 7 British on the Western front? Or was it the 340 on the Eastern front? You can do the maths.
No idea why you think the music here is right of centre. Looks like you don't know your left from your right, and by implication, your arse from your elbow.
Iain - I can only assume this is lefty baiting. Surely you can't be equating WW2 with "the right"?
I think the Labour MPs in the British war cabinet, a Democratic President called Franklin Roosevelt and the many Labour MPs who fought (Denis Healy, Tony Crossland) or worked (Roy Jenkins) in/for the war effort paint a slightly different picture.
There's plenty of nationalistic jingoistic music out there.
I've come across plenty of music from 'the right', although some of it wouldn't go down well in the UK (the European supremacy/superstate thing) and its mostly the fascist, collectivist right.
If you're after libertarian stuff (a different sort of right wing) then how about Metallica with "Don't Tread On Me".
Music is abstract and neutral. Hitler and Stalin both enjoyed watching their troops march to stirring music. And both enjoyed the great romantic composers.
Searching for a musical association with conservatism, I would offer Aaron Copland's wonderful music for the film Our Town. A great film, by the way, about small-town America, before the First World War.
Re your clip: sorry, but I hate that stuff. It's skilfully done, but in my book it's almost like pornography to juxtapose war images with romantic music. It's become a terrible cliche actually. The worst example is the wonderful Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, which has been used over and over to accompany slow-motion war scenes.
I could never tell whether this was supposed to be dig at the American middle classes, but I suspect that Bob Seger was the kind of guy who tells it like it is.
U.M.C. (Upper Middle Class) Artist: Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band Album: Live Bullet
I wanna be a lawyer Doctor or professor A member of the UMC
Iwant an air conditioner Cottage on the river And all the money I can see
I wanna drive a Lincoln Spend my evenings drinking The very best burgandy
I want a yacht for sailing Private eye for tailing My wife if She's a bit too free
continued below...
advertisement
I've been told ever since a boy that's what one aught to be A part of the UMC
I want a pool to swim in Fancy suits to dress in Some stockin GM and GE
An office in the city Secretary pretty Who'll take dictation on my knee
I want a paid vacation Don't want to have to ration A thing with anyone but me
And if there's war or famine Promise I'll examine The details if they're on TV
I'll pretend to be liberal but I'll still support the GOP, As part of the UMC
I wanna be a lawyer Doctor or professor A member of the UMC
Would all those who think music is essentially right or left wing or whatever please grow up - do you talk to real people, have you ever seen a child's pleasure on hearing music. Whatever next - only Tories can appreciate breathing, sex is only for socialists, liberals can never appreciate drink, never be friends with people with different political views?
Us liberals can claim all music which an expression of the individual musicians' or composer's emotions.
So that's most music, apart from music commissioned for a particular purpose. The right and left can claim those.
Tristan you are making the classic mistake of the Liberal,in confusing "having " ,an emotion wtih expressing it in some artistic form for the joy and contemplation others .
The Liberla typically opens his mouth and lets out a long dribble of unexamined incoherent complaint , like a baby . A Conservative attends to structure and can therfore write some agonisngly tortured soul shaking good music .Or indeed a poem or whatever form most conveys his inner heroism , despair or anger.
You sit on a Piano , I play it . That is the difference ...
Lud - ho ho. There is a Rush song which is a straight steal from 'Kubla Khan'. And yes, I know about S C-T, we Croydonians guard our literary lions fiercely.
“The left hate music”. Truly, what kind of retard are you?
But they do . Music is a sub state joining together of people in a culturally self nourishing way and the left hate all such activities . Churches , Families , Clubs you name it . You will recall that George Orwell made this explicit in 1984. Their view of people, is essentially mechanistic and so they are distressed at evidence that people are wells rather than buckets for whom only organisation by the state can extract much water.Similarly the Left hate free thought, and even the ability to express it as in New Speak ,or the more insidious Political correctness of our own time.
You are quite wrong to imagine there are no aesthetic consequences to the Politics .Think of the Fascists Flamenco in Spain or the Royalist style of Poetry in the English Civil war. The dreadful drama output of the BBC stems very largely for the political frame work in which it is produced .I know people trying to do work in its environs and whilst I am exaggerating in the way one enunciates clearly to a child , the state is suppressing art in this country every day . Are we keeping up Allan ?
There is good reason for this . Despite wining every debate , saving the country and defeating , one hoped forever the false doctrine of Socialism Thatcheritism was eventually not defeated in debate. It could not be. It was drip poisoned by the cultural elite to which fastness the left had retreated. Dennis Potter, Pinter, Red Wedge ..( you will not remember but they forced the Jam to recant their natural Conservatism ). Bono ( O Nob)…and all rest of the Liberal s that unthinkingly accept what they are told . It was not for nothing that Tony Blair had Noel Gallagher for tea .He knows what he is doing
These people are probably more important than politicians in establishing the tone of debate and they have been of the left. That is why we have become a backwater artistically for all Tony Blairs insincere gawping at Sharks in Brine ..or whatever it is. Our films are shite , our Music is better but bland and we will remain culturally impoverished until we are allowed to love our own culture again .
Hitler and Stalin both enjoyed watching their troops march to stirring music. And both enjoyed the great romantic composers.
But Hitler wished ot bann the minor Key and attacked " modern "decadent art. Stalins Soviet Russia i know less about but i ma aware of the Soviet real pictorila style .
So both these men were very well aware of the artistic dimension of Politics.
28 comments:
I think the right has all the music except that vile world music with its fatuous coffe table cook book flavours of this and that.
Music is essentially conservative as it communicates , uniquely without language . The form is the meaning and both are created by tradition and culture.
The left hate music and indeed all creativity showing as it does the human spirit so clearly far more than an economic unit in their post Marxist fantasies.
Liberals also make useless records and would probably like our national Anthem to be something by Bob Geldoff. They hate life itself and all that is sweet and good in the world
( basically)
Well sure, the first half is ok. The free-style rapping in the second half leaves a little something to be desired though.
Newmania is correct.
What is so bizarre is, who are these people who float beneath the surface, hating Britain? Yes, The BBC, ca va sans dire - The Guardian, The Independent, the faculty of many British universities ... and who else? Why do they hate our wonderful country so much, and why have they done so much to destroy it with mass immigration from alien societies and bending the knee to laughable Brussels?
Well, we know the agenda.
What I cannot figure out is, why the British let it happen. Why were they so frightened to speak up for their country? I don't mean dying for their country in Spitfires over Germany. I mean opposition to the left right here, at home where they could continue to use their Tesco loyalty cards.
Why did they allow them to become asecendant? I am so baffled by the success of the left ... and the success they may, if we are not very alert, succeed with by pushing "climate change". Like the world has been stable for the last 28m years, but now, oh, no! There's a blip!
Send for a climatologist! Does anyone have Al Gore's cellphone number as he is probably in his jet, jetting to a new emergency photo op?
A confident, successful society of over a thousand years, unravelled by one madman in 10. And one in No 11.
And the British let is happen. How bizarre.
Iain, sorry to blog-plug, but if you're after Anglophile music, have you heard the latest from "Show Of Hands"? I blogged it here a few weeks ago, and transcribed the lyrics as best I could, you might find it worth a listen? Cheers.
Verity, yes it's bizarre at first, but you're essentially asking the same question as one which had puzzled me up until recently, i.e., "How did the Germans ever allow the Nazi Party to take hold in the late 1930's".
It seems to me that the answer is that socialism seems attractive at first sight to the person in the street. After all, we all want "a better life, a fairer society for all", etc etc. It is easy to be taken in by promises.
When I say (as I do say often, on the blogs I frequent) that "I hate the left", I don't so much mean that I hate ordinary left-wingers, no, I think most of them want the same things I want in life: An end to injustices, a "fair" society, and so on. No, what I mean is that I hate left-wing (socialist) ideology, because it promises solutions which it cannot deliver. But socialism is attractive to the non-thinking person, you have to give it that much. Heck, Britain is sometimes described as "a nation of animal lovers", isn't it? We are naturally drawn to an affinity with the cuddly, the warm, the nice. And socialism seems like a "nice" ideology, at first glance.
Hah! At long last, I feel like I finally understand why and how the German people rolled along with Hitler's Nazi Party until it was far too late: They simply let their hearts rule their heads, and were content to roll along with an ostensibly "nice" ideology. History seems to repeat and repeat and repeat. We learn nothing from the past.
Right of centre music, eh?
Well, there's aways the Horst Wessel Lied...
I agree with david anthony
And are those Scooch's ghost singers I can hear in the long intro? But the rap. A bit like the American's involvment in the war itself. Late coming and we'll argue about whether it was worth waiting for
There's always Mrs T's Gettysburgh address. Though we might have to change one or two words...
You guys. Are you saying that socialists did not fight in World War 2? Who do you think saved your butts by destroying the German army? Was it the 18 US divisions and 7 British on the Western front? Or was it the 340 on the Eastern front? You can do the maths.
For full-on right-of-centre air-punching bar rock there's always this from The Right Brothers.
One might justifiably cavil at the "Blair was right" line, but still...
Oh, and aren't Rush supposed to be heavily influenced by Ayn Rand?
No idea why you think the music here is right of centre. Looks like you don't know your left from your right, and by implication, your arse from your elbow.
With "friends" like Finkelstein the Tories certainly don't need enemies.
Rush were indeed influenced by Ayn Rand. And Coleridge too.
Rather unfortunately, a soundtrack to 'Bob Roberts' (qv) was never released, as 'Robbins feared that the songs might be played out of context'.
Iain - I can only assume this is lefty baiting. Surely you can't be equating WW2 with "the right"?
I think the Labour MPs in the British war cabinet, a Democratic President called Franklin Roosevelt and the many Labour MPs who fought (Denis Healy, Tony Crossland) or worked (Roy Jenkins) in/for the war effort paint a slightly different picture.
Depends what you mean by 'right'.
There's plenty of nationalistic jingoistic music out there.
I've come across plenty of music from 'the right', although some of it wouldn't go down well in the UK (the European supremacy/superstate thing) and its mostly the fascist, collectivist right.
If you're after libertarian stuff (a different sort of right wing) then how about Metallica with "Don't Tread On Me".
newmania-
Us liberals can claim all music which an expression of the individual musicians' or composer's emotions.
So that's most music, apart from music commissioned for a particular purpose. The right and left can claim those.
Music is abstract and neutral. Hitler and Stalin both enjoyed watching their troops march to stirring music. And both enjoyed the great romantic composers.
Searching for a musical association with conservatism, I would offer Aaron Copland's wonderful music for the film Our Town. A great film, by the way, about small-town America, before the First World War.
Re your clip: sorry, but I hate that stuff. It's skilfully done, but in my book it's almost like pornography to juxtapose war images with romantic music. It's become a terrible cliche actually. The worst example is the wonderful Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, which has been used over and over to accompany slow-motion war scenes.
C -
Rand influenced Coleridge too? Novelist, screenwriter, philosopher, time-traveller - the old girl could do anything. Cool.
BTW, you know about Samuel Coleridge-Taylor? He was also a Croydonian. I like the idea of the Croydon Conservatoire.
I could never tell whether this was supposed to be dig at the American middle classes, but I suspect that Bob Seger was the kind of guy who tells it like it is.
U.M.C. (Upper Middle Class)
Artist: Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
Album: Live Bullet
I wanna be a lawyer
Doctor or professor
A member of the UMC
Iwant an air conditioner
Cottage on the river
And all the money I can see
I wanna drive a Lincoln
Spend my evenings drinking
The very best burgandy
I want a yacht for sailing
Private eye for tailing
My wife if She's a bit too free
continued below...
advertisement
I've been told ever since a boy
that's what one aught to be
A part of the UMC
I want a pool to swim in
Fancy suits to dress in
Some stockin GM and GE
An office in the city
Secretary pretty
Who'll take dictation on my knee
I want a paid vacation
Don't want to have to ration
A thing with anyone but me
And if there's war or famine
Promise I'll examine
The details if they're on TV
I'll pretend to be liberal but I'll still support the GOP,
As part of the UMC
I wanna be a lawyer
Doctor or professor
A member of the UMC
Newmania, what a truly ridiculous comment. Absurd beyond belief. “The left hate music”. Truly, what kind of retard are you?
After his performance on Newsnight last night it seems Finkelstein is batting for New Labour these days.
When did he cross over?
Would all those who think music is essentially right or left wing or whatever please grow up - do you talk to real people, have you ever seen a child's pleasure on hearing music. Whatever next - only Tories can appreciate breathing, sex is only for socialists, liberals can never appreciate drink, never be friends with people with different political views?
Us liberals can claim all music which an expression of the individual musicians' or composer's emotions.
So that's most music, apart from music commissioned for a particular purpose. The right and left can claim those.
Tristan you are making the classic mistake of the Liberal,in confusing "having " ,an emotion wtih expressing it in some artistic form for the joy and contemplation others .
The Liberla typically opens his mouth and lets out a long dribble of unexamined incoherent complaint , like a baby .
A Conservative attends to structure and can therfore write some agonisngly tortured soul shaking good music .Or indeed a poem or whatever form most conveys his inner heroism , despair or anger.
You sit on a Piano , I play it . That is the difference ...
Lud - ho ho. There is a Rush song which is a straight steal from 'Kubla Khan'. And yes, I know about S C-T, we Croydonians guard our literary lions fiercely.
“The left hate music”. Truly, what kind of retard are you?
But they do . Music is a sub state joining together of people in a culturally self nourishing way and the left hate all such activities . Churches , Families , Clubs you name it . You will recall that George Orwell made this explicit in 1984. Their view of people, is essentially mechanistic and so they are distressed at evidence that people are wells rather than buckets for whom only organisation by the state can extract much water.Similarly the Left hate free thought, and even the ability to express it as in New Speak ,or the more insidious Political correctness of our own time.
You are quite wrong to imagine there are no aesthetic consequences to the Politics .Think of the Fascists Flamenco in Spain or the Royalist style of Poetry in the English Civil war. The dreadful drama output of the BBC stems very largely for the political frame work in which it is produced .I know people trying to do work in its environs and whilst I am exaggerating in the way one enunciates clearly to a child , the state is suppressing art in this country every day . Are we keeping up Allan ?
There is good reason for this . Despite wining every debate , saving the country and defeating , one hoped forever the false doctrine of Socialism Thatcheritism was eventually not defeated in debate. It could not be. It was drip poisoned by the cultural elite to which fastness the left had retreated. Dennis Potter, Pinter, Red Wedge ..( you will not remember but they forced the Jam to recant their natural Conservatism ).
Bono ( O Nob)…and all rest of the Liberal s that unthinkingly accept what they are told . It was not for nothing that Tony Blair had Noel Gallagher for tea .He knows what he is doing
These people are probably more important than politicians in establishing the tone of debate and they have been of the left. That is why we have become a backwater artistically for all Tony Blairs insincere gawping at Sharks in Brine ..or whatever it is.
Our films are shite , our Music is better but bland and we will remain culturally impoverished until we are allowed to love our own culture again .
Sigh...back to work
Hitler and Stalin both enjoyed watching their troops march to stirring music. And both enjoyed the great romantic composers.
But Hitler wished ot bann the minor Key and attacked " modern "decadent art. Stalins Soviet Russia i know less about but i ma aware of the Soviet real pictorila style .
So both these men were very well aware of the artistic dimension of Politics.
IT IS NOT NEUTRAL .....
Newmania:
I take it you don't even know what liberalism is then.
Its about liberty and freedom. Anyone who gets together freely to make music is making liberal music, no matter what the content.
If by 'liberal' you mean crypto-socialists like Hillary Clinton, then you are closer to the mark.
Its about liberty and freedom--How shallow
Music is about Structure and tradition continuity allowing freedom to express yourself far grater than could be dreamt of otherwise.
Incidentally this is a discussion between difrerent sorts of Conservative , romantic , Libertarian and so on.
Liberals ( the Party) believe nothing .
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