Anyone who thinks that Prog musicians have remained faithful to their political allegiances while operating from within the music industry is surely credulous enough to believe that an antelope would vote for a lion.

twosteves wrote: Yours is no Disgrace is the best political song---Don't Kill the Whale---sort of okay.

notesworth wrote: I'd say no. In the US, everything's split between the Conservative Camp and the Liberal Camp. Almost any choice somebody makes puts them in one camp or the other. We don't need either camp to claim genres of music. They've already claimed TV shows (Duck Dynasty), grocery stores (Whole Foods), restaurants (Chick-Fil-A), etc. People can write about whatever they want to write about, including political issues. I just don't want to see one of the political camps annex a genre of music. Also, I'm sick of people equating Christianity with conservatives/Republicans, but that's another issue completely.

I understand your feelings regarding domestic issues but how about world events? Or does that get filed under Not Interrested?

Slartibartfast wrote: I love Zappa's political songs, he went after hypocrisy on both sides.  Did he pick on one side more often?  Yes.  He never embraced false equivalency and I think that's what offends a few around here.  They can't handle it so they are dismissive of it.  He wasn't afraid to call particular people or kinds of people out.  His criticisms were always spot on.  If Zappa had been around during the W regime, I'm pretty sure he would have done some scathing songs.  He would have also probably done stuff critical of B and O, but it would have been fair unlike these relentless idiotic attacks that are coming from the opposition. I also find Gentle Giant's The Power And The Glory to be one of my favorite political prog albums.  It has a timeless quality because it speaks truth to power without naming names.In the in end politics in prog music is fine for as long as the music is good.On a side note, I find the title a this thread a little amusing - <h1>Would you like to see politics added to Prog Music</h1> I think many of us have made the point that it is already there...

I felt that it might be insulting to the members that realise that artists like  Zappa, Gentle Giant, Floyd, KC, etc. stopped producing politically relevant music some time ago or are defunct and that few  have taken their places (which prompted me to post the thread) and include that information in the posting, but I guess that it has to be done for the many who do not.







Edited by SteveG - June 19 2014 at 13:18

 

I just noticed that "Taxes" and "Texas" share the same words. This surely means something. And I hope Jon Anderson can exploit it in a song about rainbow-colored rhinos 

^To be honest, and much as I love freedom of expression, Tea Party prog lyrics would definitely invite invitation to go to Uranus, or Theiranus, or whichever Anus we can find that can tolerate their bigotry any more than it can an enema. 

I would welcome political messages in the lyrics.

I love Zappa's political songs, he went after hypocrisy on both sides.  Did he pick on one side more often?  Yes.  He never embraced false equivalency and I think that's what offends a few around here.  They can't handle it so they are dismissive of it.  He wasn't afraid to call particular people or kinds of people out.  His criticisms were always spot on.  If Zappa had been around during the W regime, I'm pretty sure he would have done some scathing songs.  He would have also probably done stuff critical of B and O, but it would have been fair unlike these relentless idiotic attacks that are coming from the opposition.

I also find Gentle Giant's The Power And The Glory to be one of my favorite political prog albums.  It has a timeless quality because it speaks truth to power without naming names.

In the in end politics in prog music is fine for as long as the music is good.

On a side note, I find the title a this thread a little amusing -

Would you like to see politics added to Prog Music

I think many of us have made the point that it is already there...

Edited by Slartibartfast - June 19 2014 at 03:35

notesworth wrote: Also, I'm sick of people equating Christianity with conservatives/Republicans, but that's another issue completely.