It is with a certain amount of trepidation that I turn over the programming to my 22-year-old self. It's easily the least jazzy, most rockin' episode in the series. The "unpopular" label is violated on several occasions. As for the political content of the songs, there's no real policy statements, essentially. At some level, you could just say it's a bunch of songs containing the word "revolution." At several occasions, there's a lot of bad language. It's more just a broad expression of where the roots of power should lie, who should benefit, and what our priorities should be. I don't distance myself from the politics presented, but sometimes worry if the proper context is clear. (For instance, I'm more pro-free speech than I am pro-outrageous-filth and its usual accompanying misogyny, and I certainly don't advocate political violence.)
Anyway, I don't think this is about to change anyone's mind, but as last week's news showed us, people can be led to action when they hear their beliefs validated. With an opportunity to help change the direction of the country imminent, I can only hope to do the same.
See the playlist and more after the break...
The origins of this show go back to 1992, when I attended a campaign event by Bill Clinton in Boston. After the speeches were done, a mixtape (or what the kids today call a "playlist") came on as the crowd was milling around before dissembling. Most of the songs were appropriate, if a bit bland (I think Revolution and Talkin' 'bout... were played), but the point that got me thinking that no one was really paying attention was the inclusion of REM's Shiny Happy People. So I endeavored to make my own tape, and in the ensuing 26 years, I don't think any one else has heard it.
artist
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title
|
album
|
comments
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label / date
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| The Beatles | Revolution | Mono Masters | special guest 1st part of theme John Lennon (voc, g, handclaps) Paul McCartney (b, org, handclaps) George Harrison (g, handclaps) Ringo Starr (d, handclaps) Nicky Hopkins (elec p) |
Apple / EMI 1968 |
| Naked City | Inside Straight | Naked City | 2nd part of theme | Nonesuch Records 1989 |
| Tracy Chapman | Talkin' 'bout a revolution | Tracy Chapman | Tracy Chapman (voc, g, prc) Jack Holder (g, org) Larry Klein (b) Denny Fongheiser (d, prc) | Elektra Records 1988 |
| Original Motion Picture Cast | Homage to Marat / Marat we're poor | The persecution and assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as performed by the inmates of the Asylum of Charenton under the direction of the Marquis de Sade | Patric Gowers (musical director)
music by Richard Peaslee, Text by Peter Weiss, verse adaptation by Adrian Mitchell |
Caedmon / United Artists 1967 |
| Max Roach | Freedom Day | We Insist! - Freedom Now Suite |
Max Roach (d) Abbey Lincoln (voc)
Booker Little (trp) Walter Benton (ts) Julian Priester (tbn) James
Schenk (b)
music by Max Roach, lyrics by Oscar Brown
|
Candid 1960 |
| Living Colour | Fight The Fight | Time's Up | Corey Glover (voc) Vernon Reid (g, voc) Muzz Skillings (b, voc) William Calhoun (d, prc, voc) | Epic 1990 |
| Cannonball Adderley | O Amor Em Paz [excerpt] | Ballads | music behind DJ | Blue Note 1962 |
| Bruce Cockburn | Maybe the Poet | Stealing Fire | Bruce Cockburn (voc, g) Jon Goldsmith (keys, voc) Fergus Marsh
(b) Miche Pouliot (d) Chi Sharpe (prc) Shawne Jackson, Carole Pope, Leroy Sibbles (voc) song by Bruce Cockburn, Kerry Crawford, Jon Goldsmith, Fergus Marsh |
True North / Columbia 1984 |
| The Kinks | Young Conservatives | State of Confusion | Ray Davies (voc, g, keys, song) Dave Davies (g, voc) Ian Gibbons (keys) Jim Rodford (b) Mick Avory (d) | Arista Records 1983 |
| Frank Zappa | Dickie's Such an Asshole | You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 | FZ (g, voc) Napoleon Murphy Brock (voc) George Duke (keys, voc) Ruth Underwood (prc) Bruce Fowler (tbn) Tom Fowler (b) Chester Thompson, Ralph Humphrey (d) | Rykodisc 1973 |
| William S. Burroughs | No More Stalins, No More Hitlers | Dead City Radio | William S. Burroughs (voc) John Cale (syn) | Island Records 1990 |
| Joe Jackson | Right and Wrong | Big World | Joe Jackson (p, voc) Vinnie Zummo (g) Rick Ford (b) Gary Burke (d) Joy Askew, Nikki Gregoroff, Peter Hewlitt, Curtis King Jr. (voc) | A&M Records 1986 |
| REM | Exhuming McCarthy | Document | Bill Berry (d, voc) Peter Buck (g) Mike Mills (b, keys, voc) Michael Stipe (voc) Joseph Welch (voc) | IRS Records 1987 |
| Khruangbin | Mr. White | Fall Tour EP | music behind DJ | 2015 |
| Sun Ra and his Arkestra | Medicine for a Nightmare | Supersonic Jazz | Sun Ra (p, elec p) Art Hoyle (trp) Julian Priester (tbn) John Gilmore (ts) Pat Patrick (bs) Wilburn Green (b) Robert Barry (d) Jim Herndon (tymp, prc) |
Evidence 1956 |
| Asiko Rock Group | Lagos City | Asiko Rock Group | music behind DJ | EMI – Nigeria 1972 |
| Zawinul Syndicate | Black Water | Black Water | Josef Zawinul (syn) Scott Henderson (g) Gerald Veasley (b)
Cornell Rochester (d) Lynne Fiddmont-Linsey (prc, voc) Carl
Anderson, Kevin Dorsey, Fred White, Dorian Holly (voc) music by Josef Zawinul, text by Gerald Veasley |
Columbia 1989 |
| Zawinul Syndicate | Familial | Black Water | Josef Zawinul (syn) Scott Henderson (g) Gerald Veasley (b)
Cornell Rochester (d) Lynne Fiddmont-Linsey (prc, voc) Carl
Anderson, Kevin Dorsey, Fred White, Dorian Holly (voc)
music by Josef Zawinul, text by Jaques Prevert |
Columbia 1989 |
| The Clash | Know Your Rights | Combat Rock | Joe Strummer (voc, g, hrmc, p) Mick Jones (g, voc, keys, sound fx) Paul Simonon (b, voc) Topper Headon (d) | Epic 1982 |
| Frank Zappa | Porn Wars | Frank Zappa meets the Mothers of Prevention | Voices from the Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation September 19, 1985 - Sen. John Danforth (R-MS) Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-SC) Sen. Paul Trible (R-VA) Sen. Paula Hawkins (R-FL) Sen. J. James Exon (D-NE) Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA) Sen. Albert Gore (D-TN) Tipper Gore, Rev. Jeff Ling, Frank Zappa Johnny "Guitar" Watson - "YEAH" Thing-Fish section Ike Willis (voc) Steve Vai, Frank Zappa (g) Tommy Mars (keys) Arthur Barrow (b) Chad Wackerman (d) Piano people voices - Spider Barbour, All-Night John Kilgore, Monica more here |
Barking Pumpkin 1985 |
| Fishbone | Fight the Youth | The Reality of My Surroundings | Angelo Moore (sax, voc) Walter A. Kibby II (trp, voc) Kendall Jones (g, voc) Chris Dowd (keys, trombone, voc) John Bigham (g, keys) John Norwood Fisher (b, voc) Philip "Fish" Fisher (d) Sam Mims (prgm) Fenando Pullum (trp) T-Bone (prc) Greg Bell, Vicky Calhoun, Aklia Chin, Katherine Cederquist, Jeff Conners, Larry Fishburne, James Grey, Kyva Holmes, Nadja Holmes, Wendell Holmes, Natalie Jackson, Gaz Mayall, Sultana Muhammad, Susan Rogers, Clip Payne, Suesan Stovall, Kristen Vigard, Byron West (voc) | Columbia 1991 |
| Joe Jackson | Obvious Song | Laughter & Lust | Joe Jackson (keys, voc) Graham Maby (b, voc) Joy Askew (keys, voc) Tom Teeley (g, voc) Sue Hadjopoulos (prc) Dan Hickey (d) Michael Morreale (trp) Tony Aiello (sax) Annie Whitehead (tbn) | Virgin 1991 |
| Peter Gabriel | Fourteen Black Paintings | Us | Peter Gabriel (voc, syn) Babacar Faye (djembe) Assane Thaim (talking drum) John Paul Jones (surdu, b, keys) David Rhodes, Daniel Lanois (g) Richard Evans (mdln) Levan Minassian (doudouk) Shankar (vln) | Geffen 1992 |
| Lou Reed | There is no time | New York | Lou Reed (voc, g) Mike Rathke (g) Rob Wasserman (b) Fred Maher (d) | Sire 1989 |
| Michael Gordon | My Frig | Light Is Calling | music behind DJ | Nonesuch 2004 |
| Patti Smith | People have the power | Dream of Life | song by Patti Smith and Fred Smith | Arista 1988 |
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