musicology #121

socialcommentaryweek #1

(Billy Bragg - Take Down The Union Jack) LISTEN

themusicologist has tried to keep politics off the menu but it's one of the subjects that infuriates me.
the deceipt, corruption, greed and unbeleivable hypocrisy is just too much for me to not have a musical say.

unfortunately the only politics left today is the politics of greed and the blame for that lies with those who shape society. ultimately responsibility lies with each of us but we all know that 'the law' restricts us from taking action in ever increasing ways and is in fact an establishment tool that has very little to do with justice.

the subjects that are, (for me), most important are Health and Education, essentially because I have two children and find myself at the 'sharp end of the stick' in both areas. of course economics are an issue but money has no place in my heart so holds little interest.

one of musics greatest attributes is delivering a message and themusicologist is often heard singing this one as I go about my life so I was especially pleased when my eldest asked for this one to be added to her I-Pod..this is what I call education. just as Curtis and Paul Weller, (among many others), helped shape my views so it may be with the next generation.

I'm starting the socialcommentaryweek with this one by one of themusicologists most respected artists who has always stood up to be counted and in my humble opinion is one of the finest songwriters to hail from these shores...taken from his 2002 Set 'England, Half English'
just like to add that I am very proud of the culture that is a part of me and it saddens me to see it fade away to be be replaced by the globalisation ideology that has been forced apoun us since the end of World War II. I believe whole heartedly in community but not in homogeny and brother Bragg articulates many of my my thoughts and feelings perfectly ... lyrics Bragg-La ... lyrics.

"take down the Union Jack, it clashes with the sunset,
and put it in the attic, with the emperors old clothes,
when did it fall apart? sometime in the 80's,
when the great and the good gave way to the greedy and the mean,

Britain isn't cool you know it's really not that great,
it's not a proper country, doesn't even have a patron saint,
it's just an economic union that's passed it's sell by date,

take down the Union Jack it clashes with the sunset,
and ask our Scottish neighbours if independence looks any good,
cos they just might understand how to take an abstract notion,
of personal identity and turn it into nationhood,

is this the 19th Century that I'm watching on T.V
the dear old queen of England handing out those M.B.E's
a member of the British Empire that doesn't sound too good to me

Gilbert & George are taking the piss aren't they
Gilbert & George you're taking the piss.
what could be more British than here's a picture of me bum
Gilbert & George YOU'RE TAKING THE PISS

take down the Union Jack it clashes with the sunset
and pile up all those history books but don't throw them away
they might just have some clues about what it really means
to be an Anglo hyphen Saxon in England.co.uk
to be an Anglo hyphen Saxon in England.co.uk"

(Billy Bragg 2002)

musicology #106

sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #29

(The Style Council - With Everything To Lose)

penultimate slice from the Paul Weller tribute selection and the second of two from his time spent in the Style Council. This cut taken from the album..Our Favourite Shop, (not only a great album but, for me, one of the best LP covers of all time !!), reminds me of having just left school and going on holiday in what was then called Yugoslavia. this album was the soundtrack for that holiday and the few months that surrounded it, (memories are made of this), there are at least six pieces on the album that could have been the final choice and there's nothing between them so I just picked this one mainly for the lyrical content..

Paul Weller at his poetic best..telling it like it was, (and is still)

listen tune.....

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musicology #105

sixartist, sixtune, sixweekspecial #28

(The Jam - Start)

If themusicologist could slow time down and make a week last a month it might be enough to do the six/six/six artists justice…as already mentioned it’s a challenge to select such a small number of tunes from such great catalogues of work.

Take the Jam as an example, for me, there’s at least 20 cuts that deserve an outing on themusicologist and to whittle those down to 2 … well, lets just say that it’s as tough as old boots.

on this album, (Sound Affects), there’s five cuts here that I would like to, (and probably will over the years), throw down on themusicologist as well as another five albums, (+ singles), to ‘choose’ from so what strategy am I going to employ? … none. just going to throw ‘em as I feel ‘em.

this 1980 selection I remember from me days as a young blade, at the start of the teenage years when I was spending a lot of time knocking about the West End, (especially Soho and Covent Garden), as a second generation Mod.

I say ’second generation’ because both my parents were first generation London Mod/ernists, so we, (’the fox’ and I), grew up steeped in the culture, music and attitude of Englands first, (and most important), Youth movement as a birthright.

There were other influences of course such as Skin/Suedehead, ‘Hippie’ and, (later), Punk exposure through Aunts, Uncles and Cousins, (you know who you are), but Mod/ernist was and is the one where my heart resides.

So before I get too romantic and spend too much of me precious ‘time’ strolling down memory lane hold this one which, for some reason, always reminds me of Greek Street, (in Soho), the Thatcher years, and running battles with other groups of Youths at a time of great social unrest.

older and wiser, I now see that them days were just another stage of the ‘divide and conquer/rule’ strategy that poli-tricks always employs…you know what I mean…black against white, christian against muslim, rich against poor…the list is as long as yer arm…(brother Weller certainly knew and has always sung and wrote about it), so with that in mind..listen tune..

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musicology #102

sixartist/sixtune/sixweekspecial #25

this week on themusicologist it's the turn of the second most influential artists to have crossed my heart and mind.. Paul Weller who, along with Curtis ranks as the artist whose musicology has had the most impact on my life especially during my formative years.

The Jam - I Got By In Time - 1977

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