Blogcritics: Comments on Alice on anti-Bushies

Comment by HW Saxton

Sat, 28 Aug 2004 08:32:54 EDT

To nitpick just a bit: The MC5 were not a political band. John Sinclair, the 5's manager foisted his politics upon them. He saw the band as a way of furthering HIS own political agenda regarding "The White Panther Party". Also a good way to gain free publicity for his investment, Hence the MC5's high profile gig at the 1968 DNC in Chicago.He was a businessman after all despite his leftist posturing. Not much of the 5's oeuvre delves into politics.I mean,their biggest po-litical statement on "Kick Out The Jams" is the great John Lee Hooker tune "Motor City Is Burning" written well before any of the band members could probably even spell politics. A few of their tunes did touch on some political issues but not much more than any other group of the time. "Gotta Keep Movin'" from the "High Time" LP springs readily to mind as one example. The group was much,much more concerned with putting on a good show,scoring with the ladies, driving around in their hot rods,jamming and partying.Typical stuff like that. Not any political posturing. Having met Michael Davis(the ex-bassist for the MC5 & Destroy All Monsters)on several occasions and interviewing him once for a punk type 'Zine back in the early 90's,he confirmed all of this and more for me. In regards to this post: I realize that music and politics have always been very intertwined since the advent of recorded sounds up to this very day. That is all well and fine if that is what you like. Some artists have even mixed up the two quite well(DOA,Sex Pistols,Bob Marley, The DK's,Clash,etc.)being both highly entertaining & enlightening to various degrees. On a personal level however IMO,I truly feel that entertainers should be just entertainers and let the politicians be politicians.I like to enjoy music as an escape from the grim reality that is the political arena & vice-versa.

Comment by James North

Sat, 28 Aug 2004 05:43:11 EDT

An earlier comment stated " Sometimes I wish rock stars wore a bracelet that said WWTWD? (What would Tom Waits do? You don't see him signing up to get on the Bruce bus, do you?) " No, but he has contributed to an anti-Bush compliation CD called "Future Soundtrack for America". Some Waits fans seem to be upset by this, and I cannot understand why.

Comment by Eric Olsen

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 08:43:17 EDT

Paul Shaffer is from Thunder Bay and it wasn't golf that pushed Alice out of contention: it was Hollywood Squares. Vincent Furnier's father was a minister - he's come full circle.

Comment by godoggo

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 02:16:54 EDT

Golf: the thing that was offputting (no pun intended, really!) is not that he was playing it, but whom he was playing it with, e.g. if I recall correctly, Gerald Ford. There's a way big diff betwixt the MC5's politics of "rock and roll, dope and fucking in the streets" and "Vote Kerry." Although polirical rockers tend to lean left (hence the disapproval of conservatives and libertarians), the politics of the Nuge, say, feel (and, therefore, are) more rock'n'roll than the (oh, cripes) "Boss"'s. More generally, rock'n'roll politics are extreme one way or another (by which logic, I guess Screwdriver outrocks Ted, by a little). Still, the best argument for accepting "Vote Kerry" as a rock'n'roll credo is the utilitarian one: the chimp simply must go, by hook or by crook.

Comment by Shark

Mon, 23 Aug 2004 08:54:38 EDT

Mike Kole: "...golf for Republican cracker types? Somehow missed out on Tiger Woods?" Um, you gotta name somebody who's black. (And O.J. Simpson doesn't count either!) ahahaha.

Comment by Andrew Ian Dodge

Mon, 23 Aug 2004 08:38:48 EDT

Surely its a good thing that Alice and Co are heading to somewhere like Thunder Bay? As someone who has lived in Maine, I appreciate a band's effort to tour as wide as possible. He is obviously going because he has fans there. Why is this a bad thing?

Comment by Mike Kole

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 23:16:48 EDT

Jim: "how pathetic is it that this old man is beginning his tour in Thunder Bay?" It's entirely pathetic! But not only have I been in North Bay, I've also been to Thunder Bay... Maybe Alice could get those REO Speedwagon cover bands to open for him.

Comment by Mike Kole

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 23:13:47 EDT

Shark- golf for Republican cracker types? Somehow missed out on Tiger Woods? While I strongly disagree with Alice about rock & politics- they mix rather like gin & tonic as best I can tell- I think that Rock Against Bush is about as anit-establishment as We Are The World. It's the expected and the musician party line.

Comment by Douglas Mays

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 20:45:04 EDT

hhhmmm...I thought rock was all about politics. Making a statement on the condition of society. Look at the 60s which elevated rocknroll to such a major status of social change. That was the whole trip. The music gave the common man access to major media, strengthening our voice beyond just voting. The voice needed to influence the policy of those voted in! I don't quite agree with you Alice. Is it the money that kinda screwed up your outlook? peaceloveguidance

Comment by Rodney Welch

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:04:29 EDT

Alice probably has a point. It's always a little eerie when artists of ANY kind start waxing political, because it smacks a little too much of groupthink and art is about individualism -- and rock, especially, is about anarchy, rebellion, opposition to authority, that kind of thing. You could, of course, respond by saying that Rock Against Bush falls directly into that line, but to use your art toward a political end is a little like selling your songs for a TV commercial -- you're bastardizing it somewhat, you know? It's like you're becoming part of the crowd rather than standing against it. Sometimes I wish rock stars wore a bracelet that said WWTWD? (What would Tom Waits do? You don't see him signing up to get on the Bruce bus, do you?)

Comment by Jim Carruthers

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 17:48:30 EDT

To hell with the "politics", how pathetic is it that this old man is beginning his tour in Thunder Bay? And he's given up the drink, so the poor bastard doesn't even have that as an excuse.

Comment by Bryan McKay

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 16:17:34 EDT

I don't know, I've always thought of golf as a very un-rock thing to do. I've always sort of associated it in my mind with country clubs and silly clothing. Although many rock stars are already familiar with the silly clothing bit. And as for Alice Cooper: what a fucking twit. Since when have rock and roll and politics been separate? Last time I checked, Cooper often played with the MC5, a decidely politcally-oriented band, back in his early days in Detroit. Not to mention he was given his first big break by Frank Zappa, who was extremely vocal about his politcal and social views. Alice Cooper, who is now a Christian, says that rock and roll has no place in politics. I wonder what he would say to his fellow church-goers who adamantly support President Bush on religious grounds, or Bush himself, who often abuses peoples' religious beliefs to preach his brand of conservatism to the masses? I'm seeing a lot of hypocrisy here.

Comment by Andrew Ian Dodge

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 14:04:04 EDT

Well my rock & roll maturity (contradiction in terms?) came about in the 80s and its has always been rather common for hard rockers/metallers to play golf. That is why they manage to have quite an impressive gang show up to the several major charity matches that go on through-out the year. Long hairs on the golf course is not as unusual as you would think.

Comment by Shark

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 13:59:34 EDT

I guess I'm just a traditionalist when it comes to my rock and roll heroes, and long for the days of: "Hey, Johnny, What are you rebelling against?" *"Whatta ya got?" *The Wild One (1953)

Comment by Shark

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 13:53:06 EDT

Andrew, maybe it's a generational thing. I grew up in the sixties, and golf was for rich doughy cracker Republicans, and no self-respecting rebellious young rock and roller would be caught dead teeing up at the local cuntry club. Times may have changed.

Comment by Shark

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 13:51:13 EDT

Lyrics by OPPORTUNISTIC HYPOCRITE Well we got no choice all the girls and boys Makin' all that noise cause they found new toys. Well we can't salute ya can't find a flag If that don't suit ya that's a drag. School's out for summer School's out forever School's been blown to pieces. No more pencils No more books No more teacher's dirty looks. Well we got no class and we got no principles And we got no innocence We can't even think of a word that rhymes. School's out for summer school's out forever My school's been blown to pieces. No more pencils No more books No more teacher's dirty looks. Out for summer Out till fall We might not come back at all. School's out forever School's out for summer School's out with fever School's out completely.

Comment by Andrew Ian Dodge

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 13:49:03 EDT

So golf is somehow verbotten to rockers? Gee I wonder if all those who have benefited from the numerous rock & roll pro-am charity events would agree.

Comment by wesley

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 13:47:03 EDT

i thought using yourself and your songs to sell school supplies would be considered rock and roll treason. i guess not.

Comment by Shark

Sun, 22 Aug 2004 13:46:06 EDT

What a blowhard motard. This ignorant prick went off the Rock and Roll Artistic Roll Call when he took up golf. Feh. "rock and roll is the antithesis to politics..." What fuckin' century did he grow up in?