Obviously, putting Eminem on live network television some scant few hours before the presidential election demanded an attack on the president. It wouldn't matter much who the president was, or what he had done. It's Eminem. Fair enough.
I will give Eminem credit for a good honest attempt at directing his attack in a song. I'll give protesters generally more credit for applying their criticisms through their art, rather than just flapping their gums. Rather than some cheap cursing, or calling the president a homo or some such thing as I might have feared from this guy, he actually did try to address his concerns seriously in music.
Thing was, he flopped very badly. It just sucked. Leaving aside the politics, there was no SONG. I defy anyone to sing me back anything from this first song. There's nothing there that could even be mistaken for a hook. Nor could I discern the title from the lyrics. That's a real bad sign, too. There's just nothing here that could even be generously mistaken as a melody. Thus, there's NO SONG.
Now, if you had a brilliant lyric, but the melody, rhythm, and harmony just weren't there, then you've got nothing. This "song" of Eminem's would suck even if he were saying something interesting in the lyrics.
He's not, though. The lyrics are bitching about Bush getting us into a war. We should put a gun in his hands and make him go fight the war himself, and please his daddy that way. This sentiment manages to be both 1) totally cliched, and 2) totally cheap and demagogic and just stupid.
Plus, it's just not interesting. It's mere left wing boilerplate, not evincing any unique individual thought on politics, nor any kind of interesting new way of expressing the common sentiments. All he did was get himself so hung up on coming up with an Important Statement that he didn't have in him that he blew the musical part that he is sometimes quite skilled at.
In short, then, Eminem doesn't have anything to say about Iraq, Bush or politics in general from anything I can tell. He very badly WANTS to be an opinion maker and power playa, much like Lonesome Rhodes. It's just that he's got nothing to say.
Still, I'll give him an "E" for effort.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
i dunno man, i thought this track was fantastic, although i didn't see the SNL performance. it reminded me of White America, which was undoubtably one of few saving graces on the otherwise abysmal Eminem Show record. Agree that it doesn't have much of a "hook" though.
Still, a hell of a lot better than that michael jackson-baiting number.
2 - bhw
In short, then, Eminem doesn't have anything to say about Iraq, Bush or politics in general from anything I can tell.
Shocker.
3 - aacool
The song functions better as an animated video, which is how it was intended. I've blogged extensively on this and on SNL at my blog - http://selfaudit.blogspot.com
4 - Jim Carruthers
Al, the song is called "Mosh", and I think it is brilliant. It uses the rhythms and restricted harmonic range of work chants (a great example is "Po Lazarus" in the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack). Secondly, it is melodic, just very slow. Unlike something from Rage Against the Machine where the politics gets subsumed to a tempo driving "fuck shit up", this is deliberate and focused. You can't mosh to it, but it is deliberate and constant. The tempo and timbre are there to support the rap, not obscure it.
It is low-key because Eminem wants to you to address what he's saying without distractions. I would say it is the equivalent of "Shipbuilding" or "Pills and Soap". Sure, it wasn't a great performance, but given how lame SNL has become, it's at least something better than the usual.
5 - Al Barger
"Shipbuilding" and "Pills and Soap" have beautiful and unforgettable MELODIES which make them classic, whether or not you agree with the politics.
Whereas, this "Mosh" song does not have even a modest hook, let alone developing that hook into a melody. I defy anyone to sing back a couple of lines of this alleged "song." Musically, there's just nothing there.
6 - Jim Carruthers
Al, you're confusing tempo with melody and timbre. Some great songs have been made with minimal means. I haven't tried it, but "Shipbuilding" could probably be played on a harmonica or ukulele, which I know "Mosh" could be (or "Pumping Sally" from Neal Stephenson's "The System of the World"). And then there is scansion, which from this guy from Detroit, kicks out all the jams.
You do know the difference between tempo, timbre and melody, don't you? Do you even play an instrument? Try the uke, it is a simple challenge, and check out Carmaig DeForrest. And how can you, of all hillbillies, disagree with this:
7 - Scoota Rey
Eminem's song "Mosh" was a fantastic song. It was awesome. Okay, maybe it was the mood of the song that made it so good. I like Em more when he's dark instead of when he's silly. (That other new song was gay, literally.) Also, I'm glad that Eminem is getting political. It shows once again that he's versatile. The video itself is telling people to get out there and vote. If you don't like the song, then you gotta respect the message, and that's to get out there and vote. I'm not 18 yet, so I can't vote (as much as I want to-- VOTE KERRY!).
8 - Jim Carruthers
Al, you might be interested, I ran your article and the lyrics to "Mosh" through a word check in my text editor.
Your article: 388 words
Eminem "Mosh": 699 words
Your chords: none
Eminem chords: about four
9 - Big Time Patriot
The song had a nice beat, I could dance to it, I give it a 7.
10 - Jim Carruthers
I think what Al really wanted to say was this:
But that wouldn't be civilized or an expression of popular song because it never made the Hit Parade, or supported the Bushites. Oh, wait, that's what Eminem had to say about Shrub.
11 - Dave
I lasted about 60 seconds. Cripes, I can't understand how people listen to that crap. Off to cleanse my ears with some Zappa.
12 - Al Barger
No, I'm not confusing melody with tempo or anything else. A melody would be a series of individual notes that form a pattern. That could come from a slow tempo ballad, "Mona Lisa" for example, or from something uptempo, "Helter Skelter" say.
I don't object to the tempo of "Mosh" or the general mood, but to the lack of any distinctive melodic patterns, which are the main core of a real song. "Mosh" just doesn't have it, and no one will remember this crappy excuse for a song a couple of months from now.
Indeed, my best guess is that few people remember it even NOW from seeing it yesterday, some scant hours after his live performance. There's just not anything there.
You may like his politics, whatever exactly they are. You may share his hatred for the president. Whatever. None of that makes this a worthy piece of music.
But if it's not musically interesting, then screw it. There's no point. If Bob Dylan hadn't been writing timeless classic tunes to go with them, no one would have given a rat's ass about a poem about a guy with a tambourine- and that was much better poetry than "Mosh."
13 - EVIL_JOEY
The song was good, the video made it great! the beat or hook or tempo or what ever you want to call it is there.. kinda had an army cadience feel to it. Since hes saying march and fight i think it having that feeling is good. A few posters on here are haters for what ever reason... i happen to like eminem a lot even tho im not that into music.. to like music you have to be entertained weather its a beat you like, or its funny ,or if the person is saying some shit you can relate to. with eminem i can relate weather its dealing with relationship problems or like this song not liking bush or feeling that we shouldnt have gone to iraq like we did... and being in the army that hits close to home i got a lot of friends there... so hate all you want but the fact is hes prolly gonna sell a million copies in the opening week..... i dont see anyone else doing that in the mp3 age.. so he cant be that bad!
14 - Adam Slowinski
First and foremost Eminem is a lyrical genius and anybody with any musical knowledge would agree. And who says there has to be a hook in a song, that is what makes eminem who he is. He doesn't need a hook. In addition, eminem has more valid; sad but true truths that he brings to the table that no other artist will ever consider doing. For the people who say that he has nothing to say buy his albums and listen to his music. In addition at least he is saying something what are you doing?
15 - Jeem
huh? So if an opinion isn't original it's not worth saying? Is that what you are suggesting? How many new, original ways are there to say "Bush lied about Iraq and using ware as a last result"?
The song and its timing were excellent. Too bad he waded into politics at such a late hour...
16 - Duane
I missed out on seeing Eminem's performance, since there was no one around who was willing to pay me to sit through it. Nevertheless, I will offer up a wise comment for you all, based upon Comment 15 by Jeem, who says, "Too bad he waded into politics at such a late hour...." If Eminem's anti-Bush blather had gotten a substantial amount of airplay, it would only have gone to inspire even more of a backlash against politically active rock stars and celebs, and Bush would have won by an even wider margin. It would have helped Kerry's cause if the anti-Bush celebs would have just shut the hell up. Don't they realize that? Sure, they relish the notion of airing their opinions in a free society and bla bla bla, but if they want their boy to win, they should put a lid on it. Thank you.
17 - Jake
Brilliance. That's the only word that comes to my mind. Eminem took a step everyone else in america, famous enough, is afraid to take. In this song he states his opinion whether you like it or not. Is it ever too late to express an opinion? I think the United States trys to police the world, isn't that an opinion? Am I too late to express that? What are we fighting for anyways? Are we fighting to make our country's national debt rise? That's what we're doing, aren't we? Make Iraq a better place? Start here, Mosh Now Or Die!
18 - R Mutt
im not a fan of eminem's, have listened once or twice to his albums but never took them 'seriously,' but - and this attests to either the power of the lyrics or their timeliness, not sure which - i think his performance of 'mosh' on saturday night live may have completely changed my opinion of his talents. that is to say, it really blew me away. im not gonna try to say why or get into the argument that preceeds this. just wanted to let everyone know, as a music 'snob' or whatnot, i felt this track was brilliant. the power behind its spit seemed absolutely raw and i believe, even if the artist is trying too hard to 'seem' one way or another (everone in the entertainment industry is this way, you can get around that tis of the essence if you've got any interest in having a career, etc.) i must say i was *thorougly* - as in goosebumps - moved by this man in the hoody, spitting rhyme.
can anybody tell me release information (official or pirated) for this track, or direct me to a site for download?
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: not that i *would* *ever* download pirated music, or make an attempt to, or encourage anyone to do so in our great nation, the united states of emiraqa... what i was asking was for information in a hypothetic sense and should like the FBI to know that we love you, keep up the good work, god bless and kisskiss.
=R-Mutt=
19 - Kelly Tooker
I actually LOVED the performance that was poorly reviewed here. I wasn't an Eminem fan, though I liked 8 Mile. What caught my attention was that he was electric. It wasn't an album promotion, but a poet giving a message that was really relevant to current events. I don't understand the line of reasoning behind the argument of him not singing "a song". First off, Eminem does not sing. He raps. And the performance may have fell flat with the Bush voters, but you can bet it had NOTHING to do with the talent of the artist or his actual performance. And it did what it was meant to do, and annoy those people. Which I find incredibly enjoyable because anyone who takes themselves so seriously that they get peeved about a two minute rap on late night TV deserves what's coming in my opinion.