bob_32_116 Wrote:^^ Irrespective of the musical merits of this song, I don't regard this as subversive music. It's whingeing music; it's saying "we are not happy","we don't like society", etc. but it's totally negative, it's not saying, or even implying, what needs to be done to improve society.
Subversive? There were a number of Australian artists of the1980's who were genuinely subversive. Midnight Oil sang "It belongs to them, let's give it back". Whether you agree with that sentiment or not, this is putting a statement on the line: "This is what we think is wrong, and this is what we think should be done about it."
Long before that of course there were the protest singers of the 1960's - Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Country Joe, Barry Maguire, etc. Yes there was a point where it became fashionable, but before that an artist was actually putting his/her career on the line by putting forward an unpopular point of view. Joan Baez actually went to prison for being involved in a protest demonstration. Before that of course there was Woody Guthrie, Billie Holliday, and others, who did not just sing about protest, they lived it.
The Britpop music of the 90's subversive? Nah. That's not the music of subversion. It's the music of depression, of retreat. It's saying "things are bad and we're miserable". That's the low hanging fruit, because most people will readily agree with you and there you are with "credibility". Same could be said for much of the music of the punk era, as well as later acts like The Jam. "Anarchy in the UK" offered no remedies, no ideas. It just said "We're miserable, we're mad, so we want to kick somebody."
Well I think you need artists to whinge, complain, shout and scream about issues and maybe rock the boat. Better to have it then not. Must music dumbs down culture and creates a vacuous population full of apathy. Entertainment is Massively influential and helps shapes peoples thoughts, opinions, identities etc. Hollywood helps to perpetuate materialism, sexism and the objectification of women....................................and so on. So you need something in the art world to push against that superficial and debasing tyranny, otherwise we are pretty much fucked.
