Artist of the week 12/13/10 Lynyrd Skynyrd

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Indie cred was an eighties concept. You had to be there to understand it.

I was there but I never bought into it and still don't. I know of people that stopped attending Truckers shows once they started to become popular beyond their close-knit circle of friends. As I've mentioned, my interest in them has waned considerably in recent years but I still go to see them in concert. I don't give a fuck if three people are there or three thousand. I'm not into music because of some kind of indie cred, I'm into it because I love it. If someone thinks less of me because of an artist I'm into, that says way more about them than it does me. In fact, I have to question anyone who's fandom hinges on what others think. Same goes for those that stop attending shows once their pet artist becomes popular. That kind of shit makes me wonder if they were ever even a fan to start with or if they only acted like they were into them because they thought it was the cool thing to do. Those people aren't music fans, they're posers.

[Swamp]

I have no idea who wins Skynyrd vs. The Allmans

Just because they are both lumped into that southern rock category don't mean they're the same music.
But they could have been. Both bands were formed in Jacksonville. Skynyrd became a band around 64 or 65.
The Allmans didn't form until 69 but they became popular before Skynyrd. As Skynyrd started hitting it's peak,
the Allmans were coming apart. But the Allmans showed you could continue on without key members of the
original band. Enlightened Rogues is one of my favorite ABB albums. The Allmans broke up around 76. After
Skynyrds plane crash and before Rossington-Collins, Greg contacted Allen and Gary about forming a band he
wanted to call the Freebirds. They declined.

but to me these three songs are perfection...

Ballad of Curtis Loew - I have such a clear picture in my mind of what Curtis might look like.
Simple Man - such wisdom. And those guitars.
Tuesday's Gone - that ending jam, so sad but so beautiful

It was only the second or third time Mrs Swamp ever filmed a show but it is her most popular
video on youtube. Over 100,000 views. She has over 300 videos up and none even come close
to the 10,000 mark. This one is from the acoustical show I wrote about above. Jan '07
I like to check it from time to time to read the new comments or arguments it creates

Oh and Clams, I could show you right where Curtis sat.

[Iowan]

Indie cred was an eighties concept. You had to be there to understand it.

I was there but I never bought into it and still don't. I know of people that stopped attending Truckers shows once they started to become popular beyond their close-knit circle of friends. As I've mentioned, my interest in them has waned considerably in recent years but I still go to see them in concert. I don't give a fuck if three people are there or three thousand. I'm not into music because of some kind of indie cred, I'm into it because I love it. If someone thinks less of me because of an artist I'm into, that says way more about them than it does me. In fact, I have to question anyone who's fandom hinges on what others think. Same goes for those that stop attending shows once their pet artist becomes popular. That kind of shit makes me wonder if they were ever even a fan to start with or if they only acted like they were into them because they thought it was the cool thing to do. Those people aren't music fans, they're posers.

Well said, and spot on.

People who base their opinion of a band solely on it's popularity (or lack thereof) and worry about what other people listen to are douche bags. Some of my favorite bands (Pearl Jam, the Stones) are massively popular, most of my favorite bands (DBT, Wilco, Lucero, THS) are sort of popular, at least to the point that they have fairly devoted followings and get mentioned in major rock magazines, and some of my favorite bands (Fork in the Road) play in small town Iowa dive bars in front of 50-100 people. Who gives a shit how popular a band is?

[suntzu]

Most people reply to something like this in order to make a point or objection to a topic or for the strict purposes of hijacking the subject or other....Having said that I must reveal that I know mr. and mrs. Swamp and they are just good fine people that love their groups and music and, like me, love DBT. We were sad when Jason left and support both efforts. We love the South and bbq, and Skynyrd. I for one have known for years in my heart that Skynyrd was my favorite all time band looking back post-mortem (the 70's band) they were my favorite. Today it is the remaining Allman brother's band and the family that followed their similar path. I still cry when I hear Janis scream her souls' guts out and the blues crush I have on Stevie Ray, Jimi, Clapton and Carlos is legendary of both past and present. We are fortunate to have had all leaders of Southern rock pave the way (like the bluesmen before them) for the sounds we are hearing today. To think that somewhere in Africa there was a pounding drum and a box of wood with Gazelle sinew as strings making a sound that would be brought here 400 years ago with the Haggis bladder bagpipes of the European settlers (enter in the horns and electricity) and) thus we have the sounds of today. It is so complex for me to say who did what first, or where it came from, or like when Mr. Swamp likes to quote Gregg Allman: All Rock is Southern. This could be debated, but like Chris Robinson once said: If you like the music buy it, if you don't then don't buy it. Simple. Straight. Southern. When DBT comes to the Freebird I will be there, like always, with my DBT hat and DBT jacket with my Allen Collins shirt underneath. Simple. Straight. Southern. Hell I'll probably eat Mexican before the show just to shake it up a bit. Screw that, it's BBQ! Love you guys The Swamps of North Florida!!! Yes. SOUTHERN ROCK OPERA MUST BE PLAYED AT THE FREEBIRD!!!!

[Swamp]

Thanks for the complements yall. I do enjoy sharing some of our experiences with yall.
Just a couple of observations I would like to share.
About 2 weeks ago, a friend and I were discussing the fact that 2 people can look at the same thing
but not see the same thing. It's been pretty obvious to me for a long time. As I said above everybody's
perception is different.
One guy reads, Artist of the week 12/13/10 Lynyrd Skynryd, and he thinks; oh I love that band!
The next guy reads it and thinks; yeah they had some good songs.
The next guy/girl reads it and thinks; those are the guys that flew a confederate flag, what a bunch
of racist!
This other guy reads it and thinks; Allman Brothers, Allman Brothers, Allman Brothers
Ok.
There's this young punk who reads it and thinks; who are these guys. maybe I should check this out.
Then you got this guy (we might even know him) and he reads it and thinks; ummm Bar-B-Q

[lotusamerica]

Unoriginal thoughts: Original skynyrd was great. The '87 tribute was a bit of closure, touching and uplifting. Some subsequent shows were fun. But I'm pretty disgusted by what they became overall. Cash became king, the politics suck, and so does a lot of the music.

From

Did you ever see a she-gator protect her young
Or a fish in the river swimming free
Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina
Or the sweetness of the grass of Tennesee

To

God and guns keep us strong
That's what this country was founded on
Well we might as well give up and run
If we let them take our God and guns

I'd bet Ronnie would escort Johnny out behind the woodshed if he were still around for some of that bullshit. Even if you're a gunny, you gotta admit those lyrics blow compared to Ronnie's poetry. And I'm probably among the few who knew and liked Johnny's solo albums, but talk about trashing a memory.

Skynyrd was an excellent bunch of musicians. Holy shit, the many melodies packed into one song between vocals and guitar leads. And Ronnie was real, like Patterson says. And Patterson may not be the most flashy lead guitarist, but he has that same ear for finding an alternate song-within-a-song melody when he does one of his leads.

I've always thought Bullets is the touchstone album for the connection to DBT. Loved that that's the album they decided to do the cover off of.

I know that Street Survivors is a bit of a dividing line for original skynyrd, but I think Swamp underappreciates it. Different music than before, but a great album that was so reenergized and pointed the way to a transcendence of the southern rock thing at several points.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

During The Great Cover Up at King's in Raleigh last weekend when local band Tonk covered Skynyrd for their set I didn't see a single soul bolt towards the door. If there's a "hipster" bar anywhere around here it would have to be King's first and foremost so I took the crowd's reaction as a barometer as to how Skynyrd (the original) themselves would be received and that was with open arms. In fact, it's a well known fact now that Tonk's set was the highlight of the entire three day event. Not so long ago the mere mention of my Skynyrd fandom was frowned upon by so many of my so called "music" friends. What changed? The left-field success of SRO? Skynyrd's long overdue induction into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame? Who knows but it's now "cool" to like them among the music elite.

As for how Ronnie would react to current Skynyrd, I'm inclined to believe that he's rolling over in his grave but for all we know his political beliefs may have shifted just as Rossington and some of his other bandmates have. When Columbine happened and Rossington hopped on the "let's place the blame on Marilyn Manson" bandwagon I lost a tremendous amount of respect for the man that day.

[Iowan]

Unoriginal thoughts: Original skynyrd was great. The '87 tribute was a bit of closure, touching and uplifting. Some subsequent shows were fun. But I'm pretty disgusted by what they became overall. Cash became king, the politics suck, and so does a lot of the music.

From

Did you ever see a she-gator protect her young
Or a fish in the river swimming free
Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina
Or the sweetness of the grass of Tennesee

To

God and guns keep us strong
That's what this country was founded on
Well we might as well give up and run
If we let them take our God and guns

I'd bet Ronnie would escort Johnny out behind the woodshed if he were still around for some of that bullshit. Even if you're a gunny, you gotta admit those lyrics blow compared to Ronnie's poetry. And I'm probably among the few who knew and liked Johnny's solo albums, but talk about trashing a memory.

Skynyrd was an excellent bunch of musicians. Holy shit, the many melodies packed into one song between vocals and guitar leads. And Ronnie was real, like Patterson says. And Patterson may not be the most flashy lead guitarist, but he has that same ear for finding an alternate song-within-a-song melody when he does one of his leads.

I've always thought Bullets is the touchstone album for the connection to DBT. Loved that that's the album they decided to do the cover off of.

I know that Street Survivors is a bit of a dividing line for original skynyrd, but I think Swamp underappreciates it. Different music than before, but a great album that was so reenergized and pointed the way to a transcendence of the southern rock thing at several points.

The politics of "new Skynyrd" is my biggest beef with them. Based on the lyrics to Saturday Night Special, I can't imagine Ronnie would approve of that God and guns song.

[Swamp]

Unoriginal thoughts: Original skynyrd was great. The '87 tribute was a bit of closure, touching and uplifting. Some subsequent shows were fun. But I'm pretty disgusted by what they became overall. Cash became king, the politics suck, and so does a lot of the music.

From

Did you ever see a she-gator protect her young
Or a fish in the river swimming free
Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina
Or the sweetness of the grass of Tennesee

To

God and guns keep us strong
That's what this country was founded on
Well we might as well give up and run
If we let them take our God and guns

I'd bet Ronnie would escort Johnny out behind the woodshed if he were still around for some of that bullshit. Even if you're a gunny, you gotta admit those lyrics blow compared to Ronnie's poetry. And I'm probably among the few who knew and liked Johnny's solo albums, but talk about trashing a memory.

Skynyrd was an excellent bunch of musicians. Holy shit, the many melodies packed into one song between vocals and guitar leads. And Ronnie was real, like Patterson says. And Patterson may not be the most flashy lead guitarist, but he has that same ear for finding an alternate song-within-a-song melody when he does one of his leads.

I've always thought Bullets is the touchstone album for the connection to DBT. Loved that that's the album they decided to do the cover off of.

I know that Street Survivors is a bit of a dividing line for original skynyrd, but I think Swamp underappreciates it. Different music than before, but a great album that was so reenergized and pointed the way to a transcendence of the southern rock thing at several points.

The politics of "new Skynyrd" is my biggest beef with them. Based on the lyrics to Saturday Night Special, I can't imagine Ronnie would approve of that God and guns song.

One good thing about being dead is you don't have to worry about paying bills. Just saying.
Carry on Gary.

[suntzu]

Gary and Gene Simmons are the same guy doing two outdated gigs!!

[Swamp]

I met a man from Mars
He picked up all my guitars
And played me traveling songs
And when we got on ship
He brought out something for the trip
And said "it's old but it's good"
Like any other primitive would
Ah, ah, ah, ah

[John A Arkansawyer]

They actually took an active interest in the music I listened to. That might mean my Mom dancing along to "Things Goin' On" or my Dad asking me questions about Kiss.

It was my mom who first pointed out that Lou Reed's voice sounded a lot like Bob Dylan's.

[RevMatt]

Unoriginal thoughts: Original skynyrd was great. The '87 tribute was a bit of closure, touching and uplifting. Some subsequent shows were fun. But I'm pretty disgusted by what they became overall. Cash became king, the politics suck, and so does a lot of the music.

From

Did you ever see a she-gator protect her young
Or a fish in the river swimming free
Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina
Or the sweetness of the grass of Tennesee

To

God and guns keep us strong
That's what this country was founded on
Well we might as well give up and run
If we let them take our God and guns

I'd bet Ronnie would escort Johnny out behind the woodshed if he were still around for some of that bullshit. Even if you're a gunny, you gotta admit those lyrics blow compared to Ronnie's poetry. And I'm probably among the few who knew and liked Johnny's solo albums, but talk about trashing a memory.

Skynyrd was an excellent bunch of musicians. Holy shit, the many melodies packed into one song between vocals and guitar leads. And Ronnie was real, like Patterson says. And Patterson may not be the most flashy lead guitarist, but he has that same ear for finding an alternate song-within-a-song melody when he does one of his leads.

I've always thought Bullets is the touchstone album for the connection to DBT. Loved that that's the album they decided to do the cover off of.

I know that Street Survivors is a bit of a dividing line for original skynyrd, but I think Swamp underappreciates it. Different music than before, but a great album that was so reenergized and pointed the way to a transcendence of the southern rock thing at several points.

The politics are not something I have a beef with, but the lyrics are not very subtle or good for that matter. They play into people's paranoia and condescend to the lowest common denominator. The song is in the same league as Charlie Daniels' "This Ain't No Rag It's a Flag".

[John A Arkansawyer]

Unoriginal thoughts: Original skynyrd was great. The '87 tribute was a bit of closure, touching and uplifting. Some subsequent shows were fun. But I'm pretty disgusted by what they became overall. Cash became king, the politics suck, and so does a lot of the music.

From

Did you ever see a she-gator protect her young
Or a fish in the river swimming free
Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina
Or the sweetness of the grass of Tennesee

To

God and guns keep us strong
That's what this country was founded on
Well we might as well give up and run
If we let them take our God and guns

I'd bet Ronnie would escort Johnny out behind the woodshed if he were still around for some of that bullshit. Even if you're a gunny, you gotta admit those lyrics blow compared to Ronnie's poetry. And I'm probably among the few who knew and liked Johnny's solo albums, but talk about trashing a memory.

Skynyrd was an excellent bunch of musicians. Holy shit, the many melodies packed into one song between vocals and guitar leads. And Ronnie was real, like Patterson says. And Patterson may not be the most flashy lead guitarist, but he has that same ear for finding an alternate song-within-a-song melody when he does one of his leads.

I've always thought Bullets is the touchstone album for the connection to DBT. Loved that that's the album they decided to do the cover off of.

I know that Street Survivors is a bit of a dividing line for original skynyrd, but I think Swamp underappreciates it. Different music than before, but a great album that was so reenergized and pointed the way to a transcendence of the southern rock thing at several points.

The politics of "new Skynyrd" is my biggest beef with them. Based on the lyrics to Saturday Night Special, I can't imagine Ronnie would approve of that God and guns song.

One good thing about being dead is you don't have to worry about paying bills. Just saying.
Carry on Gary.

I lost a long comment when my browser puked. I'll take that as an editorial suggestion to be less windy.

Randy Newman says in I'm Dead:

I have a family to support
But surely that is no excuse

He's got a day job in the movies, though, so that's easy for him to say.

I didn't stop liking the Ramones because Johnny's politics were fucked, and I still think Rock and Roll High School is one of the great rock movies. So is Quadrophenia, and I didn't let Pete Townshend's kiddie porn bust stop me from loving his music. And then there's the inexplicable fact that Alice Cooper is a Republican. So I've got little room to talk. I'll just say I think it might be more honest and not too costly to call the current band The Johnny Van Zant Band, but that's on his conscience, not mine.

Not so long ago the mere mention of my Skynyrd fandom was frowned upon by so many of my so called "music" friends. What changed? The left-field success of SRO?

That's what turned me from casually liking them (and scouring the garage sales and junk stores for the rare ones, which I wanted for love and not money) to appreciating them. Well, that and my friend Orlis telling me, "They're just America's answer to the Rolling Stones." That put a whole new spin on them. Now, I'm kicking myself for not doing the right thing and buying those Skynyrd CDs cheap when I had the chance last week.

UPDATE: As long as I'm editing for a bad tag, I'll throw this in:

I'll never like Sweet Home Alabama the way I'd like to, after putting on some outdoor concerts in the late nineties where that song was, in the camping area, the asshole national anthem. That's not the song's fault, though, or the original band's.

[Swamp]

I'll never like Sweet Home Alabama the way I'd like to, after putting on some outdoor concerts in the late nineties where that song was, in the camping area, the asshole national anthem. That's not the song's fault, though, or the original band's.

Here's what Patterson had to say about SHA at the 1:41 mark

[John A Arkansawyer]

I'll never like Sweet Home Alabama the way I'd like to, after putting on some outdoor concerts in the late nineties where that song was, in the camping area, the asshole national anthem. That's not the song's fault, though, or the original band's.

Here's what Patterson had to say about SHA at the 1:41 mark

Such is the duality of the Southern Thing. Mister Hood speaks for me. Thank you for posting it. I never tire of hearing this song. I gotta get disc 1 of SRO back (and hope disc 2 turns up before I get desperate enough to buy a whole new copy).

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I forget where I read or heard this but I recall the DBTs not wanting to use the Confederate flag as a backdrop during the Southern Rock Opera tour but Dick Cooper never really had a problem with the flag. I guess this is still true as in the most recent Go Go Boots episode when he's interviewed about Eddie Hinton you can clearly see one in the background. I don't have a problem with the flag either, my problem is with the people that have misappropriated it. Thing is, that's very hard to explain to the politically correct. Some also continue to insist that "Sweet Home Alabama" is a racist song. To those that already have that firmly entrenched in their minds, you'll never get through to them. Now, did Van Zant or anyone in that band ever utter the "n word"? Most definitely, as I did I when I was much younger and simply didn't know any better but does that make me or them a "racist"? Not in my book. My dad had a close friend that was a black man that he would often take fishing but such were the times (the 60s) that his friend had to hide under the bow of the boat until they got out of sight. I doubt my father would have even gone to such lengths if he actually hated black folks. I was raised around and grew up with black friends so the perception by some people that all Southerners are "racists" couldn't be more off the mark. Still, it follows us around to this very day no matter what.

[Smitty]

I'm a huge RVZ fan - I bow at the altar of the original Skynyrd, and I can't stand the "new" material, although I'm glad I went and saw the new Skynyrd live, I had a great show.
I know ya'll are basing your opinions on RVZ's lyrics (specifically Saturday Night Special) but I wouldn't say that's enough reason to say he wouldn't like a song about "God & Guns" - he probably would've wrote it a lil more eloquently but there's a lot of revisionist history when it comes to Ronnie - while it may be true that he was a lil liberal on some things, if you read about his character and his support for George Wallace (long debated) I don't think it's fair to predict what his political views would be today. The book Dixie Lullaby by Mark Kemp is a great read that touches on that subject (also has a section on DBT)

Good point on the flag, Kudzu - if I'm not mistaken on the Live at Dick Coopers DVD, DBT are playing in front of a confederate flag (or it may be an alabama flag...)

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Though Mark Kemp may not be the best writer out there I also highly recommend Dixie Lullaby to anyone that hasn't read it yet. In fact, anyone new to DBT should probably be issued copies of Dixie Lullaby and The Accountant DVD along with their inaugural copy of Southern Rock Opera.

As for the new (or "post-crash") Skynyrd I'm also glad I went to see them. Even though I was a huge fan I never got to see them back in the day. They were to play NC on the Street Survivors tour but history took it's course. So, when news of the tribute tour surfaced in '87 I made plans to attend one of the first shows of the tour in Charlotte. I probably caught 3-4 concerts by them after that but none with Medlocke or Hughie Thomasson in the line up. After a while the predictability of the shows and the lameness of the new material (which hardly anyone at the concerts even wanted to hear) took their toll and I lost interest.

I also agree about speculating about what Van Zant's politics would be today. If Rossington's viewpoints changed, there's nothing saying Van Zant's probably would have too but that's something we'll never know.

[lotusamerica]

I'm a huge RVZ fan - I bow at the altar of the original Skynyrd, and I can't stand the "new" material, although I'm glad I went and saw the new Skynyrd live, I had a great show.
I know ya'll are basing your opinions on RVZ's lyrics (specifically Saturday Night Special) but I wouldn't say that's enough reason to say he wouldn't like a song about "God & Guns" - he probably would've wrote it a lil more eloquently but there's a lot of revisionist history when it comes to Ronnie - while it may be true that he was a lil liberal on some things, if you read about his character and his support for George Wallace (long debated) I don't think it's fair to predict what his political views would be today. The book Dixie Lullaby by Mark Kemp is a great read that touches on that subject (also has a section on DBT)

Good point on the flag, Kudzu - if I'm not mistaken on the Live at Dick Coopers DVD, DBT are playing in front of a confederate flag (or it may be an alabama flag...)

Ronnie knew the difference between good songs and shitty songs, I'd say that's reason enough.

[Smitty]

I'm a huge RVZ fan - I bow at the altar of the original Skynyrd, and I can't stand the "new" material, although I'm glad I went and saw the new Skynyrd live, I had a great show.
I know ya'll are basing your opinions on RVZ's lyrics (specifically Saturday Night Special) but I wouldn't say that's enough reason to say he wouldn't like a song about "God & Guns" - he probably would've wrote it a lil more eloquently but there's a lot of revisionist history when it comes to Ronnie - while it may be true that he was a lil liberal on some things, if you read about his character and his support for George Wallace (long debated) I don't think it's fair to predict what his political views would be today. The book Dixie Lullaby by Mark Kemp is a great read that touches on that subject (also has a section on DBT)

Good point on the flag, Kudzu - if I'm not mistaken on the Live at Dick Coopers DVD, DBT are playing in front of a confederate flag (or it may be an alabama flag...)

Ronnie knew the difference between good songs and shitty songs, I'd say that's reason enough.

I'd say Gary did at one time, too - you must've missed this part:

he probably would've wrote it a lil more eloquently

I was just saying it's pointless to try and predict his political views today. He wasn't exactly the liberal hippie he's made out to be.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I don't think Ronnie Van Zant was exactly a "liberal hippie" or that he's ever necessarily been made out to be one. Yes, Skynyrd was supportive of Carter but outside of that they were pretty much portrayed as ruffians from the wrong side of town. Funny though, that most of the bands that were playing those concerts for Carter are now right wing Republicans with the notable exception of the Allman Brothers. I can't remember if I read it somewhere or if it was in that American Revolutions: Southern Rock special on CMT but when they were talking about Phil Walden signing the Allmans, it was mentioned that his first meeting with them took place during one of their skinny dipping sessions (documented below and on the back cover of their first album) which revealed them to be more "hippie-like" (for lack of a better word) than the backwoods rednecks they'd been made out to be. Then again, the photo probably didn't do them any favors in some circles either. Anyhow, my main point being how members of the Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Daniels have shifted to the right over the years while the Allmans' political leanings have pretty much remained the same. Charlie tried his best to set the record straight on the misconception of some of his prejudices in an interview with Mark Kemp in Dixie Lullaby but some still insist he's a racist. If he's not, he certainly hasn't made it easy on himself with some of his statements and his songs but at least he seemed earnest about his feelings in that interview.

[Smitty]

Charlie doesn't necessarily come off as racist anymore, but he's just as bigoted towards homosexuals as any right wing nutjob.

[suntzu]

Charlie doesn't necessarily come off as racist anymore, but he's just as bigoted towards homosexuals as any right wing nutjob.

Good job Smitty. I met you in Atlanta at the dirt underneath and new you were cool!

[RevMatt]

As far as musician's political views go, I tend to ignore them. Some are liberal while others are conservative. But I have found few who are any more informed than the average voter. Most people in this internet and Fox/MSNBC age only read blogs and sources that support their already formed views, so you find few people changing their minds on the basis of anything they've read. I mean, why is a guitar player's political opinion more important than a sword swallower's or the guy who gets shot out of a cannon in the circus? Or why should Bruce Springsteen's endorsement of a political candidate make the news while Bobby Sherman's is ignored?

So I really don't care about Gary Rossington's politics. Or Charlie Daniels'. Or even Patterson Hood's who I probably agree with on most issues. It is very difficult to turn politics into good art anyway. Patterson Hood succeeded with "Putting People on the Moon". "God's and Guns" failed. Has nothing to do with whether or not I agree with the politics.

[Smitty]

As far as musician's political views go, I tend to ignore them. Some are liberal while others are conservative. But I have found few who are any more informed than the average voter. Most people in this internet and Fox/MSNBC age only read blogs and sources that support their already formed views, so you find few people changing their minds on the basis of anything they've read. I mean, why is a guitar player's political opinion more important than a sword swallower's or the guy who gets shot out of a cannon in the circus? Or why should Bruce Springsteen's endorsement of a political candidate make the news while Bobby Sherman's is ignored?

So I really don't care about Gary Rossington's politics. Or Charlie Daniels'. Or even Patterson Hood's who I probably agree with on most issues. It is very difficult to turn politics into good art anyway. Patterson Hood succeeded with "Putting People on the Moon". "God's and Guns" failed. Has nothing to do with whether or not I agree with the politics.

It's hard to ignore them when they're an integral part of the music.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I remember R.E.M.'s homecoming show at Gwinnett Arena on the Around the Sun tour, some fans booed Stipe when he came out wearing his Kerry t-shirt and some fans displayed pro-George Bush signs over the railings in the balcony where they were seated. I know Stipe can be preachy politics-wise but all he said on this night in reference to the then upcoming election was something like, "everyone knows which side we butter our bread on" and that was it. This is a band that's never hidden their political beliefs from day one so I'm wondering what these folks had hoped to achieve at this concert.

[Swamp]

[John A Arkansawyer]

I mean, why is a guitar player's political opinion more important than a sword swallower's or the guy who gets shot out of a cannon in the circus? Or why should Bruce Springsteen's endorsement of a political candidate make the news while Bobby Sherman's is ignored?

I could say because Bruce has done some work to understand history and politics, but that's not the main point I want to make.

Politics is about power, and celebrities happen to have it. Whether or not they should, they do, and how they handle their power is important, just like whether they're careless with guns or sloppy drunk when they drive. It's is less about policy (whether it should be or not, it isn't) than about who can do what to whom and whose interests get served. It's hard to judge some complicated piece of law. It's easier, and more important, to tell who's on your side and who's got your interests at heart.

Most elections, it's a choice between who's going to hurt you less rather than who's going to make your life better. That really ticks me off, but it's the choice I've got. (I just finished a real good book by Doug McAdam, Freedom Summer, wherein he says something really wise: "Although we can do as we choose, we can seldom choose as we please.") Hmm. I'm starting to wander. I think I'll stop here.

[suntzu]

Bobby Sherman??? Well I'll be damned never thought anybody would be digging that deep, now it looks like I need to bring up the Bobby Goldsboro take on Health Care!! Just kiddin' man, I just thought it was funny. Maybe I'll start a "Where's Dickey Bettes" thread!