Tom Petty, good music but...

madmax

I have been waiting months for the new Tom Petty "Highway Companion" to come out. I don't even know which song but I heard one on the radio and it was very memorable, musically. Well, it just came out but now I don't know if I want to support his political views by buying it. I used to always seperate the views of the artists from their music but since the Dixie Chicks I find it hard to. I actually have the latest DC on LP but just can't force myself to listen to it.

http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2006/07/tom-petty-thinks-george-w-bush-is.html

madmax

mrbigbluelight

I don't know, I have to agree with Tom Petty's statement:

"When you kill somebody's little sister with a missile, he's going to hate you forever. And the next generation will hate you even more."
"

I have to agree with Tom Petty's statement:

Whether you're pro or con Bush, you've got to admit it: The guy lied. And he continues to do so.

Whether he lied for a good reason, or to protect the country, or some other justifiable reason can certainly be argued.
But that he lied, in my opinion, can't.

There are several videos that can be found on the internet that do, in my opinion, make some very valid points that illustrate quite well those lies. And I'm not talking of Michael Moore level of "I hate Bush !" ("...and I'm a fat slob !") propaganda.
I'll try to post a link for one the one I saw the other day that was particularly good.

In the meantime, I'd say, enjoy his music. I do.
I've always liked his music, and his honesty (same level as Neil Young, IMO).
He may not always be right, but I admire his honesty.

bobman1235

mrbigbluelight wrote:

I don't know, I have to agree with Tom Petty's statement:

"When you kill somebody's little sister with a missile, he's going to hate you forever. And the next generation will hate you even more."
"

In the same vain, when you kill 3000 people's sisters with a plane flown into a building, they're going to bomb your sisters and not give **** who hates them back for it.

BlueMDPicker

To be offended by Petty's remarks, I suppose one must accept the premise of a hell. The role of artist, in all media, as social/political commentator is ageless and rarely embraced at first blush by the body politic. To me, this "controversial" artist was on track and no more of a dreamer than those who want to assign everyone a spot in the cue between the theoretical line of demarcation:

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

aaharvel

If you like his music, buy it. If you don't, then don't.

I like Mel Gibson movies. I disagree with his politics. I still watch his movies.

BlueMDPicker, nice.

(edit) btw, I semi-enjoy Tom Petty's music, but I hate the fact that the guy looks like a complete stoner. I wonder instead what kind of message that sends out to impressionables. My old high-school buddy (who's still the nicest guy alive btw) absolutely worshipped/worships the guy and now 12 years and countless pounds of pot later, talks and acts just like him. I don't think it's a coincidence, and it's not b/c he's got a Bachelors degree from UNC and an SAT score of 1450. He sells tuxedoes for a living. You get the idea. I'm not necessarily accusing Petty of anything per-say, again I think his music's totally decent. But that's my viewpoint by someone looking in from the outside, and something like that is a much more serious problem than wondering if someone's conservative or liberal.

Mike682

bobman1235 wrote:

In the same vain, when you kill 3000 people's sisters with a plane flown into a building, they're going to bomb your sisters and not give **** who hates them back for it.

Very good point. We can't forget what hapened to start this.

shack

mrbigbluelight wrote:

There are several videos that can be found on the internet that do, in my opinion, make some very valid points that illustrate quite well those lies. And I'm not talking of Michael Moore level of "I hate Bush !" ("...and I'm a fat slob !") propaganda.
I'll try to post a link for one the one I saw the other day that was particularly good.

Forum Rules

2) The discussion of politics and religion is not allowed on this forum.

Let's not. It ends up being a pissing contest. There are other/better places for that. While the topic at hand is borderline...at least is is about music and politics.

madmax

I don't mind people expressing their views, I just find it annoying that Tom Petty is taking the role. Now if he was expressing his disgust of the way a record company was taking advantage of artists or other such things then I feel he would be in his realm. To me the real annoyance comes because his popularity doesn't make him a natural choice to discuss the topic. I don't know, maybe I'm just being petty...
madmax

madmax

Well,
I decided what to do. I'm going to wait for it to come out on LP, then I'll pick it up. I guess I can at least support him because he still does vinyl... and his music is so damn good.
madmax

steveinaz

Wether you agree or not with the politics, at least agree that difference of opinion is what makes America...right?

Listen, enjoy, forget the rest.

madmax

steveinaz wrote:

at least agree that difference of opinion is what makes America...right?

You mean the freedom to state that opinion in public, right?


madmax

reeltrouble1

I say Pluck the Chicks. If I recall they did not release a tune about their feelings, I would of been fine with that, but they issued a statement or said something about being embarrassed to have GW as President while on foreign soil, I am personally done with them.

I no longer care that some country does not like Americans, F-them, why should I give a crap that some foreigner does not like me or us, I have not seen any news about someone losing their life taking a boat or swimming to Cuba or some other such place. I dont care that we create pollution more than someone else, we are America, we have taught the World how to do things in our short little history. If it were not for us alot of them would still be trying to figure out how to wipe their **** without using their bare hand. We are the Master's of information, of knowledge, we dont need to make it we tell you how to do it.

We drive big cars, we pollute, we use things up and throw them away for something bigger and better, we love our sports and competition in general, I am not ashamed of it, actually I am proud of it!!!

Lets wipe the next **** that eff with our country off the face of the earth, take a picture of it and show it to the World let them see what will happen if they mess with us. I have had enough, My Rant.

As far as Petty, I think artists having been using their music to express their views for a long long time, I dont see anything unusual here with his. I dont really like it though when they say the acutal name of a person.

Wave that Flag
Wave it Wide and High
Summer Time has come
My oh My

Grateful Dead--Anti US Government Tune US Blues

RT1

KrazyMofo24

He's been silent all these years, and his music has been great. Theirs several different opinions on bush and the war, just because his might be different thats gonna affect how you like his music?

Tom Petty isn't the only artist/entertainer that has different political views, and his views on politics wasn't the reason people listened to his music.

PhantomOG

KrazyMofo24 wrote:

just because his might be different thats gonna affect how you like his music?

Absolutely. Just as he is free to make all the comments and express all his views to the media or in his music, everyone else in the public is free to do as they please as well, which includes NOT buying his music if they choose.

If you don't mind supporting someone who makes comments/expresses views that might be different than yours, good for you. It doesn't mean eveyone else has to. I can't stand it when celebrities whine about the backlash that occurs when they make political remarks. If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

PolkThug

madmax wrote:

I don't even know which song but I heard one on the radio and it was very memorable, musically. Well, it just came out but now I don't know if I want to support his political views by buying it.

If you ran a business and found out some of your customers had different political views than yourself, would you recommend to them that they not buy from you? Of course not. Enjoy the music!

Demiurge

haha, wtf?

That doesn't make any sense.

PhantomOG

PolkThug wrote:

If you ran a business and found out some of your customers had different political views than yourself, would you recommend to them that they not buy from you? Of course not. Enjoy the music!

In a normal business transaction, political views don't even come into play so your analogy is baseless. The artists have a choice about whether or not to make their music political. The ones that choose to do so also have to live with the fact that some people will not care to listen to them because of that.

PolkThug

PhantomOG wrote:

In a normal business transaction, political views don't even come into play...

Thats exactly my point.

PhantomOG

PolkThug wrote:

Thats exactly my point.

No, that's the point you're missing. If you ran a business and put up huge signs saying "Bush sucks!" or "Die Hippy Liberals!", do you not think that would have an impact on your sales?

That's effectively what these artists are choosing to do. Its their choice and I don't care either way, but they have to live with the impact. Telling someone they are wrong for not wanting to support/pay people who express views different from theirs is stupid. Its their choice. Do you think incest is a good thing? What if an artist wrote a song in which the lyrics promoted incest? Would you buy the CD just because the "music" behind the lyrics was good? If you do, great! But don't tell the next guy he is wrong because he doesn't want to hear a song promoting incest.

steveinaz

The world was much simpler when politics was a personal thing, and it was considered rude to ask someone their political affiliation...

PhantomOG

steveinaz wrote:

The world was much simpler when politics was a personal thing, and it was considered rude to ask someone their political affiliation...

Nowadays its rude to not sit quietly and let someone else jam their viewpoint down your throat. :rolleyes: Oh, and you have to buy their CD and pay them as well. :mad:

PolkThug

PhantomOG wrote:

No, that's the point you're missing.

Nope, that is my point.

PhantomOG wrote:

If you ran a business and put up huge signs saying "Bush sucks!" or "Die Hippy Liberals!", do you not think that would have an impact on your sales?

Yes, advertising affects sales.

PhantomOG wrote:

That's effectively what these artists are choosing to do. Its their choice and I don't care either way, but they have to live with the impact.

Agreed.

PhantomOG wrote:

Telling someone they are wrong for not wanting to support/pay people who express views different from theirs is stupid. Its their choice.

Agreed 100%!

PhantomOG wrote:

Do you think incest is a good thing?

No, and now you are starting to creep me out.

PhantomOG wrote:

What if an artist wrote a song in which the lyrics promoted incest? Would you buy the CD just because the "music" behind the lyrics was good?

I would not support people who rape their own children.

PhantomOG wrote:

If you do, great!

This is where I would have to disagree with you. Incest is not OK in my book.

PhantomOG wrote:

But don't tell the next guy he is wrong because he doesn't want to hear a song promoting incest.

Of course not!!!

Demiurge

PhantomOG wrote:

No, that's the point you're missing. If you ran a business and put up huge signs saying "Bush sucks!" or "Die Hippy Liberals!", do you not think that would have an impact on your sales?

That's effectively what these artists are choosing to do. Its their choice and I don't care either way, but they have to live with the impact. Telling someone they are wrong for not wanting to support/pay people who express views different from theirs is stupid. Its their choice. Do you think incest is a good thing? What if an artist wrote a song in which the lyrics promoted incest? Would you buy the CD just because the "music" behind the lyrics was good? If you do, great! But don't tell the next guy he is wrong because he doesn't want to hear a song promoting incest.

I'd take it beyond that. It's like selling a product and having political slogans all over it. So everytime they go to use the product they're reminded of it.

These artists are free to do whatever they want, but we're free not to buy it.

Noel Gallagher of Oasis has always said it best about politics and music arguing for the shut-up-and-play mentality.

PhantomOG

I thought when you said this...

PolkThug wrote:

If you ran a business and found out some of your customers had different political views than yourself, would you recommend to them that they not buy from you? Of course not. Enjoy the music!

that you were implying that someone should blindly buy an artist's music even if the artist is using their public status to promote/further a cause which they don't agree with. I was merely trying to say that it might not work for every one that way, and there is nothing wrong with that.

It seems like you agree with that later on, but I don't see how you can correlate the two statements. Anywhoo... sorry if I misunderstood you.

PolkThug

Personally, I wouldn't take the time to try to politically align myself with any musicians or actors before buying a CD or DVD. For instance, I wouldn't let an actor prevent me from buying Cheers Season 1 just because Woody Harrelson says he hates Clinton. As for non-political issues (ie incest lol), I guess it would just depend on the situation. Sorry for the confusion.

I-SIG

Guys and gals,

You are missing the obvious answer:

Buy the ****' CD used!

That's what I did with Pearl Jam's latest (which wasn't very memorable, btw). This way you get the best of both worlds: The music you want, supporting a (most likely) local business, and not constributing directly to that something you disagree with.

Wes

Demiurge

There's a big difference between an artist having a viewpoint, and an artist being overt about their opinions in their music. It's easy to ignore one, but not the other, at least for me.

mrbigbluelight

The litmus test for an artist's sincerity would be their reaction to the public not buying their product in protest of the artist's views.

"Wah, it's not fair, I was just expressing my viewpoint ! I have a right to
express my view, it's not fair !!!!".

That's one reaction, and one that I'd say you'd hear from most artists (musicians, actors, etc.) The definition of shallow.

Then there is the type of view expressed by Neil Young.
Piss off me, piss off you, piss of concert promoters/sponsers, piss off record companies.......so be it. Here's my view, don't like it, don't buy my music.
That's okay.

PhantomOG

PolkThug wrote:

Personally, I wouldn't take the time to try to politically align myself with any musicians or actors before buying a CD or DVD. For instance, I wouldn't let an actor prevent me from buying Cheers Season 1 just because Woody Harrelson says he hates Clinton. As for non-political issues (ie incest lol), I guess it would just depend on the situation. Sorry for the confusion.

I don't try to politically align myself in my purchases, but in some cases the musicians/celebrities are so over the top with their expressing of political views at every chance they get that it does affect my opinion and purchases. And it definitely pisses me off more if they whine about the public not liking it.

steveinaz

A kindergartener with a $3 plastic toy guitar has more talent than Neil Young, so that was always an easy choice for me. That whiney no talent **** is proof that you too can be a millionaire singer, without any skill.

reeltrouble1

I am forming a group called The Bald Spots, please, let me be a milliionare!!! :cool:

RT1