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Ideologically Sound

Mark Hebblewhite trawls through the CD rack to dispel the notion that there's no politics left in pop.

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Okay, hands up everyone who thought the intersection between political consciousness and popular music was demolished the moment Madonna seductively claimed she was a material girl, and a brigade of hair dryer glam rock groups took their first ride in a Ferrari? Let's face it, the 80's weren't a particularly good time to have a social conscious full stop. Actually, many music fans argue that the 90's were no better, and on the surface they're right. Year after year, eardrums were assaulted with manufactured pop groups whose sole aim in life was to deliver healthy profits to their corporate masters. Schmoozing publicists, clever advertising and an amazing lack of talent replaced integrity and a lust for success.

Even genre's such as Hip-Hop, traditionally as anti-establishment as you can get, became fodder for coke sniffing marketing executives who would endlessly search for the most violent misogynistic acts they could find. "Hey we may be pimping the culture, but kids in middle class neighbourhoods eat it up, social decay and ghetto violence is marketing gold man!"

I'll admit it; the situation today looks grim. Must we now ask if popular music has become nothing more than a venture capitalist's wet dream?

Well, I'm going to stick my neck out on this one with a resounding no! It may not be in vogue, but the voices for positive social and economic change still populate the musical landscape in many forms. Before rolling out the evidence, let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit the tradition that the 80's so rudely interrupted.

Let's go back to the 1960s. A tumultuous decade, the forces of social change were on the march from every side. The Reverend Martin Luther King was busy redefining the social fabric of a superpower, women's liberation was in full swing throughout the western world and thousands of ordinary people were voicing their opposition to the savagery of war and the nuclear threat. Artists such as Bob Dylan were producing the music that became a rallying point for a generation and made people feel that they could actually change the world. Ironically, it was actually an album released at the beginning of the next decade, which perhaps best symbolises this period of change.

The year, 1971, the artist Marvin Gaye, the album What's Going On. One of the greatest slices of recorded music ever, What's Going On was a radical shift for the Motown machine which had previously relied on slick suits and quick fix pop tracks. Label head Berry Gordy originally refused to release the album; thank god Marvin stood his ground. Inner city decay, the environment and a heartfelt plea for the collective ideal, just some of the topics covered by an album stunning in its breadth and vision. Even now, What's Going On remains relevant, a clarion call for social justice this is required listening for anyone with half a brain.

While Marvin was busy creating history, the social justice bug infiltrated a range of musical genres across the globe. The magnificent Black Sabbath recorded an anti-war ode with War Pigs, and a few short years later the Sex Pistols proved once and for all their that the monarchy was redundant, and learning to play the guitar wasn't necessary for chart success. It seemed like everyone was at it. From George Clinton's P-funk ensemble to Australia's own Saints, artists had something to say.

So what caused the decline in the 1980's? Maybe Reagan and Thatcher's conservative antics did the trick? Could everyone have stayed at home and watched a legion of comedians take the piss out of this unfortunate duo? Things began to change however when that magical and mysterious cosmic hand that guides free markets everywhere decided to hit spanking mode and deep six the world's sharemarkets. Suddenly people remembered that despite the glitz and glamour of MTV, poverty and social unrest remained rampant. Public Enemy scared the shit of middle America with It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back and in the early 90s four likely lads decided to Rage Against The Machine. Political consciousness was back with a vengeance. Since then, things have gone from good to even better with social and political messages emanating from all facets of the musical rainbow. If you dig under the piles of Bardot singles at your local HMV you'll find the results of a resurgent current in political consciousness.

Interested in indigenous issues? Check out Roots from Brazilian noisemiesters Sepultura. Animal rights and corporate greed: Canadian activists Propaghandi should do the trick. Closer to home, The Whitlams new album Love This City provides insightful social comment on everything from gambling to East Timor. And these examples are just the very tip of the iceberg. As issues such as globalisation continue to galvanise diverse communities, the music that moves our hearts and minds will always play an important role in the struggle. I'll leave the last words to one of our own up and coming artists, Matty B, a talented rapper from Perth, WA.

"I speak the truth without hesitation or regret/The wheels of capitalism oiled with the common man's sweat blood and tears/He pays his rent and has a feed and if he's lucky he'll get a couple of beers/Never seems to get ahead despite working his guts out for years/ It's outrageous, yeah it's outrageous.

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  Issue 97 contents

»	Spotlight on HIH�s WorkCover Link
»	Construction Industry Faces Safety Crisis
»	Statewide Strike Off But Della on Notice
»	David and Goliath Battle at IBM
»	Natasha�s Democrats Face Senate IR Test
»	Howard Abandons Working Families
»	City Councils Recognise Birth � Now for the Bush
»	BHP Forced to Back Off Kembla AWAs
»	Impulse Bores Workers Into Submission
»	Coach Drivers Win Permanency
»	Boss Pockets Compo Payment
»	Union Wins Battle in AWA War
»	Publicans Want to Reduce Bar Pay
»	Abbott Agrees to Ban Asbestos
»	Union Acts to Save Leichhardt Refuge
»	Trade Union Choir Turns Ten
»	Activists' Notebook

»	The Soapbox
»	The Locker Room
»	Trades Hall
»	Tool Shed

»	Thanks from Indonesia
»	Hester Spot On
»	Fuelling Voter Anger
»	May Day - The Debate Continues
»	Not a Chaser Fan

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