Politics!?

[chelle12]

Hi,

I ran into this early interview of Axl in Donnington on YouTube about Iron Maiden and about their political stands: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pKxUuZxHDE

Funny to see he wants to call his album Chinese Democracy?

[Tomorrows]

My take on the word "politics" in the context used there is that "politics" refers to the POV that the art expresses - Axl's objection to Iron Maiden being they are gimmicky and fantastical (ie, Number of the Beast) as opposed to the gritty realism of AFD which expressed a very factual reality of life on the streets.

Axl is not using "politics" in the sense of grand scale movements and stuff.

Also, I dont see why you are saying its interesting in the context of Chinese Democracy - far from saying that GNR are apolitical, I think he is saying in that interview that he doesnt respect Iron Maiden for precisely the reason that they had become removed from the world. GNR have almost always been about politics one way or another. Think about, someone writting stuff like "Civil War" ratting on another performer for being political?

[slashisvr]

are we allowed to talk about politics people???

[slashisvr]

i remeber bruce once ripped axl for having to use auto cues for HIS lyrics 

[T_Roxie]

"izzy were you gonna say something?"

"No"

 

[nesquick]

Axl is right on this video. Music is one thing, politic is another thing. You can make some allusions sometimes, or write 1 so,ng or 2 about that (like Civil War- whereas it's not really "politic" anymay), but no more, it has to be limited, because building a whole musical career using politics is ridiculous. Plus, the fans don't care if their favourite singer or musician prefers Bush over kerry over kenedy over Clinton or democrates over replublicans whatever. This is pointless. Nobody cares. It's all about music, not politic.

[jarmo]

I think you need to look up more artists/bands than just Oasis and James Blunt.... 

Describing the world we live in is what most artists do. Sometimes it gets political.




/jarmo

[Guns N RockMusic]

I think you need to look up more artists/bands than just Oasis and James Blunt.... 

Describing the world we live in is what most artists do. Sometimes it gets political.




/jarmo

Then why aren't we allowed to discuss said world in its entirety?

[Origen]

That video is over 18 years old, People do change their opinions in 18 years.

[gueli]

i remeber bruce once ripped axl for having to use auto cues for HIS lyrics 

Bruce is the typical british arrogant bastard! i like him singing but when he talks he is a pure idiot, especially in his rants 

[liesin]

I second that "nesquick". ?

[CheapJon]

"izzy were you gonna say something?"

"No"

 

that quote is great

[T_Roxie]

"izzy were you gonna say something?"

"No"

 

that quote is great

It's the way he doesn't even look up from his drink when he says it!

[ppbebe]

So no one agree with Tommorrows on this one? I do. Is iron maiden a political band?

I don't know well about iron maiden other than that you can see 2 iron maidens at Madame Tussaud's. one is a medieval instrument of torture and the other is a former PM. (her nickname) 

[Tomorrows]

Just to restate my opinion of what Axl is getting at:

Iron Maiden can be considered to be apolitical - they make songs about fantasy worlds and monsters and stuff.

GNR are political in the sense that their songs reveal much about the struggle of urban reality.

-------------

A grossly sweeping statement with heaps of holes, but well, I think thats what Axl is getting at.

[chelle12]

I guess back in the day's Maidens song "Run to the Hills" was about criticizing the politics of the conquistadors in the past, they have more songs like that.

While guns at that time was just about party and rock 'n' roll, Axl just wanted to be reckless, and have nothing to do with politics. Later, like Civil War, he matured as his world became bigger and he's views changed ?

btw "Tomorrows" your right at stating that Axl has a more raw/realistic approach addressing different topics in contrast to the nostalgic story telling approach of Maiden.

Whatever it's always fun to see such clips from the past when they were total Anarchy, Yay~

[jarmo]

Then why aren't we allowed to discuss said world in its entirety?

Because certain people can't handle a civilized discussion about the subject and we don't want to be babysitting a few of you because of that.

It's been explained over and over again and yet you keep asking. Why is it that hard to understand? 



/jarmo

[sucker punch]

Axl once said that his fave band was U2 and he liked them but not iron maiden and ther is a difference between changin your views and being a hypacrite

[SlashxDelonge1458]

Yea, that was pretty funny. Nice find 

[True Believer]

Muse (who are playing with GnR at inland invasion) have done a great job of sublty working politics into their music. ?

The first track "Take a Bow" on their new CD is clearly about George W. ?But they never use his name.
They have tracks about joining underground political movements, joining the struggle against the facists, and planning assasinations, but you don't really pick it up unless you're already thinking along those lines. ?And it's all buried in beautiful thrashing rock.

In this day and age i don't see how any self-respecting artist could avoid addressing the state of the world.

Politics help form the world around an artist. ?Real artists, and not poseurs, are usually sensitive people who are enraged and inspired by injustice, pain, and abuse, and they use their talents to try to wake up the masses and change the world. ? But you have to do it carefully, so you're not patronizing people are acting holier than thou. ? ? Civil War was amazing. ?Chinese Democracy might be the same. ?I'm hoping for some serious political songs on there. ?This aint 1987.