Album’s political overtones challenge listeners
By Bryan Peterson
Staff Reporter
In writing this column, I have
been, and will continue to be, con
cerned primarily with music that
has some sort of social or political
message. Fifth Column: music as a
subversive activity. I have no pre
tensions of belittling non-political
music. Nor do I suggest that all
music should have a message of
great social impact. I do feel that
such music is important and often
neglected by the press or easily
dismissed by the public at large.
This is as true of three-chord hard
core choruses of “Make love, not
war” as it is of the more musically
adept creations of “real musicians. ”
How could Prokofiev have known
his love theme would be used by
Sting in a song pleading for inter
national understanding and empa
thy? In any case, that is what this
column is all about - music for
change.
One last thing - some may think
1 emphasize lyrical content at the
expense of music criticism. This is
a valid concern, but I feel that
overtly political bands are using
music as a vehicle to convey ideas.
In this sense, I think it is more
important to examine ideas than to
lay judgments on a musical style.
Besides, I am a much better ideo
logue than aesthete.
Above is an introduction from a
Fifth Column which ran three se
mesters ago. It still pretty well sums
up what Fifth Column is about: the
use of music as socio-political com
mentary.
Fifth Column initially focused
upon the ramblings of obscure
punk bands but gradually has
expanded its subject matter.
Prince, Metallica, Public Enemy,
Dolly Parton, and Michelle
Shocked are among those who
have made their way into Fifth
Column at one time or another.
Keeping with its origins, this
Fifth Column will look at “The
State of the Union,” a recent com
puation album featuring sixteen
bands (mostly punk) from the
Washington, D.C., area.
The album is a benefit for the
American Civil Liberties Union and
the Community for Creative Non
Violence compiled by Positive
Force D.C. and released on Dis
chord Records. Both organizations
have long histories of supporting
alternative music and ideas in the
Washington, D.C., area
D.C. bands long have been
known for the “personal” qualities
of their lyrics -- a fact recalled in
nearly every underground rag. The
D.C. punk scene has influenced
bands across America since its ear
liest days when Minor Threat, G.I.
and other bands were just begin
ning Over the years, though, D.C.
bands gradually have been ex
panding the scope of their con
cerns.
Every Dischord band used to
sing about personal struggles con
cerning identity, existence and the
integrity of the local underground
scene. I he same concerns sun
appear, but the bands are taking on
increasingly political overtones.
The anger and introspection stil 1
abound, but the focus is now more
direct and the fingers are pointed at
“us” rather than "them.” Many of
the bands examine their own roles
in the problems with which they
are concerned.
Others explore their own short
comings as activists (“Arbitrary in
our pity, selective in our shame”).
Not lost in this sudden maturity
among punk sentiments, the anger
remains. Consider these words
from the band Ignition: "I may be
blind in my actions/ And have no
control of my rage/ And suffer from
heated moments/ But that result
was not unforeseen/ I know what
my anger means.”
A central theme on this compila
tion is responsibility, a theme best
expressed by the band Fire Party:
“By turning a blind eye/ I thought
See FIFTH on 19
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