Does an artists political belief sway your opinion of them?

f.sciarrillo · Post by **f.sciarrillo** » Thursday Jun 30, 2011

I ask this question out of curiosity. But does an artists political belief sway your opinion of them? I came up with this while listening to Tom Petty yesterday and then seeing on the news how he forced Bachman to stop playing his song "American Girl" at her rallies. He did the same thing with Bush and his song "I won't back down".

They said on rocky (I am forced to listen to it at work) that he isn't a fan of GOP candidates. I think it is more like he doesn't want to be affiliated with politics because there are people who won't listen to him because of his political beliefs. If that is the case I applaud him. If it isn't the case, then so be it, I still like him anyhow.

As for the question: I don't care what their beliefs are, I do wish that some would just shut up and play music. If the music is good I will listen to it no matter what they feel or believe.

kayla · Post by **kayla** » Thursday Jun 30, 2011

i dont really care about what musician thinks about politics.

may be a little of topic here, but, i've wanted to say this...local musicians; believe it or not, there is a few people (myself included) that look up to you. rants about politics that turn into slander makes my respect for you drop dramatically. jus sayin.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Thursday Jun 30, 2011

I understand that Chrissy Hynde hates that Rush Limbaugh plays her music (My City Was Gone) as his main theme bumper music. But he pays the BMI and ASCAP fees, so he can play it. I do not understand how Petty can stop someone using his music, if they pay the ASCAP and BMI fees.

I do not like socialists as musicians, but who cares what most of them think anyway. I listen to their creative side not their their misbegotten politics.

shredder138 · Post by **shredder138** » Thursday Jun 30, 2011

undercoverjoe wrote:
I do not like socialists as musicians, but who cares what most of them think anyway. I listen to their creative side not their their misbegotten politics.

Pretty discriminating as far as musicianship is concerned. Examples?

Jasaoke · Post by **Jasaoke** » Thursday Jun 30, 2011

I think if an artist really wants to make a political statement, they should do so with their art. It's like when a Hollywood actress goes on talk shows and tries to push some agenda or cause. Musicians should make music, actors should do the acting, we have politicians to do the politicking, painters for painting, and so on. If you want to make a statement, use the voice that people are already listening to. I'm all for anyone expressing themselves, but let's face it, Tom Petty can make a much bigger impact in song than in not allowing someone to play a song.

MeYatch · Post by **MeYatch** » Thursday Jun 30, 2011

I couldn't care less, unless they were extremely vocal about beliefs so foul that I basically couldn't separate it from the music.

kayla wrote:i dont really care about what musician thinks about politics.

may be a little of topic here, but, i've wanted to say this...local musicians; believe it or not, there is a few people (myself included) that look up to you. rants about politics that turn into slander makes my respect for you drop dramatically. jus sayin.

well said.

Hawk · Post by **Hawk** » Thursday Jun 30, 2011

All people are multi faceted. Everyone has some tarnished / flawed facets based on some one's opinion. So if someone has a tarnished / flawed facet or two, I always look for and SEE the dazzling facets they have.

Everyone, I have found out by experience, everyone has some beautiful facets within their character. It's all a matter of what YOU focus on.

Does an artists political belief sway your opinion of them?
Absolutely not! Nor does the political persuasion of anyone else!

Why would I not listen to good music, it would only hurt me, not the artist.

My point being that if you loose respect for someone based on one imperfect facet, you are the one who looses. You loose the chance to enjoy the other good facets in someone. Don't loose that chance.

And in my opinion, respect is not earned, it is already there.

This is America where everyone is welcome to voice their opinion. That is a foundation block on which the US is built !

I am more annoyed by all of the people who pay NO attention to the political events that affect our lives.

Don Hughes · Post by **Don Hughes** » Saturday Jul 02, 2011

Didn't Springstein not like it when Reagan would play Born In The USA?

ToonaRockGuy · Post by **ToonaRockGuy** » Saturday Jul 02, 2011

undercoverjoe wrote: I do not understand how Petty can stop someone using his music, if they pay the ASCAP and BMI fees.

Simple, Joe, the songs that Petty had pulled were being used at rallies and fundraisers for live appearances by the candidates. ASCAP and BMI are applicable for radio and bar-type places, like clubs and bowling alleys and the like, not normally a one-off hall.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Saturday Jul 02, 2011

Only if I don't like their stuff in the 1st place. Call it rationalization.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Saturday Jul 02, 2011

Don Hughes wrote:Didn't Springstein not like it when Reagan would play Born In The USA?

I'm not really sure, but I know that everyone thought it was funny and ironic that he was using the tune as a patriotic anthem without listening to the lyrics and understanding what they really mean.

I recall Fortunate Son by CCR being used for a jeans commercial or something similar, trying to convey patriotic imagery with no clue what Fogerty was actually singing about.

P.s. I Should Have Known It by Petty and the Heartbreakers rocks. I knew that Mike Campbell was a good guitarist, but I didn't realize he was that much of a monster.

f.sciarrillo · Post by **f.sciarrillo** » Saturday Jul 02, 2011

Paul, anything from Petty is good. If I say so myself. Mike Campbell is a great guitar player, that is for sure.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Sunday Jul 03, 2011

Man, they're all really good players! Each has reached that level of proficiency where they're a master and play exactly what the song calls for, not one note less and not one note more. Plus, Benmont Tench has played on like a bazillion other people's records.

I'm still just really impressed with I Should Have Know It. The groove the drummer and bass player lay down in that number is as wide as the grand canyon. I love the vintage, mild break up guitar tone - and I'm a high-gain American guitar tone type of guy. Whoever produced that track deserves major props. They knew how to produce rock music: Just let some master's at their craft plug in and rip it up. It's not compressed to hell like all of the new records are. Petty's vocals never sounded better, IMO.

Enough with my gushing, check it out for yourself if any of you haven't heard it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_iBKacXIA4

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Sunday Jul 03, 2011

i love it. anyone that votes for that idiot bauchman is the bigger fool.

f.sciarrillo · Post by **f.sciarrillo** » Sunday Jul 03, 2011

How about this -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHS8Ns-8 ... ure=relmfu

Mojo is a great album.

GrooveMeister70 · Post by **GrooveMeister70** » Tuesday Jul 05, 2011

Our votes don't count. Voting is just a cover in which to lead we the people into believing we still have a voice, a say so, or whatever you want to call it. Washington is bought and paid for by big corporations and whoever they decide they want in office are the ones that are going to be in office.

MistValkyrie · Post by **MistValkyrie** » Sunday Jul 24, 2011

eh...not really. If someone is a good musician or I really enjoy their music, I can still listen to them without worrying about it too much. It goes the other way also, I can agree with their values even if I don't want to listen to them.