Welcome back to the Various Artists/Various Blogs Festival! The festival runs December 1st-10th, across many blogs in the Community… Check out THIS PAGE at Bruce’s site for all the posts as we go along! And most importantly: our huge thanks to Bruce for getting the ball rolling on this, and for all his hard work in making it all happen!
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Here’s a good one for a recharge of your righteous indignation battery. As the title says, it’s songs and artists that inspired Fahrenheit 9/11, the 2004 documentary by Michael Moore.
There was a soundtrack released for the film as well, with a different track listing entirely…
Lots of great anti-war stuff here, like we’ve been zapped back to the ideologies of the 60s (fair point: Dylan has three tracks here, one by him and two covers of his songs). I dug a lot of the songs, live or studio, right up until the Jeff Buckley cover of Hallelujah. I have already stated, in these pages, that I am not a fan of this cover (or any cover) of that song. It’s only Leonard’s original version for me, everyone else misses the point of it completely. Mix-wise, I also question its inclusion here – I don’t think it fits the mix at all, better to end on the Nanci Griffith track. Ah well.
In the liner notes, it says “Ultimately this record speaks to the responsibility we all have as citizens to act upon our beliefs. This is our country, our world. We can help shape its future or we can have others do it for us.” Let’s break that down, as I get what they mean but the wording is interesting:
“Ultimately this record speaks to the responsibility we all have as citizens to act upon our beliefs.” You are acting on your beliefs and so are they. Thinking your way is the only way is what you gets you into all of these messes.
“This is our country, our world.” Excuse me, your world? Really? Ah hubris.
“We can help shape its future or we can have others do it for us.” This I agree with, except I’d have better worded it as “We can help shape its future by working towards peaceful resolution of conflict, pulling troops out of foreign countries (especially when the real reason is oil), and generally stopping being the manipulative power-hungry global bully. Then, perhaps, others wouldn’t feel so compelled to strike back.
Man, I try to leave politics out of this blog, and yet, look at me go. I just get so tired of all the conflict and drama and war. Resources, finance and greed. Perhaps we’re beyond repair, perhaps this will go on and on and my kids will be hearing the same damn thing in the news long after I’m gone. But discs like this remind us it doesn’t have to be that way. We can be peaceful. It isn’t likely, but we could and it’s worth holding on to the potential.
Anyway, most of the rest of the disc is a worthwhile listen. Have a look at the track list!
keepsmealive 
Heard of this but haven’t caught the film.. Like lots of the cuts. With you on the last tune. That’s a Moore choice I guess.
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I might have the seen the film? Probably? Maybe? I dunno. But I’d prefer this comp, any day!
I rant abou that Buckley track often enough, but setting aside my thoughts on it, it just didn’t really go here. Ah well.
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I agree on-the Buckley thing not fitting for me. I’m a big fan of his dads. I like your take on the film. I have a few of those.
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I went to a Dixie Chicks show (really strong performers) and they played Travellin’ Soldier – one of those arrangements where the band moves closer together on stage to play the more subdued tunes, very well done.
It was nice seeing so many various artists banners in my reader this morning!
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DC have (had?) a reputation for being excellent live – ecept maybe when they mention politics (ref: whole movie about that furor). I’ll bet this song was GREAT live!
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Hallelujah is a rather odd choice. Other than that, it looks like a pretty good compilation.
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It’s decent! I paid $2 for it at the dollar store so it oughta be available cheaply…
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Wait!? $2 in a dollar store? You should be asking for a dollar back!
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I know. The main chain is one called Dollarama. Used to be everything was $1, pretty much. But over time, prices have crept up and up. Some stuff is now $4. I asked why and they just shrugged. Go figure. I guess they are trying to bring in name brand stuff and slightly better quality maybe but it’s a dollar store. We know it’s Chinese crap junk. Charge us a buck!
There is another chain here called Dollar Tree, where everything is $1.25. But it’s all crap. Unless you need gift bags and wrapping paper, I suppose.
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Maybe in fine print before thr word dollar they have an astetisk.
That stands for U.S. dollar shich means they can charge up to $4 Canadian.
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I dunno, maybe? 😉 It’s just a rotter when we can remember everything being a buck and now it’s anything goes.
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The Poundland here is going in a similar direction. Started with some £2 stuff and now there’s some more expensive things creeping in…
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Poundland? Is that truly its name?
Yeah I think it’s just harder to keep the lights on and pay the staff. We’ll see prices go up here again when the minimum wage rises in Ontario in January.
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Yup – that’s genuinely the name of the stores.
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That’s… that’s beautiful! Haha waaaaay better than dumb ol’ Dollarama.
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This sounds pretty cool. I will seek it out.
Don’t get too worked up about politics.
With Trump and Kim Jong-Un having their greasy fingers near the buttons, it will all soon be over anyway.
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I got it our local dollar store for $2, you might too! I don’t get worked up about politics all that often, but discs like this get the ol’ brain firing and posts like this can result… all I ask is common sense and a general sense of human togetherness without the weight of politics and religion and war messing up what could be an awesome world to live on. We may never achieve it but I can hope.
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Good points, I never knew there was a soundtrack for this film. I’ll have to check it out, thanks for bringing it to my attention.
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Thanks! Yup, there was a soundtrack for the film, and there was this one of songs that inspired the film. A two-fer!
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What’s the SOAD track like?
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In typical SOAD fashion, it’s crazy and awesome. Check your inbox.
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I thank you.
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Any time, brother!
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I love how 1/2 of Rage Against the Machine manages to show up. I didn’t know the singer did any solo stuff.
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De La Rocha did do some solo stuff. a track here or there. Interesting footnote: the track of his here was co-produced with Trent Reznor!
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I might have to check that out.
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Go for it!
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The Jeff B cover does rather stick out, doesn’t it? Interesting collection, none-the-less, and more interesting that it was a companion to the soundtrack.
The world belongs to bacteria, really. They just tolerate us because it suits them.
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Yup, I would have left the Buckley off, and for two reasons (as noted). Ah well, it seems we’ll be beaten over the head with it because he died, and now Leonard died, and so it’s an endless circle of the song.
It is an interesting disc, quite varied but (mostly) on the same lines. It’s not a smooth listen as far as flow, but a good mix of like-minded songs.
I, for one, welcome our bacteria overlords so long as they recognize me as a life form worthy of existence.
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