Is Christmas a time for Rage

[Johnnywas]

I had been quite looking forward (or at least I was resigned to) Joe McElderry warbling his way to number one. The song has some appeals for to my seven year old daughter who put in the hours necessary to watch X factor from early  autumn to just before Christmas. I think if truth be told its a fine piece of songwriting sung passably well

Its not however a great song - it has an eratz backing track and Joe Mcelderry's vocals are a bit to trill. Miley Cryus did a rather better version (and she hardly raucous)

A little surprised therefore that Rage against the Machine  has pipped young Joe to the Christmas No 1 slot with their signature tune (Killing in the Name).  However, Im not the only one suprised,  this is quite an industry upset.

RATM song is an almost generically angry song. I think its about the US police being infiltrated by the Klux Klan. I like it  - but I like noisy electric guitar riffs with lots of effects and huge distortion.

It largely at No 1 because a sizeable part of the music buying public is tired of Simon Cowells self promotion and ability to foist Number 1 songs on the charts. Indeed, the campaign to make RATM number 1 is more about the public's dislike of the X factor bandwagon and of its sentimentalised version of pop than its affection for RATM

However while  Killing in the Name is noisy and contains lot  of expletives  - it is not an entirely inappropriate Christmas record. Christmas is a time for charity and 'killing in the name' is intended to make people think  a little beyond their immediate comforts.  Rather like 'Stop the Cavalry' by Jona Lewie or 'Happy Xmas' by John Lennon.  Money from the sales is  going to a homeless charity.           

j
   

[Jon Teunon]

There may be more important concerns - like the expected failure of Copenhagen etc, but I think this was a good result - both in terms of taste and perhaps more importantly as a hint of the growing potential of the internet to be harnessed to acts of dissent and to counter the disproportionate power held by mainstream media.

(And as one of my friends points out RATM were influenced by The Clash - another reason why they're far superior to Cowell et al!!)

[rob9443]

Fuck you Cowell, we won't do what you tell us...