Review:

on 2012-02-01 CharlesMartel Said:

This was given to me by an American friend of mine who was delighted to find that at least some in the music industry were prepared to stand up and make a statement against the ultra-right-wing, talibaptist, warmongering, corporate whore George W. Bush. Pity someone didn't do something similar for that slimy lying bastard Blair as well.

The problem with these sorts of compilations is that, no matter how well intentioned they are, they rarely meet expectations. Some compilations feature bands who put forward a song from their repertoire for inclusion on the album. Others, have the bands write a new song specifically for the album. These latter albums invariably consist of a series of variable quality diatribes against the protagonist. Now while I am all for the occasional rant against the ills of the world, it is a bit much to expect me to listen to a whole album of it. And "Rock against Bush" is basically a whole album of slagging off George W. Bush.

Now he and his gaggle, collectively known in the UK as the Chimp (Bush), the Poodle (Blair), the Drunk (Rumsfeld) and the Anti-Christ (Cheney) well deserve all the opprobrium they get, I can almost feel some sympathy for them by the end of this album. And to make matters worse, it isn't actually going to change anything. It is all too easy for the establishment to write this off as the product of scruffy worthless kids who have it too easy and are probably on drugs, or Communists or Atheists or something, not like our boys who go out there are put their lives on the line so Haliburton can increase its shareholder value. If this album had convinced one kid who was thinking of signing up not to do so, then I would say it was worth it. But I doubt that very much.

Writing a protest song is not easy - I have tried. Writing a good one is even harder. Above all you need some subtlety, and subtlety is what this lacks. It is not good yelling "Bush is a c***" repeatedly: we all know he is and don't need reminding. A bunch of largely little known punk bands all saying the same thing is not actually going to change anything, and is more likely to drive people away than bring the waverers into the fold.

If this was meant to start a revolution it failed, obviously. It was always going to because the people who would buy this are already the converted, and if they haven't done anything to bring about change before they bought this, then this album is not going to make them do it. It may salve their middle class, white consciences, but it is not going to make a man out of a pussy. If you want a revolution youve got to make one. Singing about it is not going to do anything of itself.

So, two stars for effort, two for the music, two for the politics and that is about as far as I can stretch on this.
Rating: 6/10