“Mixing pop & politics, he asks me what the use is/ I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses”. Thus sang Billy Bragg back in 1988. So, is political music relevant in the 21st century, and secondly, is it any good?
Firstly, there has been a history of politics and protest throughout musical history. People like Woody Guthrie made a career out of it; Paul Robeson was persecuted for it. Throughout the 1960s protest was the letter of the day. Latterly, during the Thatcher era there was a rise in politically motivated singers and bands, from Billy Bragg along with Paul Weller starting the Red Wedge, to bands like The Redskins, all Socialist Workers Party members, who released one incredible album and then disappeared.
In today’s society, with living standards being ground down on a daily basis, politics is more relevant than ever. So we come to THEE FACTION, a band who according to their publicity blurb disappeared in the mid 1980s and returned in 2010 to rave reviews. This latest album ‘Singing Down The Government (or The War Of Position and How We Are Winning It) to give it its full title, is relevant, timely and above all, a cracking good listen. The closest I can come to saying what they sound like would be to describe Wilco Johnson era Dr. Feelgood, with a horn section. This is really great.
There are twelve tracks on the album, each one interspersed with a snippet of dialogue, so my stereo showed twenty four tracks. The dialogue is well crafted and right on politically: -
“That rock ‘n’ roll rebel you thinks’ brilliant, he’s a hero of capitalism, he makes them a fortune.” The album opens with ‘Let’s Have a Meetin’: a classic style R & B track, which is very reminiscent of Dr. Feelgood’s ‘She Does It Right’, the choppy guitar lines working well with the bass. As well as the politics, there’s a lot of humorous social commentary in the lyrics: - “Lets get nice and loco, sit right on the sofa/ Aint nothing wrong with talkin’, I’ll draw up a rota/ If we don’t watch commercials, then that stuff don’t sell”.
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As well as R & B styled classics, there is also a note of new wave on some of the tracks such as ‘Soapbox’, with its pounding drums spiky guitar and frantic vocals: “But the liberal individual aint getting away...Taking your class consciousness away.I aint gonna get off my soapbox until we’re free”
There’s no target too big or small for Thee Faction, in ‘Responsible’, even the venerable BBC comes under attack: - “Here’s a glorious opportunity, for their class, for their class/ To shut us down with the help from the media”.
All in all, this is a really refreshing listen, which will manage to get both feet and minds moving. Well worth getting hold of, and available from: -
Soviet Beret website Get a copy now and go and get organised!
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