Are there artists who's social, political, religious views make you avoid their music?

Billy Bragg & U2/Bono 

This could be a really interesting subject!

U2/Bono, I can cope with even if they are pompous asses at regular intervals. I am prepared to believe that their hearts are trying to be in the right place. However their desire to develop a ridge in california is making me work hard at my indifference!

John Martyn was a pretty unpleasant person at various points in his life and to Beverly in particular, but I could not live without his music.

I cannot listen to Gary Glitter however. Nor can I buy or listen to Eminem!

I think that my decision is not so much that I do/don't like their music, but rather I am not prepared to make them richer so I won't buy certain artists on that principle! They don't need my money to feed their bad habits.

Double standards? Moi?

atb

james

Todd Rundgren.

A total and utter Richard-Head.

And U2/Bono... What's with them? Are they high on something?

Talk about contradictions. 

U2 - must be the most over-rated group on the planet. Kings of Leon - they seem to act like prima donnas and their music sucks. I've come around a bit on Paul Weller - I used to live in Milton Keynes and his remarks and never having been there irked me at the time, but I can't do without the Jam classics and I still love Stanley Road!

Tim

I knew U2 would be high on the lists of many. I can see Coldplay following them, in terms of politics, they have already done it musically. I tend to think they may have good hearts, but lack a sense of how much the public really want to hear from them.

I am puzzled by the mention of Eminem, he has made public support for Obama, which may be against some people's politics, but no more than R.E.M, Springsteen, Pearl Jam and all the others on the Vote for Change tour. He does have a charity which helps disadvantaged children in Michigan (his home state). His has had lyrical spats with other rappers, but then so have many rappers, it seems pretty much par for the territory.

For Miles Davis is like John Martyn for Luytens, pretty misogynist and generally unpleasant, but made such fantastic music.

Generally I tend to find more often than not that artists who I like tend to support thing I like too, Pearl Jam, Kraftwerk, R.E.M. Others keep their views private, or express all they have to express purely through their music.

There are a number of people who's music holds no interest to me, but their actions make me not want to even consider it.

I don't find Ozzy Osbourne as funny and harmless as many seem to do, I find him an imbecile, and have found many things he has done to be unpleasant.

Gary Glitter, Jonathan King are obvious dislikes, and although I doubt that Michael Jackson was intentionally malicious in his actions towards children, it was still damaging, and bought off through his one time wealth (allegedly).

Perhaps the person I have least like for in the music industry is Mariah Carey, who has said such offensive things, mainly in ignorance, that I can't believe that anyone would consider selling her products, but then I find it hard to understand why anyone would want to buy her music even were she a good person. Her comment on famine was abhorrent, and her $40 million payoff from EMI and the job losses it caused was also unforgivable.

I wouldn't say that RATM, Tom Morello (as The Nigh****chman), System of a Down, Billy Bragg etc are really aligned with my political views, but it doesn't stop me listening to them. Hell, even Joan Baez sees things a little idealistically for my taste. Great music, though.

U2, on the other hand, well I don't like them for a range of reasons - but still occasionally listen to their older stuff.

Gary Glitter doesn't register as his music was crap in any case.

Mariah Carey never actually made the purported comment about famine and body shape. It was an urban myth. I don't get the impression that she is terribly bright, however. I don't listen to her because her music is rubbish, not because of her views.

Short answer - it is the music counts. The political/social views are what they are - they don't matter much to me.

Thanks Winkyincanada, I never knew the Carey quote was a myth. Apparetnly The Independant reported it, not knowing it was a spoof. I presume the death of the King of Jordan one is true however (the greatest basketball player in her view).

Jamie,

I think this  will just turn into the normal,I cant stand/or I dont like thread.

James L ,

WTF  has Todd Rundgren ever done that was political or social for the bad?

I am open for some one to tell me please?

He is a bloody nice Guy and has made good music for over 40 years and produced loads of other peoples albums,All for the good of music.

Stu

Any artist's political views, beliefs, personal life etc. is irrelevant to me. I am interested in their music, not the person. Some rock musicians in particular are pompous, self-important fools, others act like morons in the belief that they are oh-so funny and clever. This leads me to lose respect for them as people, but I can still enjoy their music. Even if an artist infuses all their music with their own political beliefs, and even if I strongly disagree with them, I still evaluate the music purely on its merits as music. If I like it, I like it no matter what. This isn't confined to rock by any means. Some classical composers / performers have or had very unsavoury beliefs or personal lives, but their music is superb.

Peter 

Stu

True, Todd G has done some good work in the past (Grand Funk Railroad, check) but of late he's sounding like a crazy red-neck.

Some recent comments he's made relating to Barack Obama have been downright inflammatory.

I stand to be re-educated on the guy but to me Todd ain't Godd.

Who the hell will remeber Obama in 40 years as a good thing?

Other than being the first black African/ Irish american pres to start even more wars that cant be WON 

People will still be playing Todds music.

You should try and see Imagine Lennon,The New York Years .

It was on BB1 tv last night in the UK.

Stu

In general I prefer artists who stick to writing songs about more fantastic things, dreams - music with a smile.

I'm guessing Jamie that you are not a big Ted Nugent fan

I do find it very difficult to come to terms with Mayhem, Burzum and Cradle of Filth despite the tuneful melodies that they are famous for. Burzum is a word of the Black Speech of Mordor meaning darkness. Burzum is Varg Vikernes (a.k.a. Count Grishnackh). During 1992 and 1993, Burzum recorded four albums; however, in 1994 Vikernes was convicted and imprisoned for the murder of guitarist Øystein Euronymous Aarseth and the arson of several churches. While imprisoned, Vikernes recorded two studio albums in the dark ambient style, using only synthesised instruments, as he was not given access to drums, guitar, or bass. Burzum is one of the most influential acts in black metal.

I do not like M+M at all - banal would be my description of his muzak, but that is my view of all rap - just seems like corporate drivel to me - why don't these guys sing about Cricket like the Duckworth Lewis Method. 

However, Todd R seems to stand for good things to me. The dude is great talent musician - like an American Roy Wood in some respects - his political views seem sound to me 

I will lay a foe to waste

For a grudge I’ve never had

I will bring a nation down

For a cause I’ll never have.

Todd is criticising Obama and other politicians and what's wrong with that I'd like to know for here we go again, as I suspect was Country Joe when he sung

Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men,

Uncle Sam needs your help again.

He's got himself in a terrible jam

Way down yonder in Vietnam

So put down your books and pick up a gun,

We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

If you want a politically charged song though then I dare you to play this (click here if your dare) - be careful who you let know you are listening to it. 

Ops, Er, I don't know what to say or how I got this confused....

I had my charged rockers mixed up

Guido, you got it right.

Ted Nugent is the guy I have issues with.

Apoligies to Todd.

And of course you too Stu. Thanks for arguing your point. 

Todd is now Godd again! :-)

'Bertie (and others)

It would be a shame if the political side of Billy Bragg's work put anyone off him totally. 3/4 of his work is intimate, sometimes romantic and often very funny. If you are not sure then downlaod 'Tank Park Salute'-the most heartfelt song to a lost father you'll ever hear. His untutored voice works with such raw and emotional material as this incredibly well if you can see beyond the negative image you may have.

Generally every time I read or hear an utterance from Morrissey I cringe, and I've never bought any of his recent work partly because of that. Such a shame as the The Smiths were part of the soundtrack to my youth.

Slightly off topic, I will never willingly put money in Mel Gibson's pocket by seeing anything he has made or appeared in. Odious man by all accounts; yet in truth what do I really know?

Bruce

I guess an interesting counterpoint question would be if there are any artists you do listen to because of their views. Fir myself, I always will listen to Steve Earle releases. I think the music is good but he is one of the few folks around these parts saying that people need to take a look around and see what is happening in this country.

I listen to music that I like; I have no regard for the political, personal, religious, or criminal thoughts or deeds of the artist.

This auto-edit by the forum software cracks me up!

Who is Todd G? I thought we were talking about Todd Rundgren.

I like to think that what the artist *believes* should have zero impact on whether or not I can enjoy listening to their music.   But I am not so sure that I am consistent in applying this principle.

After all, there is plenty of music I hate because of what it represents.  Take gangster rap or red-neck country as examples.  I have not heard any songs within those genres that I like, but even if they do exist, I still wouldn't go out of my way to look for them.  And that is because of what those artists believe, and what they represent.

I remember reading about the concept of "cultural relativism".  Some would say that it is reason why I cannot appreciate those two genres as "good music" -- it is because of my cultural background.   Of course, this same concept could be used to explain away the Taliban's treatment of women (which, again, I couldn't understand because I wasn't an Afghani).  And oh yeah, Hitler wasn't such a bad guy in the context of Nazi culture.  In other words, good and bad don't really exist, it's all just relative.  

Maybe this concept applies more safely to the worlds of music and art than it does to history and sociology.  I feel more comfortable with the idea that there is no such thing as "good" and "bad" music, then I do with the idea that Hitler wasn't a bad guy.

Sigh.  I guess the best I can say is that I listen to what I like....period.

Hook

Yep, I messed is thread up. In fact I've messed plenty up lately. The head is not working at all well but that's another subject.

So not Todd Rundgren, not Todd G but Ted Nugent.....

With Steve Earle I would recommend starting with "I feel alright" (1996).

Other good ones are "Train a comin", "El Corazon", "Guitar town" (1986 debut).

I haven't heard much of his post-2000-recordings, but there's where the political/religious USA/islam issues appeared, obviously.

Jamie,

I have greatly enjoyed Treme as well. As far as Steve Earle albums, along with the other recommendations here I would suggest Transcendental Blues and Jerusalem. His last couple are  also good-Townes and I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive.

I have never bought any Oasis albums as I am completely put off by Liam Gallagher.  I will listen to some of their stuff, but will never lay out any cash.

As for Gary Glitter and Jonathan King; I liked their music in my youth - it was fun and exciting.  I do not approve of them as people, but that does not stop me from still quite liking some of their music.

Sort of similarly, I liked the Boomtown Rats but find Geldoff a human version of nails being scraped down a blackboard.

In the film Amadeus, Tom Hulse as Motzart says, "I am a vulgar man! But I assure you, my music is not." This sums up my views on some musicians. 

Brad