INTRODUCTORY NOTE:

Over the past few years, I’ve inadvertently become pretty fixated on making themed compilations and playlists – either carefully wrought overviews of particular scenes, sub-genres or sounds, or else exploring different musical approaches to different kinds of subject matter. I will usually tend to slave away over these things for months on end, initially just for my own amusement/edification, although I have sometimes made actual, physical CDs out of them and given them to people I hoped might like them. On one occasion, I actually dared to sell some of these CDs for money (with proceeds going to charity, natch) – a venture which proved surprisingly successful.

So, as one part of my campaign to revitalise this blog, it stands to reason that I should start sharing these comps – primarily streaming via Mixcloud’s user friendly, copyright police-ducking interface, although I’m also game for providing more, uh, ‘old fashioned’ listening options upon request [see below].

BLURB:

A sort-of sequel to ‘Songs About History’, which I posted here back in 2012, the concept of ‘Songs About War’ speaks for itself, more or less, so I'll spare you a round of socio-political hand-wringing.

In spite of the fact that few if any of the predominantly first world based artists on this comp have any first hand experience of war (I think Billy Bragg was in the army at one point, but beyond that… no idea), I have done my best not to simply fill the whole thing with ‘60s derived “war is bad man… why can’t we just stay in head and love each other?” type diatribes, which would have proved all too easy (although I’ve still let The Byrds in with a more-or-less definitive example of the form).

Instead, I’ve tried to select songs whose writers have at least *tried* to place themselves within the skin of someone participating in armed conflict in some capacity, creating what they feel is an appropriate musical analogue to the experience, and perhaps reflecting to some degree on the place of war as a seemingly inescapable component part of human nature and society.

In this respect, I quite like the way that, as you listen to these songs in close succession, the specific details of the conflicts many of them are written about tend to fall away, leaving behind the feeling of more abstract, universal scenarios, applicable to any time and place throughout history in which people have been driven to fight and kill each other en masse.

If you’re worried that such subject matter could potentially lead to a pretty monotonously grim track list, well, what can I say – I hope the inclusion of several banging dance tracks, ‘80s heavy metal and a hefty application of black humour will help ease the burden a little.

Naturally, I would have loved to have included some more songs emanating from areas of the world that actually have been ravaged by war within living memory, but, broadly speaking, my experience of such music tends to suggest that – as was discussed in my review of the excellent ‘Wake Up You!’ comp in 2016 - musicians whose countries have recently emerged from conflict tend to have better things to do than stand around singing about it. Funny that.

Anyway, I hope you get something out of these selections. Any comments, observations or suggestions for future volumes are gratefully received.


LISTEN:


(direct link.)


TRACK LIST:

1. The Mekons – Hello Cruel World
2. Joe Tex – I Believe I’m Gonna Make It
3. Napalm Death – Retreat to Nowhere
4. Michael Yonkers Band – Boy in the Sandbox
5. Iron Maiden – Intro / Aces High (live ’85)
6. Warren Zevon – Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
7. The Dead Kennedys – When Ya Get Drafted
8. The Byrds – Draft Morning
9. Nudge Squidfish – Part Cherokee
10. Bolt Thrower – Eternal War
11. Party of One – Baghdad Boogie
12. Billy Bragg – Island of No Return
13. Weird War – AK-47
14. William Onyeabor – Why Go To War?
15. The Gories – Sovereignty Flight
16. Honey Ltd – The Warrior
17. Rocket From The Tombs – 30 Seconds Over Tokyo
18. Geechie Wiley & Elvie Thomas – Last Kind Word Blues
19. Mike Williams – Lonely Soldier
20. Leonard Cohen – The Partisan
21. Wire – Reuters
22. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – The Anniversary of WWIII
23. Dead Moon – Johnny’s Got a Gun


[PS - if you’d like either a downloadable version of this comp or an actual CD, my email address is at the top of the page – I’ll be happy to help.]

Labels: mixcloud, mixtapes, war