The sounds of dissenting opinion

Dissent is suddenly a hot commodity again in America. Whether it’s the film making offering Fahrenheit 9-11, by Michael Moore, the outspoken touring minstrels travelling from swing state to swing state in a bid to defeat George Bush or authors of magazine articles and books dedicated to shining some light into events that many people just don’t understand. Speaking out hasn’t been this intense and at times frantically desperate, since the days of the Vietnam War.

A recent edition of Rolling Stone magazine seemed to be almost totally dedicated to those that are speaking out against the administration of George Bush and the policy of war in Iraq. No stranger to political positions, Rolling Stone cut its teeth during the Vietnam War, considered then to be a counter culture publication it has long since evolved into a mainstream journal of social, political and cultural exploration.

But with Edition Number 957, published in September, the magazine seemed to step back in time, back to any issue of the early to mid seventies as a then unpopular war continued on without an end, no progress being made and far too many of a nation’s youth coming back maimed, confused and tragically dead.

RS 957 featured an in depth interview with film maker Michael Moore, the perpetual stone in the shoe of the Republican Party. It also included a stinging article about the failures of Dick Cheney and how he may be dragging George Bush down with him. It featured more news on the upcoming Vote for Change tour by such luminaries as Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Bon Jovi and many, many others. Ready to hit the road those troubadours are taking the gospel of change to the masses in a bid to stop the Bush forces from achieving a second term. With their blitz of vote for change concerts, they may be providing a soundtrack for those hoping to make America change its current course.

But for sheer will, there is no one more dedicated to trying to derail the Bush re-election train than Steve Earle. And he too is featured in RS 957, with a two page question and answer session about his new recording and long held beliefs in social activism. A long time observer of the dispossessed of society, Earle’s music has been reflective of troubled times. He frequently explores themes of those that have been left behind in American society. They are the folks that have lost their jobs, abandoned by their employers they now wonder how they’ll get by on reduced incomes, no health insurance and a society increasingly splitting into haves and have nots.

Earle is no stranger to political awareness, In the past he’s spoken out against land mines and the death penalty. Currently when he's not on tour, or working in the recording studio he's holding down a Sunday night shift (10 pm EST) at the Liberal radio network Air America. He's had his share of personal demons as well and perhaps that gives his views some real time resonance. A suggestion of a guy who's been to hell and back and is here to tell you about the journey.

An outspoken critic of the current administration and its moves during the war on terror. Earle has not been afraid to take a public stage and say what he believes. While the Dixie Chicks were being taken to a whipping post over their comments about the President while on their tour in England, Earle was speaking out against the suspension of basic civil rights in pursuit of the war on terror. His John Walker Blues off of the Jerusalem CD, stood out for its timing and content.

Taking a look at things from the point of view of Walker Lindh the
”American Taliban” it was released during the patriotic overflow of such songs as “courtesy of the Red, White and Blue. While the media and a lot of the American public were calling for revenge, Earle was looking for answers.

His latest examination of the state of the American union is a recording called “The Revolution starts Now”. Released in August, it features a number of songs that while never mentioning President George W. Bush by name, certainly challenge all that he has spoken of in the last four years.

Two songs that set the tone of the album and reflect Earle’s anger over the war in Iraq are Rich Man’s war and the Title Track “The Revolution Starts Now”. Rich Man’s war follows a young American who joined the Army to escape poverty in his home town and finds himself sent off to war, in an interesting twist Earle ties in that soldier’s life with that of a suicide bomber from Gaza, both off fighting a “rich man’s war”. It’s a powerful song and may find life as an anthem for the growing anti war movement in the USA.

The Revolution Starts now is a call to action to those that have sat back and tried to make some sense of what has happened in the last three years in America. Earle has issued a challenge to get involved, make a difference and to take a stand. One set of lyrics in the title song sums up that call;

Yeah the revolution starts now
In your own backyard
In your own hometown
So what you doin’ standin’ around?
Just follow your heart
The revolution starts now

Earle sat down and pounded out tune after tune for the new album in just a few sittings, wanting to have it out and available before the election takes place. He had a deadline he had to meet, as he sees it, this is the most important American election of his lifetime, and he and the band just wanted to weigh in.

And weigh in they do, The Revolution Starts Now is going to attract some attention and to make sure that as many people hear his message as possible, Earle has three of the more controversial tracks on the CD available to listen for free on his website, Rich Man’s war, The Revolution starts now and F the CC all await the click of a mouse and the bend of an ear.

Radio is where a musical artist gets his exposure; it will be interesting to see how an industry as corporate as American radio is, will react to a rebellious minstrel out to win hearts and minds. Though even Earle must know that F the CC is not going to be making it near any radio station play lists.

With the political rhetoric heating up as the election nears, Earle is taking point in the battle for the vote. He wants to challenge the voter to look around, observe and take action. After a couple of years of accepting all that they have heard, Americans may finally be returning to the days of honest debate and examination of all points of view.

If the Republicans thought that Michael Moore was going to make their lives difficult, they may find more trouble blasting out of car stereos and MP3 players across America. The Revolution starts now complete with driving guitars and bare knuckle lyrics, is driving home a point harder than any stump speech ever will!