tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post448349081719618921..comments2024-03-28T14:41:03.787-04:00Comments on PowerPop: Cry the Beloved CountryNYMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863355110457910935noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-79900347155469553132014-12-18T11:30:26.923-05:002014-12-18T11:30:26.923-05:00Thank you, Steve. Been a while since I heard that,...Thank you, Steve. Been a while since I heard that, and having the lyrics to read along with only increases its punch.<br />Iris' subtlety and intelligence is way underestimated. (See "Let the Mystery Be") Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-7728409828863329752014-12-16T18:11:54.453-05:002014-12-16T18:11:54.453-05:00Great song and great direct lyrics, and a song tha...Great song and great direct lyrics, and a song that I had not heard until right now. And while we can argue whether 2014 is the worst of times or the best of times -- and everything in between -- I'm at the very least thankful that some recording artists, like Iris DeMent here, and in some songs, like WASTELAND OF THE FREE, feel compelled to act as social and political storytellers to remind (some of) us that there's a big picture that runs alongside our own lives, and that the big picture ain't always exactly as it seems.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13063639986915628650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-40828498447044507262014-12-16T17:21:09.166-05:002014-12-16T17:21:09.166-05:00Steve,
I haven't even played the music yet bu...Steve,<br /> I haven't even played the music yet but I love the lyrics.<br /> At the risk of adding to your mental anxiety, there are a couple of other things I've seen in the media about the current state of America that I'd recommend:<br /><br />1) Chris Rock's opening monologue from his guest-host appearance on Saturday Night Live a few weeks ago (Nov. 1 was the original air-date). In about seven minutes, he riffs on the Boston Marathon, 9/11 and the Freedom Tower, commercialization in America (especially Xmas) and gun control. Some people were probably righteously offended by what he said, but I thought it was the funniest, bravest thing I'd seen on TV in ages.<br /><br />2) Matt Taibi's article, which appeared in a recent issue of "ROLLING STONE" (the cover story was Bob Dylan and the recent "Basement Tapes" reissue), about Morgan Chase's role in the sub-prime mortgage crisis and how, despite paying fairly hefty fines, they were allowed to escape more severe punishment, largely through help from the U.S. Government's Department Of Justice. There's even a sidebar on the egregious misdeeds of some of the other Big Banks. The whole article will make you want to wash.<br /><br />J. LagAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-83083260889270701602014-12-16T13:59:49.265-05:002014-12-16T13:59:49.265-05:00I think the contrast between her voice -- which is...I think the contrast between her voice -- which is as back country old as the hills as you can get without being the Carter Family's great grandmother -- and the modern angry folk rock backing is part of what makes the thing work.steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-9577000348304120602014-12-16T13:52:44.887-05:002014-12-16T13:52:44.887-05:00Man, that was a great, angry album. Pulled it out...Man, that was a great, angry album. Pulled it out a year ago. Like you said, it still resonates. I can see why some people don't like her singing, but her honesty is refreshing.Ken J Xenozarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16024446764828171613noreply@blogger.com