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Gang of Four Cite Kenny Rogers As Political Artist
While bemoaning the politically apathetic current state of music in a recent interview, Gang of Four singer John King pointed to Kenny Rogers -- to pretty much everyone's surprise -- as an example of an artist who made politically relevant music. Spinner quotes King applauding the tacit political implications of a 1969, Mel Tillis-penned song that Kenny Rogers (and his band The First Edition) released in midst of the Vietnam war -- and lamenting the fact that newer artists just aren't making songs like that anymore:
"[L]ook at Kenny Rogers, an established country star who with "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" talks about a war veteran who is crippled and impotent and his wife is going out on the town trying to find a little bit of love. Where is there something as remotely as emotionally resonant as that? I think that's one of the most incredible songs ever written and where's the modern equivalent of that from an indie band perspective?"
It's an interesting perspective.
Gang of Four's latest release, Content, can be streamed for free on NPR's website, here. [Spinner]
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Interesting, yes, but factually misleading. Kenny Rogers was not "an established country star" at the time, and the song had already been a charting hit for someone else before the First Edition released its version.
John