Rage Against The Machine – ‘Rage Against The Machine’ [Special Feature]
Over 22 years since its release – and more than half a decade since Killing in the Name famously wiped the floor with X Factor pop puppet Joe McElderry – Rage Against The Machine’s ten-track debut remains as fierce and stirring as ever. This album is one of my very first musical loves – and it continues to be a regular soundtrack to my daily goings-on even in the face of the innumerable songs I’ve given time to while running TMMP.
At the start of 2015, music that addresses inequality and injustice with engaging lyricism and raw fire and passion is depressingly rare – and has been for some time now. As Tom Morello once pointed out, all music is political – even if all it does is reinforce the status quo. But today, those of us who find rampant racism, sexism, inequality, homophobia, and the steady erosion of privacy incredibly fucking disturbing have few places to turn.
There are a few artists (RATM’s own Tom Morello, aka the Nightwatchman, and the UK’s own beatboxer-turned-uncategorizable-musical-polymath Beardyman, to name two) who continue to fight the good fight – but overall, the music world desperately needs more players willing to stick their necks out, make a meaningful statement, and try to make a positive difference. Musicians who “just wanna rock” and insist that “It’s all about the music” are outnumbering those with an intelligent message a hundred thousand to one right now. If I’m wrong about that, point me in the right direction.
This post might not have been all about the music – but other considerations are equally important.
Links / Listen
The Nightwatchman official website.
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