2 Responses to Music Time

  1. “Fight the Power” – Nice essay. Three things: 1) I’m older than you and was about 20 when I got into P.E. through a San Diego coworker/friend, another white guy. I always preferred the songs on It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, but that was a record you could enjoy with friends in a car, whereas Fear of a Black Planet felt more like a singular listening experience. To me, the song, “Fear of a Black Planet” was the killer, and would literally make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up during the voice-altered, “Excuse us for the news..” section; 2) “Fight the Power” is almost as good; the slam on Elvis stood out because even by that age, and since, I have hardly ever heard Elvis being called racist and never read any specific examples of it, aside from if appropriating rhythm & blues is somehow racist; 3) Speaking of Garden City, do you know the OMD song by that name? Probably their best b-side.

  2. Leigh Walton says:

    Christopher, it’s possible Chuck is referring to the (seemingly fake) Elvis quote “the only thing black people can do for me is buy my records and shine my shoes,” investigated here and here. The consensus seems to be that Elvis personally had extremely warm and respectful attitudes toward black people and black culture, although there’s an argument to be made about the broader problems of appropriation.

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