Yeah, I know...long time, no update, blah blah blah, anyway...
So I received the 1985 Live Aid DVD set for Christmas. 10 hours of bands playing songs so that people in Africa wouldn't starve. I've watched about two hours so far, and I've only seen two artists that I know more than one song by, and that was Sting and Phil Collins, and they played together. Anyway, I've noticed two things about this concert:
1. The musicians who aren't famous now are playing like their careers depended on it. And they likely did. Live Aid was the one chance guys like Paul Young and Status Quo (whoever they were) to impress a world audience, which was hard to get in 1985. They had to get over. And lord they tried. Meanwhile, Phil Collins totally mails in a clunky version of "Against All Odds." He was probably trying to compose a divorce fax in his head at the time. It's kinda sad that the name guys get blown out of the water by Spandau Ballet, but there you go. I think more interesting than that was the music videos for Britain and the US' fundraiser songs, "Do They Know It's Christmas" and "We Are the World". To get it out of the way, they both totally suck. "We Are the World" is only a little better, but the British song is pathetic. And the videos are awful. The musicians stand around mics, hand on the headphones, eyes closed tight, wailing their line and standing back to let Bryan Ferry in. And then they all get grouped together for the big finish, with camera flash bulbs firing, and various singers looking around to find the nearest exit. They don't care, they don't want to be there, and you know it.
2. The whole "music can heal the world" bit makes me sick. Who appointed Bob Geldof as rock's martyr? I know there wasn't an election for that position, because I know we could've come up with someone better than the singer for the Boomtown Rats. I mean, where's Pete Townshend when you really need him? Babysitting Roger Daltrey's career, no doubt. And yeah, okay, they raised a lot of money, and you know what? It totally didn't help. Yeah, some people got fed, but a Third World country is still a Third World country no matter how many sandwiches you throw at it. Until the economic structures of both the country itself and it's trading partners throughout the world are improved, small kids with big heads and bony legs will keep dying. So fuck Bono, and Bob Geldof, and all of them. You aren't Secretary of State for a reason. You don't know how the world works, and until you do, quit telling me I'm not being responsible.
...mmmm, yeah, that feels much better.
But of course, I'm a hypocrite like everyone else. I totally want to send money to the tsunami victims. And I'm afraid the money I would have sent them I've already spent on video games. We'll see...
So I received the 1985 Live Aid DVD set for Christmas. 10 hours of bands playing songs so that people in Africa wouldn't starve. I've watched about two hours so far, and I've only seen two artists that I know more than one song by, and that was Sting and Phil Collins, and they played together. Anyway, I've noticed two things about this concert:
1. The musicians who aren't famous now are playing like their careers depended on it. And they likely did. Live Aid was the one chance guys like Paul Young and Status Quo (whoever they were) to impress a world audience, which was hard to get in 1985. They had to get over. And lord they tried. Meanwhile, Phil Collins totally mails in a clunky version of "Against All Odds." He was probably trying to compose a divorce fax in his head at the time. It's kinda sad that the name guys get blown out of the water by Spandau Ballet, but there you go. I think more interesting than that was the music videos for Britain and the US' fundraiser songs, "Do They Know It's Christmas" and "We Are the World". To get it out of the way, they both totally suck. "We Are the World" is only a little better, but the British song is pathetic. And the videos are awful. The musicians stand around mics, hand on the headphones, eyes closed tight, wailing their line and standing back to let Bryan Ferry in. And then they all get grouped together for the big finish, with camera flash bulbs firing, and various singers looking around to find the nearest exit. They don't care, they don't want to be there, and you know it.
2. The whole "music can heal the world" bit makes me sick. Who appointed Bob Geldof as rock's martyr? I know there wasn't an election for that position, because I know we could've come up with someone better than the singer for the Boomtown Rats. I mean, where's Pete Townshend when you really need him? Babysitting Roger Daltrey's career, no doubt. And yeah, okay, they raised a lot of money, and you know what? It totally didn't help. Yeah, some people got fed, but a Third World country is still a Third World country no matter how many sandwiches you throw at it. Until the economic structures of both the country itself and it's trading partners throughout the world are improved, small kids with big heads and bony legs will keep dying. So fuck Bono, and Bob Geldof, and all of them. You aren't Secretary of State for a reason. You don't know how the world works, and until you do, quit telling me I'm not being responsible.
...mmmm, yeah, that feels much better.
But of course, I'm a hypocrite like everyone else. I totally want to send money to the tsunami victims. And I'm afraid the money I would have sent them I've already spent on video games. We'll see...