The most conservative rock song of all time

Here's a list of the 50 most conservative rock songs of all time, as published in a recent issue of National Review and now today's New York Times(?). You'll notice "Brick" by Ben Folds Five is at number 23.

Not to suggest that National Review is stealing stories from the Heartless Bastard, but I was on this Ben Folds Five story a long time ago. Back when I was in college, my campus radio station would play commercials from this place called the Lifeline Pregnancy Resource Center that had "Brick" playing in the background.

The LPRC is one of these places that attempts to "counsel" slutty college girls out of getting an abortion by giving them a free package of diapers. And if that doesn't work, they show you some grisly, drivers ed-style video of a woman dying from a botched abortion.

Interestingly enough, if you visit their website, there's a prominently placed photo of two black kids. Hmm... As I've mentioned before, the town where I went to college wasn't exactly Harlem.

In interviews[1], Folds would make it a point to portray the song as being ambivalent about the choice issue; he wasn't making any kind of statement, just relaying an experience. Given the fact that this has been his only real hit to date, don't you think he'd be concerned with it being hijacked by some wacky midwestern abortion nazis?

I'm left with no other choice than to take his failure to sue the LPRC into oblivion as a tacit approval of their agenda.

[1] Does anyone else remember that interview on MTV News where some radio DJ asked Ben Folds Five whose girlfriend it was that got the abortion? Man, those were the days.

Comments

[Ryan Jay]

This is glory.

[flyonthewallhippykid]

The Who's "Don't get fooled again" #1

[Bol]

^Oh really?

[Horus]

Pink Floyd "Dogs" is relateable to me right now.

*while we're sharing affinities for songs irrespective of the actual topic of the post*

[Bol]

Every once in a while Gawker comes up with a good one:

http://www.gawker.com/news/new-york-times/rachael-ray-has-nearly-had-the-same-effect-on-us-176115.php

[danthrax]

Uh... how did this miss the list

http://deathbombarc.com/sound/ahab/booty.mp3

[lurker]

Bol, Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon.net wrote about this list. Check it out.

[think tank 01]

But i wonder how different this list is from the usual 'greatest artists' that we get from Rolling Stone magazine etc. I mean the Beatles, the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, the Clash etc.

This list proves how close minded and conservative that generation of music writer really is.

Apparently they were suggesting songs for Bush's ipod. I've had it up to here with politicians 'revealing' their playlists inorder to suck up to the youth vote. Hilary's been up to this too. And there always the same, some bland crap like coldplay (to play to the 'kids'), some classics like the beatles (to show their cool) and then classical music to round it off (which always plays well with the traditionalists).

If this was really conservative they would make include 'rap' and reggae.

[joe]

hey bol i think its time for a new taco bender post, did you see the bill the senate passed

[BK]

This is could possibly be one of the 50 most leftist songs of all time, by this great cult legend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVyDd-jmqHs&search=robert%20wyatt

[RedZepprin]

Someone up there mentioned Pink Floyd's "Dogs". If you know anything about Roger Waters, he was anything but conservative. That particular song is taking the piss out of the late-70s early-80s yuppie, but in the future slightly, when the yuppie "needs to lose the weight/He used to need to throw around." The next one on that "Animals" album is about Margaret Thatcher and Mary Whitehouse, both famous members of the British Conservative party.

[RedZepprin]

Ludacris denies infringing song By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 44 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Best-selling rapper Ludacris testified Thursday at a copyright infringement trial that he never heard an expression that he allegedly swiped to create his 2003 hit "Stand Up."

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Ludacris, whose real name is Chris Bridges, also said he never received copies of a disk containing the song "Straight Like That" by the East Orange, N.J., group I.O.F. The group is suing him in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

When lawyer Mel Sachs asked the rap star if he was really telling the jury he had never received copies of the song at three shows in 2002 and 2003, Ludacris replied, "I'm definitely saying that, sir."

Sachs called Ludacris as a witness after two days in which the attorney tried to prove that members of the New Jersey group had made sure to get him copies of their song before he wrote "Stand Up."

As soon as he took the stand, Ludacris denied ever hearing the expression "straight like that," much less the entire song.

Sachs asked: "Sir, before you wrote the song, 'Stand Up,' did you ever hear the term, 'straight like that?'"

"No sir," the singer responded. "I never heard anyone use the term."

Later, he added, "I do not know what the term 'straight like that' means, sir."

Ludacris co-wrote "Stand Up" with Kanye West, who was in court Thursday and expected to testify before the one-week trial ends.

Ludacris has been praised for his music and his acting roles as Anthony in the Oscar-winning "Crash" and as Skinny Black in "Hustle and Flow."

West has won six Grammy Awards for his two multiplatinum albums, "The College Dropout" and "Late Registration."

A lawyer for the rappers and EMI April Music Inc., Christine Lepera, has asked the jury to reject the claims of BMS Entertainment/Heat Music LLC.

At issue in the trial are the words "like that," which Sachs said were repeated more than 80 times in each song. Ludacris testified that he believes the words are repeated fewer than 80 times in his song.

"Straight Like That" never made it beyond some air time on college radio after copies of it were released in September 2001. "Stand Up" was released in the fall of 2003 on Ludacris' album "Chicken and Beer," and became a huge hit.

The trial will determine liability. If liability is found, a second phase of the trial will assess damages.

[x]

i thought this was a hip hop blog not a rock blog. get the name right cracker.

[snuggles]

do the members of Ben Folds Five like to beat off dogs?

[micguevara]

Nothing like a list of 50 conservative rock songs by a bunch of liberals. the list is flooded with lefest wackos..

[http://djxplicit.blogspot.com]

yeah, i doubt that list was 100% serious

[Julia]

Keep sticking it to Ben Folds, Bol.

America is behind you.

Good America -- not bad America.

[snuggles]

Shut up whoever you are.

[samehippykid]

the real list;
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NzZkNDU5MmViNzVjNzkzMDE3NzNlN2MyZjRjYTk4YjE=

[V diddy]

yo bol did you catch the little brother interview where phonte mentioned you (it's on his myspace to check it out)

TSS: ok so you're one of ushow did you feel about the whole Byron Crawford Bun B thing

Phonte: lolololololol

TSS: this is off the record

Phonte: nah, we can keep it on the record....its all good...I look at Byron Crawford as a shockblogger.... he knows how to push people's buttons and get niggas' attention... that's his whole steez..

TSS: jea, we know that...some readers dont and, well, he got Bun's attention lol

Phonte: yeah, he didand I'm with Bun on that oneIf you're gonna criticize someone's music, then fine....but Byron implied alotta sideways shit about Pimp that I thought was outta line. I looked at it as Bun defending his brother, who was being unfairly attacked. The main thing that was on point to me was when Bun said that the South has supported NY through ALL their various forms, from the 'positive' medallion wearing 80's, to the drug lord/ illuminati/ 5% psychobabble of the 90's...

[Bol]

^No, I missed that one. That's funny.