It seems there are two major aspects of music as an art form that are commonly evaluated. There is the music—the beat, the melody, the instrumental skill; admittedly, I know very little about this aspect. But there are also the lyrics, the words, the messages, the ideas. Those are usually the things that anyone can understand--save "MacArthur Park," as no one can really figure out why Harris is so upset with his demolished cake as to sing seven minutes worth of a sad love song.
Those messages connect us to the songs, whether it is McLean's melancholic reflection on "the day music died," or Ozzy's mental chaos of "living with something that just isn't fair." But recent criticisms agree that music has gotten "too political" or "too controversial." A recent commentary on the Eagles new album, The Long Road Out of Eden, said that Henley's political beliefs played too strongly into the written lyrics. In that case, I'd like to know how contemporary musicians are expected to uphold a lyrical standard of well-written lyrics that are deep and thought provoking whilst avoiding things that are "too political and controversial."
Music and art didn't just become political. Pink Floyd and John Lennon and Black Sabbath did it—twenty, thirty, forty years ago. Even Green Day is doing it today. Artists Andy Warhol and Georgia O'Keefe were under the same criticism. The greatest artists can speak from their heart and soul and are able to send a message that outlasts any scratched record or corroded stereo. Of course it's a only small indulgence to play a sappy love song once in a while and I don't expect anyone to dance to Democratic or Republican presidential debates, but there needs to be some happy middle. The only thing all of this naive criticism has really shown is that we have backpedaled into an era where art is no longer an expression of the individual. In fact, it speaks beyond the music. We fear to question our own system, our own beliefs; we fear the individuals who do so. We are afraid to see the flaws, much less to accept and fix them. If there are no questions, there are no answers. If there are no answers, there is no progression. Too political? I think that's a political statement in itself.
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