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Saperlipopette! View Drop Down
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Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

When it comes to politics the first that comes to my mind is Area. Their debut album is totally political. "Luglio, Agosto, Settembre Nero" is about Palestine and is opened by a poetry in Arab. 
My favorite "political band". They are amazing, but an additional reason is that I only vaguely understand the lyrics. I guess if one looks hard enough some kind of politics shines through in most art, but I prefer existential lyricism.

-One band or rather album that's partly political, but rarely mentioned is Spirogyra's St. Radigunds. Their left wing/pacifist message not preachy but quite clear and direct - in a sort of wholesome way that I find quite endearing.


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David_D View Drop Down
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Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Unlike punk most prog bands stay away from politics probably out of fear of alienating their listeners.

I can't imagine it was the case in the politics-happy '70s, but maybe more in the '80s and afterwards.
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Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

I'm not sure if this is political, as one can interpret lyrics differently than the author intended. But here is a verse from Bubblemath - The Sensual Con.

Yes, I'd definitely say it's political, and there got to be some Zappa stuff. Wink
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When it comes to politics the first that comes to my mind is Area. Their debut album is totally political. "Luglio, Agosto, Settembre Nero" is about Palestine and is opened by a poetry in Arab. 
Stormy Six, before becoming an avant/RIO band (one of the founding members of RIO) was deeply into politics.
But Italy in the 70s was on the edge of a civil war, so there's a reason why many artists were on politics. 
Thinking to the Italians present on PA, One of the most important is Fabrizio De Andrč, his album  "Storia di un Impiegato" is about the "French May" of 1968. 
Another band completely into politics is Assemblea Musicale Teatrale. I think I can find dozens of Italian artists of the 70s with political contents in their lyrics. Not on PA, very important are Giorgio Gaber and Francesco Guccini. 

Interesting thread. I'm into politics as well, but I promise to stick on the musical aspects of the thing.
 
I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution
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"Farm on the Freeway" stands out as a political commentary within Jethro Tull's discography. In the lyrics, Ian Anderson criticizes the disregard for nature and heritage in the pursuit of economic growth. 
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^On the other hand, Yours Is No Disgrace IS an anti-war song. Also there's a metric heck-ton of prog bands that have politically-charged lyrics. Though it was usually a little more subtle amongst the classic era anglo heavy-hitters on average, excepting Pink Floyd, of course. Ian Anderson wrote pretty socio-politically charged lyrics, though they were very dense and shrouded in allegory and lofty references. The US had bands that were more overt in the classic era, I find. Kansas had many a message about colonialism in North America. And Frank Zappa... well, this is a man who is quoted to have written "politics is the entertainment division of the military industrial complex." Marillion, Dream Theater, Haken, IQ have all written several songs dealing with politics, including on an international scale. And those are just the big names. Italy in the 70s was rife with prog bands decrying fascism, as did many a band from South America from the 70s onward. Mediabanda comes to mind immediately. And the aforementioned Bubblemath, and the RIO scene. Even Steven Wilson takes a break from the sad boi stuff for a socially conscious message or two. Not to mention Rush and... well, I'll stop there. The list goes on.
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Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Unlike punk most prog bands stay away from politics probably out of fear of alienating their listeners. I can't think of any prog band that seems to have some kind of political agenda. 

Many of the early prog bands were anti-war, in reaction to the horrors of Viet Nam.  

King Crimson comes to mind immediately, with "Epitaph." 

Also Yes, with "Relayer." 

Not overtly for/against any type of politics except reducing bloodshed and suffering from human conflict.  Strawbs also. 

Relayer isn't anti war though. You probably say that because of the Gates of Delirium. Jon Anderson has stated that it is based on War and Peace but it's not anti war or pro war. It's just a musical interpretation of the novel. It wasn't meant to be an anti war song.
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Twelfth Night - We Are Sane (Live)
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Rick Wakeman - Theme to Election Day 1997 (better-known to prog fans simply as "Arthur") Smile
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Marillion - "Forgotten Sons", about soldier victims of wars, and from the album Script for a Jester's Tear (1983)
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Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Unlike punk most prog bands stay away from politics probably out of fear of alienating their listeners. I can't think of any prog band that seems to have some kind of political agenda. 

Many of the early prog bands were anti-war, in reaction to the horrors of Viet Nam.  

King Crimson comes to mind immediately, with "Epitaph." 

Also Yes, with "Relayer." 

Not overtly for/against any type of politics except reducing bloodshed and suffering from human conflict.  Strawbs also. 
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!
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The Waterboys - Red Army Blues (no doubt a popular song amongst Mother Russia's political commissars during The Great Patriotic War) Smile
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Originally posted by Prog-jester Prog-jester wrote:

We place our faith in human rights
In the paper wars that tie the red tape tight
I know that I would rather be out of this conspiracy

In the gulags and internment camps
Frozen faces in nameless ranks
I know that they would rather be standing here besides me

Racing the clouds home, racing the clouds home
You can shut your eyes, you can hide it away it's gonna come back another day

It would be nice if telling the artist name, song and album titles, and maybe year too.
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Unlike punk most prog bands stay away from politics probably out of fear of alienating their listeners. I can't think of any prog band that seems to have some kind of political agenda. 
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especially true today

"Waiting, the season of the button"
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We place our faith in human rights
In the paper wars that tie the red tape tight
I know that I would rather be out of this conspiracy

In the gulags and internment camps
Frozen faces in nameless ranks
I know that they would rather be standing here besides me

Racing the clouds home, racing the clouds home
You can shut your eyes, you can hide it away it's gonna come back another day
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Then of course there's this classic which through the art of rock opera showed how crime syndicates, politics and religious institutions all work together

Queensr˙che Operation: Mindcrime album cover



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Pink Floyd
https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition

https://www.scribd.com/document/382737647/MortSahlFan-Song-List
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Originally posted by siLLy puPPy siLLy puPPy wrote:

There were a number of so called politik-rock prog bands in the 70s primarily in Germany and Sweden.
In Sweden there was an entire musical movement called "progg". Not related to prog rock one bit. It was more like a folk rock thing. The lyrical themes would orbit around anti-commercialism and left-wing progressivism.
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Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Nice thread, David!

thanks  Smile
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