Bring The Noise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU4o1CrdOQY

"Bring The Noise"

[Verse 1]

[Bass:]

Now low can you do? Death row what a brother knows
Once again back is the incredible the rhyme animal
The incredible D Public Enemy, number one
" Five - o " said, " Freeze I " and I got numb
Can I tell 'Em that I really never had a gun
But it's the Wax that the terminator spun
Now they got me in a cell 'cause my records they sell
Cause a brother like me said " Well...
...Farrakhan's a prophet and I think you ought to listen to
What he can say to you what you though to do
Follow for now power of the peace say
"Make a miracle, D, Pump of the lyrical
Black is back, all in, here gonna win
Chek it out, yeah y'all c'mon, here we go again

Turn it up! Bring the noises!

[Verse 2]

Never badder than bad 'cause the brother is madder than mad
At the fact that's corrupt as a senator
Soul on a roll, but you treat it like soap on a rope
Cause the beast in the lines are no dope
Listen for lessons I'm saying inside music
That the crusicsare blasting me for
They'll never care for the brothers and sisters now across
The country has us up for the war
We got to demontrate, come on now, they're gonna have to
Wait, 'till we get it right
Radio station I question their blackness
They call themselves black, but we'll see if they'll play this

[Chorus]

Turn it up! Bring the noises!

[Verse 3]

Get from in front of me, the crowd runs to me
My Dee Jay is warm, he's, I call him norm you know
He can cut a record from side to side
So what, the ride, the glide should be much safer than a suicide
Soul control, beat is the father of your rock'n'roll
Music for whatcha, for whichin', you call a band man
Makin' a music, abuse it, but you can't do it, you know
You call 'em demons, but we ride limos too
Whatcha gonna do? Rap is not afraid of you
Beat is for sonny bond, beat is for Yoko Ono
Run - DMC First said a Dee Jay could be a band
Stand on it's own feet, get you out your seat
Beat is for Eric B. and L.L. as well, hell
Wax is for Anthrax, still it can rock bells ever forever
Universal it will sell
Time for me to exit, terminator x - it

[Chorus]

Turn it up! Bring the noises!

[Verse 4]

From coast to coast, so you stop being like a comatose
Stand my man? The beat's the same with a boost toast
Rock with some pizzazz, it will last, why you ask?
Roll with the rock stars, you'll never get a accepted as
Don't need to wait, get the records straight
Hey Roses in effected, got flavor, Terminator
X to sign checks, play to get paid
We got to check it out down on the avenue
A magazine or two is dissing me and dissing you
Yeah, I'm telling you...

          
           I've seen many bands.  I have a magnet on my fridge that says I may be old but I got to see all the good bands.  And its true for Buddha's sake!  Hubby use to work the Detroit concert circuit large, and small, so we saw great concerts at the arenas for free along with some great lesser bands in small venues.  We saw Metallica when they were just a warm up band for Queens Ryche. To tell you the truth there were so many that sometimes I forget how many I have seen until there is a conversation about a certain group then Im like," Oh yeah!!  I saw them." 
          Telling people all the bands whom I've seen really shows my age.  My first concert was Queen and the tickets were $10.00; that was considered a lot of money back then.  (Im not going to tell what year that was.)  We saw Yes three times, Santana 6, Metallica 3, Triumph, Cheap Trick, Kiss, Kansas, Styx, Queens Ryche, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, the Cars, Electric Light Orchestra, Aerosmith 4, and more.  To be honest not only does age effect my memory, but the fact that I was high during most of these concerts effects it also...hey it was the 70s...don't judge me.
            I have always prided myself on my knowledge of music and the fact that , unlike many people in my age group, my music tastes did not become frozen in time as I got older.  The other day however, and I'm not going to give the details where or when, I found myself confronted with music that not only did I not know anything about, BUT also made me, for the first time ever in my life long love of music, feel old...sigh.  I sat in silence thinking to my self, "What the fuck is this?"  So I sat still and listened, eventually finding out that it was Steam Punk.  Seriously?  I thought Steam Punk was mostly clothing? sigh... I like to be able to kind of, sort of, be able to engage myself in a conversation about almost anything; not being able to talk about what I was hearing was...hmmm how do I put this...uncomfortable and humbling.
           So as soon as got in front of my computer I did some research in the areas of music that I find myself totally bewildered by.  If you are a parent I can share with you that knowing what your kids listen to, and showing interest in their music, even though you might not like all of it, is an excellent way to talk with your kids when you may have nothing else to talk about.  It keeps the lines of communication open.  Knowing this stuff is important.  However, be fore warned, even my sons have reached the age where they will make a comment that basically implies that they think much of todays music "sucks".  Which is no help to me.  I find myself in another first, my sons cannot educate me on some forms of music, either because they are older and unavailable to do so or because they feel the music is not worth explaining.  Snobs...  ;)   
          I remember the first time my eldest played Nine Inch Nails for me, oh hell no I thought.  But then I meditated...which would I rather have him do rebel with music?  Or drugs?  Listening to certain kinds of music does not lead to promiscuity, drug usage, and or violence; contrary to some opinions out there, and for every fact based scholarly publication where a poll was taken suggesting that is does there is another one saying that it does not.  Not having some one discuss the language of music with an adolescent so that they don't form the wrong perceptions about with they listen to may.
          It is your job as a parent to be involved in your kids music, and not do what my dad did, which is stand at the top of the stairs (my bedroom was in the basement with my two brothers bedroom) and yell, "turn that shit down."  My brothers and I turned up music once and stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting for him to open the door and yell. When he showed up he smiled at us and walked away.  My dad never knew what I was interested in.  He did buy me my first Beatles album, Sargent Peppers which began my life long love of the Beatles.  He also got me Simon and Garfunkel; which I didn't fully appreciate until I was older.  Those two music groups were the only music that I listened to that he was aware of.  He was aware of these because he picked them out.  When I listen to them I remember him with love.  But how much greater the music experience with him might have been if he had knew all of what I was interested in and why.   I think I can safely speak for my brothers, and myself, when I share that we listened to loud music that he didn't like regardless of the fact that he didn't like it and would have preferred us listening to something else.  We enjoyed knowing that it irritated him.
          Another thought, and I suspect I may not make many friends with this one.  There are scholarly publications, and sites, all kinds of data out there in fact, that give you information on music,  media in general, and its effects on our youth.  The data varies depending on which side you really want to take.  There are in fact many Christian polls out there who have gathered data that suggests that youth who listen to music that does not promote sex, drugs, violence, etc. have a lower incidence of engaging in this behavior.   However, you will not find any evidence in this same data that also states that youth who have spiritual, involved parents, who listen to the music with them, also have lower incidence of engaging in risky behavior, if you want to see this data you must read  publications that are not associated with religion. 
          There is no data out there that I could find that suggests that music plays absolutely no influence.  Once again another example of how we, as humans, find it easier to engage in one extreme to the other instead of finding the middle ground....why make life simple?  What I always believe, support and encourage is that in-between the extreme points of view is the neutral zone where we are suppose to be.  If life is perceived as full of learning experiences why would anyone keep someone from having an experience they could learn from?  Listening to all forms of music and being aware of music in all its different languages does not mean you have to like all forms of music.   It just means that you have done your homework.  It also role models tolerance.  Music truly does cross all barriers.
          I remember when we use to have conversations with our sons about their music I use to ask them what they heard; what were they getting out of the music.  I was surprised to find that rarely did they listen to the lyrics.  The majority of the time it is the beat itself that appeals to our youth.  Which is why you can have bubblegum rock that has a great beat but nonsensical lyrics.  If you ask your kid about their music you may be surprised to hear the same thing.
          I then encouraged our sons to listen to start listening to the lyrics, really listen.  I explained that some of the bands they were listening to were very political, they were poets, some almost philosophical.   Encouraging them to listen to the lyrics of the music they were interested in made them accountable.  When they were interested in a band like Nine Inch Nails, because they were different for their time, which tweaks rebelliousness in adolescence, I was able to ask them about the lyrics.  In fact they knew after awhile that I would ask them eventually so they made sure to be prepared.  I asked them to explain to me what they thought the artist was trying to say.  Most of the time they gave a great explanation I; hubby and I didn't need to give further information.   If they didn't then hubby and I were in a position to explain it and then ask for their opinion. 
           Now be prepared.  Your adolescent is most certainly going to be a little rebellious during these conversations, your making them think, some thing that they find very difficult right now with their hormones in overdrive, and brain chemicals seeping out of their ears.  But if you come from a place of respect, patience, and wanting to genuinely hear what your kids opinion is then it will be ok; promise.  When we questioned our sons there was never a time that we felt that music was influencing their decisions negatively, in fact I believe it made them more aware of the world they were seeing more and more of on their own, and helped prepare them for some aspects of it.   Because of the conversation about their music they got to listen to a lot of music that lots of kids their age didn't.  We also learned a lot about them as people which only encouraged our trust in them.
           Back to me...I personally have a great appreciation for music.  It is a form of artistic expression, and freedom of speech, that I think as Americans we have not always fully appreciated.  You may not like Rage against the Machine, or Korn, or Five Finger Death Punch, but they have accomplished a form of speech that for a very long time was unacceptable.  I will explain. 
          Swear words only have power if you give them power.  People use them because it makes them feel, and in their perception, appear powerful.  There is some evidence out there that suggests if you swear a lot you are actually intelligent, not the other way around.  I don't know about this.  I think some people swear out of laziness.  However I do know some very highly intelligent people who choose to swear.  Doesn't make them less intelligent; in fact anyone who insinuates that these intelligent people are stupid for swearing has kind of proven them selves to be what they accused. 
          Words can have power.  Say fuck you in a song enough times and the power is taken away.  I present to you; anyone who misses the days where people didn't swear so much is basically saying that they miss the days where swear words held more power then they actually did, and do.  This is actually a disrespectful mindset; when you truly respect yourself it doesn't matter what words others use.  You look past them to the bigger picture, the core meaning, and the context in which they were used.   I have never found any music insulting.  OK some of the gangster rock was a little offensive in its day;  they were rapping about a lifestyle that was not only risky, but dangerous.  It put up boundaries instead of taking them down.  But even Gangster rap documented a portion of our culture historically.  We learned what kind of lives some of people were living, and brought a whole nations attention to it.  Music in all of its form is truly an awesome, awe inspiring form of artistic communication to behold.   It has sent messages in a far larger scale than many other medias; which is why you will find that many musicians will be on the FBI list of persons to keep an eye on.  Can't have too much anarchy with that freedom of speech.
          Found this :  http://www.musicgenreslist.com/   Wow...seriously.   It is a list of all music genre's. We all know the standards, rock in all its forms, classical, country, country western, the blues, etc. etc., but I was surprised by how much music I was unaware of.  I've heard of Steam Punk...but what is Steam Punk music?  I looked it up on U tube and found a few things but here is a pretty good example.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FsFJznC9s0 
          Then there is dub step which I know about because of Korn and my sons. The first time I heard it was at a Korn concert that was a family event.  LOUD bass music that hurt my teeth...seriously, up there with Kiss.   This, of course, led me to look into more of it.  Ladies and gentlemen epic dub step.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLyH94jNau0
What is cool about dub step is that is sounds AWESOME on my car stereo.  :D  Bass on dub step is usually loud and it is what makes the point in every sound it enhances.  Dub step is considered electronic music along with Industrial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjIZxzmNiAI
          Then there is something called trance music; trance like for the rhythmic beat that stays pretty constant through out the music.  I kind of like trance music, good beat, I can dance to it, I give it a 8 Dick.  (Shame on you if you don't get that.)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg0Je4pLaCM
          Here is a video documentary that examines what is now called rage rock but what actually started off as punk rock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL1I7DAEqb4  
What I find interesting in this video is the opening line where the musician states that he didn't know what punk rock was, he just knew he was an angry young kid and punk rock spoke to him.  Isn't that what music is suppose to do?  This comment explains how, from generation to generation, adolescent behavior is the same.  Iggy Pop is now a legend,  lets face it back in the day even if we listened to him, which I did, we had mixed feeling about his lifestyle and music; but we kept on listening because it spoke to us at that particular phase of our life!
          Pop rock is not all Justin Beiber now it looks like this too!  Some kids don't want the happy, bouncy, gum chewing beat.  Some want the kids equivalent of rage rock.  This is genius and makes me think that we all need to be thinking out loud more.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIKqgE4BwAY  
          I wrote an award winning paper a couple of years ago on the mosh pit it is in my blog list and named Psychosocial.  In a nut shell I was taught by my son, and some of his friends, the value of rage rock, and moshing.  Something at the time that I found a little horrifying.  Read it...you'll see how my mind was changed.
          Here's the Pith of the Matter people.  Music not only speaks to individuals, but to social groups.  It defines cultures, speaks for, and of, ideas both real and imagined.  It tells of us pain, hope, struggles, love, joy, anarchy, and every other notion, feeling and opinion under the sun.  It is historical.  It teaches us how we have progressed as people and society's.  Anyone who says that Beethoven is far more worthy an artist than Rage Against the Machine has perhaps forgotten that Beethoven was the Rage Against the Machine of his time! 
          I keep on referring to Rage Against the Machine because they are a very good example of misunderstood music.  In this video they are actually singing against white supremacy, not for it, which is what so many people who knew nothing about them and their music thought when this song came out in  the 90's.  They ended up receiving death threats for this song from both extremes, those for and those against.  You know you have done a great job at making people think when you have person on both extreme poles wanting to kill you.  ;) 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWXazVhlyxQ 
          There are a ton of sites that give you lyrics to songs if you want to make sure you are hearing what you think you heard.  Make sure its a good site however, their are people out there setting up lyric sites and getting them wrong.
 http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rageagainstthemachine/killinginthename.html
http://www.spin.com/articles/bikini-kill-ep-kathleen-hanna-oral-history-20-anniversary/  
          You can also search information on any band your interested in.  Don't just land on the bad stuff, make sure you do thorough research, read both sides then form your own opinion.  Your kid will respect you more for it.  This respect increases the chances of them listening to you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_views_and_activism_of_Rage_Against_the_Machine.
          In parenting, and child development there is something called the teachable moment.  It is looking for an opportunity to teach something important.  It requires keeping your eyes, mind and heart open to experiences.  Music is an excellent tool in using the teachable moment.
 http://missingsecrettoparenting.com/parenting-usingteachable-moments
          There is a popular quote by George Carlin that makes it rounds on Facebook from time to time.  "Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music."  When we have a favorite song it speak to us.  It stirs up feelings and thoughts.  We dance because our body feels the need to express the feelings.  Not everyone will dance to our favorite song because they don't hear it as we do.  Would you want anyone telling you not to dance?  Not to feel what that song has made you feel?  I have had many favorite songs through out my life.  They have been my favorites for different reasons.  I have listened to them over and over and over again until that feeling is out of my system.  Then I move on to another song, or another band, but I always keep the song in my memory and remember why it meant so much to me at that phase of my life.  Some of those songs got me through very tough times.  I still have albums from my youth, and CD's bought through various periods of my life; bought by my self, together with hubby, and/or sons.  Right now trance music and Steam Punk is growing on me.  I've started paying attention to what band is singing what and anticipate eventually buying a full album or two...ok sorry... CD.  geesh   I don't go to concerts much anymore.  Hubby and I can't see paying for something that for years we got for free.  And honestly, its an environment that we have had enough experiences in, we stick to the smaller venues these days.  I will never stop looking for the music experience however and am grateful that the universe reminded me to keep up.
Peace out
Namaste