The musical compilation Rock Against Bush Vol. 1 has a veryclear mission statement.
"The bands on this comp have come together for one reason, andthat's to express our outrage at -- and from a united front against-- the dangerous, destructive and deadly policies of George W. Bushand his administration," reads the album insert.
However, I found the compilation to be about many more issuesthan just sheer hatred of Bush -- hatred of American corporations,capitalism and consumerism, preemptive war and the emerging imageof America -- issues with which nearly anyone of any politicalalignment can identify.
The compilation's musical styles vary greatly. Thoughpredominately punk, some of the 26 tracks align more closely withpop, some are mellower, some are metal, and some have a reggae orska sound.
The CD features some mainstream names such as Sum 41, TheOffspring, The Ataris and Pennywise, as well as some perhapslesser-known groups -- None More Black, Alkaline Trio, Expoxies,Anti-Flag, Against Me!, The Get Up Kids, Rise Against, Ministry,Descendents, Authority Zero, The Soviettes, Jello Biafra withD.O.A., RX Bandits, Strung Out, Strike Anywhere, Denali, TheWorld/Inferno Friendship Society, New Found Glory, The Frisk, NOFX,Social Distortion and Less Than Jake featuring Billy Bragg.
I especially enjoyed the RX Bandits' "Overcome theRecapitulation" for its strong, intelligent lyrics about ourcapitalist society: "There are laws against nature, but it's OK foryou to be addicted to over-the-counter prescriptions, and magazinesdictate all our human relations."
The Ataris make great use of selections from a speech givenabout how unlikely chemical weapons were in Iraq, and Denali bringsin a beautiful lead voice, followed by beefy rhythmic punctuationfor a very dynamic song that gives variation to the album.
The World/Inferno Friendship Society's "Expatriot Act" has anearly '90s feel, with a sound that seemed like a mixture of Jane'sAddiction, The Ramones and the Talking Heads.
Also worth mentioning is Less Than Jake featuring Billy Bragg's"The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out" for lovely lyrics that bringAmerica's problems to a personal level.
The CD is a great sampler, exposing some under-heard bands. Icertainly didn't like all of it, but I would say I liked at leasthalf the CD, which, at 13 tracks, is more than most full-lengthCDs.
Also, the compilation comes with a DVD called DocumentaryUncovered by Robert Greenwald, which utilizes clips from pressconferences, CNN and CSPAN to focus on the promises the BushAdministration made about nuclear weapons in Iraq and theadministration's slow backing away from that assertion. It was aninteresting and brief view of TV news over time.
At only $12 for both the CD and the DVD, Rock Against Bush Vol.1 is certainly a deal for such a broadening experience.
