Because every revolution needs a soundtrack, I assembled a couple of CDs of songs for the drive to and from Topeka, for yesterday’s Kansas Board of Regents meeting. True, the drive is not in fact that long (only an hour each way), but creating playlists is a form of thinking. It’s something I do for fun. Really.
There are only YouTube recordings below. Nearly all of these songs are commercially available — i.e., you can buy individual tracks via iTunes. (I think only the Steinski track at the very end is not on iTunes. Â And the Public Enemy recording that opens the mix is not available as an individual track: you need to purchase the entire Do the Right Thing soundtrack.)
Committee for Harmony, Loyalty, & Discipline Mix #1
1)Â Â Â Â Fight the Power (Soundtrack Version)Â PUBLIC ENEMY (1989)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 5:23
I used the version from the Do the Right Thing Soundtrack, which includes Take 6’s intro (of the fictional radio station’s call letters).
2)    Know Your Rights THE CLASH (1982)                                               3:42
From the Clash’s final studio album, Combat Rock. (No one counts the later Cut the Crap – not even the Calash.) “You have the right to free speech… as long as you’re not dumb enough to actually try it!”
3)Â Â Â Â 1984Â DAVID BOWIE (1974)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3:27
From Diamond Dogs, which contains a number of songs written for an aborted stage musical of 1984.
4)    Exhuming McCarthy R.E.M. (1987)                                                      3:22
This song appears on Document, and includes an audio clip from Joseph N. Welch’s famous “Have you no sense of decency, sir?” from the Army-McCarthy hearings.
5)    There Is No Time LOU REED (1989)                                                3:47
Lou Reed gets angry, on New York.
6)    Get Up, Stand Up BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS (1973)                     3:19
7)Â Â Â Â You Won’t Stand Alone (ska-sized)Â D.O.A. (2004)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2:06
8)    Stand SLY & THE FAMILY STONE (1969)                                           3:07
9)    Power to the People CURTIS MAYFIELD (1974)                                 3:29
This is the demo version. I used the album version (from Sweet Exorcist).
10)  People Have the Power PATTI SMITH (1988)                                     5:10
11)  Give the People What They Want THE O’JAYS (1975)                          4:11
12)Â Â The Stone (Revolution!)Â RETRIBUTION GOSPEL CHOIR (2012)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3:10
13)  Revolution NINA SIMONE (1969)                                                     4:41
One of the greatest Beatles covers. Indeed, “cover” is the wrong word. Simone transforms Lennon’s cynical anti-revolutionary song into a genuine call for revolution.
14)  I Fought the Law DEAD KENNEDYS (1984)                                       2:19
In addition to changing the lyrics to “I fought the law / And I won,” the Dead Kennedys also include such new lyrics as: “The law don’t mean shit if you’ve got the right friends. / That’s how this country’s run” and “You can get away with murder if you’ve got a badge.”
15)  All You Fascists BILLY BRAGG & WILCO (2000)                                 2:43
Woody Gurthrie’s lyrics, with Bragg’s vocals and Wilco’s music. Here’s a version with Billy Bragg playing the song on his own.
16)  This Land Is Your Land SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS (2004)     4:37
Magnificent soul arrangement of the Woody Gurthrie classic. Here’s an acoustic version (though I put the original album version on the mix, of course).
17)  Woody Guthrie ALABAMA 3 (2002)                                                 4:18
18)  People Gotta Be Free KEB’ MO’ (2004)                                              3:46
Great cover of the Rascals’ original. I couldn’t find Keb’ Mo’s version on YouTube; so, here are the Rascals:
19)  International JIM’S BIG EGO (2008)                                                   3:37
20)  World Upside Down JIMMY CLIFF (2012)                                          3:10
21)  Talking Union THE ALMANAC SINGERS (1941)                                 3:06
Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and Millard Lampell – the Almanac Singers – recorded this song for their second record, Talking Union (1941; re-released with additional songs, 1955). Written by Seeger, Hays, and Lampell, the song uses a “talking blues” style later adopted by Bob Dylan.
22)  Redemption Song JOE STRUMMER & THE MESCALEROS (2003)          3:28
From his final solo record, the Clash’s Joe Strummer covers Bob Marley.
Approved by the Kansas Board of Regents’ Committee for Harmony, Loyalty, & Discipline
Committee for Harmony, Loyalty, & Discipline Mix #2
1)    The Preamble LYNN AHRENS (1976)                                                3:00
From Schoolhouse Rock!
2)    We the People THE STAPLE SINGERS (1972)                                     3:52
Here’s a performance from Soul Train.
And here’s an excerpt from a promotional film.
3)    Fight the Power BARENAKED LADIES (1993)                                    4:06
Barenaked Ladies cover Public Enemy! Yes, you read that correctly. It’s actually a great cover. Despite the occasionally goofy turn (“Nutty Buddy was a hero to most”?), I think they otherwise are quite in earnest. In some ways, you might see this as an antecedent to BNL’s “Fun and Games,” one of the most trenchant musical critiques of the Bush administration.
Recorded for Gordon, the cover appears on (of all places) the Coneheads soundtrack. Here are BNL performing it live, in 2009.
4)    American Idiot GREEN DAY (2004)                                                   2:54
5)    My Favorite Mutiny THE COUP feat. BLACK THOUGHT and TALIB KWELI (2006)                                                                                 4:36
Here’s the full version.
And here’s an excerpt from a live performance.
6)    I Predict a Riot KAISER CHIEFS (2005)                                              3:53
7)    Harder Than You Think PUBLIC ENEMY (2007)                                  4:10
8)    Seven Nation Army THE WHITE STRIPES (2003)                                3:52
9)    I Won’t Back Down TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (1989)       2:57
10)Â Â You Haven’t Done Nothin’Â STEVIE WONDER (1974)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3:29
11)  Low Light Low Life P.O.S. feat. DESSA (2009)                                     3:15
12)  Clampdown THE CLASH (1979)                                                        3:52
“We will teach our twisted speech / To the young believers.” Ah, so many great lyrics in this one, from London Calling, which is (to my mind) the best Clash record.  “Let fury have the hour. / Anger can be power, / If you know that you can use it.”
13)  Freedom JURASSIC 5 (2002)                                                            3:19
14)  This Little Light MAVIS STAPLES (2007)                                             3:23
This appears on We’ll Never Turn Back, which – along with London Calling (see track 11, above) is one of my Desert Island Discs.  Here’s a live recording.
15)  Freedom THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1970)                                            3:39
16)  I Should Be Allowed to Think THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS (1994)           3:08
Begins by quoting Ginsburg’s “Howl.”
17)  Express Yourself CHARLES WRIGHT & THE WATTS 103RD RHYTHM BAND (1972)    3:52
18)  Try This at Home FRANK TURNER (2012)                                        1:53
19)Â Â Fam Jam (Fe Sum Immigrins)Â SHAD (2013)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3:32
Great song about education, immigration, family, and much more.
20)  Motion Movement BLUE SCHOLARS (2004)                                      3:47
21)  You Can Get It If You Really Want It DESMOND DEKKER (1970)        2:40
22)  You Get What You Give NEW RADICALS (1998)                               5:02
23)Â Â Silent Partner (Peace Out)Â STEINSKI (2006)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0:52
Approved by the Kansas Board of Regents’ Committee for Harmony, Loyalty, & Discipline
Jonathan Dresner
Philip Nel