Pete Townshend on War and Music

From Pete Townshend's blog on war and music:

"There is a new context for this idea of mine that '60s loud and aggressive rock rose from the unique post-war mood of denial in the older generation. They had seen too much horror, found an uneasy peace, and could engage the subject no more. It is clear that such a silence might lead the teenager I was to write My Generation, and turn up my guitar to emulate the sound of bombers. What might be less clear to your readers is why I might bring all this up today.

I think rock music is about to throw off some of its testosterone driven defiance. I may be wrong, but wherever I look today I see younger musicians demanding a new level of intimacy from their audience. 'Unplugged' rock is not exactly what is happening. It is more a return to the traditions of Bert Jansch, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Ewan McColl, Dave Van Ronk, Big Bill Broonzy, Joan Baez and even early Bob Dylan. This is not entirely about Protest, rather about music performed gently that expresses a single idea along the single pathway of the conscience of an individual musician daring to speak up about something they might uniquely believe. Even anger is delivered gently.

To my mind this is a more fitting way to make music in today's political climate than standing on a stage hiding behind a virtual armory of heavy metal weaponry. It is not Pacifism. It is not denial. It is a sharing of individual morality."

As we posted recently, there is a tremendous amount of discussion in these times regarding war and music today.

Also, see more on Pete Townshend & Neil Young and here.

---