Tuesday, October 30, 2007

CLEAR CHANNEL, REPUBLICAN PROPAGANDA NETWORK, OUT TO KILL SPRINGSTEEN'S MAGIC?

MAGIC?'>MAGIC?'>MAGIC?'>MAGIC?'>>MAGIC?'>


If you look for Springsteen in Google News, you get one rave review of his live sold out tour after another. Last Thursday and Friday he wowed 'em at the Oakland Coliseum. Last night he was in L.A.
At 58, Springsteen certainly can't call himself young any more-- at least not chronologically. Despite the hurricane force he and the E Street Band frequently mustered during their two-hour show, plenty of fans cheering them on no doubt recall the nights of yore when this fabled group was just starting to break a sweat at the two-hour mark.

Still, what this outfit does on stage each night remains fairly daring, and the older they get, the greater the risk of the without-a-net abandon with which they administer the sacrament of rock 'n' roll.

The invigorating thing about the New Jersey bard is the way he and his merry band embrace their coming of age. For all the kudos Springsteen's new Magic album is earning for the joyful rocking it delivers, it's rife with self-doubt, disillusionment, anger and acceptance of the disappointments and compromises life inevitably presents the thinking person.

A couple weeks ago the new album was #1 on the Billboard album chart. Kid Rock's new album knocked it down a peg and this week, Springsteen disposed on Kid Rock and is back at #1. The album is already gold and headed right towards platinum and he's got a great shot to win a Grammy for Best Album of the Year. Magic's reviews virtually everywhere are over the top and the intro to his latest interview in Rolling Stone refers to the album's subject matter as "weighty stuff like the direction of our democracy and party stuff that recalls the days when sparks first flew on E Street more than three decades ago."

Republican radio network Clear Channel, a monopoly in many cities and a dominant player in most of the rest, isn't interested. Is it because Springsteen has been an outspoken campaigner for Democrats and progressives? Clear Channel has taken a political stand with its programming in the past. Just think back to their boycott of the Dixie Chicks. Oh, no... not way back, just back to when they released their most recent album. Despite being one of the top 10 best-selling American albums of the year-- across all genres and demographics-- radio studiously ignored it. There were maybe half a dozen country stations that even played it at all. What Clear Channel did to the Dixie Chicks is a watertight case for the need to break the media companies up into a thousand pieces. (John Sununu disagrees; he's pro-censorship.) I spoke with an old friend who heads a record company and preferred to speak off the record.
"When you have artists like the Dixie Chicks and Bruce Springsteen who have overtly spoken out against this Administration, they are taken to task in spite the clear and undeniable indications from the marketplace that people want to hear their music. What seems to be happening-- if sales are any kind of a barometer of what the marketplace is-- is that these politically-connected radio networks like Clear Channel are not looking to succeed as radio stations as much as pushing forward some political agenda.


Another friend of mine distinctly recalls the Senate hearings on radio consolidation in light of the Dixie Chicks boycott where Barbara Boxer and John McCain heard testimony including an internal Clear Channel memo threatening "Just wait and see what happens if Springsteen tries this." I guess we're seeing that right now.

Of course, Clear Channel hasn't publicly said they are boycotting Springsteen's music. But they are. Fox News, hardly a hotbed of liberal alarmists, reports that "Clear Channel has sent an edict to its classic rock stations not to play tracks from Magic... no new songs by Springsteen, even though it’s likely many radio listeners already own the album and would like to hear it mixed in with the junk offered on radio."
Clear Channel seems to have sent a clear message to other radio outlets that at age 58, Springsteen simply is too old to be played on rock stations. This completely absurd notion is one of many ways Clear Channel has done more to destroy the music business than downloading over the last 10 years. It’s certainly what’s helped create satellite radio, where Springsteen is a staple and even has his own channel on Sirius.

I don't buy it. Clear Channel is a big-time and very consciously right-wing power player with a goal of changing American pop culture. They have done all they could to stifle progressive voices and to dumb down and trivialize the culture. Meaningless, offensive and inoffensive drivel by Fergie, Britney Spears, Nickelback, and Rihanna you'll hear. But not Springsteen. Clear Channel even has its very own rubber stamp Republican congressman to look out for it's interests, the boss' (not The Boss') son-in-law, the overly right-wing Michael McCaul (TX). You want to see Bruce back on the radio? Stop listening to Clear Channel stations-- and stop voting for Republicans. If there was no Clear Channel-- and no Republicans-- this is what would be on the radio instead of Britney Spears:




UPDATE: SOME ADULT-ORIENTED CLEAR CHANNEL STATIONS ARE PLAYING IT

The Fox News report I linked to isn't exactly right. Some Clear Channel stations are indeed playing it, although mostly Clear Channel stations with independent-minded programmers like KBCO in Denver. Overall, Clear Channel isn't giving it the kind of exposure a #1 record would normally get.


UPDATE: CLEAR CHANNEL BUYING FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE

In 2006 Clear Channel Communications ponied up almost $800,000 in legal campaign contributions, 65% of which went to Republicans. The two top dogs at the company are long-time Bush family retainers and cronies, Tom Hicks and Lowry Mays. Mays has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates for office over the years. A few: $69,500 for the Republican National Committee, $21,000 for the NRCC, $14,200 for Michael McCaul (TX), $2,500 for James Sensenbrenner (WI), $2,300 for Duncan Hunter (CA), $16,300 for Lamar Smith (TX), $6,500 for Kay Bailey Hutchinson (TX), $3,000 for Tom DeLay (TX), $13,000 for Henry Bonilla (TX), $10,250 for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, $2,500 for Heather Wilson (NM), $6,000 for John Cornyn (TX), and $2,100 for Flip Flop Mitt and grudging grand for Giuliani (NY). And there were tens of thousands more from other family members. Hicks was a similarly huge donator to Republicans: $65,000 to the RNC, $50,000 to the NRSC plus another $300,000 or so scattered around to grateful Republicans who have made it very worthwhile for have been so generous. When people talk about the need for campaign finance reform and public financing of elections, this is exactly what they're talking about.

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73 Comments:

At 1:12 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

the forces of repression have been trying to kill off rock and roll since the fifties. not much luck so far and not much luck up ahead...sometimes they are offended by the gyrating pelvis, sometimes by the 1,2,3,4, what are we fightin for, sometimes by it's inherently anti-fascist gestalt and sometimes by the liberation it invites the masses to seek...but fuck em, rock and roll is hear to stay....

 
At 1:16 PM, Blogger dave™© said...

I know of two stations that are playing Springsteen's new album extensively - KFOG in San Francisco, and KOZT - "The Coast" - in Mendocino/Fort Bragg.

Both are independents (KFOG is probably the top "rock" station in SF), and both are available on the internet - so click the links above and listen to them.

KOZT has also been playing the new Fogerty elpee extensively...

 
At 1:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

While I certainly agree that much of his music is drivel, maybe Tim Mcgraw wasn't a great example to use given his politics.

"While he won't consider entering Tennessee politics for a few years, McGraw calls health care his top issue and says Bill Clinton is his inspiration, calling him "the best president we ever had."

 
At 1:33 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Clear Channel is a lot of what's wrong with radio period, and Springsteen calls them out on in it in a way that even people as dense as they are can understand.

Radio Nowhere is a great song, but by playing it Clear Channel would be saying, "yeah, we suck," and let's face it, dealing with reality is not really these people's strong suit.

Ed Sanders

 
At 1:40 PM, Blogger Doctor Biobrain said...

Who's Bruce Springsteen?

 
At 1:47 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

springsteen has a nice image going and seems to be a respectable guy with his politics in the right place, but personally i find almost every song he does to be incredibly boring. it just plods. and hes responsible for the worst rock and roll christmas cover song ever.

that being said, fuck clear channel. but who listens to classic rock radio anyway? who listens to the radio anymore?

 
At 1:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

For many many years, we had a pretty funny (and quite successful) morning show here in Little Rock on KMJX...until ClearChannel bought them out a few years back. Sorry, too tacky, no nasty stuff like that on the radio.

They played music and lost share. Brought in Bob & Tom in syndication, didn't regain the ground. Now a milquetoast morning show with some of the old players, they are doing better but still nothing like the old days. But hey, for corporations with deep pockets, it doesn't matter if have listeners or not!

 
At 1:51 PM, Blogger cybermome said...

Here in Philadelphia Springsteen is a
God. Its like a second home mostly due to a disk jockey who is dead called Ed Shockey who played him on WMMR before anyone ever heard him. Because of Ed I was lucky enough to see him at a place no longer here called the Main Point...and Billy Joel sat in and played piano that night Boy the music business has sure changed!!!!I have seen Springsteen over the years ..and have been thrilled at his speaking truth to power over the direction of our country...
I can't imagine Springsteen will remain quiet over clear channel

 
At 1:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dissent and be blacklisted...but of course.

 
At 2:22 PM, Blogger yave said...

Nobody I know listens to FM radio of their own free will ... it's dead, dying, done.

What seems to be happening-- if sales are any kind of a barometer of what the marketplace is-- is that these politically-connected radio networks like Clear Channel are not looking to succeed as radio stations as much as pushing forward some political agenda.

Another explanation might be that it's very much in Clear Channel's financial interest to keep electing Republicans who will fight off any efforts to weaken its monopoly.

 
At 3:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whaa whaa whaa. I really feel badly for you and The Boss. Guess how OUR sodiers feel when their sons and daughters continually see news stories about how bad of persons they are?
Keep pounding your useless lefty drum pal.

 
At 3:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Fox News report I linked to isn't exactly right.

No! Who'da suspected?

 
At 4:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

HJY (clear channel, and a plain old rock station) in Providence is playing Radio Nowhere a bunch. Also, it's amazing how fox-ed up your "facts" are... #1) clear channel has been selling off tons of stations recently, and even so they only accounted for 9% of all commercial radio in the US -- hardly a monopoly. #2) Clear channel never banned the Dixie Chicks, and your "friend" should've "distinctly" recalled that it was Cumulus that sent the internal memo.

 
At 4:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 3:13pm,

The soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines don't see news stories about how bad they are.

They see news stories about how bad you are, and how the policies and beliefs that you support undermine the very freedom they fight and sometimes die for.

Keep beating your tired old reactionary drum...

fewer and fewer are listening.

 
At 4:04 PM, Blogger Daniel Becker said...

Isn't this kind of a reverse payolla?

 
At 4:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here in Tacoma, WA, Clear Channel was given 10 years to get its billboards into compliance with a new city law. They failed to do so and then laughingly tried to make it into a free speech issue, plasting all their billboards with "Constitutions Matter", as if they cared at all about free speech.

 
At 4:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I first heard Rock 'n Roll at age 5 in 1955...
since then..
either you get it or you don't.
Folks that don't get it won't.
Folks that do get it..always will.
by the way link Denver's KCUV
http://www.kcuvradio.com/listen_online.asp

 
At 4:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do people still listen to the radio?

 
At 4:16 PM, Blogger Jim said...

Anonymous, I wonder what our "sodiers" are, no matter how they feel. I would sure hate seeing them told "how bad of persons" they are. Breaks my heart, really.

Not, of course, that the man who wrote "Born in the USA" has ever been known to say a bad word about our soldiers, much less our sodiers.

Ah, the internet! Where else do the ignorant and illiterate have such an opportunity to have their voices heard. Apart from the Rush show, of course.

Oh...I've played in a number of bands, but you've got me stumped by your last sentence. What is a lefty drum? Is it like a snare, or a bass drum? Or is it more like a bongo, or perhaps a tabla? Please enlighten me with more wisdom from your mighty brain.

 
At 4:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Guess how OUR sodiers feel when their sons and daughters continually see news stories about how bad of persons they are?

The dead soldiers, or the maimed ones?

Or maybe you're talking about the families of the National Guardsmen, who've lost their jobs and can't pay the mortgage after three tours?

OUR soldiers? The ones who think we should withdraw within the year? The ones who are going to be voting for OUT OF IRAQ next November?

Those soldiers?

 
At 4:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

At 4:19 PM, MasonMcD said...

Guess how OUR sodiers feel when their sons and daughters continually see news stories about how bad of persons they are?
making a straw man, again? typical right wing response when they have to deal with reality. OK, deal with this, you shill:
Bush sent the soldiers into Iraq under equipped & undermanned, then, when they come out injured, refuses to treat them and even charges them for gear that was destroyed in an attack. Bush doesn't give them near enough R&R and is hiring felons and gang members to fill the ranks. Bush hired Blackwater's mercenaries, and they run amok, ruining it for everybody and making our soldiers' jobs even harder, while BW gets ten times the pay.

I know soldiers. They hate Bush, in spite of parrots like you, in spite of the propaganda they are being fed. You knwo what? The propaganda just makes them hate Bush even more. they hate Bush because they knwo what Bush has done to the pride of the armed service. They hate being used as tools by Bush and his flunkies. But one thing they do know: that real Americans, those that hate the war, are the ones that support the troops. Not Bush and his cultists. Not you- you hate the troops, you hate the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and that is exactly why Springsteen has the right to speak the truth, even though America hating stations like Clear Channel are trying to shut him up.

 
At 4:38 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The worst Christmas song cover is Bob Seger's version of "The Little Drummer Boy".

 
At 4:45 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

I listen to this album almost everyday, on my iPod in my car. So who needs radio.

 
At 4:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I listen to public radio WNKU to be specific and it is in heavy airplay. Clear channel can blow me their radio sucks

ike

 
At 4:58 PM, Blogger Scott said...

Response to this idiocy here:

http://environmentalrepublican.blogspot.com/2007/10/faux-conspiracy-against-springsteen.html

 
At 5:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I CERTAINLY hope it NEVER happens BUT if G.W. caught a bullet between his eyes I truly believe the USA would be better off. G.W. , as a young republican at Yale "backed" the Viet-Nam war-----as long as the "little" people fought it, certainly not him or his ilk. Bush has squandered every bit of good will our nation has built up the last 70 years-----old allies are disgusted---& of course the Bushies say "phuck them"---there has never been a more destructive President in our history. God Help us !!!!!!!!!!!!

 
At 5:01 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

bluedem,

I was quoting from anonymous at 3:13.

 
At 5:04 PM, Blogger Fishbone McGonigle said...

and hes responsible for the worst rock and roll christmas cover song ever.

This is indisputably true. And I shudder to think that I'm going to be hearing it in retail outlets everywhere for a couple months starting very, very soon.

 
At 5:09 PM, Blogger Fishbone McGonigle said...

The worst Christmas song cover is Bob Seger's version of "The Little Drummer Boy".

But it doesn't get nearly the play that Springsteen's song gets, and thus does less psychological damage.

 
At 5:21 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh boo hoo. Hilarious. Funny how you guys couldn't care less about the years of liberal bias in Hollywood, TV, the news, etc. and suddenly you think it gets turned around and you're crying about freedom. You don't care about freedom. You don't care about freedom of speech for anyone who disagrees with you. Ever heard of Ted Turner who owned CNN and half of the other channels on cable? Funny how I never heard any liberals crying about that.

 
At 5:34 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Meh, Bruce Springstein is old.

 
At 5:34 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh boo hoo. Hilarious. Funny how you guys couldn't care less about the years of liberal bias in Hollywood, TV, the news, etc. and suddenly....

Hollywood? TV? You mean Fred Thompson?

 
At 5:56 PM, Blogger Russell Miller said...

Clear Channel Communications owns Progressive Talk KTLK, which is Los Angeles' Air America station. It carries Ed Schulz, Stephanie Miller, Randi Rhodes, et al.

The sheer irony of that when combined with this post makes my head explode. Are you seriously suggesting that we boycott KTLK?

 
At 6:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seriously, f*ck Clear Channel.
Has anyone even listened to the radio lately? Here in the Philly Burbs, FM radio totally sucks and don't even get me started on AM hate speech radio.
Let the Republicans and Clear Channel control the radio waves like the knuckle dragging authortarians want to, because they are destroying the entire medium and will soon be owners of worthless radio stations that only far right extremist crackpots listen to.
Myself, when I'm driving I plug my MP3 player into my auxilary jack and listen to whatever I want and I buy my CDs used on Amazon or Ebay for pennies on the dollar. I have zero need for Clear Channel or any of the other crappy radio stations here in Philly.
And Bruce's Magic really rocks! I bought that CD new. John Fogerty's new CD is also really good.

 
At 6:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

When I read this post, I immediately went and bought this album

 
At 6:22 PM, Blogger DownWithTyranny said...

Russell, the biggest complaint I ever hear from the folks who work at KTLK is that Clear Channel doesn't promote the station or give it a reasonable budget. Many-- though perhaps not all-- of the Air America stations that are run with arrangements with Clear Channel feel that Clear Channel does all in its power to keep them down.

 
At 7:08 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Note the anonymous troll who tries to destroy the credibility of this bog by posting a wish that Bush be killed. Typical Rove tactic. Please delete the comment.

 
At 8:07 PM, Blogger The Naked Vine said...

Clear Channel is the Devil's Radio.

 
At 9:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

During the primary season in 2004, Howard Dean, who was leading all candidates at the time, went on Chris Matthew's lame TV show and stated that he would break up the giant media companies like AT&T had been broken up many years before. His candidacy was OVER the very next day as virtually all of the media made a big deal of the supposed "scream" in Iowa. Of course, the scream was just enthusiasm, but the media painted Dean as a loon and his candidacy was destroyed because a gullible public bought into the media spin. THAT was the power of the media going after a threat. Same with Springsteen and the Dixie Chicks. Truth dare not be spoken.
The only radio I listen to is AirAmerica. Yes, some of the stations that carry AirAmerica are Clear Channel affiliates, but, note that Randi Rhodes beats Lush Rimbaugh in ratings wherever they go head to head, including in Lush's hometown! Do they get behind her and put her on as many stations as Mr. Hillbilly Heroin? Not even close! The reason is obvious.
One last thing; if "anonymous", if that's his or her real name would like to provide a list of "LIBERAL MEDIA" outlets, I would LOVE to see it. I've been lookiing for a very long time. As Jonathan Alter's book asks, "WHAT LIBERAL MEDIA"? CNN is liberal? To think that, a person would have to be getting their drugs in the same back alley as Lush.

 
At 10:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What is this radio thing? Can I download it to my iPod?

 
At 12:01 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Clear Channel's also dumping progressive talk in San Diego (KLSD), even though the station has done well, in favor of the market's third sports station, even though the first two haven't done that well.

 
At 1:38 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

One thing that no one seems to notice - the missive was sent to CLASSIC ROCK stations, who never play any new music anyway. Springsteen's older songs are still being played, so what's the beef here?

It's easy to attack the big bad wolf (I am no fan of CC's policies in general to be sure), but in this case I think it's much ado about nothing.

 
At 4:33 AM, Blogger Whispers said...

I'm confused. I thought Republicans were all for the free market.

 
At 6:01 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

One thing that no one seems to notice - the missive was sent to CLASSIC ROCK stations, who never play any new music anyway. Springsteen's older songs are still being played, so what's the beef here?

REALLY? Do tell. Because you'll have to inform the local (Central PA) Clear Channel owned Classic Rock stations.

Every new Rolling Stones album is given full press coverage and *lots* of air time. Same with McCartney and others. Used to be true of Neil Young and CSNaY until Young's last album.

Fact is that many program managers view "Classic" as a genre rather than just "old music."

 
At 8:11 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

To the moron who had the nuts to bring the troops into this discussion: There's nothing like a big government, right wingnut talking about soldiers feelings when their 'perfect' government does this to the troops:

1) Kills them slowly by issuing depleted Uranium munitions that vaporize on impact and leave radioactive waste in our soldiers' lungs so they die of cancer

2) Denies the troops promised GI Bill benefits by filing paperwork in such a way that troops who serve multiple tours of duty get screwed out of college aid

3) Refuses to issue adequate body armor to the troops and at the same time refuses to allow troops' families to purchase said armor for the troops

4) Passes laws preventing military veterans who were once diagnosed with PTSD from legally buying firearms

In other words, get f**ked you dirty wingnut scumbag. People like you are doing more to destroy our military and our country than every Iraqi IED has ever done. If you were half a man you would enlist to fight your glorious wars for world socialism yourself. Quit hiding behind the bravery of others and fight your own battle4s, you coward.

 
At 8:26 AM, Blogger chbarreview said...

barreivew

 
At 8:27 AM, Blogger chbarreview said...

Vive le Boss!!

www.tshirtinsurgency.com

 
At 8:37 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Despite being one of the top 10 best-selling American albums of the year-- across all genres and demographics-- radio studiously ignored it."

This pretty much cements it: radio is irrelevant. Think about it: despite getting little airplay, the album was a huge success.

 
At 9:09 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If this were really true, why would so many of Clear Channel's stations partnered with Springsteen and offered his new "Magic" CD, all the cuts, on their websites for the past 2 weeks, for free?

 
At 10:31 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent stuff, thanks. Just an FYI, while it is neither here nor there in many ways, KBCO is based out of Boulder, but its broadcast area includes Denver.

 
At 10:53 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hilarious. Clear Channel is a business like any other business. If people want to hear the new Bruce their stations would play it.
Maybe its just another crappy new release from an artist who hasn't made music big audiences have wanted to hear since "Born In The USA" I think it was Cumulus that banned the Dixie Chicks btw...

 
At 11:05 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I still listen to radio...but who buys albums anymore?

 
At 3:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tom, the G.M. at KOZT, plays the same old boring Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Eagles crap that he's been playing for twenty years but he's a nice guy with a big heart. There's only one radio station on the North Coast, KHUM. But, it smells like patchouli too.

I read somewhere that Clear Channel in Utah actually changes the lyrics to songs that they find offensive. Shades of The Cenral Scrutinizer and the famous tweezing of "I remember Momma with her apron and her pad, feeding all the boys at Ed's Cafe'".

Clear Channel Blows Dead Bears. I hope they die a screaming-polka- dot-static death in a River Of Shit. "Hi, Ed".

-TFMOE

 
At 3:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Many people just don't want to be lectured about politics by a sixty-year-old with a guitar and an axe to grind.

 
At 3:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Clear channel is famous for its support of the New World Order under the rule of the GOP.
They are huge financial supporters of the wayward Bush Administration and own a huge percentage of am & fm raido stations nationwide as well as a fair share of TV stations.
Its domination of communication industry speaks loudly that Big Brother wants total control of the media.
When we allow this to happen-we will only read and hear what the gatekeepers of the media want us to hear and same for read or have any access to.
I'm Robert Breisch
and that is my opinion.

 
At 6:28 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Radio pretty much sucks anymore except for stations like WXPN in Philly. But anyway, I bought the CD and it's great and I don't have any right wing assholes controlling my CD player.

 
At 6:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bruce's "Magic" is by far BEST CD of the year in ANY genre.

I got tired of "Crap Channel" a couple of years back due to endless complaints against their practices.

I made a point of finding out what "Crud Crapple" owned/sponsored in my state so I could avoid their propaganda. I encourage others to do the same.

Even if their is any inaccuracy regarding the memo details, "C*nt Cancer" already has a laundry list a mile long of bad business practices which have only hurt the music industry.

May "Creedence Clearchannel Retarded" (no offense to the REAL CCR) be forever silenced. They don't love music enough to deserve to be associatd with it.

 
At 7:28 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

To the guy complaining that our troops are not being appreciated: Just because we speak our mind and try our best not to kill any more troops doesn't mean that we aren't American, it means we are trying to help our country be a better place. I have more than a couple brothers in the fighting (One is dead). If people can't say what they think, what is the use of a "democracy"? You can either ignore the problem and say that anyone that is trying to fix it is a "terrorist" or you can try to fix it yourself. What happened to free speech?

 
At 9:33 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

"Many people just don't want to be lectured about politics by a sixty-year-old with a guitar and an axe to grind."

As opposed to some 18 year old emo punk kid with a guitar and an axe to grind about how he is being hounded on by his parents?

This is the first time today I really listened to the lyrics. His voice sounds a lot different than before.

And no this song does not really fit on a "Classic Rock" station. It simply has a progressive modern sound to it.

Here is another thing. Radio and record companies have been peddeling the same un-innovative crap for decades now. If you want something real, something different, you gotta get off the radio. I do not listen to radio, I do not watch TV. If I am going to listen to crap, I am at least going to choose what it is.

 
At 5:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

We have a CC station in Orlando which features an afternoon talk show host whose opinions are definitely on the left (one of the most popular shows in Orlando, I might add). This station plays "Real Music" on the weekends, which consists of Modern/Alternative rock from the 80's through today, and they actually played "Radio Nowhere" a few times.

 
At 9:57 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Radio pretty much sucks anymore except for stations like WXPN in Philly. But anyway, I bought the CD and it's great and I don't have any right wing assholes controlling my CD player.


1992 to you, my friend! wElle spotted!

 
At 11:55 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

While I agree that ClearChannel is wrong here, Bruce brought this on himself. I am a huge fan (over 30 live shows) but he should just stick to his music. If you want to play the politcal game with escorting John Kerry onstage, bashing the Repubs while on stage and having MoveOn.org as a link on his website, then deal with the consequences.

We all have things we would like to speak out against but if you really did this at your regular job dont you think there would be fallout? Of course there would and this is Bruce's fallout. Right or wrong thats the way it is and he knows this but continutes his own politicking.

 
At 9:32 PM, Blogger Bruce said...

yes, this Bruce Springsteen person could have an even greater career if he only realized rock should have nothing to do with politics.

 
At 1:49 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

the majority of Americans (Republicans included) can now agree that George W. Bush no longer has enough credibility - on any issue, to warrant an intelligent reaction. By continuing to support this administration, they are commiting suicide and will end up in a giant heap along with the rest of their cronies. Their own worst enemy has come to town.
Now we get to take our country back.

 
At 1:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Springsteen's body of work, which has gone way beyond impressive, has always been about the personal and the political. Because if you're an intelligent person with critical-thinking skills; you are Springsteen's audience. He's not interested in anyone else. The rest become the characters in his songs.
So to wish or plea or hope that Bruce will remove politics from his songwriting is like asking Dylan to change his subject matter. Which is absurd. People who make comments like this might as well say "I am not really familiar with Springsteen's work and I've never sat down and read any of his lyrics".

 
At 1:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

go Mox!

i have to add this:
With the exception of KCRW in Santa Monica and a handful of other excellent stations around the country, is Springsteen really interested in getting his new work on the radio? I don't think so. Clear Channel, like the guy in DC masquerading as a "president", had no credibility. The format is not a good fit for Springsteen. Leave the white trash radio to the people that deserve it. Not Bruce fans.

 
At 9:59 PM, Blogger DerekHalfhand said...

Internet wing of the Hillary political machine found!

Here is a video clip that exposes part of the Hillary campaign that tries to make us think it is just a progressive web site. Going through its backers and some speeches from its CEO you can see it is actually a political campaigning site disguised as just an information source. This is how they are moving in to controlling the Internet like TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvzmblfSK88

 
At 10:02 PM, Blogger DerekHalfhand said...

Internet wing of the Hillary political machine found!

Here is a video clip that exposes part of the Hillary campaign that tries to make us think it is just a progressive web site. Going through its backers and some speeches from its CEO you can see it is actually a political campaigning site disguised as just an information source. This is how they are moving in to controlling the Internet like TV. Also shows pro china backing global financiers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvzmblfSK88

 
At 12:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This isn't about rock and roll this is about America. Bruce Springsteen is Americas Son and he wouldn't be banned America by any radio station. So this must not be America anymore....

 
At 11:00 AM, Blogger Ron Ray said...

There's been a concerted right-wing effort to bash this springsteen album. Message boards, amazon reviews, etc., etc. are full of supposed long-time fans tell bruce to drop the politics and 'just up and play' like he used to.

sorry, but springsteen has been active with John Kerry-inspired viet vet groups, no nukes and other leftie organizations, since the 1970s. he spurned reagan in 1984 when the Gip tried to use his music. his music is inspired by leftists like Dylan and Woodie Guthrie and has been since day one.

so any 'long-time fan' would know you can't separate his music from his politics and his patriotism!

 
At 11:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good Job! :)

 
At 1:25 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

¡Freakn'mental giant of our time!

 
At 8:15 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

When an Artist decides to take a political position and support one party over the other, why should it be a surprise when a business does the same? This is why people never discussed politics, they never told you who they voted for and didn't want to lose fans or listeners. Springsteen once did a great job of exposing social ills and policies without taking sides or promotion gone party over they other, he had plenty of airplay with 'Born in the USA' for identifying the abandonment of Vietnam Vets returning home after answering the call to fight for their country. He didn't blame Kennedy or Johnson for escalating the war and sending men there, he reminded everyone of what bad policy does to these men, not attacking the person. That was old school Bruce, today with the Media aiding in dividing the county, just like Bruce, everyone has become polarized and opposing each other, so it should be no surprise that business has done the same. You don't like the Artist, don't buy the record, don't like the station then turn the channel. Fair enough!

 

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