Bluegrass artist Norman Blake takes on the "Neo-Cons"

[patrioticliberal]

Norman Blake admits that some of his musical protests have been so "gentle" that they passed right over the heads of his listeners. That certainly can't be said of his latest political outcry, his resolutely unambiguous "Don't Be Afraid of the
Neo-Cons."

In the song (recorded with his wife Nancy), the Grammy-winning guitarist scorns virtually every aspect of the George W. Bush administration -- from the disputed Florida election of 2000 to the continuing Hurricane Katrina debacle. His refrain is: "Don't send your money to Washington/To fight a war that's never done/Don't play their games, don't be their pawns/And don't be afraid of the neo-cons."

Blake was so impassioned about the song he wrote about neo-conservatism that he prevailed on his label, Dualtone Records, not only to issue it as a single but also to add it to later editions of the Blakes' current album, Back Home in Sulphur Springs, which came out late last year.

"It's just an overall view of things from what I see going on," Blake tells CMT.com from his home in rural Georgia. "It's my personal feelings and my wife's personal feelings."

Despite the wealth of headline allusions in the song, Blake only reluctantly owns up to being a news junkie.



A verse in "Neo-Cons" is devoted to war-protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son, Casey, was killed in Iraq "for a noble cause he heard Bush say."

MORE:
http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1527915/20060405/blake_norman.jhtml?headlines=true

[TomInTib]

1. And he does it all with Elena Holly's money.

Great musician.

Character and integrity is another isssue.

[tatertop]

2. who is elena holly?

[redwitch]

3. buddy holly's widow

I hope tom elaborates some...

[tatertop]

7. what does she have to do with this?

[TomInTib]

9. Norman gave himself co-writer credit on a lot of Holly's hits in return

for producing, engineering and promotion of Buddy's albums.

Buddy was just too green to know.

The story is really interesting, but I type far too glacially slow to get into it.

But Norman Blake is still a treasure. I love his music.

[tatertop]

10. Thank you

[RufusEarl]

4. It's called research, try a google search next time.

Just so you'll know go here. http://www.globegazette.com/northiowatoday/buddyholly/pages/maria.php

[patrioticliberal]

5. whatever..he can do as he wishes

[TomInTib]

11. True. And to Norman's credit, he has made sure that Elena has

lived a comfortable life.

She lives in a condo in a high-rise at Turtle Creek (Dallas) and she is one fine lady.

Nancy made him do it.

And Norman is a musical hero of mine (besides the Holly royalties stuff). I have always emulated his style.

[mcscajun]

8. Can you elaborate on that issue?

I know who Norman Blake is, I know Elena is Buddy's widow, but what's this about her money?

[TomInTib]

12. See #9

I type much too slowly to elaborate.

[sce56]

6. Watch one that the album was nominated for a Grammy. Twenty D/L at

New Music Video Features "Eyes Wide Open" Boots
Last November 1, as the sun rose over a farm near Dover, New Hampshire the Eyes Wide Open crew once again began laying out more than two thousand pairs of boots representing the U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq. But this was not a standard stop on the nation-wide tour of AFSC’s acclaimed anti-war exhibit.

The boots were being prepared to play a role in a music video for blues musician Robert Cray’s poignant new song, “Twenty”, telling the story of a young soldier, who questions his mission in Iraq, but is killed before his deployment is up.


The video, directed by Robert Cray’s wife, Susan Turner-Cray stars Aidan Delgado, a 23-year-old Iraq-war veteran who served in Nasiriyah and at Abu Ghraib prison, before securing conscientious objector status and returning to the U.S. David Goodman, one of the Eyes Wide Open tour managers, has a cameo role in the video as a Vietnam Veteran.


The Crays had heard about the Eyes Wide Open exhibit, but had not seen it when they began developing ideas for the music video. They contacted the Chicago AFSC office and began arrangements to feature the exhibit in the production. After many potential sites were considered, the rolling hills behind the New Hampshire farmhouse of Todd and Kristin Adelman was offered and chosen. Cinematographer, Jonathon Millman signed on to shoot the video and other local actors and crew joined the effort – donating their time out of commitment to the concept.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Cray’s album, also named “Twenty” has been nominated for a Grammy as Best Contemporary Blues Album.


Downlaod the Quicktime Music video here http://www.afsc.org/iraq/cray-video.htm