REVISED: Appealing to Your Reason

               

            

             Why does an album become popular? Is it because it’s catchy, that it’s played on the radio, because it has a good beat? What is that one thing? We as a culture tend to like music that reflects what we think. We can relate to a song because we have been through something similar. Artists are successful partly because of their songs, but also what they represent for us. Culture creates the stars it wants to follow. This is why punk bands are popular. Throughout punk rock a lineage can be traced of young and rebellious youth who are still politically aware. It’s in bands ranging from the Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, and The Clash.  The same ideals of being politically aware are prominent in Rise Against’s 2008 album Appeal to Reason. I mean c’mon just look at the title of the album, it screams that the band is going to be opinionated. The album is rooted in the controversy that surrounds the Iraq War. When their opinions are paired with the album’s platinum success it goes to show that we as a culture agree with what they are saying.

The song that stuck out to me from the entire album was “Hero of War”. It features only a guitar and lead singer Tim McIlrath. It’s a bit odd, having an acoustic song on a punk album but it definitely gets the message across. It is similar to the country songs that parade around patriotism as if the US never does anything wrong. Also only having a guitar allows the lyrics to slice into the listener and really hit home. The lyrics are blunt, short, and to the point. It chronicles the terrible things that happened in the Iraq War without any sugar coating. It takes away what the news has been saying and strips everything down the core. It is one of those songs that people look back on when they think of an event. “Hero of War” honestly and melodically chronicles example of how soldiers have been forced to kill innocent people. They have murdered little girls, fathers, mother, families just because a commander says so. We are all so quick to lose our morals because the government says to do something. We trust that the government knows best. This song doesn’t glamorize being a solider, and in some ways it even bashes soldiers. It just seems so inhumane to kill innocent people. That is what makes this song different the way they present soldiers and Iraqi citizens. It is rare in our culture that soldiers are pictured as the bad guys and the Iraqis pictured as victims. Since this goes against everything that I have been taught since I was raised during this war to think that the U.S military does no wrong, it struck a chord with me. Honestly, I was pretty pissed after listening to this song. It was just running through my head that soldiers risk their life protecting us overseas. But then it clicked, the band isn’t bashing soldiers they are more saying how war is shitty on both sides. There are no winners in war.  Appeal to Reason then goes on to discuss the idea of our government in  “Audience of One”.

The president has the power to basically do whatever he wants. There are checks and balances in the government but sometimes those fail. For example, President Bush declaring war without Congress approving. This idea is broached in “Audience of One”.  In this song, the verses are sang with a soft tone that then escalades to shouting a blunt chorus that demonstrates how America has slowly, built up anger for the situation in government of 2008, especially at George Bush. The sound of the symbols throughout song, the symbols are hit at any time the lyrics change or say anything important which draws the attention to how we as people should start thinking more independently. 

                 While this album is rooted in political statements there is one song that sticks out to me that does not have anything to the political world. “Savior” is the normal fast-paced, angry songs, that I have come to love. My favorite song from the album would be “Savior”, the most successful single. The song lays out the problem in relationships. The problem is that everyone is so afraid of being alone, we all want someone to fix everything for us. But that isn’t possible; we have all become so dependent on one another for everything. Everyone thinks that they are entitled to something rather than have to work hard for success. This idea can be applied to huge things such as the debate of government welfare or to smaller things like depending on someone to always help you with your homework. Sometimes you have to grow up and put your big girl panties on and do things by yourself. This idea is drilled in further with the pounding drums extremely fast pace of the song. When listening to “Savior” it seems like an actual fight between a couple: loud, fast, and emotional. This song is exactly what you would expect from a punk rock album, and having this on the album breaks up all the controversy and gives a light breath of fresh air to the entire flow of Appeal to Reason.

And the honorable mention goes to, “Re-Education (Through Labor)”. This is a song for the blue-collar hard working people in America. It shows what people go through in order to make a living today while contrasted to the high-paying executive jobs. It addresses the problem of the huge gapped pay between workers and executives. There are people who work their butts off everyday just trying to get by that don’t get paid even 1/20 of what a white-collar businessman would make. The loud, yelling and pounding drums demonstrate what the people are going through and how they feel about the situation.
           Rise Against has said time and time again that they said to be the voice of reason. They want to use their influence and music to make statements about “what the hell in wrong with the world”.  They are using their influence in the world to be brave and make bold statements. This album makes you think, it made me think about the way I view the government and war. We have always just grown up thinking that the U.S can do no wrong. That ideal has been passed down through generations even back in the Vietnam War. But Appeal to Reason challenges this idea; it says that we as a country have made mistakes and that there are still things wrong with our country. By saying these opinions, a listener takes in everything they are saying and it opens up our minds a little bit to a more uncommon idea. It challenges beliefs (while paired with great music) to try and expand listener’s opinion on today’s society.