Random Gems:
Gun control
Mahesh Markus

The gun control debate that is currently going on in America is an anathema to non-Americans like me. It appears that the people advocating 'no' or 'reduced' gun control are the people who should not be allowed to own guns.

I set myself a challenge of finding out three songs in my playlist that highlighted the consequences of immature and angry people with access to a weapon.


The song: Gangsta's Paradise
The player: Coolio

This song was part of the soundtrack to the movie 'Dangerous Minds'. It heavily samples Stevie Wonders' 'Pastime Paradise', which also deals with (in my opinion) materialism as a façade.

Where to buy: Gangsta's Paradise - The Green Hornet (Remastered) or  amazon.com

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The song: Hey Joe
The players: The Jimi Hendrix Experience

This is a song that was covered by many artists. My favourite is the one by Jimi Hendrix, which first appeared on 'Are You Experienced?'. Perhaps Joe should have stopped and talked.

Where to buy:Hey Joe - Are You Experienced or amazon.com

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The song: Folsom Prison Blues
The player: Johnny Cash

I became a fan of Johnny Cash when I got my hands on his album 'Live at Folsom Prison'. While I didn't know much about him at the time, I could appreciate the relationship he was able to make with the inmates. One of the songs on the album was 'Folsom Prison Blues', containing the chilling line 'I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die'.

Where to buy:Folsom Prison Blues (Live) - At Folsom Prison (Live) or amazon.com

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We should do more to educate individuals and communities to think about the consequences of their actions. Had Joe (in 'Hey') or the protaganist in Folsom prison thought a bit more about the consequences, they may have had second thoughts about firing thier gun.

Vale

This week Ritiche Havens and Chrissie Amphlett passed away. They both had a big influence on modern music in different ways.

Ritchie Havens

This is a song from his set at Woodstock. Apparently, he played for nearly three hours waiting for the first act to arrive.

Where to buy:Freedom (2009) - Taking Woodstock (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) or amazon.com

Chrissie Amphlett

I was introduced to the Divinyls a few short months after I first arrived in Australia. My mother was among many people who didn't know what to make of their single 'I Touch Myself'.

Where to buy: I Touch Myself - Divinyls or amazon.com

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