Brad Schreiber

This machine kills fascists

This slogan, written on Woodie Guthrie's guitar, refers to the power of music to change the world and, in his book Music is Power Popular Songs, Social Justice, and the Will to Change Brad Schreiber looks at music over the last100 years from the folk music of Joe Hill, Guthrie and Pete Seeger to Green Day and NWA and the protest songs that have influenced generations

The book covers many artists and songs in genres like folk rock, reggae and punk that are know for show more their social relevance, people like Dylan and Phil Ochs. But he also points to artists and songs that are often overlooked as socially relevant eg Lesie Gore’s ‘You Don’t Own Me’ which was the first pop feminist song and Black Sabbath’s War Pigs.

This is a fairly short book and, as a result, there are many artists who are probably better known for their socially conscious content absent from it but, whether you agree or disagree with many of his choices, this is a very well-researched, well-written, and highly readable book about the songs and artists who have been willing to take a stand often against the industry and the political landscape of their time to bring about change.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Rutger’s University Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less