Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Yanqui U.X.O.
This is one of those albums that you chance across just a few times in your life that leave you with a new appreciation for the skills of all musicians, in this case, a nine-piece outfit called Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
The band kindly request that you buy their album direct from their label: Constellation Records
The band are/ were - they have been on an indefinite hiatus since 2003 owing in part to commitments to other musical projects - politically-aware anarchists who, on the reverse of this album show how the major record labels are part-owned, or part-own via shares, the world's major weapons manufacturers. I hadn't realised this when I bought my copy from Amazon and will take more care in the future about who and where I buy from. Think I'm making this up? Check this out... did you know that AOL Time Warner, the same company of which a certain former US General is a key shareholder, owned stock in Hughes Electronic Corporation which having merged with Raytheon became Raytheon Industries producing such civilian town-market-busting delights as the Tomahawk Cruise Missile? Still listening comfortably?
Yanqui U.X.O. was released on 4 November 2002 in Europe. You can hear mp3 samples on the band's own website: this is your new home
I could tell you that the music has no ego-heavy vocalist, that there are two sets of drums and two basses, three guitarists, a cellist and violinist but you would still have no idea about what this music is but if you imagine trying to write not with one partner but eight, I think you can appreciate that - creatively at least - this is democracy in action.
