Sunday, Bloody Sunday

One of my first recollections of really great fight music, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" by U2. The album - War - was incredibly popular when I was doing my study abroad in France, and I remember I'd bought the cassette (yes, Virginia, we bought cassettes back then) and was listening to it over and over again on the then-very-long train and boat, and train again, ride to London - my first visit to London. Sitting on that damn ferry in the middle of the night, verging on sea sickness and trying not to think of all of those who died in Denmark (or was it Greece?) on a similar passage. I met a couple of English guys who were just coming back from France - great guys, one of whom I'm still in touch with today, he lives in London, we're going to get together next time I go (7/7 was a bit difficult). Anyway, they're playing Sunday, Bloody Sunday right now on my new favorite French rock station, Oui FM.

SBS was, I think, my introduction to protest music, or close to it. I will always remember that song fixed in that place and time. Music does that a lot for me - fixes a time and place. Just like "Gold" by Spandau Ballet will always be an English girl dancing and spinning in an ever-widening sun dress at a late-night disco in Seville. I like music that takes me on a roller coaster ride - just picks you up and races every which way for two and half minutes, then sets you down, boom. I like articles that do the same.