I like my music, but I’m not a music expert, I don’t really know my Jimmy Hendrix from my Bob Dylan, so my review is just going to set out what I see of the good things about this locally produced campaign CD.
For a start, it’s got 13 tracks with 9 original compositions by local artists, anything that can get local people involved and putting feelings to music can only be good.
The theme is the opposition of an incinerator by the county council being placed in King’s Lynn. Not the most inspiring of topics, but it’s struck a chord locally and for a sustained period, showing the depth of feeling people have about this issue. The CD opens with No Incinerator! by John Preston who produced the CD to raise funds for the local anti-incinerator campaign.
The music itself has some really strong and quite beautiful moments. There are one or two really good tracks and the one by Derek Paice is one of them. It’s beautiful, starting ‘Cory says to his man … top up your pension while you can, 20 million in my hand … who’s the fool now.’ The music, the voice, the words and the style are wonderful, and the way he gets the pension link in hits home with public sector workers who know that PFI is going to cost us dear, much like the pension changes. One of the other good ones is Nico’s song. There’s also a parody, which get the message home, working really well in part because it’s a harvest hymn, we’ll be reaping what they sow. Saying what a grim harvest we would reap with the incinerator.
It’s great that supporters have taken the time and money to put this together and it’s great that it gives local people the chance to hear something different and thought provoking, well worth the fiver it costs to buy it. Well, hopefully those I’ve bought it for will think so on Christmas morning!!
Jo Rust is secretary of King’s Lynn and District Trades Council