The Bourgeois Blues

Given that a considerable amount of this past week was spent agonisingly writing an unmercifully broad essay on Marxism, it seems fitting that I stumbled across this video of Taj Mahal doing 'The Bourgeois Blues' whilst looking for Ry Cooder stuff on youtube. As it happens, I really pussied out on this essay.  Despite believing personally that the writings of Marx were more or less totally of their time and any transportation out of the mid to late 1800s virtually guarantees Pol Pot/Mao/Stalin style despotism, I nonetheless argued throughout my 'Why Read Marx?' essay that his writings are off the flamin' 'ook so to speak and are insanely relevant and pertinent in today's day and age.  I got the bloody thing done which was grand and lovely but when it all comes down to it I wish I had just taken that extra time to argue what I actually believe.  I would have gotten more into the essay and it would have been a whole lot better. Ah the easy way out, it is as easy as it is unrewarding. Dose.

Anyway, I really like the song, I've always been a fan of Mr. Mahal's singing and am impressed by his piano chops in this video.  He's accompanied by Yank Rachelle on mandolin who's considered to be the father of blues style mandolin playing.  I'm not so sure I like what he does, (I'd much rather Sam Bush in there rockin' it) it's very staccato and he doesn't hit too many clean notes but i you want to see his influence at work listen to Ry Cooder play the mandolin. he plays EXACTLY like Yank does.  

Incidentally, according to some of the comments by other viewers of the video on youtube, Taj Mahal himself is far from a proletariat, living and playing in the nice as pie Berkeley California throughout the rough civil rights years of the 60s and then selling millions of alums of watered down calypso-blues later in his career.  Sounds pretty bourgeois to me....  

In any case I don't think you should have to 'live' what you sing.  When it all comes down to it a good song is a good song and that's all that matters.  *EXCEPT in the case of totally softcore skinny indie gimps pretending to be hardcore.*  I'm going to have to crack down on that one.