Scenes from the Silent Revolution

Jess Rowland could not have created the tour de force, Scenes From The Silent Revolution, at a better time than during our current epoch, as we find that we have been swimming in the muck of corporate culture for decades. Rowland punctures the shrink-wrap that corporations have fixed around ourdaily lives with a CD and DVD that leaves you feeling raw and unsettled. The DVD includes three scenes: “Ashcroft vs. The Space Librarians,” “The Barbie Explosion” and “McDonaldland is Changing.” The soundtrack is a thing of genius. The background noise that compliments the visual material includes drum beats and radio samples, as well as music by John Ashcroft, Barbie and the Rockers and the kids who love Ronald McDonald. The themes are: American nationalism, American vanity, the extraterrestrial and theparadox of desired homogeneity versus globalization. The ten tracks are short but hypnotic and can easily be slipped into the background of any dinner party. John Ashcroft’s song returns during the last track to implant the “Mighty Eagle Song” in your brain—it will surely nest there for days. Rowland should supply a disclaimer regarding the persistent nature of this tune. Then again, that’s the point! A subliminal message is unnecessary. If you buy anything, buy this compilation.

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