We interrupt this program with a special bulletin:
America is now under martial law
All constitutional rights have been suspended
Stay in your homes
Do not attempt to contact loved ones, insurance agents or attorneys
Shut up
Do not attempt to think or depression may occur
Stay in your homes
Curfew is at 7 PM sharp after work
Anyone caught outside the gates of their subdivision sectors after curfew
Will be shot
Remain calm, do not panic
Your neighborhood watch officer will be by to collect urine samples in the morning
Anyone caught interfering with the collection of urine samples
Will be shot
Stay in your homes, remain calm
The number one enemy of progress is question
National security is more important than individual will
All sports broadcasts will proceed as normal
No more than two people may gather anywhere without permission
Use only the drugs prescribed by your boss or supervisor
Shut up, be happy
Obey all orders without question
The comfort you demanded is now mandatory
Be happy
At last, everything is done for you
mp3: Ice T – Shut Up, Be Happy (featuring Jello Biafra)
In which the rapper took a lengthy sample from a 1987 spoken word album and added it to another sample from a 1970 track by Black Sabbath. In doing so, he created a menacing and haunting opener for his third solo album, The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech… Just Watch What You Say!, released in October 1989, a second-hand copy of which I picked up quite recently as I wanted to get myself, on vinyl, a piece of music which has proven to be so relevant to the nightmarish 2020 we’ve just endured.
And with that, the blog is going into something of a hibernation for a short spell. Normal service will resume on Sunday 10 January with the next proper look at the R.E.M singles while the follwoing day will see another guest ICA of Opening Tracks. Tomorrow is the start of my festive retro series and there will continue to be a daily posting, including a little twist on the R.E.M. singles series over the next two upcoming Sundays.
In the meantime, have a great Christmas/holiday season, and here’s hoping 2021 proves to be a bit more sociable than 2020.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 