As we wrote the section in our book on Christian attitudes to peak oil I felt we should put in a general section on Peak oil in the wider culture. To the best of my knowledge no other book on peak oil has covered this. Not surprisingly its a short section. However, it needs to be extended very marginally thanks to the new album “2nd Law” by the alt rock band “Muse”.
Successful rock bands tend to deal in large numbers be it album sales or income, but also of course carbon emissions. In the era of downloads and piracy most bands make their money by touring. This does not come cheap to people or planet. Imagine my surprise when I opened my newspaper and read a major article and interview with Muse about an album “which encompasses the global economic crisis, peak oil theory, food security, evolution, the taxation proposals of 19th-century economist Henry George and the concept of the “stress nexus“” (http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/sep/30/muse-2nd-law-tour-interview).
Its hard to believe now but 30 years ago progressive (prog) and heavy rock dinosaurs ruled the earth. Then along came punk. Punk’s effect on prog rock sales has been exaggerated (certainly by prog protagonists). Post 1977 prog bands still shifted albums and had hit singles (Pink Floyd, Genesis and Yes). Punk was short lived mainly UK phenomenon with little album chart success. However, post punk musical fragmentation meant that prog’s glory days were over, there was simply too much other competition. Despite this surprisingly prog rock continues to have influences. Christian bands such as “Iona” and “Glass Hammer” continue to carry out the work of prog (the concept album), with a degree of success beyond the Christian subculture. Secular bands such as “Mars Volta” and “Muse” are said to fit into the “new prog” category, with influences that include prog amongst a variety of other genres.
When I once asked an old friend why he did not like the “Beatles” he replied every British band has been trying to sound like them since. More recently I would say lots of bands have tried to sound like “Coldplay”. Personally I like Coldplay, but people who don’t can rest assured, there is no Coldplay influence here. Certainly like other current prog influenced offerings (such as Iona’s albums) “2nd Law” is musically hard to pin down with a variety of different genres linked to make a complex whole.
Tracks such as “Survival” combine very Queen like vocals with Brian May style guitar solos (apparently May is an admirer). “Big freeze” reminds this reviewer of U2. Other tracks use an orchestra and choir and even lead vocalist Bellamy’s child’s heartbeat. Tom Lehrer was supposedly challenged that he couldn’t write a song about the periodic table of the elements, so he did. Even Lehrer would have been challenged to write a song about the 2nd law of Thermodynamics*, which is where the title of album is derived from. Muse sensibly don’t try. Instead the two tracks based on the the 2nd law and about the myth of endless growth consist of the Channel 4 news reader Katie Razzell reading the text to electronica and minimalist Mike Oldfield influenced backing. Another track “Explorers” worries about the unsustainability of a life built on diminishing stocks of oil.
“A world lush in bloom
With rivers running wild
They’ll be re-routed South
With none left for you or for me
Don’t give in and hear the
Engines roar
And save our crops from drought
But when the black gold’s in doubt
There’s none left for you or for me
Fuse helium-3
Our last hope“
The track goes on to hint at religious faith.
“Free me, free me
Free me from this world
We don’t belong here
It was a mistake imprisoning our souls
Can you free me
Free me from this world“.
As do the two tracks written by the bassist who is a recovering alcoholic about his struggles in this area.
“I’m on red alert
Bring me peace and wash away my dirt
Spin me round and help me to divert
And walk into the light“
I listen to wide variety of music and still despite myself like prog rock despite its tendency to pomposity. Prog is the only genre of rock that in my view that can offer moments of transcendent beauty. Whilst this album is apparently less prog influenced than the bands previous offerings ( for example it is only partially a concept album) it manages these moments of beauty plus a number of good wig outs. The depressing thing it takes a rock star and not a politician to point out that limitless growth is not possible; -oh the irony.
“A species set on endless growth is unsustainable.” “The 2nd Law: Unsustainable”
This was a Christmas present. [Warning there is some swearing on one track.]
* Spontaneous change cannot occur in a closed system without the entropy (disorder) increasing.
Neil