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Todd Snider
Peace Queer
(Aimless)
First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2008, Volume 15, #10
Written by John Metzger
Fri October 17, 2008, 06:30 AM CDT
The one good thing that has come from George W. Bush’s imperial reign over
America is, perhaps, the revival of the full-fledged protest album. Despite the
anger in some corners over how he was awarded his position, artistic fury was
slow to come,. Once he squandered the United States’ goodwill around the globe
by charging headfirst into an unprovoked war in the Middle East, all bets were
off. Although their pursuits were sound, Dan Bern and Steve Earle were
unsuccessful in their attempts to rally the liberal cause prior to the 2004
election; since then, everyone from Neil Young to T Bone Burnett has launched
furious tirades at the Commander-in-Chief and his legion of religious
hypocrites.
More recently, however, artists wisely have been steering clear of anything
that could be called divisive, carefully choosing instead to use reason, logic,
and emotion rather than harsh vitriol in order to appeal to members who sit on
either side of the political aisle. It is, after all, time to move on from
MoveOn.org if the changes that must be implemented are ever to be brought to
fruition. With Burnett’s help, John Mellencamp turned
Life, Death, Love and Freedom into a quiet meditation on life in middle America, while Irma
Thomas’ Simply Grand served as a quiet reminder of the devastation that
befell New Orleans. Considering its title as well as its author’s history,
Peace Queer, the latest outing from snarky songwriter Todd Snider, might
seem, at least initially, to be a return to the former approach.
Snider is, of course, better known for his biting humor than for his
subtlety. On his previous endeavor The Devil You Know, for example, he
playfully poked fun at President Bush’s hard-partying college days, while his
2004 set East Nashville Skyline contained a track that was entitled
Conservative, Christian, Right Wing Republican, Straight, White, American Males.
Launched directly into the maelstrom of the current election cycle — and
boasting a rather provocative cover photo — Peace Queer very well could
have been Snider’s rendition of Bern’s My Country II or Young’s Living
with War. Nevertheless, although there is an abundance of anger and
frustration to be found within his new material, the song cycle that Snider
concocted favors thoughtfulness over visceral assaults.
Naturally, there is no mistaking the concepts that Snider is trying to convey
on Peace Queer or the target of his vehemence for that matter. Over the
course of the brief, eight-song EP, Snider repeatedly builds his stories around
conflict, whether it is schoolyard fistfights or Civil War battles, and his
leaders often charge forward blindly without considering the implications of
their actions. Aside from his various allusions to the war in Iraq, Snider also
tackles the issue of American consumerism by pairing the grungy blues of
Stuck on the Corner (Prelude to a Heart Attack) with the spooky dirge of
Dividing the Estate (A Heart Attack).
The highlight of Peace Queer, however, very well may be Snider’s
somber rendition of John Fogerty’s Fortunate Son. In toning down the
forceful fury of the familiar ’60s anthem, Snider uncovers the ominous, dark,
and foreboding folk song that lies at its core. As the mood that is established
by its haunting refrain escapes from the cut’s two-minute, 44-second cage, it
inevitably informs and permeates the entirety of the affair. In the past, Snider
has had a tendency to work and re-work his material until it exuded a level of
slickness that sometimes undercut his substantive appeals. With Peace Queer,
much as he did on The Devil You Know and East Nashville Skyline,
he continues to alter and refine his approach. Although the effort isn’t
necessarily the best starting point for exploring his canon, it will whet the
appetite of the fans who eagerly are awaiting his next full-length endeavor. 
Of Further Interest...
John Fogerty - The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty-Creedence Collection
Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers
Various Artists - Blowin' in the Wind: A Reggae Tribute to Bob Dylan
Peace Queer is available
from Amazon. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2008 The Music Box
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