Chuck D as a representative of an apolitical attitude? That makes no sense, either in general or in the context of this song. Chuck D is politically outspoken personally and in his music. And in his cameo in Kool Thing--during the part Kim is delivering the most explicitly political lines in the song--Chuck is cheering her on. "Hit 'em where it hurts. Let everybody know!"
OTOH there's so much irony in this song, it can tie your head in knots. Kool Thing--and its associated photo shoot--were an obvious (and perhaps slightly desperate) effort by Geffen to put Sonic Youth on the pop charts. Which failed, despite this being among the band's more accessible songs. (Getting Butch "Nevermind" Vig to produce Dirty didn't help, either.) But relative to SY's musical approach and their place in the rock world, "accessible" is a relative term, and it doesn't add up to Top 40. However catchy it may be, the guitar work flirts with atonality; this drives many a would-be listener to stick in their ear plugs (literally?)
Not that it matters. It's difficult to think of any band having Sonic Youth's combination of creative freedom and prominence. They can put release an homage to Stan Brakhage and never worry about having to get a day job. In return Geffen looks cool. Even if Sonic Youth had gone Metal Machine Music from the first day they signed with DGC until the present, all would be forgiven; what could have been more beneficial to the label than their advocacy of Nirvana?
Chuck D as a representative of an apolitical attitude? That makes no sense, either in general or in the context of this song. Chuck D is politically outspoken personally and in his music. And in his cameo in Kool Thing--during the part Kim is delivering the most explicitly political lines in the song--Chuck is cheering her on. "Hit 'em where it hurts. Let everybody know!"
OTOH there's so much irony in this song, it can tie your head in knots. Kool Thing--and its associated photo shoot--were an obvious (and perhaps slightly desperate) effort by Geffen to put Sonic Youth on the pop charts. Which failed, despite this being among the band's more accessible songs. (Getting Butch "Nevermind" Vig to produce Dirty didn't help, either.) But relative to SY's musical approach and their place in the rock world, "accessible" is a relative term, and it doesn't add up to Top 40. However catchy it may be, the guitar work flirts with atonality; this drives many a would-be listener to stick in their ear plugs (literally?)
Not that it matters. It's difficult to think of any band having Sonic Youth's combination of creative freedom and prominence. They can put release an homage to Stan Brakhage and never worry about having to get a day job. In return Geffen looks cool. Even if Sonic Youth had gone Metal Machine Music from the first day they signed with DGC until the present, all would be forgiven; what could have been more beneficial to the label than their advocacy of Nirvana?