Obama is just Bryan Adams without music

O`ar Pali

10 December 2008

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O’ar Pali talks to the ageing Canadian rocker and realises that the President-elect has merely emulated the pious pop-star rhetoric that has made Adams a global brand

How have stars like Adams secured such a robust role in the ‘new establishment’? In his case, as in so many others, musical longevity has morphed into permanent residence on the cultural and social landscape. The process began in the 1980s with Bob Geldof and the transformation of pop music from rebel soundtrack to official Force for Good (or, depending upon your point of view, Force for Irritation). It was completed at the Live 8 concert (Adams played in Ontario), which coincided with the Gleneagles summit and marked the sealing of the coalition of rock stars and statesmen.

It also has a lot to do with MP3 and iPods: digital media that mean that every generation now downloads everything, instantly, all at once, to join in a sort of global juke box. ‘All the songs, all the albums,’ Adams explains, ‘are kind of like a mental photo-gallery. I can remember exactly where I was when I wrote that, how old I was, what city I was living in.’ As it happens, I can remember the exact moment that I first heard ‘Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman’, written for Don Juan DeMarco, the film starring Johnny Depp.

‘Ah that, yes,’ he exclaims with a cheesy grin. The word which he uses to describe its composition — tellingly — is ‘methodical’. He and his collaborators tried to think of everything that ‘a woman would want to hear and a man would never say. I mean guys would never say those things, they might think them, but they would never say them.’ He smiles. ‘But they are the kind of things a woman would love to hear.’ Such as: ‘When you can see your unborn children in her eyes/ You know you really love a woman.’

This is when you remember that you are talking to a brand: a businessman who has turned his life and music into a going concern that can weather just about anything. It is no surprise that, as CEO of himself, he is musing on the impact of the global downturn on his US tour. ‘Due to the current financial crisis,’ he says, ‘not that many people will be out.’ Today’s collapsing bank, you see, is tomorrow’s empty rock stadium. But when you are as resilient as this old rocker, you know that you just have to live long enough for them to fill again.

O'ar Pali is deputy editor of SpearsWMS.com

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Vernon Howell

December 12th, 2008 9:18pm Report this comment

What on earth is an interview with Bryan Adams doing in the Spectator? The flimsy Obama reference is not convincing as a justification, nor in any way insightful. What next? Mel C? That guy from the Streets? Do grow up, Mr. Editor.

Anonymous

December 13th, 2008 11:09am Report this comment

Poor article. Poor choice. Let us have some substance please.

Barb

December 13th, 2008 2:34pm Report this comment

I love the Big BA. I hope he never moves out of Chelsea. He is most definitely a part of our London scene, much like Big Ben.

Anthony

December 13th, 2008 5:37pm Report this comment

It's actually a highly relevant article. On January 20, 2009, MTV will be hosting Barack Obama’s Inaugural Ball for heaven's sake.

That sums up this candidate and his most ardent admirers - what feeling does he create? A good one. That's the rock star connection. In just the same way people don't really ask rock stars pressing questions about their political views, just the same happened with the mainstream media over Barack Obama.

Bruce Springsteen would go on stage at the rallies with a guitar and then out would come Obama and get the crowd going in a mindless sing-a-long of: "Yes, we can."

That's it. That's St Barack's greatest hit. Don't ask him any questions on political substance, whatever you do, Big Media, just feel the quality of the tune. Can't get it out of your head now, can you? "Yes, we can."

Where is the arm's length skepticism we normally see with all politicians?

I don't ever recall weeping over a political candidate of any hue. Normally we all go to the ballot box to pick what we think are the lesser of two evils. This Obama worship is pure lunacy.

If you want to see "Yes, we can" performed live again, pencil in January 20 - and don't worry, if you're not interested in politics, there won't be an ounce of political substance in sight.

Tanaduke Wylie

December 13th, 2008 10:22pm Report this comment

No, I've never heard of Bryan Adams. And what's an O'ar Pali -- some kind of rowing device? The suggestion that the Princess of Wales was "more than friendly" with this rocker is disgusting.