A “concept CD” script from the Alter-Nation album “Change The System”. Spoken “Sound Byte” radio skits interwoven with the album’s songs. Published by Eclectic Properties Corporation.
1. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 1 : KORP, 451 AM, “Corporate Radio” 6:05 a.m. “The Jack & Biff Show”
[ Clock radio comes on with a buzz then the snooze alarm is hit. After a few seconds of silence we hear the radio come back on with morning drive-time DJ’s, “Jack & Biff”, who are joking about the upcoming elections].
Jack: …and the political conventions just seem to be so predictable… you get some silly speeches, a bunch of strutting and butt-kissing… and of course lots of handcuffs & mace.
Biff: Yeah, Jack, and that’s just your girlfriend!
Gang: Ha! Ha! Ha!
[Foreground: faint yawn melding into a hum of the refrain “…Now I’m awake!” as radio fades to back right.]
Jack: Now seriously, Biff, I want to hear from our listeners on this: Doesn’t it seem like every election nowadays is like choosing between two soft drinks? “Let’s see, I want something bold and refreshing like Popsi!” “No, no! We need something different, a dramatic change… Cola-Cola!” Hmmm. My father always went with Popsi! But on second thought, the guys at work always pick Cola-Cola. Thank goodness I only have two choices!
Gang: Ha! Ha! Ha!
[Foreground: voice still humming “…Now I’m awake!” refrain, picks up phone receiver in right hand, brings it to right ear while dialing 555-1234… Humming stops as recording answers: “We’re sorry. The system is out of order. We’re sorry. The system is out of order…” and the caller hangs up. Slowly the radio show pans back to center and comes back toward foreground.]
Jack: Hey, call me folks! Do you see what I mean? What about Milk? Why don’t I have that choice?
Biff: Or what about Scotch?
Jack: Herbal Tea?
Pseudo-Gay Male: Or Fruity Mineral Water?
Gang: Ha! Ha! Ha!
Biff: Actually it’s even worse than that. It’s like the two major parties are diet soft drinks! I vote for Diet Popsi. You vote for Diet Cola-Cola… either way – big corporations profit!
Jack: Hey, kinda like light-beers: “Acts Bland! Less Honest!
Gang: “Acts Bland! Less Honest! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
[Cue Theme Music: “† Jack & Biff in the… mor-ning! †” ]
2. [6:06] Civilized?
3. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 2 : KINC, 108.5 FM, “Stereo Corporate Radio” 7:11 a.m., “On Air Interview with Alter-Nation”
[Door closes, car starts, radio clicks on, dial spins to an interview, pauses briefly then moves on:]
Dean: …The only real choice you have in life is how you spend your time. Your time is your life! Essentially, we agree with Jello Biafra: “Don’t blame the media. Become the media!” So, on our Change the System CD we have tried to become the media vehicle [Dial spins] which, in a perfect world, would act to disseminate our analysis of the body politic. This CD is our attempt to contribute, to share, to create, to observe, to invent solutions. We urge everyone to both join with us and also make the same sorts of efforts of their own. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I just needs to be real, from the heart! This CD isn’t perfect. It’s flawed just like us… we’re real human beings… not TV cartoons and fake centerfold models with plastic boobs. The point is not perfection (which is unattainable anyway). The point is caring effort!
4. [3:46] Glimpse of Eternity
5. [0:10] Sound Byte No. 3 : KICK, 79.6 FM, “Institutional Radio for the Masses” 10:15 a.m., “D.J. Mythman Show”
DJ: Wow! That was Alter-Nation’s smash hit, “Glimpse of Eternity”. Soooo hot that I gotta go-go back-to-back with more Alter-Nation, the band that’s Screaming the Wisdom and Changing The System. Here’s “Your System Brings Me Down” …keep it hanging with DJ Mythman, on the station that rocks your world, KICK 79.6 FM!
6. [3:45] Your System Brings Me Down
7. [1:15] Sound Byte No. 4 : “DiSandro for Supervisor 2000 Ad #1”, 12:51 p.m.
[Dial spins toward end of ad… pauses briefly here and there then continues…]
8. [3:00] Need2Lie
9. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 5 : KAOS, 109.1 FM “Public Radio Network” 2:33 p.m., “On Air Interview with Alter-Nation”
[Commercial starts, dial spins… pauses briefly here and there until it finds…]
[Cue Cart You’re listening to “Eclectica” on KAOS, a Public Radio Network affiliate … this hour is sponsored by Deceptively Named Multinationals. “DNM – Usury across the World”. ]
J.O.C.: I’m Judy O. Christian, and we’re back with my in-studio guests Alter- Nation. What were some of the band’s musical influences behind “Change The System”?
Dean: Quite a few actually. I can recommend that your listeners check out the music and words of groups like Rage Against The Machine, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Dead Can Dance, Sting, Propagandhi, Radio Head, Bad Religion…
[Dial spins]
10. [5:25] Funky Logic
11. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 6 : KRAC, 420 AM, “Talk, Talk, Talk Radio” 4:20 p.m., “Talk Back with Ben Paidov”
[ Insert the 1st verse of Liberty & Responsibility “Live”, dial spins to Southern radio talk show in progress]
B.P.: Our next caller is… Daryl from New Hades, Texas. You’re live with Ben Paidov on “Talk Back”… Hello? Daryl?
Daryl: Am I on the air?
B.P.: Yes. Go ahead.
Daryl: Yeah, well I wanna talk about this Alter-Nation crap. These guys think they can just come along and whine some hippy-socialist- space-cadet songs and the world is gonna sit up and take notice? Do the people and the politicians really give a damn? Hell no! Music and politics over the internet? It’s just a child’s dream. This is exactly the kind of garbage I’ve been calling in about for 22 years!
B.P.: Uh, do you have a question today, Daryl?
Daryl: Yeah! How we can stay the most powerful country in the world if guys like this are prancin’ around on radio, TV, magazines, everywhere, tearing us down, whining and complaining? Why don’t they get real jobs, like real men, and stop their bitchin’ and complain’ ? Why don’t they just go back to dreamland where they live.
[ dial spins again ]
12. [3:03] / [2:48] Normal (parts 1 & 2)
13. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 7 : Automobile CD Player, 5:13 p.m.
[ Car door shuts — heard from inside car… Car starts… Sounds of CD being inserted and selection button clicks… as the song starts the volume gets turned up. ]
14. [3:02] Hope@Last
15. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 8 : KONN-TV, Channel 666, “Savior Broadcast Network” 6:17 p.m., “The Word with Reverend Horace N. Gulfs”
[ Footsteps up metal stairwell. Keys jingle… apartment door opens then closes as man’s voice sings Talking Head’s “Bob & Judy”: “ ‘There’s nothing on tonight’, he says. ‘I don’t know what’s the matter.’ ‘Nothing’s ever on’, she says, ‘so — I don’t know why you bother!’ ” The T.V. clicks on and changes channels a few times, stopping at a televangelist who preaches the opening section to “People Wouldn’t Fight”: ]
Preacher: “Say Halleluyah! Y’all know what’s up! Ya learn to be tough guys just survivin’ in school… You find a set to hang and gang with so you’re cool. But feelings aren’t for tough guys… fightin’ and killin’ is, right? Yeah, it’s
kinda funny: Both the army and the gangsters thinks it’s okay to “shoot your enemies.” But then, you find out that the big bad world has plans for you. A lifetime sentence they call a “J. O. B.” – hard labor with no chance of parole ! And always bossy people tellin’ you what to do….power tripping. You’re confused and you got no control. So you join a bigger gang with big tough guy names like: “The Republicans” or “The Democrats”, or maybe “The Moral Majority”. But you can only kill people if you’re a cop or the President says so. So, now the tough guys fight to prove who can kiss butt while hummin’: “You got to go along to get along!” without one drop of real feeling. You learn that when THE MAN can see that the tough-guy-with-no- feelings is comfortable on his knees, he might just throw you a bone: “Bossman Jr.” Now YOU can do some tough-guy power-trippin’. Good thing you don’t have any feelings. But, if you think that’s how life needs to be, y’all been missin’ the point. Okay boys, let’s tell ‘em how we see it…
[Add stick count or verbal count prior to sound start]
16. [2:55] People Wouldn’t Fight (…if they boogied to Rock’n’Roll)
17. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 9 : KRPT-TV, Channel 1, “Habsburg Broadcasting Empire” 7:04 p.m., “Headline News”
[TV Channel changes 3 or 4 times]
Ken: … White House aides said the President would issue a statement tomorrow. Barbie?
Barbie: Thanks, Ken! In a bizarre blurring of the traditional lines between politics, education, the upcoming elections, the arts and entertainment, the self- described “Project Alter-Nation” continues to create controversy by overtly questioning what its members called “the status quo”. Outside the capital today, Alter-Nation supporters clashed with security forces, blaring music from hand-held devices. Officials reportedly were left with little choice but to forcefully quell the fearsome aesthetic uprising with tear gas, mace, batons, and M-16 fire-power. According to government officials, Alter-Nation’s call for “peaceful revolution” is nothing more than a clever front for militant subversive activities. The CIA, FBI, NSA and military intelligence organizations revealed today an ongoing investigation, alleging massive hidden weapons depots, drug dealing & money laundering schemes, child pornography & pedofilia rings, anti-semitism, jaywalking, and many other heinous crimes by these reputedly socialist, pro-gay, and anti-freedom gang members who are also alleged to have abused their many wives and children. World leaders have issued a demand for national and international media conglomerates to swiftly counter Alter-Nation’s multimedia internet-based propaganda campaign by using time-tested free-market techniques for creating Necessary Illusions and thereby Manufacturing Consent of the indoctrinated masses. We’ll be back with more on this and other important news headlines after this commercial break.
V.O.: Tonight on “Missionary Positions”, Will Bill Spill Jill’s Pills or Jack Her Black Slacks? Coming up right after “Headline News”
[ TV Channel changes several times…]
18. [mm:ss] Elect (Not Re-Elect!)
19. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 10 : KPAN-TV, Channel 69, “International Infomercial Network” 10:51 p.m., “PAN-TV: Project Alter-Nation, All-the-time; Altered-States to Alter- Minds”
[ TV Channel changes several times…]
V.O. Your mind is a terrible thing to waste… especially when multi-
national conglomerates would prefer to use your mind to their own benefit.
Their slick and ubiquitous mass-media advertising campaigns effectively
indoctrinate you as mindless agents of consumption. From “nicotine
delivery devices” to $150 dollar sneakers, from daily medications to
genetically engineered foods, the folks in marketing and finance view you
simply as a “recurring cash flow stream”.
But why give a lifetime of hard labor just so some corporate suits
can own boats, planes and beach front vacation homes. Free your mind
and lower your cost of living with the Alter-Nation “Indoctrination Defense
Kit”, now included with every “Change The System” CD. Your friends are
all talking about it… Your parents and teachers don’t “get it”… The priests,
cops and politicians suspect it… and the corporate masters fear it. But it is
not available in stores. You need it… you want it… and you know it!
… Now get your very own “Indoctrination Defense Kit” by
ordering the mind-altering Alter-Nation CD, “Change The System”.
Order now by calling Project Alter-Nation at the number on your
screen, or visit our web site at www.alter-nation.com . Operators are
standing by to fill your order right now! Have your credit card handy.
But you must act now…
[ TV Channel changes several times…]
20. [6:08] Bending The World (…unto our own will)
21. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 11 : KANT-TV, Channel 86, “Global Military-Industrial Network” 12:39 a.m., “The Bed Time Hour with Hip Beauman”
[ TV Channel changes several times…]
H.B.: So with many new internet distribution channels opening up we might predict a broader degree of artistic influences showing up in pop music. It seems like there is plenty of controversy as well as promise surrounding … this concept of distribution via the internet. This band obviously has many musical influences.
D.D.: Sure. But there are many non-musical influences, too. Great films like the Reggio/Fricke sound-and-vision classics Koyannisqatsi, Powaaqatsi, and Baraka; Noam Chomsky’s multimedia biography entitled “Manufacturing Consent / Necessary Illusions”; Fritjof Capra’s Mindwalk; John Sayles’ flicks such as Men With Guns and City of Hope; Books such as The World’s Wasted Wealth, or classics such as Toffler's Future Shock, Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm; Videos such as Adbusters … and many others artistic works demonstrating the destructiveness of our consumer- oriented society as well as possible mass market alternatives — ways we can teach ourselves to attain economic and mental freedom.
H.B.: … You’re suggesting that Alter-Nation’s “Change the System” is a “concept album”… Or should I say concept CD. Give us a little background before I roll the clip from your latest music video.
D.D.: Uh, sure. It’s about the struggle of Humanity: Biology vs. Spirituality. We have created technological solutions which could allow us to come closer than ever before to a “Paradise-on-Earth”. But we still have the same major problems we have had for 5,000 years. These problems, which science never will solve, are cultural and spiritual problems: For instance, how do we minimize the dysfunctional “greed” within us (a largely biological drive) and instead reward personal and social transcendence of our raw biology? Our belief that “science will save us” ignores the fallible “human” part of humanity. We need to reach within ourselves and find the strength to fight against anyone and everyone who allows or supports greed. We need to develop a spirituality and ethos which replaces our greedy love of money, and our fascination with technology, with a personal and social focus on a better way of living: more free time, more free thought, more mutual love and respect. Unless we do this we will always be cogs in the turn wheels of a juggernaut. Our CD is about turning a nightmare into a dream, and a dream into reality.
H.B.: Uh… Okay. Let’s roll that clip.
22. [5:42] Find Hidden Hercules
23. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 12 : “‘Free-Net’ Dial-Up Account” 2:47 a.m., “log on to www.alter-nation.com/exotica/ ”
[ We hear a switch click, “Computer Start-up Music – Windows” and keyboard clicks followed by Dial-up modem sounds… then a female computer voice: ]
“Welcome to ‘Alter-Nation Exotica Online’, the first multimedia
internet site to take advantage of high-speed fiber-optic subscriber lines.
“Please enter you Personal Identification Number now… (click click
click)…
“Thank you. Please select your preferred background music while
your visual fantasy is being loaded…” (click click click)…
[ Windows sound announces file load as song begins ]
24. [4:40] Opus I: Echoes (part 1)
25. [1:30] Opus I: Echoes (part 2)
26. [4:35] Opus I: Echoes (part 3)
27. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 13 : Unknown Channel(s) 4:56 a.m., “Sonic Nightmare Montage”
[ “Vote in Our Cities” loops with reverbed voices from Chomsky, Parenti, Hightower, interspersed with radio and TV spins… ending with 1-2-3-4-5-6, 1-2-3-4-5-6 reverb into “Asleep”…]
28. [3:06] All of My Friends Are Asleep
29. [mm:ss] Sound Byte No. 14 : Sound Byte No. 1 : KORP, 451 AM, “Corporate Radio” 6:05 a.m. “The Jack & Biff Show”
[ Clock radio comes on with a buzz then the snooze alarm is hit. After a few seconds of silence we hear the radio come back on with morning drive-time DJ’s, “Jack & Biff”, who are joking about the upcoming elections… heavy reverb. Foreground: Snoring. ]