Is Conscience Innate or Learned?

by Oliver Price

(source: adorotedevote.blogspot.com)

Developmental pyschologist Jean Piaget put forward the theory that conscience is learned as we grow up. Concerned with the psychology of children as they matured, he deduced that children only gain a full sense of morality by age 10; he called this stage of moral development heteronomous morality, whereby you follow the rules due to fear of punishment but not from a higher sense of moral duty.

Another psychologist, Sigmund Freud, saw the mind as a machine-like entity. Freud theorised that the human personality consisted of three parts: the id (the unconscious self devoid of morality and only concerned with its own wants and desires), the ego (the conscious self and personality society sees) and the super ego (the set of moral controls given to us by outside influences which may conflict with the id). Freud theorised that there was no absolute moral law that humanity abides by and, instead, as children we learn our moral behaviour from our parents and other older role models. Erich Fromm also shared this view that humans are influenced by external authorities and that disobedience therefore produces guilt.

Piaget and Freud’s theories would be consistent with the case of James Bulger’s murder as both the killers were 10 years of age at the time of the killing, so would not be viewed by Piaget to possess a fully developed moral conscience. Also, one of the murderers, Robert Thompson, was born into a family of 7 children whose parents had separated. He is described as having been an illiterate child raised in an impoverished family. His mother is portrayed as having been an alcoholic and as having neglected her parental responsibilities. On the basis of this evidence, Freud would argue that a cause for Thompson’s warped sense of morality could be his lack of an authoritative role model on whom to base his morality. Piaget would argue that Thompson was still at the stage of heteronomous morality because the lack of an authoritative figure in his life meant there were no rules to follow. It also leads us to pose the question: if conscience comes from God why did these atrocities take place?

Joseph Butler attempted to answer this question by stating that immoral actions only take place when a person blinds themselves from their conscience to make way for a wrong action; he went on to say how corrupting one's conscience is worse than whatever the evil action is that comes from it. Butler stood by his assertion that conscience comes from God, seeing conscience as what stands humanity apart from animals, so that being human involves being moral; for Butler, the principle of man is conscience. Within human nature, Butler believed there was a hierarchy with conscience at its top and self-love and benevolence at its base, and above the last two the principle of reflection, which is part of the conscience; Butler argues that God gives us the principle of reflection. However, Mark Twain offered a criticism of Butler’s theory by suggesting that the conscience is not discovered through the principle of reflection and God’s guidance: “I have noticed my conscience for many years, and I know it is more trouble and bother to me than anything else I started with.” Both Butler and Twain, in different ways, suggests that the conscience is innate and with us from birth throughout life.

Cardinal Newman saw conscience as the voice of God, when we feel any sort of intuitive moral knowledge when decision making. As Newman said: “If, as is the case, we feel responsibility, are ashamed, are frightened, at transgressing the voice of conscience, this implies there is One to whom we are responsible, before whom we are ashamed.” By “One” Newman is referring to God, implying that conscience come directly from Him and is therefore innate. Another proponent of this view, St Augustine of Hippo, directed Christians to: “return to your conscience, question it… Turn inward, brethren, and in everything you do, see God as your witness." This seems to parallel Butler’s principle of reflection. The ideas of Butler, Newman and Augustine concerning conscience rely on an intuitionist approach, whereby people are able to sense what is right and wrong due to God acting as a guide revealing the right path to them.

Thomas Aquinas presented an alternative approach to conscience, offering a middle way. He viewed the conscience as being made up of two parts: “synderisis” and “conscientia”. The synderisis rule states that it’s innate that people aim for good and avoid bad. However, Aquinas also believed that it is repeated use of right reason that leads to gaining moral principles and understanding that it is important to strive towards good and avoid evil deeds. Conscientia is the ethical judgement, based on right reason, that a person makes which leads to a particular action. His whole approach is based around “reason seeking understanding”; you use your conscience correctly to reason what God wants. He said conscience “was the mind of man making moral judgements”. Aquinas’ argument is more rationalist than those of Butler, Newman and Augustine. However, modern psychologists, building on Freud’s ideas would dispute that God leads us to reason what he wants, as they argue that some people’s conscience never mature; does this mean that God has not influenced their moral decisions, and, if so, why?

Freud and Piaget’s views on conscience being innate coincided with those of Lawrence Kohlberg, who argued that there were six stages of moral development: behaving morally due to the instruction of authority figures, the law, caring for others, respecting universal principles and the demands of the individual conscience. Kohlberg said we have to follow these in sequence or otherwise we are prone to faults. Therefore, Kohlberg, like Piaget, believed that moral development and conscience are gained through social interaction, stressing nurture over nature, society over God.

In conclusion, theologians Augustine, Newman and Butler believed that conscience is derived directly from God as he influences our every moral decision; conscience is the voice of God. However, psychologists Freud, Piaget and Kohlberg disputed this claim, arguing that conscience is not discovered through God’s guidance but, rather, is innate and gained through external factors such as role models (parents, teachers etc.) and the environment we grow up in. Lastly, Aquinas provides us with an alternative approach that states that conscience comes from God but that reason enables us to realise what God wants: reason seeking understanding. For me, Aquinas’ argument is preferable to that of Newman and Butler, as it is much more rationalist.

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Why (Maths Says) I Will Never Get a Girlfriend

by Charlie Albuery

This is a question that practically every male has asked himself at one point or another in his life. Unfortunately, there is rarely a hard and fast answer to the query. In reality, it’s probably due to a number of physical and psychological factors that we could never measure.

But that’s boring.

So I’m doing this my way.

Let's take a look at the figures:

 Number of people on Earth: 7,000,000,000

We start with the largest demographic in which I am interested—namely, the population of this planet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against the idea of interstellar romance, I just don’t see it as a reasonable assumption to make.

 …who are female: 3,500,000,000

I assume that, given the title of this article, this kinda goes without saying. Also, (I may get a little side-tracked here, sorry in advance) the population is half and half, deal with it. If you’re one of those people who INSISTS that it’s a 49%/51% split, nobody likes you, I’m serious (you probably also complain about how Big Ben isn’t called Big Ben and you liked Owl City before Fireflies, you’re wrong on all three). You need to pipe down and just have a serious think about where your life is going, seriously. Anyway, it’s a 50%/50% split; accordingly, roughly half of the Earth's population must be discounted. Sorry, guys.

 in Europe and USA: 685,601,000

I restrict the geographical area of interest to countries I am likely to live and/or work in and therefore meet my potential partner. 

…currently aged 13 to 18: 45,399,083

I would like to restrict my search for love to those whose age is approximately equal to my own (although I fully understand that when we’re 90 years old, a 5-year age gap would feel like nothing). To make things still worse, roughly 1% of these girls will have died since the census I’m using was taken; thus, the true number of so-far eligible bachelorettes is 44,945,092

 …who are beautiful (to me): 1,487,838

Personal attraction, both physically and personality-wise, is the most important factor (maybe other than the living-on-Earth thing) in any relationship. Of course, beauty is a largely subjective trait which varies from person to person.

I’m not going to argue about what makes you beautiful (you don’t know you’re beautiful (God, I’m going to get crucified for that one)) but what I hope we can all agree on is that it will probably be normally distributed amongst the population.

Without going into the specifics of precisely which traits I admire, I will say that for a girl to be considered really beautiful to me, she should fall at least two standard deviations above the standard. From basic statistics theory, the area to the left of the normal curve at z = 2 (for those of you who haven’t done basic calculus, they have to be like an 8 out of 10).

 …and intelligent: 236 053

Again, intelligence can mean different things to different people, yet I am once again squirming out of trying to explain personal opinion to you people by noting that it, like most other characteristics, has a pretty much normal distribution across the population. Let's assume that I will settle for someone a mere one standard deviation above the normal (like a 6 ½ out of 10); in that case, a further 50.0002% must be removed.

 …and not already committed: 118 027

I could find no hard statistics on the number of above-noted girls who are already married (that would be weird), engaged (slightly less weird) or otherwise committed to a significant other (still a little weird), but a little basic observation (no binoculars, I promise) leads me to assume roughly 30% of my remaining candidates to already be in some form of relationship.

 …and also might like me: 82,618

Naturally, finding a suitable girl who I really like is no guarantee that she'll like me back.

Assuming, as previously mentioned, that personal attractiveness is normally distributed, there is a mere 50% chance that any given female will consider me even marginally attractive. In practice, however, people are unlikely to consider pursuing a relationship with someone whose looks and personality just barely suffice. I’ll then make the (rather conservative) assumption, then, that a girl might go out with someone if, and only if, they were at least one standard deviation above her idea of average. (I’m not giving you any more scores out of ten; it’s pretty simple). In that case, referring to our previous calculation, only 15.8655% of females would consider someone with my physical characteristics and personality acceptable as a potential romantic partner (on an unrelated note, I’ve worked out that 84.2455% of women are fools).

We have arrived at a pool of 13,107 acceptable females. At first glance, that may not seem like such a low number (indeed a high number to those of you who know me), but consider this: assuming I was to go on a blind date with a new girl about my age every week, I would have to date for approximately 50,000 weeks before I found one of the 13,107.

That's very nearly 1,000 years.

I hate to say it, but I think it’s become clear to everybody reading this that the reason I’m lonely is because I’m exactly the kind of guy who sits down and spends hours doing this kind of stuff. Also the 1,000 years thing. I’m going to die alone.

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Doctor Who Series 7: Massive Disappointment

by Melissa Smith

Nice fez
(image source: doctorwhotv.co.uk)

I’d like to start off with a disclaimer: I have been an avid fan of Doctor Who since its revival in 2005. I’ve watched Christopher Eccleston prance about in a leather jacket, David Tennant repeat the words ‘Oh yes!’ in almost every episode he could, and finally Matt Smith – the boy wonder with an affinity for a nice fez. I have watched countless Daleks fail yet again to exterminate the Doctor, Cybermen looking ominous in large numbers, and Oods doing whatever it is that Oods do (seriously, does anyone know?). I have seen the show at its best and at its most terrible. Unfortunately, the new series so far has fallen dangerously on the latter side.

It started off with yet another round of the Daleks. I mean, I understand that they’re a recurring theme throughout Doctor Who, but who doesn’t get, by now, that they’re just a few men-turned-robots inside tin cans getting a bit angry and blasting everything in their sight? I’ll admit, having them asking the Doctor for help was an interesting plot twist, however not interesting enough to save this episode from being inexcusably dire.

The next episode, though a novel idea, failed to live up to expectations. ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’ sounds like the writer has run out of ideas and turned to his five-year-old son for inspiration, however I was willing to give it a chance. I can’t say I’m glad I did. Apart from the cast of Harry Potter turning up (Filch and Arthur Weasley), there was little to say in favour of the whole debacle. The characters were two-dimensional and awkward, and the plot seemed throughout like it was desperately trying to grab hold of anything that might give a small child a sugar high.

‘A Town called Mercy’ was a slight, (only slight), improvement on the last week, offering the Doctor a chance to wear a new hat and a shiny yellow badge. The scenery was beautiful, the period was original for the show, yet something was still lacking. The exploration of the Doctor’s darker side was an interesting character development, however there’s character development and there’s outright contradiction of all that the character stands for. The Doctor has always been the voice of reason (concerning morality if nothing else), so for him to turn around and advocate the murder of a fellow being, whatever bad deeds they have committed, seems bizarre.  

 

The latest episode did restore some hope in me, however small. The cameos from Brian Cox and Lord Alan Sugar made me laugh, as did the character of Brian, Rory’s dad (although this may be because I was expecting him to whip out a wand at any moment). Some questions were brought to mind throughout, such as why is it a big problem for them to have full-time jobs and also go adventuring with the Doctor? It’s time travel; they can be back in a minute if they want! Also, a lot of strange things have happened to Earth over the various series, from deadly mannequins to walking fat blobs. Surely they’ve learned that these things happen, and not to worry as it all sorts itself out in the end. Overall, this episode has been my favourite so far (though not a massive achievement considering my opinions of the rest of them). I think this is because I tend to enjoy it more when it’s set in modern day, or real life. This may be because I can relate to it to some extent, or just because the juxtaposition of alien life forms and BBC News is funny…  On a side note, the Shakri at the end bears an uncanny resemblance to a de-masked Darth Vader.

Blink
(source: soundonsight.org)

All in all, I am not a fan of Series 7 so far. If it wasn’t for Matt Smith’s coif and Karen Gillan’s beautiful face I might have already given up. The thing is, I know the show is capable of better things. Head writer Steven Moffat has written some of the best episodes in its history, such as my favourite, Blink, one of the most terrifying things to ever pass as family television. On the subject of the Weeping Angels, it appears they are back this Saturday in New York of all places. It has all the makings of a brilliant episode; here’s hoping it doesn’t disappoint!

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September's Big Music Releases

by George Neame

September has always been a common time for the release of big albums by big artists. Having spent the summer showcasing their new songs at festivals across the world, it is finally time to cash-in on the tours as people search for some musical relief as they return to the often-mundane life of work. Consequently, this is the month for the men to flex their muscles, with almost all big releases coming from all-male alternative/rock bands.

There come few musical releases bigger than a new album by Las Vegas rockers The Killers, who, having been on hiatus for four years, made a return with Battle Born on 17^th September 2012, their last release being 2008’s Day & Age. Their appearance at V Festival in August sparked a frenzy across the country and hugely impacted the anticipation of the new album. Unfortunately, it seems even The Killers themselves recognise that they are relying on their previous successes to make Battle Born popular. Only playing two new songs in a 16-song set suggests there is not actually that much to sing and dance about. A band whose genre can only be described as ‘stadium rock’ seem to be running out of ideas, and their 12 new songs just don’t seem stadium-worthy. ‘Arena rock’ may be a more fitting term. The album is not without its triumphs. Single Runaways and surprise gem Deadlines and Commitments provide the toe-tapping, sing-along verses that made the band popular, but when compared with albums such as Hot Fuss, there is a clear lack of hard-hitting potential singles. Halfway through, Miss Atomic Bomb seems to confirm The Killers’ nostalgia and aim to capitalise on past fame, with an emerging sequence of notes identical to that of fan favourite Mr Brightside. Whether intentional or not, the message is clear; either they are resorting to re-using popular tunes to increase album sales, or they truly are stuck for new ideas. It is this that makes Battle Born, frankly, dull. Not to mention the ghastly album cover. The other large release from across the Atlantic was Green Day’s ¡Uno!, the first part of their triple album, the other two parts (imaginatively named ¡Dos! and, you guessed it, ¡Tré!) are arriving in November and January.

The first week of September saw a tough showdown between two of the biggest emerging alternative bands. Both releasing that challenging follow-up album, Two Door Cinema Club and The Vaccines battled for the top spot in the charts (both, thankfully, knocking the excruciating Rita Ora down a few pegs). It was Two Door Cinema Club’s Beacon that had to settle for runner-up, despite gathering a huge following after their first album spawned songs such as What You Know, I Can Talk and Something Good Can Work whose catchy rhythms have been blaring from television screens in countless adverts for the past year or two. The album opens with the lyrically personal Next Year in which lead singer Alex Trimble’s warbling vocals (now world-famous after his appearance at the Olympics Opening Ceremony) sounds uncannily similar to The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers. The next few songs are nothing special and sound more or less the same, but Sun is what kicks the album into life, beginning as a piano-led ballad but quickly transforming into a jagged, stuttering guitar riff that forms the basis of a stomping, pulsating anthem. This continues all the way until The World Is Watching which will undoubtedly prove to be a hit-and-miss track, either providing some relaxing, calm, soulful relief from the mayhem, or being a boring, limp party-killer. Overall, Beacon is not one to be missed, with a little something to be found for every listener.

The Vaccines’ Come of Age successfully builds on their first album and, true to their word, signifies an increasing maturity within the band and their music. Single Teenage Icon is classic British alternative rock at its best with a relentless drum beat and lyrics signifying their humility after their newfound success, ‘I’m not magnetic or mythical, I’m suburban and typical’. Their famous repetitive choruses are catchy and upbeat, songs like Ghost Town making no sense lyrically with a tune that sounds like it should be on the soundtrack to a horror film, but being enjoyable and giving the sense. The songs seem much more structured and although the album isn’t perfect, it is definitely what we would expect from The Vaccines. And it is the imperfections (partly due to its being recorded entirely live) that make Come of Age what it is, sounding gritty and realistic, not artificial and unnatural.

 

Finally, occurring near the end of the month came the biggest of Britain’s second albums. Mumford and Sons have spent months travelling the world and promoting their first album Sigh No More, their success in the USA in particular has been astounding. In a time when many feel that traditional folk music is being lost to computers and autotune, Marcus Mumford and co have shown that it is still an extremely popular genre when done right. The first single from Babel, I Will Wait, is distinctly Mumford and Sons from the word go, with the persistent banjo strum that has become world-renowned, blaring horns and Mumford’s echoing, crooning vocals. The chorus is repetitive to say the least, but builds up to something much more epic and more momentous than ever before. This is the case for much of the album, though with a few surprises thrown in to keep us on our toes, such as Hopeless Wanderer beginning with a rolling piano, rather than any stringed instrument. The lyrics are characteristically deep and sincere, as well as more mature than the majority of contemporary bands, with countless literary and biblical references, a theme of religion running through it, ‘This cup of yours tastes holy, but a brush with the devil can clear your mind’. Clearly the most successful of the ‘West London folk scene’, Mumford and Sons have created another album that provides a fresh release from the chaotic and modern world we live in; fields of English countryside spring to mind as the album progresses (or perhaps I have spent too long studying ‘the pastoral’ in English…), and there is a welcome sense of sparkle and clarity to be found.

Many claim that it is second albums that are the tough ones to nail, but The Vaccines, Two Door Cinema Club and Mumford and Sons all seem to have hit the nail more or less on the head. Ironically, it is the experienced American rockers The Killers whose new release did not live up to expectations. Perhaps our expectations were too high, perhaps we are all in need of something fresh and innovative, and perhaps this is just a small slip-up in an otherwise flawless career. The month’s successes and failures seem to be stacking up in favour of the British, but it must be remembered that this is just September and there is clear talent on both sides of the Atlantic; the battle for musical dominance continues.

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The Genius of Leonardo Da Vinci

by Katherine Tobin

After a visit to the National Portrait Gallery to see the much anticipated Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition, I was inspired to look into his most famous artworks and also at those which, although less well-known, were, I felt, equally significant.

Arriving at the gallery, I had a good idea, being an art student myself, of many of his paintings. Although I knew that the famous 'Mona Lisa' would not be at the gallery, I was aware that Da Vinci was very well known for his incredibly accurate paintings, such as the two almost identical 'Virgin on the Rocks', which were being exhibited together for the first time.

These paintings did not disappoint – the shading, colours and attention to detail were frankly unbelievable.  But coming away from the exhibition, it was not these impressive paintings that held in my mind.  It was, instead, the hundreds of small but very detailed sketches that Leonardo had made over the course of his time as an artist.  Although these did not have the grandeur of the paintings, nor the polished finish, these sketches were, for me, the most inspiring.

Having spent a good three hours in the gallery, I was surprised to discover that the sketches, which beforehand I was unaware of, covered around two thirds of the content there.  Some are well known, such as his “Proportions of the Human Figure” and his detailed areas of “The Last Supper” which were later encompassed in the painting.  But, even now, I struggle to find many well known sketches of his that are as famous and as widely recognised as his paintings.

This is a little bit of a shame for me – I find that the sketches often have a character where the paintings do not, and show a remarkable level of skill considering they were not to become a grand piece, like many of his paintings. I wonder, especially in the sketches where he was practising for a painting, whether he simply became bored of the painting itself from his incessant sketching of it.  Or maybe he simply preferred casual sketching rather than working for years on a single piece, such as 'St Jerome', which remains unfinished.

In any case, his sketches were skilled and accurate, and covered a surprisingly large range of topics: from plants to the anatomy of the human body.  He seemed to take a particular interest in the latter, where his sketches of the nervous system, skull and brain, embryo in the uterus and many more, show an inquisitorial side of Da Vinci which branches out from art showing also a keen interest in science.  The non-existence of photographic technology meant that drawing was the main source of information at that time, and Da Vinci was one of the key artists to really influence the medical world.  He used new methods such as dissection to accurately document how the human body worked.  These are some of his more well-known sketches and he was applauded for his contribution to modern science.

Leonardo also took an interest in animals, especially horses, where he made a great number of sketches outlining the muscles and proportions of their bodies.  I know the difficulty of drawing horses from personal experience, and was amazed to see how well he had captured the horse’s characteristics and movement.  Many of these sketches accompanied others on the same page, showing a brilliant but perhaps wandering mind.

Study for the head of Leda
(source: www.drawingsofleonardo.org)

One of my personal favourites is a set of studies of a woman’s hair.  The multiple angles and positions of the sketches show how Da Vinci continued to work in a precise, detailed way, despite the pictures being sketches. What I like is that he is able to capture the woman in the moment of time; she seems thoughtful and peaceful and he conveys this well.

I was really inspired by these sketches – I am now a proud owner of one of many of the books from the gallery’s shop recording his works and I enjoy looking through them.

I would love to go and see Da Vinci’s works again, and, if anything, I would like to have thought that I have encouraged you to not only take a look at Da Vinci’s sketches, but also to look beyond the famous pieces of artists and to their other works, which may, as in my case with Leonardo, inspire you more.

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Will The Presidential Debates Affect The Election Outcome?

by Philippa Abernethy

John McCain and Barack Obama
2008 Presidential Debate
(source: chicago.about.com)

The presidential debates for this upcoming presidential election are looming. There are four debates taking place from October 3^rd to October 22^nd 2012, three of which involve the presidential candidates, President Barack Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney, with one involving their running mates, Vice President Joe Biden for the Democrats and Representative Paul Ryan for the Republicans. These Presidential debates have been, in recent years, viewed as increasingly important; during Ronald Reagan’s Presidential campaign, it is said, he only did eight hours of practice debating; Mitt Romney, on the other hand, has done nearer fifty hours. However, how much impact can these debates really have?

Mitt Romney and Rick Perry
Republican Primary Debate, 2012
(source: forbes.com)

It is often said that the election debates have very little effect on the outcome of the presidential election. Firstly, it is not always the case that the winner of the debate wins the election. In fact, in the last seven debates only four of the declared winners have gone on to win. John Kerry is the most obvious example of this when he lost the leadership battle in 2004, despite having won the debates. However, more than this, it is argued that the American electorate does not just base who it votes for on image, they vote based on policy, on the economy and the success of the incumbent, as well as the success of the TV ads the nominees put out. President Bush Sr, for example, in 1992 lost the presidential election to Bill Clinton after high unemployment and economic difficulty plagued the country. Therefore, it may be sensible for Romney and Obama not to focus too heavily on the debates, but instead to focus more time and money on advertising.

  

However, it seems that in some cases debates do have an enormous impact on a campaign. Rick Perry was considered to be one of the front runners in the Republican primaries for presidential nominee. He, like Romney, seemed a cut above other candidates, based on body language, presentation and confidence; where Perry seemed calm, collected and sharp, other candidates such as Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul seemed flustered. However Perry’s presidential campaign was effectively crippled by one poor debate in which he forgot which governmental departments he planned to shut down, leading people to believe he was completely incompetent. This shows the potentially enormous impact of the debates. Clearly a large factor in the success of a candidate is image: how they deal with pressure and whether they would be a competent person not just to act as a political force in America, but also to portray a good public face of America to other countries. Perhaps this is the same argument for not letting Boris Johnson into Downing Street!

Similarly, in the 1976 presidential election between Gerald Ford, the incumbent, and Jimmy Carter, it is often suggested that Ford’s downfall was in his presidential debate, when he tried to argue that Russia did not have a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe – something particularly worrying for the head of state to say when the Cold War was still on-going. Given that the relatively unknown Jimmy Carter was able to win a narrow victory, it would seem that this ‘gaffe’ by Ford had an effect on the result of the election.

Hence, it seems that if Romney or Obama make any ‘gaffes’ during these debates it could directly affect their poll ratings. This is particularly key for both candidates as Obama needs to reassert himself as leader to an increasingly disillusioned electorate during this recession, and Romney needs to show that he is able to represent the USA well, especially after his disastrous effect on international relations during his trip to Britain a few months ago.

Having said this, however, all the examples of election results being affected by the presidential debates have not been as a result of one candidate being better than the other, but of one of the candidates, in effect, ‘messing up’. Therefore nowadays, when meticulous planning goes into the debates, and careful sound bites and responses are littered throughout the speeches, it is unlikely that any such ‘mess-ups’ will occur. Realistically this means that Romney and Obama can cause their campaign to falter as a result of their performance; they cannot, however, enhance it.

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Lynyrd Skynyrd – Last of a Dyin’ Breed

reviewed by Tim Bustin

If the name Lynyrd Skynyrd doesn’t ring any bells, then you may have the misfortune of never having listened to Southern Rock’s greatest band. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, named after a cruel P.E. teacher who didn’t like kids to have long hair and creator of such famous songs as “Sweet Home Alabama” and the epic “Freebird”, the band, in its heyday, was successful far beyond the normal reaches of Deep South musicians; with 3 double platinum albums, one single platinum and one gold, Skynyrd were opening for the likes of rock greats The Who after the release of their debut in 1973. That first album,” Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd”, is currently listed as no. 403 in Rolling Stone's list of 500 greatest albums of all time; the above singles are no. 193 and no. 398 respectively on Rolling Stone’s list of Greatest Songs of all time. This extraordinary septet, made from a mix of Ronnie Van Zant’s powerful vocals, Billy Powell’s classical pianist skills, Leon Wilkinson’s cool bass, Artimus Pyle’s funky drumming and topped off with the group’s signature lead guitar trio (Allen Collins, Gary Rossington and Ed King/Steve Gaines), popularised Southern Rock, showing it was plausible that not all Southern people were just tone-deaf rednecks. The group seemed determined to emphasise this in their lyrics, with songs for anti-racism, for love and for love of family and God. Tuneful ballads, such as “Tuesday’s Gone”, succeeded in showing off Ronnie’s soulful whine, along with the Rossington-Collins combination of saddening guitar solos and the perfect blends of all three lead guitars. Other hits, like the raw “Saturday Night Special”, were designed for their home crowd, whilst get-up-and-dance-along song “Whisky Rock-A-Roller” helped prove that these were serious musicians, with “God-given” talent, who could write any kind of song, without the loss of spirit or sound. These were seven men who, whilst still having fun doing it, were intending to go to all the way to the top.

So, if Lynyrd Skynyrd were so successful, you may still be wondering why you might not have heard of them. Well, three days after the release of the band’s sixth album, “Street Survivors”, in 1977, all seven members (along with the three back-up singers”) boarded a Convair CV-300 aircraft to take them to yet another show on what at the time was their most successful tour yet. The plane ran out of fuel just eight miles before reaching its destination. It crashed in a wooded area of Amite County near Gillsburg. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and his sister, back-up singer Cassie, were killed, whilst the others barely survived with their lives and limbs. Hence, in just a single night, ended the greatest band ever to play hard rock from the South – destroyed, just months before they could have finally earned full international fame. The survivors went their separate ways, forming spin-offs, like the Rossington-Collins band and the Artimus Pyle band, though these only had limited success. Alas, fans and critics agreed that perhaps the peak of the Southern rock genre had passed. Although Skynyrd had bred new, inspired bands, which came along, like Molly Hatchet and ZZ Top, who also had many achievements, no-one and no song could challenge the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

However, the shock of the crash wouldn’t last forever. In 1987, five of the surviving members, along with Ronnie Van Zant’s brother, Johnny, re-joined to pay tribute to those who had perished in the crash (Allen Collins died of pneumonia in 1990). This eventually led to an album, entitled Lynyrd Skynyrd – 1991. From there, the band stuck together; existing for old fans to watch live and occasionally release new material. In 2009, with Gary Rossington as the only surviving member of the pre-crash line-up, Skynyrd released “God and Guns” - a moving and incredible album, which reached no. 18 in the charts. And this made the band realise something important – that although only one original member (and two of the back-up singers) remained in the group, who had survived its darkest hour, there were still countless fans who were lining up to listen to this classic band. 

To a Southerner, playing in Lynyrd Skynyrd is like playing in The Rolling Stones: it’s a privilege and you of course respect the legacy you’re breathing life to. But with playing in Skynyrd it is more than to simply claim the respect of someone else’s work: it is to become a member of a close family, who respects one another, along with those who’ve gone “up above”. So now, still going thirty-nine years later, these old rockers have concocted a brand new tribute to the fallen; one that they don’t intend to be their last –“Last Of A Dyin’ Breed”.

As you’d expect, the album enters with the title track. The deep guitar riffs, made by a gritty slide guitar, pave the way for Johnny Van Zant’s howls: his stubborn attempt to make Skynyrd survive forever; “Got a pocket full of memories and a song/Gotta keep on movin’ and rollin’ on”. He also pays respects to his brother - “A barefoot brother who gave me hell/ Learned from the best who taught me well”. The song may sound more modern than its equivalent 70’s Skynyrd, “Gimme Three Steps”, but it is full-on hard rock, with high pitched solos, simple but extraordinarily powerful quarter note grove drumming, littered with short tom breaks, all mixed up with endless piano parts to give the song an overall full and exciting sound. Johnny may not be his brother but he sure does shout, howl and whine with just the same confidence. His lyrics may be excruciatingly simplistic at times, but the sound he makes combines with the three piece guitar grouping and makes it so you can’t even notice.

The album continues after the scene being set, with more power, guttural vocals and “sweet guitar”. Yet the mood changes are frequent. Songs about a man listening to his mother preparing herself for the inevitable event of death but simply saying she is “Ready To Fly” are tear-welling without the loss of any instruments. The raunchy “Good Teacher” perhaps shows off the more testosterone-filled side of the band, but lines such as “Good whiskey and smoke/ And how to tell a dirty joke” can’t just be pinned on the South and are meant to be for all people. The start of the song is actually reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s style of playing - “I’m kind of doing a Hendrix walkin’ wah-wah thing”, as guitarist Ricky Medlocke so eloquently puts it. “Mississippi Blood” is a return to what can only be described as proper Southern Rock sound – fast, quiet acoustic guitar, with put-on vocals in a duet form and sung like on an old Deep South record. The band then continues with the tradition of Skynyrd rock ballads (which first started in 1973 with the simplistic beauty of “Simple Man”) with “Something to Live For” – “It’s about finding something to live for in this life, if you live for music or you live for your family, whatever it is, you need something to live for to keep going” – Gary Rossington. “Life’s Twisted” is a true oxymoron - a cool sounding reminder of the ’77 plane crash – “You make plans and then Boom! Life hits you and you have to make other plans” – Rossington.

Across the eleven songs, the band effortlessly shows that they can approach any mood and type of song, with a host of techniques and talent whilst constantly proving that this is not just a first-rate Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band. Throughout, the album shows a full sound, with guitar squeals, piano riffs, and power drumming forming in harmony. It is fair to say that the album represents a more modern Skynyrd; the lack of recently deceased Billy Powell’s honky-tonk piano and the emphasis on loud drumming and guitar work (with many over the top and high pitch solos), actually means the album moves away from the Southern genre in too many ways (not good for die-hard fans). Often on the album, the song format is repeated, with intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-short verse-chorus-end. The chorus format is also repetitive but despite these minor flaws the album is decent in every respect and has obviously been produced to the nth degree (making the album sound somewhat fake, but managing to bring out the best of the band). To sum up this collection can be done by saying "funky, cool, awesome, powerful, soulful and moralistic", in terms of its lyrics and message. Whilst the days of five-minute-long guitar solos (half of “Freebird”) may have died gradually over the years, belief in the family and God and condemnation of drugs, corrupt politicians and racism have been kept alive by individuals of extraordinary talent who have become part of a greater whole. A band that is often only remembered for “Sweet Home Alabama” – an only-halfdecent song in comparison to Skynyrd’s other work – they should be remembered for so much more. But, then again, how can they be mourned when they’re still alive – last of a dyin’ breed.

Listen to the album on Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/4rRCrcBlh0Io9edrPT0oxd

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The Countdown Begins . . .

by Jemima Carter

Only three months to wait . . .
(source: lifeasahuman.com)

Firstly, I would like to make it clear that I enjoy Christmas just as much as the next person. In fact I probably enjoy Christmas a whole lot more than the next person- I love walking onto the platform in the dark on frosty mornings with my mittens on, breathing out mist with air so cold it bites at your throat; I love hot water bottles, long pyjamas and thick socks; I love squishing into my sister’s bed at 6.30 in the morning with all my siblings to open stockings, and I actually quite like Brussels sprouts.

However, one thing I can’t abide is the endless commercialization of a celebration that is supposed to be all about charity and goodwill. We still have over two months until December even starts (yes- I’m not ashamed to say that my Christmas countdown has already been written in my planner for several weeks now) and yet we are already being bombarded with adverts for ‘great stocking-fillers’ (a term that I have an inexplicable, yet passionate, hatred for), being reminded in magazines that we should have started preparing months ago and being encouraged to get our turkey in early ‘to avoid disappointment’.

Now call me hypocritical, but it seems to me that all of the hype this early on just ends up degrading the actual day itself. By the time we get to the 25^th (exactly a quarter of a year away), we are all so geared up that we find ourselves disappointed by the anticlimax. We keep on expecting the magic portrayed to us by the media; no matter how old we get, they still draw us in with their pink-cheeked children playing by the fire, wonderful family spirit around a table for a meal without even a hint of squabbling, and (most of all) long, hearty walks through metre-deep snow past charming cottages before returning home to melodious string music playing in the background.

 

Unfortunately, sooner or later we have to accept that some things are going to go wrong, whether it's not being able to celebrate in your own house because a relative has developed a horrendous allergy to your cat, having to accept the fact that location isn’t exactly on our side when it comes to the chance of a white Christmas, or realizing that the turkey won't actually fit in the oven.

At the end of the day, though, it’s all of these small dramas that make Christmas what it really is: the season of taking-it-all-in your stride. Although it might seem like the end of the world for a while, by the time it gets to New Year’s, we’ll all be laughing about it.

Probably.

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Hackers: Writing

Writing

I once set out to write a rhyme:

Something to do to pass the time.

I tried to write, but at each verse

My words grew dull, the rhythm worse:

And so I stopped.

I wrote a story, short and sweet,

Then tried to force it, make it meet

The standards of a classic book.

I lengthened it to make it look

A masterpiece, with gripping plot

Great characters and themes: the lot!

But cracks appeared after a while

That revealed a laboured style:

And so I stopped.

I sat down at my desk one day –

I had in mind to write a play,

A quasi-tragicomedy –

A timeless great my play would be.

I wrote from three till half past four,

Then found that I could write no more:

For I learnt that, during Act Two,

My hero had nothing to do:

And so I stopped.

I started my biography –

I set it out as poetry.

Each poem on a different theme,

Like love, life, friendship, and writing.

But on myself, I have no thought:

So I must end this too, of course.

                                         Gregory Walton-Green

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White Man: A Murder Mystery

A murder-mystery filmed and performed by: Ned Davies, Harry Dutton, Henry Ling, Declan-Dali Murphy and Kelvin Shiu.

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Antony and Cleopatra: A Review

Kim Cattrall as Cleopatra
(image source: Everyman Theatre)

by James Burkinshaw

Janet Suzman's performance as Shakespeare's Cleopatra nearly 40 years ago remains definitive, in the view of most critics. Thus, when it was announced that she would be directing Kim Cattrall in the role, in a new production of Antony and Cleopatra (currently at Chichester's Festival Theatre), there was much excitement. Cattrall’s career-defining character, Samantha, in Sex and the City, shares many characteristics with Cleopatra --- both are strong, intelligent, sensual women, conscious of age and armed with a protective, self-knowing irony; each is desirous of the attention of men while amusedly contemptuous of their inadequacies and hypocrisies.

Suzman handled the staging of this notoriously difficult play (with forty-two scene changes, taking place from Rome to the Parthian border and all points in between) fluently and economically. The soft glow of lanterns suggested Egyptian sensuality and luxury, while stark lighting on an unadorned brick wall conveyed the implacable power of Rome. Although the Romans were rather unoriginally dressed in Ruritanian costumes straight out of Duck Soup, the rebellious Pompey was cleverly presented as a charismatic but unstable militia leader complete with keffiyeh and ammunition belt strapped across his chest. The opening of the play was memorable, with Cleopatra rising up on a pedestal, like a combination of Greek goddess and pop diva, in a mask of gold. In contrast, her nemesis, Octavius, was the only character dressed in a dark, sober business suit, emphasising his isolated self possession.

Martin Hutson as Octavius Caesar
(image: Chichester Festival Theatre)

Martin Hutson was superb as Octavius, Julius Caesar’s adopted son and Antony’s rival for power, brilliantly capturing his puritanical austerity, social awkwardness and politician’s cunning (like a Roman Richard Nixon), while also suggesting a touching vulnerability in his protective tenderness towards his sister Octavia. The first half of the play ended with Octavius and Octavia clinging to each other for comfort (following her betrayal by Antony), looking for all the world like two abandoned children. For me, it was the most powerful moment in the play.

Which it really shouldn’t be. The disqualifying weakness of this production (as many critics have observed) was the lack of chemistry between the two actors (Michael Pennington and Kim Cattrall) portraying Antony and Cleopatra. Cattrall herself was effective in the scenes when Cleopatra is unburdening herself to her handmaidens, Charmian and Iras, in the privacy of her chamber; there was a subtlety, intimacy, humour and authenticity to these moments that was convincing and moving. There was also a nice touch when, signing official documents, Cleopatra hesitantly and self-consciously put on a pair of reading glasses, suggesting the diminution of powers that accompanies encroaching age.

Michael Pennington as Antony
(image: Chichester Festival Theatre)

What makes Cleopatra such a complex role is that she is, during much of the play, putting on a performance --- to her courtiers, to Roman ambassadors, to Octavius, to Antony, even to herself --- supremely (and often ironically) conscious of her effect on others, of the potency of her image. This requires nuance and modulation; Cattrall spoke the lines eloquently, but her voice was often strained, lacking subtlety or timbre. Michael Pennington, in contrast, boomed thunderously (even Brian Blessedly, at times), from his first appearance on stage dancing like a drunken bear. Pennington is a wonderfully intelligent actor, but seemed badly miscast here; his Antony was rarely anything other than a vainglorious buffoon. One could neither imagine that he and Cleopatra were lovers nor that he had once been a brilliant, charismatic military leader adored by his men and feared by his enemies. Another weakness here was Ian Hogg's Enobarbus; the idea of playing him as a “speak-as-I-find”, wilfully unimpressed northerner was a good one, in theory, but it was ultimately limiting. This Enobarbus was neither able to convey his reluctant seduction by the “strange invisible perfume” of Cleopatra’s Egypt nor his tortured guilt at his own betrayal of Antony. 

Overall, I am still glad I saw the production; it was often inventive and always watchable. However, it was ultimately a disappointment, haunted throughout by a sense of what might have been.

Watch director Janet Suzman discussing her production of 'Antony and Cleopatra' here.

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Poem: Slavery

by Lucy Cole

This is a poem I wrote in Year Eight whilst studying the trans-atlantic slave trade, arguably one of the largest atrocities against humanity in history. The industry began in the 16^th century, transporting Africans from West and Central Africa across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, where they were used as free labour on huge plantations. The trans-Atlantic slave trade continued until it was finally abolished in the early nineteenth century. However, slavery itself was not ended in the United States until Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1865.  

Slaves being thrown overboard (c. 1781)
(sick or dying people who would not fetch a high price as slaves were
brutally disposed of in this way by slave traders. The incident illustrated
(aboard the slave ship Zong) became particularly infamous and helped
turn public opinion against the Atlantic slave trade
(image source: hullwebs.co.uk)

My heart ripped, torn to shreds,

At watching my family forced from their beds,

Strong hands that grasp me,

From the behind,

Strong men that pull me,

All but kind.

Children are screaming,

Brothers lie dead,

The loss of an arm,

The slash of a head.

Wheels roll beneath me,

Chains bind my feet,

The floor of a cart,

Under my seat,

My freedom is gone,

Taken away,

No longer the dancing,

No joys as I lay.

Sea waves come into view,

Foreboding and dark,

Threatening and fascinating,

Striking their mark,

Wood plank to step on,

Over the waves,

Terror that fills me,

Nothing can save,

A ship I arrive on,

A land on the sea,

Down dark decks I go to,

Beckoning me.

Whips slash around us,

Burning my skin,

Sound that surrounds me,

 A large screaming din,

Stripped naked am I,

From head to my toes,

Chains that do hold me,

My enemies, my foes.

Starvation that grips me,

Like a drowning man,

The food that equips me,

I take all I can.

 Hot hands on my neck,

Hands in my hair,

Joy that does film them,

None that I share.

Sickness spreads quickly,

Like the cold air,

Drowned all together,

Drawn to sea lair.

Treatment improves,

Confusion is clear,

Tempers are rising,

Destination is near.

The bumpy arrival,

In this new place,

One filled with riches,

One filled with lace.

Covered in oil,

From my hair to my nails,

But none can prepare me,

For what this entails,

People are staring,

Standing so close,

People are touching,

We stand morose.

Discussing is done,

Decisions are made,

 Who do I go with?

To whom am I slave?

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