'Robber Barons' is the first single from Battlefield Band's upcoming 'Zama Zama ...try your luck...'album. The core theme running through the album is the pursuit of wealth & its effects, and this song, written by Alan Reid, looks at greed through the ages, from the 'Robber Barons' of the middle ages in Germany to the modern day politicians & bankers. It's obviously particularly relevant in the current climate; a very suitable soundtrack to the summer of 2009!
'Anyone who has travelled by the river Rhine north of Mainz will not fail to have noticed the castles perched on the hillsides at almost every bend. And it is here that the original 'Robber Barons' (or Raubritter in German) in medieval times extracted dues from merchant boats in return for safe passage. The phrase was borrowed to describe unscrupulous tycoons of the late 19th.and early 20th. centuries as they built up their empires and amassed great wealth ,often using questionable methods to overcome competition.
In these stringent times of sickly banks, vast public debt and swathing cost cuts it is particularly galling that many who have presided over failed institutions have continued to award themselves huge salaries and bonuses ......just like those barons of long ago' Alan Reid, 2009
You can hear the track above or purchase it from itunes here:
'Robber Barons' is available from the 17th August as a 'digital download single' only on itunes, & 'Zama Zama ...try your luck...' will be available on CD & digital download from 14th/15th September 2009, direct from Temple Records and through the usual physical & online outlets. Posted Monday 17th of August 2009 at 12:14:00 PM
