I'd feel remiss if I didn't pay a small tribute to Joe Cocker.
Joe was an original. His voice, in all its rasp, was the voice of an unlikely hero, but a shining example of what's missing today.
Now, I'm not one to get caught up in the whole "back in my day we had blah blah blah" trip. Joe was way before my time anyway, so in this case, it doesn't work.
Would Joe have won (or even made it past the audition stage on) the Voice? Hell no, but he is in great company of artists like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Marianne Faithful, Joey Ramone and 10,000 other artists that wouldn't care one bit, and changed the world regardless. To be honest, I doubt that Blake Shelton himself could make the cut if he was trying.
Idol, The Voice, AGT and all of the variety shows alive today, albeit entertaining, are about showcasing singers, not artists. People forget the difference.
Very seldom will a throw away singer change the world. It does happen, but the time when pop culture dabbled in art is long since dead. Now we have producers cramming radio friendly garbage down the throats of the sheep masses, and we take it like crushed apple baby food on a rubber tipped spoon (I'm as guilty as anyone).
There was a time when an artist like Joe could break through.
Joe made his name by interpreting popular artists songs of the day, grinding them up, making them his own, and creating beautiful statements all his own as well.
Maybe the most honest ballad of all time belonged to Joe:
You are so Beautiful.
What a song. The emotion and honesty packed into that short but sweet statement is nothing we'd see today, but stands as one of the best ballads ever put to wax.
In his long carreer, Joe adapted to trends, creeped out some with his stage antics, was parodied, but never duplicated, wrote amazing songs and recorded unforgettable moments.
Thank you Joe Cocker. The world may never see your like again.
Love lift you up where you belong, brother. Godspeed.
I'm pretty sure that anyone who grew up in Erie Pa before and during my time will remember the sound of the hydraulic driven hammering on 14th and Pittsburgh Ave coming out of the (then) Zurn facility right along the tracks.
Along with the steel driven hammer, from virtually anywhere in the city (possibly right outside your front door, or off in the distance) you could hear the train whistles blowing at all hours, It's a sound that we all accepted and knew to be part of the background noise of our home.
Along with the factory noise and trains, there were church bells. Some rang every hour on the hour during the daytime. At noon on a Sunday, they displayed a melody that was equally awesome and beautiful.
Now, add the sound of traffic, put all of that noise in a blender, and evaluate what type of creative output comes naturally to an impressionable young mind.
It's a commonality among art across the modern world, and it's ingrained across many forms of musical and visual creativity.
From the early days of the blues, where young musicians tried to incorporate the chug, shuffle and horns of the trains into their art, into the basic 4/4 timing of Rock and Metal which was partially rooted in the hydraulic pounding of hammers and presses), forward on to the pulse of the street sounds ingrained in Hip-Hop, to the modern sounds of the computer age incorporated into techno, the background noise of our lives has been prevalent in the noise we create as art and entertainment.
Rhythm and melody can be found in anything. I'm my carreer, I find myself humming in the key of whatever power generating or paper making equipment I happen to be close by. Worse yet, if I am close to something pounding (like a press or a generator), I'm singing in the timing I am hearing.
I'm so into music that I have a hard time sweeping the floor without making a rhythmic shuffle out of it, and I'm sure that many others do the same.
I get up in the morning, I believe I dust my broom.
Call this blog a prequel to an Industrial Music blog. I have much to say in the matter (big shock), and wish to explore the topic a little deeper than I typically do.
This week, Dave Mustaine was awarded the Golden God award by Metal Hammer in London.
There are few accolades in the Metal genre, but Metal Hammer has filled the huge void and general disrespect for the world of metal with their annual ceremony.
Best part of giving Dave the honored title is that they gave it to Dave for his role and contributions in Megadeth, with no mention of his former band.
Prelude story:
When my band Domicile played the 31st Street Tavern in 2005, the guitar player for the support act told me "Youthanasia is my favorite Megadeth LP. It's not their best, but my favorite."
My son told me a few days ago that one of his friends said Coal Chamber was his favorite band. My son (so proud of him) said "Houses of the Holy exists, and Coal Chamber is your favorite band?"
That is exactly how I felt at that moment. With Rust in Peace in existence, how can you even listen to Youthanasia?
Love my son so much. He was raised with this crazy fucker in his ear and on his ass. Lol.
Back to the point:
As a teenager, Dave was my hero. Hands down, he was the guy I looked up to the most and lead the band I held above all others. I found his approach to Thrash to be different and cool. His intelligence and arrangements blew my young mind.
So much of metal was stock at the time. Even some of the best thrash bands were guilty of not thinking outside of the box that the first sub-genre was creating for itself. It was all fresh, but the F chug chug, E chug chug chug chug repetitive patterns became the norm. Insert words about war or satan, and there is your stock thrash tune.
Dave did his fair share of singing about evil and war, but he threw in some comedic value and real world situations as well. Wake Up Dead, although a staple today, was as badass as anything I had ever heard at the time, and the video captured the 80's thrash fan almost perfectly (and even gave a shout out to Metallica via a T-Shirt).
Can you put a price on Peace Sells? It's a classic that holds up to the best of the best, and in my opinion, part of the trifecta of early thrash alongside Hell Awaits and Master of Puppets.
I bought "So Far, So Good, So What" the day it dropped, and memorized "Liar" over the next couple of weeks (which I can recite to this day - I lose breath, but I can do it). I also realized then how important "In My Darkest Hour" was to forwarding the scene to the next level.
"Rust in Peace" is perfect. Every note and every word was amazing. Even the B-Sides broke ground. Lucretia and Five Magics are two of my favorite Mega Moments.
Then Dave rocked the vote and slowed down his playing. The result yielded him massive commercial success, and "Countdown to Extinction" set the tone for Megadeth's next several years.
I was not as invested, but I admired Dave trying to go platinum.
I lost Megadeth for a number of years after that. I was older, my family took priority and the fire wasn't there. Megadeth became way to commercial and turned its back on its thrash.
I saw them on the Clash of the Titans tour, then again years later on the Risk tour. It was not the same band.
I've seen them several times since, and they have developed into an elder statement band. They aren't afraid to open for bigger names, they understand the game, and are still a viable player in the genre.
But I digress. The point to all of this is that I am proud of Dave and what he has accomplished. These days, I buy his music every time he releases an LP (yes, I still buy music) and I will always hold this man and his band in high regard.
I have been a fan of podcasts for a few years years now. I probably started listening to them with regularity in 2008.
The waters were thinner back then. It was a little Wild West with the exception of a few staples that still exist today.
"Stuff You Should Know" was probably my favorite, but I enjoyed all of the "How Stuff Works" shows. Ira Glass always had something interesting to listen to with "This American Life," but it was like pulling teeth to find enough interest (for me) in content to continually fill my lengthy windshield time.
One major problem I had back then was a serious lack of quality music podcasts for the fan of Metal. Most of the hosts were huge amateurs, and in the Metal world, that means shitty dudes with bad inside jokes constantly leaning toward whatever band they have followed since the age of 13. I felt like the new guy a lot of the time, even if I knew exactly what they were talking about.
I also believe that the day after Podcasting was invented, 15 Kiss podcasts were on the air hosted by amatures not even remotely interested in taking themselves seriously.
It was hard to get invested, because as soon a promising podcast came along, dead air followed. Lack of interest, or just life in general, probably killed many a podcaster's amateur career from going the distance.
There was an ocean of crap like that. I'm not trying to bash anyone who does what they love, but the pros are pros for a reason.
I did get sucked in to a few music Podcasts back then that were above the rest. Bob Nalbanian did an excellent job with Shockwaves Skull Seasons, and of course, there is now, and always has been, The Rock and Roll Geek Show with Michael Butler.
I lifted the name of this blog from Michael. I've always been honest about that though. I liked the idea of being considered a Music Nerd (not a far stretch from a Rock and Roll Geek).
Michael leans toward a generation before mine, and Bob definitely gears toward thrash, NWOBHM and 70's metal like Rainbow. Both tend to be a history lesson often, but both were on point.
Somewhere along the way, I ended up getting bored and stopped following podcasting. I fell out of it for a few years. It was hard to keep interest when there was no real consistent schedule or post dates. Sometimes weeks or months would go by with no new content.
Fast forward to today.... The game has been upped. Metal is alive and well in the Podcast arena, and I am happy for it. My interest has been peaked once again, but this time, it's a whole different ball game.
Jamie Jasta (Hatebreed, Kingdom of Sorrow, Jasta, Headbangers Ball) has emerged as the Jimmy Fallon of the Metal Genre. His insider take of fellow musicians, along with his well liked personality, propels him to the top of the heap. He lands awesome interviews, and is educational in regards to the business side of surviving in Metal. He is a true hustler, and sets an example on how to stay on top and earn.
He gets a little self serving, and promotes his many bands and projects throughout every interview, but his interviewees don't seem to mind one bit. In the beginning, I started by picking and choosing his Podcasts based on guests, but now I listen to every one.
Eddie Trunk has a podcast also (no surprise there). Eddie was probably the first hustler in the Metal Communications game. His interviews in this format are actually not bad at all. I have criticized him in the past for throwing soft balls on TMS, but I'm over that.
Another surprise for me is Chris Jericho. His podcast (when focused on Music) is very good. He is entertaining and always seems like a fan regardless of who he is talking to (even though he probably is on par monetarily with his guests). His show is geared toward wrestling, which I am not up to speed on, so I definitely pick which downloads I want, but when he is doing music, he is one of the best.
If you want to hear Jericho suck an egg (out of respect) and totally bite his tounge off instead of calling Bullshit, listen to the Jesse Ventura episode. I felt bad for Chris, I know he wanted to be like "aaaaaBULLSHITchoooooo."
I feel like I should give a nod to a few other shows. Heavy Metal Historian is quite good, the Nerdist is an excellent time kill, and I still find myself enjoying a good episode of "Stuff you missed in History Class."
Michael Butler is still pretty rad also. Send him money to his beer fund. He always thanks everyone on air. A while back, I sent him 10 bucks, and he thanked me by pronouncing my name NA-dork-ski. Thanks Michael Butler, I really appreciate it.
Summary: Podcasting is worth exploring. Any topic you want, you will find. It's still Indy enough to be cool, and yet it's becoming business enough to be focused.
Still, as long as it's affordable, anyone can do it. The best will always rise to the top, so if you've got something to say, a voice that needs to be heard, and a face for radio, get in the game! I'll be rooting for you!
I'm at a Dave Mathews concert, but I'm thinking about the Misfits....
I listened to a Jasta podcast with Jerry Only recently, and I'm totally in Misfits mode right now. It's crazy how cyclical they are in my life.
Anyone who knows my musical taste knows that I am a bit of a fanboy. Not just of the Danzig era, but I love Michale Graves. I have a signed pic of him. Had my pic taken with him and love his early writing.
Before I get into details of the band, I'll share a Michale Graves story, two actually.
I got my ass beat at a Michale Graves show at the Hard Rock in Pittsburgh. I was paying for parking at the kiosk, and some kid ran at me full force, tackled me, my head hit a brick wall which knocked me clean out. He got on top of me and was punching my unconcious face. My (former) bro, Base pulled him off of me and got me out of there,
It was unsolicited, but probably deserved in my Karma. Best part, it was 2011. Lol.
Here is a video of a song from that show. Listen as the fan's chant. It's awesome to be in the know sometimes.
Other favorite Michale Graves story? His crew set up a camera and sound gear at the show at the Smiling Moose I'm 2008. I was standing next to the camera. I screamed into the boom during "Dig up her bones" and believe that I probably ruined the video. Sorry man. Seriously, I was excited. Lol.
Now.. Let's talk Misfits.
First time I heard them, I asked if they were a shitty Rolling Stones. Lol.
Hate Breeder, She, Skulls, We are 138, Where Eagles Dare, Angelfuck, Dig Up Her Bones and Saturday Night are all bonded to my DNA.
I love Glenn and Michale's era. Deal with it. But it was all Glenn that created the monsters.
Glenn got it right straight out of the gate with Misfits. Horror Punk was born, the music was catchy and simple to the point of being almost criminally good.
Glenn designed the logo, wrote the songs, booked that shows and he even played most instruments on the early LP's. His throaty wailing instantly made him the Elvis of heavy music, and if anyone had a hard time drawing a line between Elvis and Jim Morrison, Danzig showed the direct path.
And then, he broke it up and started Saimhain. I'm not a Samhain fan. Not even remotely. I don't get the appeal. Misfits became his past that he ran from. They were a burden to him supposedly. In a way, they still are.
His personal stock rose after Metallica covered Misfits tunes, and Glenn subsequently got rich. He did a solo song on the Less Than Zero soundtrack, and morphed Samhain into a stripped down raw cock metal band. The result was Danzig. Mother is the free bird of that generation. The ultimate cock rock karaoke song.
Jerry Only fought Glenn for the rights to use the Misfits name. It took 12 years, but they eventually settled. Glenn kept the publishing for the early material, and Jerry got the band name.
Translation: Glenn got richer, and Jerry got on with recreating the Misfits.
Jerry had a stroke of luck when Michale Graves walked through his studio door. If Glenn was Elvis, Michale was Sinatra. It worked very well. Michale also brought a bag of catchy songs and stage presence. Lightning did strike twice for the Misfits, and even though Michale's tenure was short lived, the Misfits were up and running again. They haven't stopped touring in some form since.
Jerry is the Misfits now. He took over vocals eventually, and leads that band. It's all image and show. He understands that and owns it. He is not trying to break new ground, he's doing what he loves with the band that he dedicated his life to.
There's always reunion talk. Probably won't happen. Why? Glenn isn't exactly lighting the world on fire these days, and he probably sees a huge payday if he could reunite his childhood band. I don't see why they should however. Glenn dismissed the Misfits for years while cashing publishing checks.
The Misfits gave Glenn their fair share of fuck off, not only by just existing, but the song Fiend Club is an middle finger (that's my translation).
I don't always agree with Jerry's musical direction, or even that he took over the vocals, but they still sound like the Misfits, and fans of Horror Punk still show up to the shows.
Doyle (guitar) has his solo career now, Michale fronts Marky Ramones Blitzkrieg, and Glenn is Glenn. His last LP "Red Death Sabaoth" is not bad, but I think that Glenn is guilty of taking himself too seriously. That's just my opinion, but he always seems so serious. The Mistfits are fun, Glenn seems like the Debbie Downer.
He did just put on his skull pain and posted a pic. That's exciting. I guess he is taking a stand. Again, he looked dead serious.
This brings up a question for me though. Are the original Misfits all 'roids heads or what? It's like Manowar with all of them. Whatever...
