parody by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the solo work of the generationally GIFTED BRITISH singer-songwriter and former OASIS guitarist NOEL GALLAGHER!
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​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

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since childhood ive always been partial to LED ZEPPELIN's fifth album HOUSES OF THE HOLY (ATLANTIC, 1973).  written and recorded in comfort at the band's two home studios in the wake of their landmark LED ZEPPELIN IV (ATLANTIC, 1971) release, its contents are a bit more EXPANSIVE and EXPERIMENTAL than their previous material and marked a turning point in their sound. 

not that i knew that as a kid.  i remember going to my father's stereo system and plugging in his SONY MDR7506 studio headphones and completely get lost in the MAJESTY of epic tracks like "THE RAIN SONG," "OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY," "THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME" and especially "NO QUARTER."  i recognized that these songs had a sonic narrative arc to them, as if through the music alone an EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE had been expressed evocatively in VIVID TECHNICOLOR.  for me that DOWNTEMPO and ATMOSPHERIC side of LED ZEPPELIN's material always stood out, even amongst the ROCK N ROLL numbers they are renowned for.  the CINEMATIC peaks of HOUSES OF THE HOLY hold up and are still RELEVANT today and one needs to look no further than ALL-EMBRACING bands like TORCHE, BARONESS, JANE'S ADDICTION, ISIS, TOOL, MASTODON, HIGH ON FIRE and INTRONAUT, all of whom touch on this same HAZY DYNAMIC in their sound.

strangely, this is also the record where LED ZEPPELIN seemingly found their GROOVE, like literally.  tracks like the downright FUNKY "THE CRUNGE," the START-AND-STOPE-ON-A-DIME riffage of "THE OCEAN" as well as the REGGAE-inspired "D'YER MAK'ER" found the band playing around with UNCONVENTIONAL TEMPOS and SONIC TEXTURES hitherto unexplored.  some find this record unfocused relative to their previous discography, but in my mind i liken it to THE BEATLES' WHITE ALBUM (APPLE, 1968) in that they were taking advantage of the opportunity their stature in the industry afforded them and really went about exploring the STUDIO AS AN INSTRUMENT in and of itself.  the only song ive never been crazy about is "DANCING DAYS," which the ALTERNATIVE ROCK band STONE TEMPLE PILOTS famously did a STANDOUT cover of in the 1990s.  for me that song stuck out as something more down the middle and a retread of past ideas, not that there is anything wrong with that.

for me this is an all-time CLASSIC album of the first order.  its part of my early childhood and my personal narrative of getting into music, so im completely prejudiced, much like i also am when discussing THE SMITHS, THE STRANGLERS, THE BEATLES or THE ANIMALS as well.  regardless, HOUSES OF THE HOLY is absolutely worth checking out and exploring again and again and again.

JIM MORRISON of THE DOORS was and will remain a ROCK AND ROLL ICON for the ages.  at his peak he was this sort of HYBRID POET / SHAMAN / PROPHET figure that pointed the way to PUNK ROCK decades in advance and tapped into this previously unexploited thread that effectively unleashed the existing DRUG CULTURE and SEXUAL REVOLUTION on an unprepared square, conventional MIDDLE AMERICA mental prison from which he was raised under.  ELVIS PRESLEY and THE BEATLES may have hinted at and pointed the way, but JIM MORRISON was culturally the first AVATAR of unbridled DIONYSIAN LUST and UNADULTERATED CHAOS in AMERICAN musical culture. he was the perfect frontman for that period in AMERICA's history that was turmoil at the height of the VIETNAM WAR, CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT and the emergence of the COUNTERCULTURE as a POLITICAL BLOC.

he is identifiably on the short list of his most INFLUENTIAL ROCK AND ROLL singers of all time and his example was picked up on and pushed forward by his legions of later PROTO-PUNK, PUNK ROCK, POST PUNK, HARDCORE and ALTERNATIVE ROCK acolytes including that of most notably IGGY POP (THE STOOGES), ALICE COOPER, PATTI SMITH, DARBY CRASH (THE GERMS), IAN CURTIS (JOY DIVISION), DAVE GAHAN (DEPECHE MODE), KURT COBAIN (NIRVANA), IAN MCCULLOCH (ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN), PERRY FARRELL (JANE'S ADDICTION), ROBERT SMITH (THE CURE), MARK LANEGAN (SCREAMING TREES), IAN ASTBURY (THE CULT), NICK CAVE (THE BIRTHDAY PARTY) and ANTON NEWCOMBE (THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE) among countless others.  at this stage more than half a century later, his influence on AMERICAN culture is undeniable and self-evident.  his CHARISMATIC, MYSTICAL example is irreparably baked into the very notion of being a ROCK AND ROLL star.  what has been reevaluated in scholarly circles in the years since his passing is the literary quality of his POETRY and the relative OUTALNDISHNESS of his LOUTISH behavior.  for example JOHN LENNON of THE BEATLES is recognized as one of the great songwriters (if not the greatest) of the 20th century while at the same time treated women poorly and was a TERRIBLE, absentee father to his first son.  both things are true.  so such are the modern evaluative critical fault lines with JIM MORRISON.

the recent documentary JIM MORRISON: THE WILD CHILD (ENTERTAIN ME PRODUCTIONS, 2019) seems to want it both ways, presenting him at times as both ADONIS and ICARUS.  there are only a handful of no-name experts of DUBIOUS quality rendering their opinion and no peers or later acolytes rounding out the critical evaluation.  at times it seems they cant decide whether this film is a HAGIOGRAPHY or a critical take down of his legacy.  i'm game for it either way, but it just felt HALF-BAKED in the end and i felt at the very least THE LIZARD KING deserved a COGENT argument for or against.  the guy was COMPLICATED but not that hard to discern and construct a COHERENT narrative around. 

this documentary left me disappointed and i would recommend fans of THE DOORS, CLASSIC ROCK and all things JIM MORRISON to seek information elsewhere as this documentary has all the markings of a CHEAP cash grab.  people are STRANGE, indeed.

in spite of all the SURPRISING career achievements and accolades of the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement of the early 1990s, the recent MUD RIDE: A MESSY TRIP THROUGH THE GRUNGE EXPLOSION (CHRONICLE PRISM, 2023) memoir by founding MUDHONEY guitarist STEVE TURNER attests to how SMALL, INSULAR and INCESTUOUS the beginnings of that ISOLATED regional scene actually was.  at the center of it all was a generation of 1980s HARDCORE kids that were trying to figure out what followed up on that INFLUENTIAL national underground scene. 

because of their relatively long distance from other MAJOR MARKETS, these kids effectively entertained themselves and established an INTIMATE music and arts scene that was as SUPPORTIVE as it was ECLECTIC.  some bands emerged with more of a PLODDING and DOWN-TEMPO riff heavy BLACK SABBATH / late era BLACK FLAG vibe (MELVINS), while others a more PSYCHEDELIC, HEAVY BLUES LED ZEPPELIN type of thing (SOUNDGARDEN), while still others where inspired by the more FLAMBOYANT CLASSIC ROCK elements of KISS, QUEEN and AEROSMITH (MOTHER LOVE BONE).  the book goes through many of these EMERGING bands and how their personnel changes reflected competing influences, ambitions and philosophies on how a band should be presented and sound like.  for me that was the crux of the memoir and its most INTRIGUING aspect, especially how it distilled the early scene band GREEN RIVER, made up of MARK ARM and STEVE TURNER of what would later become MUDHONEY and STONE GOSSARD and JEFF AMENT of MOTHER LOVE BONE and PEARL JAM.  long story short, the band basically bifurcated due to the competing SONIC and BUSINESS SENSIBILITIES of those two camps, which manifested itself in the LONGSTANDING 30+ year careers of both MUDHONEY and PEARL JAM.

for me MUDHONEY (as well as the MELVINS) is the perfect band to speak reflectively about the GRUNGE movement, partly due to their early involvement and influence on the scene as well as their ability to survive and thrive longterm and make EVEN-HANDED BUSINESS DECISIONS.  MUDHONEY never got anywhere close to the INCREDIBLE COMMERCIAL and FINANCIAL SUCCESS of scene peers in NIRVANA, PEARL JAM, SOUNDGARDEN and ALICE IN CHAINS.  their career trajectory was respectable, but more muted probably due to the more chaotic and noisier aesthetic of their sound which was heavily indebted more to proto-PUNK bands like THE STOOGES and MC5 and GARAGE ROCK in general than 70s METAL or CLASSIC ROCK.  those other bands found a way to manifest and crystalize a new AGGRESSIVE sound that translated well to MAINSTREAM RADIO, whereas MUDHONEY and similar bands like the MELVINS and the U-MEN never figured such out. 

watching these peers navigate the waters of the major label scene allowed MUDHONEY the perspective of how to make SHREWD BUSINESS DECISIONS when ultimately given the opportunity to sign with REPRISE RECORDS in the mid-1990s.  much like with the experience of the MELVINS and SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAN MELODIC HARDCORE band BAD RELIGION, both of whom were signed to ATLANTIC RECORDS around the same period, once the the ride was over after a handful of albums, all three bands seamlessly returned back to independent labels (SUB POP, EPITAPH and AMPHETAMINE REPTILE respectively) the better for temporarily utilizing the DISTRIBUTION and BOOKING acumen of their former CORPORATE OVERLORDS.  all three learned from the mistakes of others and were left relatively unscathed from the experience, which was not the norm.

MUD RIDE is pretty SOBER accounting of an UNEXPECTED, UNFORESEEN and UNLIKELY musical career.  it is also the narrative of a collection of musicians that viewed the cultural landscape and the opportunities available with PERSPECTIVE and didnt let AMBITION cloud their judgement.  how the HARDCORE scene prepared them for that DIY ETHIC to go out and reach for success on a modest scale is something to be admired.  that INFORMED ethic also allowed a band like PEARL JAM, who were that rare band to reach the upper echelons of the MUSIC INDUSTRY, to maintain a level of PERSPECTIVE as well in the process.  it allowed them the ability to call shots and treat their team well and not get gobbled up by CORPORATE INTERESTS that sought to exploit, confuse and dismantle them like their peers in NIRVANA.  the SEATTLE GRUNGE / ALTERNATIVE ROCK explosion is an endlessly FASCINATING topic and MUD RIDE provides a UNIQUE perspective on the last INDEPENDENT music scene to marinate in relative ISOLATION arguable ever (due to the advent and proliferation of the internet and social networking).  definitely a book worth checking out.

im an ABSOLUTE sucker for these LIVE PERFORMANCE series distributed on YOUTUBE and sponsored by everyone from INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURERS, TELEVISION PROGRAMS, RECORD LABELS, CONCERT VENUES to even LOCAL RADIO STATIONS.  in the mold of SEATTLE's KEXP 90.3FM i recently came across CENTRAL OHIO's CD 102.5FM (now apparently 92.9FM) out of COLUMBUS and their ongoing LIVE FROM THE BIG ROOM series of LIVE MUSIC performances by EMERGING and ESTABLISHED ALTERNATIVE ROCK and INDIE ROCK artists.  past NOTABLE participants include THE JOY FORMIDABLE, LAURA JANE GRACE, THE KILLS, ARCTIC MONKEYS, CSS, THE BETHS and SURFER BLOOD among many others.

the sound mix isnt as professional as KEXP, which is the gold standard, but these performances are definitely IMPASSIONED and most definitely worth checking out.

as one-off collaborations go, ABOVE (COLUMBIA, 1995) by the ALTERNATIVE ROCK band MAD SEASON, made up of members of PEARL JAM, SCREAMING TREES and ALICE IN CHAINS, is one of the most COHESIVE, POTENT and EMOTIONALLY RAW creative efforts from the RENOWNED SEATTLE scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.  in the wake of getting SOBER around the time of the making of VITALOGY (EPIC, 1994), PEARL JAM guitarist MIKE MCREADY wrote some loose outside material with bassist JOHN BAKER SAUNDERS (THE WALKABOUTS) and drummer BARRETT MARTIN (SCREAMING TREES) as a means of therapy as much as anything else.  eventually he recruited the generationally TALENTED but profoundly addicted LAYNE STALEY (ALICE IN CHAINS) to the fold in hopes of providing a SOBER ENVIRONMENT for him on his road to recovery.  at that point in the wake of JAR OF FLIES (COLUMBIA, 1994), STALEY had been something of a recluse in that ALICE IN CHAINS were FAMOUS for not touring due to his SPIRALING HEROIN ADDICTION.

STALEY is arguably in top form throughout ABOVE, providing absolutely WRENCHINGLY AFFECTING performances on STANDOUT tracks like "WAKE UP," "LONG GONE DAY," "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING" and "RIVER OF DECEIT."  sonically this record is sparsely constructed with a sound-bed that is almost JAZZ-like in its sparseness and use of space.  it provides the perfect accompanying and unimposing support for a DELIBERATE focus on the weight of  STALEY's VISCERAL and emotionally WROUGHT vocals.  STALEY for his part never sounded so EXPOSED and VULNERABLE, even in his more ACCOMPLISHED compositions with ALICE IN CHAINS.  even the artwork, an illustration also provided by STALEY, seems to showcase a couple deep in the throes of CODEPENDENCE which feels like another metaphor for his DOOMED relationship with NARCOTICS.

ABOVE very much is a gift to music fans as many of is collaborators sadly lost their battle with HEROIN over the next few years, including that of STALEY (in 2002) and SAUNDERS (in 1999).  for STALEY, the tragic passing of his fiance from a HEROIN OVERDOSE in 1996 is something he never recovered from.  in recent years, the project was resurrected for various benefit concerts with SEATTLE luminaries like MARK LANEGAN (who originally guested on two ABOVE tracks) and CHRIS CORNELL (SOUNDGARDEN) filling in for STALEY and DUFF MCKAGAN (GUNS N ROSES, THE FASTBACKS, 10 MINUTE WARNING) in for SAUNDERS, but nothing permanent came of it.  especially in the wake of the CORNELL and LANEGAN's recent passings the door seems finally closed on such.  to me ABOVE and this project is not CURSED or DOOMED as some in the press of morbidly attested, in fact i feel the opposite.  DRUG ADDICTION is a powerful force and the MAD SEASON project was an attempt, however futile in retrospect, to fight the good fight through art, COMMUNICATION and EMPATHY.  that deep well of COURAGE and VULNERABILITY that shines through in the material is something that is uniquely human despite its ultimate FRAGILITY.  its like a DYLAN THOMAS poem attempting to give voice to DESPAIR and EXISTENTIAL PLIGHT and to find BEAUTY in spite of itself. 

to me that is enduring legacy of ABOVE and why it is a SINGULAR achievement even among the CELEBRATED catalogues of its participating members.  this record is required listening in my opinion.

LEGACY is a TRICKY thing.  on one hand its nice to have a pedigree of QUALITY associated with the very mention of your name, but it can be LIMITING, especially when it comes to something as FICKLE and ONEROUS as AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS. 

like anyone else, i was pleasantly surprised to learn that KIM THAYIL (SOUNDGARDEN, THE NO WTO COMBO), KRIST NOVOSELIC (NIRVANA, GIANTS IN THE TREES, THE NO WTO COMBO), MATT CAMERON (SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM, HATER) and BUBBA DUPREE (VOID, HATER) were involved in a new project called 3RD SECRET, especially after hearing their first few releases online to learn that it was a bit of a sonic departure from the bands they're famously associated with.  for starters 3RD SECRET is fronted by two women, JILLIAN RAYE & JENNIFER JOHNSON who both previously collaborated in recent years with NOVOSELIC in the decidedly EXPERIMENTAL ALTERNATIVE ROCK band GIANTS IN THE TREES.

with 3RD SECRET, the PHRASING and ODD-TIME SIGNATURE guitar riffage of THAYIL is UNMISTAKABLE, but the context is DIFFERENT.  with the TANDEM VOCALS and SPARSE INSTRUMENTATION the effect is often PASTORAL and intriguingly FOLK-adjacent at times to my ears, something id never associate with the AGGRESSIVE ALTERNATIVE ROCK of SOUNDGARDEN, NIRVANA or the UNRELENTING HARDCORE of VOID.  most of all, i have to say its just great to see them all in action with a CREATIVE vehicle that nods but is not beholden to their PAST.  and honestly, from an outside perspective they seem like they are ENJOYING themselves, so more power to them.

im looking forward to what they come up with in the FUTURE, however long this current project lasts.  3RD SECRET is definitely worth checking out.

parodies by nacrowe

i wasnt on the bandwagon with the MERCURIAL SHEFFIELD band BRING ME THE HORIZON from the very beginning, but close enough.  i first learned about them after their single "CHELSEA SMILE" off of their second album SUICIDE SEASON (VISIBLE NOISE, 2008) came out back in the late 2000s.  and really what separated the band from the other BRUTAL and ULTRA-HEAVY METALCORE / DEATHCORE bands emerging to prominence at the time like ALL SHALL PERISH, SUICIDE SILENCE, DESPISED ICON, WHITECHAPEL, CARNIFEX and JOB FOR A COWBOY was ironically their sense of MELODY.  i remember listening to that album and thinking that in spite of its beyond AGGRESSIVE sonic annihilation and DEVASTATING lyrical content were actual MEMORABLE, WELL-COMPOSED songs.  like the band could actual construct riffs together and their vocalist, OLI SYKES, on occasion, could SING.  my initial reaction was that this singer had a wider TECHNICAL and EMOTIONAL range then GIFTED scene peers in MITCH LUCKER (rest in peace), PHIL BOZEMAN or HERNAN HERMIDA.

their follow-up THERE IS A HELL BELIEVE ME I'VE SEEN IT. THERE IS A HEAVEN LET'S KEEP IT A SECRET. (VISIBLE NOISE, 2010) was a more WELL-PRODUCED and REFINED version of SUICIDE SILENCE but the fourth album SEMPITERNAL (EPITAPH, 2013) was the creative and commercial breakthrough.  shedding both a NASTY addiction to KETAMINE  and a beloved guitarist in JONA WEINHOFEN (BLEEDING THROUGH, I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN), SEMPITERNAL marks the addition of the TALENTED keyboardist and electronic producer JORDAN FISH to the band as an INTEGRAL SONGWRITING PARTNER and as the fork in their career when things got WEIRD.  but in a good way.  somehow the band maintained their edge while incorporating a wide VARIETY of elements that derived from everything from TRIP HOP, AMBIENT, POST METAL, ELECTRO and even INDIE POP to create an ever shifting and evolving stew of UNEXPECTED sonic juxtapositions that maintains a core of exceptionally STRONG SONGWRITING.

and that focus on MELODY and the COMPOSITION of the song itself, rather than the sonic trappings of its relative heaviness or otherwise aural dressing up, is what continues to separate BRING ME THE HORIZON from the pack.  it really feels like after the second lease on life post-ADDICTION, SYKES as the de facto leader of the band has really continued to put out VARIED releases that have a sense of DANGER and RISK to them.  as if he is attempting to alienate his own audience in the process.  contrarily, he has been an innovator in an otherwise stagnant METALCORE scene navel-gazing at and celebrating its own collective sonic BRUTALITY, with no real ARTISTIC RISK involved.  you get the feeling that BRING ME THE HORIZON several eclectic albums post-SEMPITERNAL are on their own kick at this point.  they have long transcended the scene, which continues to look to them for ideas and concepts (and even band names) from throughout their career.

i just love the fact that in the great tradition of other cultural innovators in MODERN ROCK AND ROLL like MIKE PATTON, WAYNE COYNE, DEVIN TOWNSEND, PERRY FARRELL or GIBBY HAYNES, OLI SYKES is likewise unafraid to risk everything in search of a new sound, a new idea, a new expression.  which is why i am still very much on the ride.

embedded below is a RECENT DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a BRING ME THE HORIZON playlist from throughout their ECLECTIC catalogue.  enjoy!

when you look back at the nascent HIP HOP scene in THE BRONX in the late 1970s, there was a lot of EXPERIMENTATION going on.  the form itself was justing coming into being and the sonic possibilities that came with remixing one's record collection on turntables with a clever DJ running copilot was seemingly limited to one's imagination. 

what is INTRIGUING about going back to the source, of which AFRIKA BAMBAATAA & SOULSONIC FORCE's EPOCHAL release PLANET ROCK: THE ALBUM (TOMMY BOY, 1986) is how informed his range was of the musical AVANT-GARDE, even going so far as to sample KRAUTROCK contemporaries KRAFTWERK for the LEGENDARY title track.  in his hands (along with collaborating co-producer ARTHUR BAKER), the consciously RIGID and MACHINE-LIKE efficiency of "NUMBERS" off of KRAFTWERK's COMPUTER WORLD (KLING KLANG, 1981) became something totally unexpected: FUNKY.  in the MODERN lexicon of HIP HOP as it has develop over the ensuing decades, "PLANET ROCK" has one of the DEFINING samples of the genre.  so much so that the song helped provide the impetus for the ELECTRO movement that followed.

sometimes genres become more CALCIFIED over the course of their development as a form and there is this fallacy that develops that the early FORBEARERS somehow held onto this UNADULTERATED, UNALLOYED, PURE DISTILLATION of the TRUE SPIRIT of the genre.  you see that type of incorrect thinking and mythologizing with everything from PUNK ROCK and the BIBLE to BASEBALL and the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.  its a very human thing to distort the past.  the further you go back, often what becomes apparent is how in flux and undetermined all these later DOGMATIC parameters were at the time of formation.  HIP HOP is no different and "PLANET ROCK" is a PRIME and INTRIGUING example of such. 

i would be remiss if i didnt mention the other STANDOUT track, which is "RENEGADES OF FUNK," decades later MEMORABLY covered by BAMBAATAAA acolytes RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.  lyrically the song celebrates all these BLACK EMPOWERMENT and is a bit of history lesson of such, listing past THINKERS and REVOLUTIONARIES that pushed the ball forward in terms of the LIBERATION and FREEDOM of the AFRICAN DIASPORA.  in fact, BAMBAATAAA headed the UNIVERSAL ZULU NATION, an international HIP HOP awareness group he initiated while still in high school that promoted PAN-AFRICANISM and BLACK EMPOWERMENT.  later NOTABLE affiliates include Q-TIP (A TRIBE CALLED QUEST), KOOL MOE DEE, BIG BOI (OUTKAST), KURTIS BLOW, IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE and ICE-T among many others.

i should also state that in recent years BAMBAATAAA has become something of a CONTROVERSIAL figure, with many allegations surfacing of his alleged involvement in the molesting of young boys going back to the 1970s.  BAMBAATAAA has vehemently denied these charges and to date no charges have been leveled against him.  all the same it goes without mentioning that these allegations have complicated his legacy as a HIP HOP ORIGINATOR and CULTURAL INNOVATOR of the first order.

the recent RANDY RHOADS: REFLECTIONS OF A GUITAR ICON (VMI WORLDWIDE, 2002) documentary is a WARM, WELL-MEANING yet CLUMSY film about the LEGENDARY OZZY OSBOURNE GUITARIST. utilizing archival footage from major PLAYERS is career and new interviews with minor collaborators and acquaintances, the film presents a generationally GIFTED musician who had a HUMBLE sense of grace about his elevated status in the entertainment industry.  in other words, the FAME and UNIVERSAL PRAISE surrounding the OZZY releases BLIZZARD OF OZZ (JET, 1981) and DIARY OF A MADMAN (JET, 1981) never got to his head.

as a former educator myself, the aspect of RANDY RHOADS presented in this film that i found most COMPELLING was that at his heart he as a TEACHER.  he was a servant to his students.  case in point was how even at the height of his scene rivalry with VAN HALEN as a member of LOS ANGELES club band QUIET RIOT, he would lay his ego aside and still transpose and learn EDDIE VAN HALEN riffs at the behest of his students (who were naive to such competition).   when living in ENGLAND with OZZY and his family during the writing of BLIZZARD OF OZZ, RHOADS remained TEACHABLE by taking lessons and studying CLASSICAL MUSIC which paid dividends on "REVELATION (MOTHER EARTH)."  there is a PALPABLE sense that while he enjoyed his INSTRUMENT, the WRITING PROCESS and PLAYING LIVE, what RHOADS couldnt stand about his peer group was their arrogance towards fans and the public.  he never deluded himself into believing his GIFT and PASSION towards GUITAR PLAYING elevated him relative to everyone else.  this at the beginning of a decade that truly saw ROCK AND ROLL fall into that mental trip wholesale.  in this sense he shared the DIY ETHOS of INDIR ROCK and HARDCORE acts of the 1980s rather than the GLAM METAL contingent he is associated with.

and speaking of DIY, i  did not realize the lengths to which QUIET RIOT during this early lineup that RHOADS was a part of went in attempting to garner a record deal.  staging multiple televised protests with fans, COUNTLESS showcases and cycling through three managers, all for nought.  but its this futility that led RHOADS to audition for OZZY and ultimately become a MODERN GUITAR ICON on par with his rival EDDIE VAN HALEN as well as JIMI HENDRIX, DIMEBAG DARRELL, SLASH and JIMMY PAGE among others.  remaining UNASSUMING and TEACHABLE while feverishly perfecting ones CRAFT and sacrificing time and energy towards a goal is an INCREDIBLE ability.  especially during that era.

this documentary felt a bit HALF-BAKED with SHODDY visual transitions and LESS-THEN-STELLAR insights from minor characters.  i think they should have held out for more HIGH PROFILE MUSICIANS to make this film more worthwhile, because as is its a bit meh.  TRANSCENDENT GUITAR PLAYER, MEDIOCRE documentary.  he deserved better.

published on a faux notepad complete with graph paper, ADRIAN TOMINE's graphic novel THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST (DRAWN & QUARTERLY, 2020) is a personal narrative about coming to grips with life's SLIGHTS and HUMILIATIONS and appreciating the greater picture of securing MEANING and DIRECTION in FAMILY.

TOMINE recounts how being an OBSESSIVE comic book fan from a very early age informed not only his IDENTITY but the manner in which he engaged with the OUTSIDE WORLD.  in a sense, the WORLD of literature and graphic novels from the author's PERSPECTIVE is likened to that of an INTERNAL dialogue in a waking DREAM-LIKE WORLD of one's own creation.  its comforting to spend time in such a place, even as a reader, that has recognizable rules of engagement, unlike the real WORLD.  being HAZED and effectively OSTRACIZED as an ASIAN-descent kid in RURAL WHITE-BREAD FRESNO didnt help matters either.  if anything it intensified the need to escape into the welcoming FANTASY realm of comics.  what is INTERESTING about THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST is how it collapses that childhood narrative arc related to survival with his TOMINE's career post-success and his CONFLICTED need for approval, ADMIRATION and ACCEPTANCE by the greater comic book COMMUNITY as an adult.  at times it felt like an activity that was so PERSONAL for him was utilized as a cudgel to bat him over the head with by naysayers and the industry itself.  much of this graphic novel is a catalogue of sorts related to these SLIGHTS and HUMILIATIONS, some private, others public, that TOMINE took the brunt of as a MATURING ADULT with MARRIAGE and CHILDREN to think about.

thinking that he is about to die, he learns that nothing related to the craft or OBSESSIVE goal projecting of his career as a comic book writer and illustrator mattered to him.  at all.  his thoughts were purely about his two DAUGHTERS and his WIFE.  

ive had the pleasure of working overseas in ALBANIA, JAPAN, VENEZUELA and MYANMAR as an international school teacher instructing secondary language arts classes.  being abroad for over a decade gave me time to think about my home country at a distance and how so much of our IDENTITY is tacked on to our economic success, i.e. our perceived ATTRACTIVENESS as a potential romantic partner, our VALUE as RESPECTED member of SOCIETY; all seems to be established by our economic status.  much like how TOMINE allows himself to be personally defined by the FLUID and FICKLE (and largely INCORRECT) perceptions of others, such is also how ive experienced life as a former lowly paid secondary teacher.  it was a war i fought by myself as it was a DEHUMANIZING VALUE SYSTEM that i did everything to not internalize even if it felt that the outside WORLD had.  being an EMPATH and a NURTURER who EMPOWERED his students was what i VALUED in myself, even if such wasnt how i was being evaluated by superiors.

this book took me back to how we all have to find our own CORE sense of SELF and a VALUE SYSTEM that works for us and cannot be invaded by the OUTSIDE WORLD.  i think TOMINE found such in THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST with his love of FAMILY.  in the same way that writer ALLAN SILLITOE a generation or two before found in the INCARCERATED character COLLIN SMITH in his screenplay for the film THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER (BRITISH LION, 1962), who counteracts the BORSTAL SYSTEM of JUVENILE DETENTION wreaked on the WORKING CLASS in ENGLAND at the time.  his rebellion is as much about one of asserting their personal autonomy as it is about countermining the equally PUNITIVE mental prison that is class consciousness in BRITISH SOCIETY.  in both examples a PALPABLE sense of PERSONAL IDENTITY is rooted in an ALTERNATIVE VALUE SYSTEM that emboldens the INDIVIDUAL and deflects against SOCIETAL forces.

THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST is an INCREDIBLE read and a THOUGHT-PROVOKING examination of what motivates as CREATIVE individuals tying to find LOVE and ACCEPTANCE in a seemingly COLD and INDIFFERENT environment, both PHYSICAL and MENTAL.

as television journalist RACHEL MADDOW transitions away from CABLE NEWS and into more DELIBERATIVE vehicles like BOOKS, DOCUMENTARIES and PODCASTS, she has come to be an arbiter of NUANCED research and an EFFECTIVE presenter of CORROBORATED FACTUAL INFORMATION in an age of HYPE, MEDIOCRITY, and MISINFORMATION.  it is almost like her and her small team of producers are attempting to become PBS in terms of attention to DETAIL.

such is the case with her recent RACHEL MADDOW PRESENTS: DÉJÀ NEWS PODCAST (MSNBC, 2023) that connects HISTORICAL ANALOGUES to the modern-day tactics and conscious AGGRESSION of the AMERICAN RIGHT and the CREEPING and ever DEVOLVING FASCISTIC leanings of the GLOBAL CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT.  its definitely a COGNITIVE BIAS (and probably a bit narcissistic as well) that people feel like today's PROBLEMS are specific to us and our CURRENT historic moment.  what this PODCAST conveys is how we can look to the past to see the thinking behind reactions and strategies to OPPRESSIVE measures by REGRESSIVE governments and political parties in order to inform our decisions in the current political atmosphere.  for me personally, i find it OVERWHELMING and DEPRESSING to watch the NEWS, mostly because it feels beyond the influence of the population. i lived through the IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN wars, even saw some of its cost upfront during my time growing up in KUWAIT, and can palpably remember how the whole affair felt like a predetermined forgone conclusion and the HELPLESSNESS that instilled in me.  with DÉJÀ NEWS it feels EMPOWERING to the individual because there are concrete steps communities employed to combat events like REVERSE FREEOM RIDES in the 1960s, or the eradication of ABORTION RIGHTS in MODERN POLAND or the lack of political (and frankly military) will from NATO to confront RUSSIA head on with its AGGRESSION in UKRAINE.  REGULAR people making a difference in the face of major human events. 

again i found it all incredibly EMPOWERING.  and i definitely encourage everyone to check it out.

i know its hard now to imagine a time when AEROSMITH didnt suck, with all the EMBARRASSING, SCHMALTZY, TRITE DIANE WARREN-cowritten torch songs the NEW ENGLAND quartet became known for in the later years of their career, but there was a time when they were a LOOSE, SWAGGERING outfit that competed with the best of them.  that period was the early-to-mid 1970s which coincided with their first four records, i.e. AEROSMITH (COLUMBIA, 1973), GET YOUR WINGS (COLUMBIA, 1974), TOYS IN THE ATTIC (COLUMBIA, 1975) and ROCKS (COLUMBIA, 1976).   for context, during this time AEROSMITH was prominent enough to have prominent support acts including the likes of RUSH, JEFF BECK, SLADE, NEW YORK DOLLS, FOGHAT, TED NUGENT, AC/DC and MOTT THE HOOPLE.  it is this era of their career that had a profound influence on everyone from SLASH (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER), MICK MARS (MOTLEY CRUE) and JAMES HETFIELD (METALLICA) to less obvious musicians like DC HARDCORE legends HENRY ROLLINS (BLACK FLAG) and IAN MACKAYE (MINOR THREAT) among many others.

ROCKS is considered by many to be the pick of the litter from this period and the STANDOUT album of their career.  singer STEVEN TYLER and guitarist JOE PERRY were never more on point as a songwriting tandem.  guitarists still look back at the SLINKY, DIRTY grooves on tracks like "BACK IN THE SADDLE," "NOBODY'S FAULT," "GET THE LEAD OUT" and  "RATS IN THE CELLAR" as a master class in CLASSIC ROCK N ROLL riffage.  id even argue that for guitarists of a certain age, this is the PERRY that comes to mind in their childhood imagination.  and TYLER comes off untethered like a feral cat slithering throughout the songs adding exponential ENERGY, CHARISMA and PASSION to already UNDENIABLE instrumentals that were already SMOLDERING to begin with.  that being said, just like some people are not a GEDDY LEE guy (and i know plenty), i want to be frank and admit that i was never a TYLER guy.  unlike PERRY, i just find him to be a SECOND-TIER talent next peers like ROBERT PLANT (LED ZEPPELIN), IAN HUNTER (MOTT THE HOOPLE), ROBIN ZANDER (CHEAP TRICK), RONNIE JAMES DIO (RAINBOW), BILLY GIBBONS (ZZ TOP) and even BON SCOTT (AC/DC) and PHIL LYNOTT (THIN LIZZY).  in fact, much as with SCOTT and LYNOTT, TYLER had a similar role in being a bit of a hype and ENERGY man for his band that superseded his somewhat DIMINUTIVE natural talents.  because of that lack of INDISPUTABLE talent and the EFFORT exerted on stage, again like SCOTT and LYNOTT,  there has always been a WORKING-CLASS appeal to TYLER and his band that extends to the modern day.  such is seen with their sold-out arena tours long, long after their CREATIVE peak years in the mid-1970s.

and more power to them.  ROCKS is a CLASSIC ROCK masterpiece and most definitely worth checking out.

i first learned about the BROOKLYN-by-way-of-AUSTRALIA-and-INDONESIA DREAM POP group YOUNG MAGIC back when i was researching for a DEER GOD RADIO episode about the INDEPENDENT CARPARK RECORDS label.  what stood out to me about their EXPERIMENTAL ELECTRONIC sound was how delicately ETHEREAL and particularly EMOTIVE the VOICE of MELATI MALAY was.  such a VOCAL PRESENCE was buttressed by a bed of sound that could be described as TRIP HOP-adjacent, with INTERESTING SAMPLES and SYNTH LINES juxtaposed with dreamlike HAZY texturing that effectively presented a BEAUTIFUL and articulate clarion call lifting from a deep void.

YOUNG MAGIC is most definitely worth checking out.

parodies & text by nacrowe

it was around college in the early 2000s that i got into AMBIENT MUSIC and came to appreciate music that was a bit more EXPANSIVE and not subject to FAMILIAR STRUCTURES, CONVENTIONS and DYNAMICS.  shortly after being able to put my head around the work of EXPERIMENTAL ELECTRONIC MUSIC artists like APHEX TWIN and BOARDS OF CANADA, through younger friends of my brother i was made aware of POST ROCK bands like TORTOISE and MOGWAI.  although AMBIENT MUSIC had primed me for this genre, it still blew me away that these musicians were creating this LUSH, PALATIAL widescreen landscape of sound that utilized the INSTRUMENTATION and basic building blocks of ROCK N ROLL to a categorically separate artistic end.

after TORTOISE and MOGWAI came GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR and SIGUR ROS, and then POST METAL artists like ISIS, SUNN O))) and PELICAN.  it was as if a door had opened on what was emotionally capable in ROCK N ROLL writ large and TRANSFORMED my EXPECTATIONS therein as a listener.  in a digital age now where LANGUAGE and our collective attention spans are being COMPRESSED and DILUTED, it is beyond refreshing to listen to CHALLENGING music that has WIDTH and DEPTH that is not easily digested and delights in its refusal to be abridged.  it is an almost an endurance test of sorts to sit down and listen and really take in the scope of what these artists are presenting.  i go back to these artists all of the time, especially during periods where i need to ESCAPE and just DRIFT OFF into my own thoughts in an EXTENDED, UNINTERRUPTED meditation.  for that i am forever appreciative that this stuff exists despite its overt lack of commercial appeal.

this episode itself was made during the height of the PANDEMIC and is one of two (the other being POST METAL) that contains footage from years before that i shot from my scooter while driving around the city of MANDALAY in northern MYANMAR.  i formerly worked there for a year as a secondary teacher at an international school.  the music has a definite PASTORAL flair so i thought the travel footage worked well with it (although at times it is a bit SHAKY).  looking back this is one of my FAVORITE episodes.

embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes an ECLECTIC playlist of POST ROCK musicians new and old, notable and upcoming.  enjoy!

for the uninitiated to the world of AFROBEAT and AFRICAN music legend FELA KUTI, there is a slight learning curve to appreciating this COMPLEX and REWARDING music.  much of his music is a HYBRID of the AMERICAN JAZZ and R&B he took in while traveling stateside in the late 1960s at the tail-end of the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, as well as intricate WEST AFRICAN POLYRHYTHMS with TRADITIONAL CALL-AND-RESPONSE GROUP VOCALS.  there is almost a SPIRITUAL aspect to his music in that the POLYRHYTHMS create an INHALATION and EXHALATION mantra-like experience that is not as much SONG-ORIENTED as it is VIBE-BASED.  you just have to acquiesce and let the MUSIC envelop and subsume you to its will, and not fight it seeking out markers such as RECOGNIZABLE CHORUSES and VERSES and the like.

ARMY ARRANGEMENT (CELLULOID, 1985) is a STANDOUT example of FELA's creative output in his later years.  by this point he had long since established himself as a revolutionary cultural icon for all AFRICANS with his musical diatribes against the various MILITARY DICTATORSHIP REGIMES that effectively suffocated NIGERIA in the POST-COLONIAL period since the 1960s.  REVERED albums such as GENTLEMAN (KALAKUTA, 1973), ZOMBIE (KALAKUTA, 1977), EXPENSIVE SHIT (KALAKUTA, 1975) and COFFIN FOR HEAD OF STATE (KALAKUTA, 1981) questioned and challenged AFRICAN identity in the wake of BRITISH rule, which still held HEGEMONIC cultural and economic influence over their former subjects, much as he also eviscerated the unabated CORRUPTION of NIGERIA leadership who acquiesced to the agenda of their former superiors for financial motives.  these themes are a constant through-line amidst most of his catalogue and is part of the reason he is still so widely CELEBRATED even two decades after his passing in 1997.

with ARMY ARRANGEMENT, FELA sets his sights firmly on the CORRUPTION of the MILITARY DICTATORSHIP of MUHAMMADU BARI, who overturned the second republic of NIGERIA in 1983 before being toppled himself in 1985.  the song "ARMY ARRANGEMENT" is about the transition to DEMOCRATIC RULE in the late 1970s and the mindset of the military who wantonly STOLE, MURDERED, KIDNAPPED, IMPRISONED and even RAPED the NIGERIAN population seemingly at will.  not surprisingly, BARI had FELA arrested on trumped up charges due to him being a vocal critic of his REGIME.  had him DETAINED at the airport en route to a stateside tour.  his release happened shortly after the regime fell apart.  "GOVERNMENT CHICKEN BOY" takes aim at NIGERIAN citizens that support the REGIME out of fear of reprisal.  i spent almost three years in LAGOS between 1996-1998, which coincided with his final years, and his message was as POWERFUL as ever with the locals.  in fact, i learned about FELA through the NIGERIAN help that my parents employed during our stay there.  i still wish i had those original NIGERIAN-manufactured cassette tapes of I.T.T. (KALAKUTA, 1980) and CONFUSION BREAK BONES (KALAKUTA, 1990).  FELA and his message was stridently POLITICAL during an era of TURMOIL and PALPABLE REAL DANGER.  even during my stay, the BRUTAL dictator SANI ABACHA had people TORTURED and even HUNG on public beaches who dared to cross him.  what FELA did was beyond PUNK ROCK, beyond posing or making ARTFUL, METAPHORICAL stances against CORRUPTION.   he looked POWER square in the eye and spit in its face point blank.  one man versus a CROOKED GOVERNMENT. 

the dude is still an icon. his MUSIC should be taught and appreciated everywhere.

something EXTRAORDINARY happened in the 1960s.  from the post-war economic prosperity and relative CONSERVATIVE CULTURAL MALAISE of the 1950s came an ERUPTIVE overflow of long-simmering ideas that altered the COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS of the BABY BOOMER generation just coming into their own.  any and all TRADITIONS were under RECONSIDERATION, which resulted in various movements (CIVIL RIGHTS, FEMINIST, ENVIRONMENTALIST, ANTI-WAR, PROTO-GAY RIGHTS, NATIVE RIGHTS) and new adoptive practices (SEXUAL REVOLUTION and PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION) to effectively DISCONNECT this COHORT GROUP from all generations that came before.  this was by definition a COUNTER CULTURE.

the SUPERB ALISON ELLWOOD and ALEX GIBNEY-directed MAGIC TRIP (MAGNOLIA, 2011) documentary holds its focus on this MONUMENTAL inflection point in AMERICAN HISTORY, manifested by the transformation of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (VIKING, 1964) author KEN KESEY during this period.  KESEY was every bit the all-AMERICAN boy next door, the son of HUMBLE dairy farmers who married his middle school sweetheart (til his death in 2001) and attended the local UNIVERSITY OF OREGON as a lettered wrestler (and one-time OLYMPIC prospect).  after being injured he became interested in journalism and later creative writing which led him to STANFORD after graduation.  it was here that he became involved in nascent government studies on HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS.  it was his understanding at the time that they were being examined and studied for their PALLIATIVE EFFECTS, only to learn years after the fact via friend and colleague ALLEN GINSBERG that such were conducted with more COERCIVE intentions.  incredibly, LSD was being state administered to garner information concerning their MIND-ALTERING EFFECTS to be used in future interrogations by the CIA.  regardless, a seed was planted in KESEY.

in the late 1950s and early 1960s there was a groundswell of academic and intellectual exploration into the CONSCIOUSNESS-EXPANDING EFFECTS of PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES, most famously by HARVARD professors TIMOTHY LEARY and RICHARD ALPERT (a.k.a RAM DASS).  even BRITISH intellectual heavyweights such as ALDOUS HUXLEY were early proponents of MEASURED and DELIBERATE usage of PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES in order to gain a WIDER and more VIVID EXPERIENTIAL APPRECIATION and PERSPECTIVE on the natural world and our connection to it.  but this was still very much an academic and intellectual affair.

KESEY and his friends (dubbed "THE MERRY PRANKTERS") decided to cross the UNITED STATES from OREGON in 1964, auspiciously to see the newly opened WORLD'S FAIR in NEW YORK CITY while filming themselves along the way.  there was a technical issue with the sound, which never linked with the video, and numerous editing attempts rendered the film ultimately abandoned.  what is INCREDIBLE is that the majority of the film is conceived from this footage and some of the audio.  MAGIC TRIP is a REMARKABLE look at the emerging of a CONSCIOUSNESS and the COUNTER CULTURE of the period.  all of these clean shaven, short-haired prime examples of AMERICAN youth over the course of the journey on this PHANTASMAGORICALLY COLORED, heavily MODIFIED school bus (named "FURTHER") took DRUGS that opened them up to new SEXUAL CONFIGURATIONS with each other (regardless of married status) and new NOVEL APPRECIATIONS of the NATURAL ORDER, whose ever-shifting, EXPANSIVE landscape they witnessed in real time from their window.  some went MAD and others fled for easier routes eastward, but what emerged was the birth of a new CONSCIOUSNESS.  by the time they got to QUEENS and saw the WORLD'S FAIR, the cultural landscape had already effectively SHIFTED, rendering such a WILD corporate fantasyland of the future an anachronism due to simmering DESTRUCTIVE tides of the period related to the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT and the recent tragic assassination of JFK.

once the common usage of PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS became something a NATIONAL SOCIAL PHENOMENON (or a trend) over the course of the decade and had long since transcended the measured and deliberate usage prescribed by its academic fore-bearers, KESEY changed his tune somewhat.  more than being arrested on trumped-up MARIJUANA charges that forced his hand to avert prison time, KESEY saw the DESTRUCTIVE power of these CONTROLLED CHEMICALS on NAIVE and UNINFORMED users.  such is the case with all new technology (nuclear, pharmacological or otherwise) that once out of the bag, the responsibility lies with the participating adult.

it INTRIGUING how in one roundtrip bus excursion across the UNITED STATES that took less than a year to complete is the story of an entire decade.  one whose CULTURAL REVERBERATIONS we are still grappling with and feeling more than half a century later.  MAGIC TRIP is an EXCEPTIONAL documentary well worth checking out.

in recent years there has been a deluge of memoirs and published histories of the PUNK ROCK movement and all of its sub-genres and related SCENES.  what makes SMASH!: GREEN DAY, THE OFFSPRING, NOFX AND THE '90s PUNK EXPLOSION (DA CAPO, 2018) by VETERAN BRITISH music journalist IAN WINWOOD (NME, ROLLING STONE, REVOLVER, Q, THE GUARDIAN, MOJO) so FASCINATING is that fact that it effectively elaborates on the expanded trajectory of the WEST COAST expansion of PUNK ROCK and HARDCORE into the 1990s.  from THE DAMNED and THE SEX PISTOLS LEGENDARY late 1970s performances to the advent of the early LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK SCENE in the late 70s/early 80s with THE GERMS, X, THE SCREAMERS, FEAR, THE WEIRDOS and THE BAGS to the HARDCORE BANDS from nearby counties infiltrating the SCENE throughout the 80s like BLACK FLAG, WASTED YOUTH, CIRCLE JERKS, SOCIAL DISTORTION, THE ADOLESCENTS, T.S.O.L. and DESCENDENTS to the 90s BANDS at focus throughout SMASH! and beyond.  it is that very tension within that lineage of generations of PUNK BANDS that makes this book such a UNIQUE and COMPELLING read.

when AMERICAN HARDCORE was initiated in the 1980s, various BANDS started their own RECORD LABELS (DISCHORD, SST, ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES) out of necessity and begot a COTTAGE INDUSTRY of viable ALTERNATIVE options for artists.  they also provided a lean BUSINESS MODEL and strong DIY ethic for the next generation of INDEPENDENT artists.  such is the case with the BAY AREA's LOOKOUT! RECORDS which famously released early GREEN DAY offerings and the catalogue of OPERATION IVY.  within the PUNK ROCK COMMUNITY, this effective FETISHIZING of what it means to be truly AUTHENTIC and INDEPENDENT had a huge effect on PUNK and PUNK-influenced BANDS of the 1990s. 

case in point, arguably at the center of SMASH!'s narrative is the melodic SAN FERNANDO MELODIC PUNK ROCK BAND BAD RELIGION and the INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL its guitarist BRETT GUREWITZ founded, EPITAPH RECORDS.  unlike LOOKOUT!, EPITAPH found itself in 1994 with an UNEXPECTED diamond album [i.e. 10 million copies sold] in THE OFFSPRING's SMASH (EPITAPH, 1994) that effectively forced the LABEL to expand rapidly while defying continued efforts from most of the MAJORS to buyout their operation and/or poach their artists.  in essence, the commercial success of this INDEPENDENT PRIVATE LABEL put them in the same stratosphere as publicly traded MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATE ENTITIES with larger checkbooks and a deeper well of resources.  all PUNK and HARDCORE LABELS were never at that level and it was a situation GUREWITZ never anticipated.  in the wake of such there was a new equilibrium and expectations game internally amongst the BANDS, their MANAGERS and the LABEL that took years to level off and resolve itself.  in essence, the BANDS that stayed INDEPENDENT (NOFX, RANCID, PENNYWISE) by and large were critically rewarded long-term and with the exception of GREEN DAY (who didnt come off unscathed in terms of their reputation).  even GUREWITZ own BAND BAD RELIGION signed during this period with ATLANTIC RECORDS for several releases and eventually successfully came back to EPITAPH at the beginning of the new millennium with new ENERGY and a return-to-form recorded offering.

whereas EPITAPH RECORDS exemplified this dynamic from the BUSINESS and LABEL perspective, undoubtedly GREEN DAY are the poster boys for the pitfalls of working with the MAJORS during this pre-digital era (because currently nobody cares about this puritanical litmus test since no one is selling records at this scale anymore).  they famously were effectively abandoned and ex-communicated by their SCENE and the ARTISTIC COMMUNITY from which they developed, the 924 GILMAN STREET venue in BERKELEY.  all for signing to WARNER BROS.  they were in a bind.  touring nonstop throughout the states and EUROPE, LOOKOUT! couldnt keep up with demand.  their fans couldnt locate product.  GREEN DAY didnt believe that PUNK ROCK was about being ELITIST with hard-to-locate OBSCURE records in limited supply.  the widespread DISTRIBUTION of a MAJOR would change all that.  and it did.  but it came at a high cost to their personal sense of IDENTITY, especially in the wake of DOOKIE (REPRISE, 1994) and its MASSIVE diamond-level commercial success.  success only counterintuitively exacerbated that sense of ALIENATION and DISLOCATION from their small BAY AREA SCENE and even their FANBASE.  eventually newcomers would replace that shedding of ORIGINAL SUPPORTS tenfold but that was the bargain back during this heady period.

SMASH! really elucidates on an that INTERESTING convergence of PUNK ROCK ethics and all the GUILT, CONTRADICTION and seemingly socially enforced LACK OF AMBITION at the heart of it.  when NIRVANA exploded, close behind it was the dismantling and/or renewed RECALCITRANCE of all that undercurrent of TRADITIONAL mores at the heart of the genre that separated it from other music sub-genres.  it is still in retrospect a topic that is absolutely FASCINATING to consider almost three decades hence.  i dont know if it has an analogue to today, which is more ECLECTIC, GENRE-LESS and far less TRIBAL musically than it was back then.  politically today is a whole 'nother story entirely.

definitely a INTRIGUING book well worth checking out.  even if its BRITISH perspective on the CULTURAL PHENOMENA that was 90s PUNK ROCK does get a little weird at times.

narrated by the ICONIC AM radio personality WOLFMAN JACK, THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (NBC, 1972-1981) was a music variety show that was created to take full advantage of the popularity of THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON by airing after its late sign off at 1AM EST.  during this period the other networks would close off during this period leaving THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL with no direct competition.  the show is noteworthy for its eclectic live performances by everyone from MARVIN GAYE, CHUCK BERRY, BO DIDDLEY, IKE & TINA TURNER, AL GREEN and PRINCE to GENESIS, THE BEACH BOYS, ALICE COOPER, SPARKS, DAVID BOWIE, BLONDIE, DOLLY PARTON and KING CRIMSON.

recently these select performances have been made available on YOUTUBE.  THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is definitely worth checking out even though the catalogue available is far from complete.  i know i am not the only one hoping that the LEGENDARY JOBRIATH performances become available soon.