|
|
|
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO focused on the post-BRITISH INVASION stateside radio format of CLASSIC ROCK!
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
0 Comments
photo & text by nacrowe
i remember around the turn of the millennium attending BOARDING SCHOOL away from my parents, who were stationed in NIGERIA at the time. i was in my mid-teens and it was quite the transition to not only be away from your family, but halfway around the world so. feeling ISOLATED in a bad situation where i was being HAZED upon routinely by upperclassmen and away from any support network was the context from which i discovered and experienced STRANGE DAYS (ELEKTRA, 1967) by THE DOORS within.
sonically the album is almost FELLINI-esque with its swirling organ phrases, specifically on tracks like "STRANGE DAYS," "UNHAPPY GIRL," "PEOPLE ARE STRANGE," "I CAN'T SEE YOUR FACE IN MY MIND," and "WHEN THE MUSIC'S OVER." lyrically the album references themes of ALIENATION, SOCIAL/PSYCHIC ISOLATION and UNREQUITED LOVE. i know that for many their teenage experience was not pleasant, but my time in BOARDING SCHOOL was spent avoiding punishment by bored hockey players who saw my painted fingernails, dyed hair and NINE INCH NAILS shirts as target enough for their attention. and the adults just looked the other way. i got out unscathed but others didnt (linked HERE is an example that happened at another dorm during my time at the school). maybe that punishing and unforgiving atmosphere is why i read so much into JIM MORRISON's lyrics at the time. they seemed to revolve around the FUTILITY of trusting authority figures. i believe high school is also a transformational period where you become aware of your body and your connection to other people. being shy and reserved by nature, i dont believe BOARDING SCHOOL did my any favors in figuring out how i related to the opposite sex. it was a beyond daunting and unreasonable ask to attempt to make connections with people of such PRIVILEGE, WEALTH and POWER. it was an ALIENATING and ultimately a TRAUMATIZING experience. to that end "YOU'RE LOST LITTLE GIRL" is another standout track that i deeply identified with, especially since it had this understated introductory guitar line that seamlessly transforms into a haunting layered organ figure, seemingly mimicking the UNREQUITED LOVE of a misunderstood female protagonist. to my ear at the time, it also was a sonic evocation of my emotionally battered sense of ISOLATION and growing inward trajectory based on living in HUMILIATION. BOARDING SCHOOL was a hostile situation and later attending high school in KUWAIT was even worse. STRANGE DAYS is easily my favorite DOORS album and one that i constantly revisit since it is inextricably linked to this difficult period of youth. i feel it is an underrated achievement in MOOD and SONG CONSTRUCTION. there is a HAUNTING BEAUTY maintained throughout that is unique in their catalogue. as mentioned before, it was also the soundtrack to some of my darkest moments as a young adult. it is most definitely worthy of revisiting. 
photo & text by nacrowe
what makes listening to FRANK ZAPPA engaging and pleasurable is the experience of just being swept away with the ECCENTRIC ORCHESTRATIONS, COMPLEX COMPOSITIONS and ODD SONIC JUXTAPOSITIONS that he came up with at varying points in his career. ZAPPA was a singular creative force and an absolute original, complete with OPAQUE, seemingly DADA-esque nonsensical lyrics that appeared designed to confound and challenge.
such is the case with the mostly instrumental HOT RATS (REPRISE, 1969) and its two most famous tracks, "PEACHES EN REGALIA" and "WILLIE THE PIMP," the latter being the only song with lyrics and an appearance by noted ZAPPA conspirator, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART. in the MULTI-LAYERED mix are references to LATIN rhythms and percussion, JAZZ-influenced guitar voicings and looping chord patterns as well as the requisite BLUES-based ROCK N ROLL song structures. its difficult to come up with an apt analogue to compare this record to because there are none in ROCK N ROLL. you have to look outside to the world of JAZZ or modern CLASSICAL MUSIC with the likes of ORNETTE COLEMAN or IGOR STRAVINSKY, artists that defied convention and audience expectation. HOT RATS still very much sounds EXPERIMENTAL decades after its release in part dude to its multi-part composition and highly IDIOSYNCRATIC sense of ORCHESTRAL DYNAMICS. like i said, HOT RATS is very much about going on an AURAL JOURNEY that feels almost CINEMATIC. it confounds audiences to this day and is most definitely worth revisiting or checking out for the first time. highly recommended. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
my introduction to SPARKS was through an early 2000s message board where someone posted that JIMMY EURINGER of MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE had the falsetto voice somewhere between SPARKS and TINY TIM. i remember thinking "who the hell is SPARKS" and then proceeding to dip my toes into their impressively vast multi-genre catalogue.
getting into SPARKS is sort of like navigating through the avant-garde THE RESIDENTS discography in that their music is CONCEPTUALLY COMPLEX, almost to the point of being OPAQUE. its apparent none of their work is done at face value and requires intellectual effort on behalf of the listener, which is probably why they are very much a cult band 50 years after their debut. its pretty remarkable that they are still a continuing relevant entity some half century later. the documentary THE SPARKS BROTHERS (FOCUS FEATURES, 2020) is long overdue and gets at the heart of the relationship and ever-developing and deepening artistic collaboration between brothers RUSSELL and RON MAEL. the film includes notable interviews with producers GIORGIO MORODER, TODD RUNDGREN and TONY VISCONTI, former members of their various lineups and peers/admirers like STEVE JONES (SEX PISTOLS), ANDY BELL & VINCE CLARKE (ERASURE), BECK, STEPHEN MORRIS & GILLIAN GILBERT (NEW ORDER/JOY DIVISION), THURSTON MOORE (SONIC YOUTH), NICK RHODES & JOHN TAYLOR (DURAN DURAN), "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC, and FLEA (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) among many others. the film clocks at more than 2 hours and attempts to get at the sheer size of their prolific catalogue and make sense of the genre-defying EXPERIMENTATION that comes to define their career. what comes across is that despite any commercial peaks and valleys in their career, the focus was always on the music and what was coming next. an example is in the late 1970s when PUNK exploded, their reaction was to collaborate with GIORGIO MORODER and make a pop record with sequencers and synthesizers. this obviously predated what followed subsequently in the 1980s. and then when that ran its course they moved on in a more BAROQUE, orchestrated direction. i am having a hard time thinking of a band that went through as many seamless variations with such sudden disparity while maintaining such a quality product. its pretty astounding. it also makes sense that such jarring right turns limited their commercial prospects as it takes a fairly SOPHISTICATED and NICHE audience to welcome such progression and sharp right turns. thus it makes sense why they have a dedicated audience in EUROPE, so much so that before this documentary i am ashamed to say that i thought they were EUROPEAN. they arent. they are from SANTA MONICA, literraly less than an hour from my childhood in home in SOUTHERN CALIIFORNIA. its a fact i find pretty humorous. but it goes to show how much their music speaks for itself in that it transports its listeners to an alternate aural reality where anything is possible. and that is also why its interesting to see where they go next. 50 years in and people are still looking forward to what they have to offer. if that isnt a testament to SPARKS, then i dont know what is. definitely cant say that about PAUL MCCARTNEY or any other legacy artist. ok, maybe NEIL YOUNG. maybe. 
photo & text by nacrowe
the narrative has long been that after OZZY OSBOURNE's firing from BLACK SABBATH for vague reasons revolving around alcohol and drug abuse, that the band began a steady decline towards cultural irrelevance while the OZZ man began one of the great solo careers in ROCK N ROLL history.
METAL fans know that is a crock because OSBOURNE's immediate replacement, the legendary RONNIE JAMES DIO of RAINBOW / ELF fame, absolutely crushed it on BLACK SABBATH debut in HEAVEN AND HELL (VERTIGO, 1980). i remember the first time i heard "NEON KNIGHTS" being absolutely floored by how powerful his operatic voice sounded with some truly inspired riffage from TONY IOMMI that i hadnt witnessed since first hearing "INTO THE VOID" off of MASTER OF REALITY (VERTIGO, 1971). that said "NEON KNIGHTS" is one of my favorite BLACK SABBATH tracks from any album and any era of the band. also noteworthy are the tracks "CHILDREN OF THE SEA," "DIE YOUNG" and "HEAVEN AND HELL" which collectively showcase the vocal, lyrical and emotional range of DIO. its almost impossible to listen to HEAVEN AND HELL and not find yourself comparing DIO to OSBOURNE. i think where OSBOURNE channeled his everyman persona into direct hard-hitting lyrics and performances that spoke intensely to a working-class audience that viewed his vocal limitations as badges of AUTHENTICITY, in DIO you have the opposite. his operatic range allows him the opportunity to have equally outlandish and over-the-top lyrical flights of fancy, often describing dream realms and FANTASY-based morality tales. the fact that both approaches worked so well within the same band lineup just goes to prove the meddle of all musicians and singers involved during both eras. this was only further cemented decades later when the namesake band HEAVEN AND HELL reemerged later in DIO's final years. if you are unfamiliar with HEAVEN AND HELL, definitely check it out. its a gem of an album that many look past due to it not being an OSBOURNE record. they are missing out on something special. R.I.P. RONNIE JAMES DIO. 
photo & text by nacrowe
KISS is a bit of a joke.
or at least that is what i grew up hearing and reading from people around me and national music publications. they are unapologetically from the "more is more" school of entertainment and are universally derided for supposedly being all style and no substance. in fact they are regarded by many tastemakers as the epitome of INAUTHENTICITY. which is all pretty much missing the point because in essence all musicians are in the KISS business of entertaining audiences, whether they be BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, NEIL YOUNG, PATTI SMITH, DAVID BOWIE or BOB DYLAN. they all carry an image that is sold to the masses, some more consciously than others. when i consider the actual legacy of KISS, i think of what bands they influenced, which conveniently enough include members of DINOSAUR JR, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, TOOL, ANTHRAX, FAITH NO MORE (and even STEVIE WONDER) found on the KISS MY ASS: CLASSIC KISS REGROOVED (MERCURY, 1994) tribute compilation. other vocal KISS proponents not featured on this MERCURY RECORDS-initiated compilation famously include the likes of THE MELVINS, PANTERA, THE REPLACEMENTS, ALICE IN CHAINS, HUSKER DU, SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM and THE MINUTEMEN. my sense is that for kids in the 1970s, KISS represented an escapist fantasy where a fan could transcend their daily existence. this feels very much like the very credo of ROCK N ROLL itself. and it goes beyond that since the band was an economic entity unto itself, foreshadowing the DIY HARDCORE / INDIE ROCK ethic that followed in the 1980s. economic independence goes hand in hand with freedom of speech. it should come as no surprise then that these bands are are consciously challenging the political, economic, cultural and gender normative culture of what a ROCK N ROLL is and can be. critical respect is nice, but clearing the way for such a disparate set of quality bands is a legacy i'd argue better worth having. the KISS MY ASS tribute compilation is evidence of that. 
photo & text by nacrowe
during my 1990s childhood in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, there were two songs i remember hearing on the ALTERNATIVE ROCK station 106.7 KROQ and having absolutely no clue who sang them. in those days there was no SHAZAM app or internet and the only way to learn was if the DJ felt like mentioning it. the first song i learned years later was NIRVANA's haunting "SAPPY." the other was STONE TEMPLE PILOT's laid-back, harrowing cover of LED ZEPPELIN's "DANCING DAYS" on the ENCOMIUM: A TRIBUTE TO LED ZEPPELIN (ATLANTIC, 1995) tribute compilation.
that cover in particular is probably one of SCOTT WEILAND's great performances and showcases a charisma and preternatural ability to shine when the focus very much is on him and his voice. he comes off both assured and insular and transforms a celebratory anthem into something entirely different, something excruciatingly introspective. i should also mention that guitarist DEAN DELEO has some righteous slide work on the track which only heightens that haunting, reflective vibe. when revisiting this compilation recently, i was struck by the quality of other vocal performances by the likes of LINDA PERRY (4 NON BLONDES), SHANNON HOON (BLIND MELON) HENRY ROLLINS (ROLLINS BAND) and DAVID YOW (THE JESUS LIZARD here collaborating with HELMET), which all point to the dynamic and versatile quality of the songwriting and the poetic lyricism of JIMMY PAGE and ROBERT PLANT. just the fact that this material can be interpreted convincingly by such disparate artists is pretty remarkable. that is not to say that there arent some forgettable, less-than-stellar duds from the likes of HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH, SHERYL CROW, CRACKER and DURAN DURAN, remember this was put out by ATLANTIC RECORDS with largely its then-current roster of artists. maybe this was a calculated effort to draw attention to LED ZEPPELIN's back catalogue as PAGE & PLANT where reestablishing their recording and touring career at the time as a duo. could be that this compilation was a marketing ploy, but with the solid aforementioned contributions, i dont believe it was a fruitless exercise in the least. ENCOMIUM is definitely worth checking out if you are a LED ZEPPELIN aficionado or even a fan of SCOTT WEILAND or SHANNON HOON. definitely two captivating performances by the two at a point in their creative careers when they were firing on all cylinders. REST IN PEACE to both. 
photo & text by nacrowe
as a child HELP! (PARLOPHONE, 1965) was probably my favorite BEATLES album. it reminds my of my first visit to NEW YORK CITY as a child when during my kindergarten year my father and i flew out from CALIFORNIA to visit my grandmother in BROOKLYN. standout tracks like "TICKET TO RIDE," "IT'S ONLY LOVE," "YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY," "I NEED YOU," "THE NIGHT BEFORE" and of course "HELP!" all have soaring memorable vocal melodies that remind me of walks in CENTRAL PARK and the general sense of overwhelming wonder that came with being in the big city for the first time. it still sounds to me like a soundtrack to the idea of possibility.
historically HELP! marks the end of an early period of songwriting for the group focused on sappy, overly saccharine love ballads. this record would be followed up in quick succession by the lyrically and sonically more adventurous RUBBER SOUL (PARLOPHONE, 1965) that would essentially mark the beginning of their mature period. its understandable why JOHN LENNON and PAUL MCCARTNEY decided to expand their lyrical themes and take more compositional risks thereafter, as writing song after song about puppy love is rather restrictive. and in a sense that sense of restriction, both thematically and in terms of production, is part of the charm of that early run of records. in the modern era you have bands like THE BLACK KEYS, DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 or THE WHITE STRIPES that take delight in scaling back their instrumentation to two instruments in order to showcase their musical dexterity and supposed aesthetic sophistication. with THE BEATLES you have to realize that 1) their whole discography was over an 8 year period (which is insane!) and 2) that they took advantage of every technological innovation in music production which still pales in comparison to basic software today. like with most early BEATLES songs, there is a bit of MISOGYNY creeping throughout the lyrics, most notably "ANOTHER GIRL" and "YOU'RE GONNA LOSE THAT GIRL" which both have warned statements about the repercussions that come with not pleasing the narrator. it showcases a sense of uneven POWER DYNAMICS in which the narrator (assumed to be male) has other options available that may be exercised if the love interest doesnt get with the program. one of them even speaks about taking another's girl just to prove a point that he can, because the other doesn't treat her right. how romantic. its always interesting reading these early lyrics because this sense of assumed MACHISMO and outright MALE CHAUVINISM is abandoned after HELP! with few exceptions. HELP! is required listening, much like everything else in THE BEATLES catalogue. definitely worth investigation and a revisit for anyone interested in the BRITISH INVASION or just WESTERN MUSIC in general. oh yeah, and there is a film. its terrible. that you can avoid. 
photo & text by nacrowe
L.A. WOMAN (ELEKTRA, 1971) by THE DOORS is one of those quintessential albums that in essence culturally defines the complex seductive allure and devastating depravity that is the city of angels in the hearts and minds of many. the two standout tracks in that regard are the title track "L.A. WOMAN" and "RIDERS ON THE STORM."
the beauty of "L.A. WOMAN" is how JIM MORRISON personifies the city in that of a young female. there has always been this duality about living in LOS ANGELES whereby you are confronted with the end result of the hopes and dreams of people seeking to make it in the entertainment industry are met with the reality of failure. the optimism and delusional thinking of the daytime and the cruel, stark reality of lonely night-time reflection has been a trope utilized since noir films of the 1940s and 1950s to describe LOS ANGELES, and MORRISON does the same here in "L.A. WOMAN" when he asks "are you a lucky little lady in the city of light, Or just another lost angel, city of night." in MORRISON's hands, LOS ANGELES as a woman is fundamentally a false hope as her optimism and future hope leads to "motel money murder madness, Let's change the mood from glad to sadness." for me, that strange duality of hope and delusion, allure and depravity, camaraderie and jealousy is something that is intrinsically LOS ANGELES and very clearly showcased in this song specifically. "RIDERS ON THE STORM" and its existential tale of a murder in the desert find THE DOORS at their experimental peak in terms of sonic and lyrical exploration. slow and prodding, it feels like a lonely car ride through a desert with a sublime storm on the horizon making one reconsider their life's path with existential dread. is the storm coming to wash away the world or its sins. hard to tell. again for me this song is also very much about LOS ANGELES, especially the experience of driving through the desert towards neighboring NEVADA or ARIZONA where it feels like civilization has been pulled back leaving you with a raw, harsh, almost elemental landscape devoid of people or responsibility, bother personal and moral. driving there is almost like being in a state of moral flux, where the rules dont matter. its a great metaphor for the city itself, which seems to thrive on an OUROBOROS-like ability to auto-cannibalize on itself, eating its inhabitants, spitting them out on its streets as disfigured and degraded versions of themselves. only to be met with new faces on a daily basis. the family murder on the road in "RIDERS ON THE STORM" always felt to me evocative of the then-recent TATE-LABIANCA murders by CHARLES MANSON and his followers, turning the idea of spiritual connection, hope and shared familiar affection on its head. what was beautiful about AMERICAN optimism (perennially evoked in the cultural image of LOS ANGELES) was now baseless physical cruelty and moral degradation. its a great song. i have long been a fan of those two songs, which make L.A. WOMAN well worth revisiting and checking out again. 
photo & text by nacrowe
i dont even know where to start with TROUT MASK REPLICA (STRAIGHT, 1969) by CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND. in an era, the 1960s, that was known for expanding the lyrical and sonic possibilities of ROCK N ROLL, this record stands alone for its experimental embrace of idiosyncratic sonic textures and rhythms, not to mention a complete discarding of traditional arrangements and recognizable song structures.
i put this record up against LOU REED's METAL MACHINE MUSIC (RCA, 1975) as records that are more about the process than the end result. whereas METAL MACHINE MUSIC is an exercise in dissonance, discordance and complete sonic disarray in the vein of STRAVINSKY or PENDERECKI, TROUT MASK REPLICA is steeped in the BLUES, yet utterly warped. this was done partly by BEEFHEART having his musicians record on multiple instruments they were not familiar with. it is a record composed by BLUES musicians intimately familiar with the form, yet not "biased" by the traditions and techniques of their instrument. the fact that the record even comes off coherent is really a testament to their musicality, despite its seeming naïveté. i almost feel that the nearest analogue to TROUT MASK REPLICA is not even music, but OUTSIDER ART. people like HENRI JULIEN FELIX ROUSSEAU or HENRY DARGER who impulsively manipulated their canvases based on pure instinct, without resorting to the techniques and artificial prejudices of the public or educators. despite their naïveté, what shines through is a purity of intent. everytime i hear TROUT MASK REPLICA i am challenged to rethink the purpose of basic melodic elements and how limited our collective musical imaginations really are by what we listen to in the WESTERN TRADITION. for me this record is a line in the sand to expand my musical horizons and challenge myself to experience alternate forms from other cultures, traditions and musical communities. if this dude was able to subvert BLUES in such a profound manner, there must be a world of truly alternative soundscapes out there just waiting to be discovered and cherished. 
photo & text by nacrowe
i cant help but smile every time i hear a song off the JAILBREAK (MERCURY, 1976) album by THIN LIZZY on the radio.
to me that record is the very definition of bravado in rock music. this is no doubt largely due to the contributions of singer/basist/songwriter PHIL LYNOTT, who is a absolute legend and arguably the great IRISH frontman of all-time (sorry BONO). i carry an IRISH last name and he is the sort of dude (like SHANE MCGOWAN, OSCAR WILDE or JOHNNY MARR) that makes me proud of my ancestral heritage. which is funny because LYNOTT has little in the way of vocal range, but makes up for such immeasurably with an everyman, working-class swagger and attitude that makes you root for him implicitly, especially in celebrated songs like "WARRIORS," "THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN" and "JAILBREAK". that sense of audience connection is really what THIN LIZZY is about at their core. thats not to say that their sound wasnt influential. the synchronized dual lead guitar work of BRIAN ROBERTSON and SCOTT GORMAN, especially on the epic "EMERALD" provided the template that was later adopted by NWOBHM bands like JUDAS PRIEST and later THRASH METAL bands like SLAYER, METALLICA and MEGADETH and their acolytes in MASTODON, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and beyond. the synchronized dual lead sound THIN LIZZY popularized is such a potent, powerful sound. to my ears it seems very reminiscent of CELTIC FOLK MUSIC, which often relies on the interplay of stringed instruments coming in and out of synchronicity, creating a complex, overpowering sonic texture to sing over. it also creates a sense of immediacy and emotional power, which makes sense given the IRISH lyrical traditions of celebration and mourning the best and worst life has to offer. again, its a sound that is very IRISH at its core. a seminal record by a historically criminally underrated band from the 1970s. well worth revisiting and checking out again. 
photo & text by nacrowe
i'm just going to come out and say it, this book plays out a bit like a hagiography. NO HERE GETS OUT ALIVE (PLEXUS, 1980) by JERRY HOPKINS (and 10 years later amended by DANIEL SUGARMAN) is the first published biography on JIM MORRISON, the legendary front-man of LOS ANGELES rock icons THE DOORS. this book was based in part on interviews HOPKINS had done with with MORRISON a decade early just prior to the singer's death.
in a way it is to be expected. MORRISON was a shaman-like, slithering poet of a front-man who exemplified all the FREEDOM and excess of the 1960s DRUG CULTURE and the fervent ANTI-MILITARISM of the VIETNAM WAR protests. i suspect to baby boomers at the dawn of the 1980s he was still a beacon of hope for things to come (too bad TRUMP is part of that legacy now, ouch). what i took from this book at the time i read it, which was way back in high school, was the moment they inhabited. MORRISON was part of a generation that was challenging notions of RACE, MARRIAGE, WAR and PEACE, SEX and were most definitely in the midst of an INTER-GENERATIONAL divide. drugs and birth-control allowed people to expand their consciousness as well as divorce SEX from its procreative responsibilities in a pre-AIDS landscape. the book goes into great detail about the music scene in LOS ANGELES at the time including most predominantly ARTHUR LEE and his band LOVE, who were the house band at the WHISKY A GO GO when THE DOORS started out. ironically in a book about THE DOORS, it is his descriptions of LEE that really resonated with me since it expanded on that brief cultural moment when racial and artistic lines seemed to blur however temporarily in the arts scene, which mirrored the concurrent CIVIL RIGHTS and ANTI-WAR MOVEMENTS of the period. the other big takeaway is how these same indulgences are what did MORRISON in eventually, famously passing away in PARIS in requisite mysterious fashion. his death and mystique didn't interest me, but his downfall did. the manner in which he sequestered himself from the band and those who cared about his well being ultimately getting pushed away as drugs and hangers-on took over. if anything this is a big ROCK N ROLL cliche. a cliche that influenced countless musicians since including IGGY POP, JANE'S ADDICTION and (i'd argue) the entire PUNK movement. read this book with a grain of salt. if anything pay attention to its descriptions of the cultural and political moment THE DOORS inhabited. i am almost certain that their greatness lies in their innate ability to absorb and reflect the light from a burning nation bent on consuming itself ouroboros-style. i wish we had someone today who could artistically relay that today's fractured state of affairs accurately and authentically in real time. where is this generation's JIM MORRISON? 
parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 10PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the legendary MUSCLE SHOALS session musicians out of rural ALABAMA.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the work of legendary songwriter and NEW YORK CITY cultural icon LOU REED.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
DOUBLE FANTASY (GEFFEN, 1980) by JOHN LENNON and YOKO ONO is probably the most depressing album ever made. and that is not to say the songs are bleak or somber in tone, in fact it is the opposite. songs such as "BEAUTIFUL BOY," "WATCHING THE WHEELS" and "(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER" find LENNON in a state of DOMESTIC BLISS, after surviving his years-long lost weekend away from ONO, and unbridled optimism about his new son SEAN. this record is so PAINFUL and HEATBREAKING to listen to because of its BUOYANT outlook and CHEERFUL, UPBEAT tone.
this is one of those records that is nearly impossible to listen to and divorce it from the fact that LENNON was senselessly murdered by a fan shortly after its release. similar albums in this regard that come to mind are JOY DIVISION's CLOSER (FACTORY, 1980) and NIRVANA's NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991). but those two are not comforting records celebrating FATHERHOOD and the benefits of COMPANIONSHIP. knowing about LENNON's own biography and the role his mother JULIA played into his fear of ABANDONMENT (she deserted him as a child), the very idea of him finding a sense of IDENTITY and SALVATION through LOVE at the moment his life was snuffed out from under him is too much to bear. even now more than 40 years later. at the risk of sounding entitled i'll say emphatically that we were all robbed. i literally cannot listen to this record without getting emotional. LENNON most definitely had one of the most affective singing voices ever which is severely underrated during and after his time. the former BEATLE had a unique instrument in that regard that allowed him to come off EARNEST and TUNEFUL without coming off as overly CONTRIVED or PROFESSIONAL. it worked in his favor throughout his career and gave his material the illusion of being effortless and of the people. it gave his songs an EVERYMAN quality. to this day when i hear PUNK ROCK, i hear LENNON. since childhood every time i hear this album it makes me think of my father, much like hearing "BABY LOVE" by THE SUPREMES reminds me of my mother. its just such an astounding affecting achievement and too tragic for words. a seminal recording by an iconic generational talent that should be heard and appreciated by everyone. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO dedicated to the singer-songwiter HARRY NILSSON.
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
i have early memories of U2's ACHTUNG BABY (ISLAND, 1991). specifically seeing the evocatively colorful and downright sensuous STEPHANE SEDNAOUI-directed "MYSTERIOUS WAYS" video on small tv in the guest room of my family's house in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. i must have been 7 years old.
there was a definite energy happening with that record. to date its easily my favorite U2 record with standout tracks like "EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING," "LOVE IS BLINDNESS," "ZOO STATION," "ACROBAT," "UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD," and the aforementioned "MYSTERIOUS WAYS." even today, this record still moves me. also, how do you not love a record whose titled references a scene from the cult comedy THE PRODUCERS (EMBASSY, 1967). forget and put aside any ill will you may harbor towards BONO and his pretentious JESUS complex for a moment, realize the dude named a record after reference to a MEL BROOKS film. that is the very definition of awesome. any fan of the group will know that this record marked an important transition for the band where they in essence gutted and discarded the sound they had mined on previous releases throughout the 1980s. essentially guitarist THE EDGE was known for a jangly, delayed sound that made previous albums like WAR (ISLAND, 1983) and THE JOSHUA TREE (ISLAND, 1987) such seminal recordings. that ended with this record. sonically he explored digital / inorganic soundscapes with the help of returning producers DANIEL LANOIS, STEVE LILLYWHITE and BRIAN ENO that made use of everything from phasers and wah pedals to god knows what else behind the scenes. the results were startling and expansive, yet still sounded like THE EDGE through his unique melodic sensibilities that shone through new layered textures. besides the sonic experimentalism at the core of the record, the lyrics and persona of BONO went through a huge transformation. in essence he discovered irony. yes there are earnest tracks that call back earlier materials such as "ONE" and "WHO'S GONNA RIDE YOUR WILD HORSES," but those are an exception to other more forward-looking tracks like "EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING" which seem to thrive on playing with the concept of authenticity in a world dominated by MASS MEDIA , specifically the newly emerging power of CABLE TELEVISION. its a heady concept that makes me think of other conceptual art pieces by the likes of DAVID BYRNE and TALKING HEADS. another song i really adore is "UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD" which on first glance seems to be a classic love song where the protagonist is self-loathing and conscious of being unworthy of reciprocated love, but what you realize is that the subject of the story is in fact JUDAS ISCARIOT and his betrayal of CHRIST in the GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. i know BONO is CATHOLIC and all, but this interplay of romantic and spiritual love through betrayal is very clever. maybe even literary. at the very least it is not standard rock fare by any means. my favorite songs on the record are "LOVE IS BLINDNESS" and "ACROBAT" which i believe were entirely written by THE EDGE about his then divorce. those two tracks are so completely and utterly raw and nakedly vulnerable. really quite the achievement. it seems en vogue to hate U2, but i always go back to those two songs which i would put up against anything by any artist during any period in ROCK N ROLL history. i do believe they are that great. i should also mention that during my elementary school days participating in local SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA sports events, one of the songs in the car on constant rotation was "ZOO STATION." for me that song is divorced from its BERLIN metro station origins (which i did get to visit!) and to me represents summer track meets and soccer tournaments as a youth. so i have deep sentimental attachments to this record. just want to put that out there. so much more i could go into in terms of production (recorded at the legendary HANSA STUDIO) and history (recorded near the recently opened BERLIN WALL), but suffice to say this is a great album by a great band at an important inflection point during their career when they really outdid themselves. arguably that hasnt happened since, but man what a great album. definitely worth looking into and investigating further. higly recommended. 
photo & text by nacrowe
it is hard to downplay the cultural and historical importance of the massively influential debut BLACK SABBATH album BLACK SABBATH (WARNER BROS, 1970). it basically created METAL as a genre. in fact, BLACK SABBATH is such an important band that there are whole current sub-genres that trace their origins back to specific songs from various albums.
of course this is all in hindsight, at the time of its release this record was not a critical favorite and the band were never considered to be at the vanguard of ROCK N ROLL or anything particularly unique or special. that fascinates me. this is the type of stuff i find intriguing about art in general, how each generation rediscovers and cherry picks from the past. how the inscrutable 16th century DUTCH painter HEIRONYMOUS BOSCH was a favorite of the SURREALISTS some 400 years later. how KRAFTWERK and KRAUTROCK in general influenced early HIP HOP acts like AFRIKA BAMBAATAA. why is BLACK SABBATH arguably as celebrated as LED ZEPPELIN with modern METAL musicians? its beyond interesting. putting that aside, what always struck me about their debut was how much a JAZZ element there was to it. if you listen to the interplay of the drums and bass on songs like "N.I.B." and "THE WIZARD" there is a definite swing element at play. in fact, it really grooves. i think that aspect of their sound is criminally overlooked. on subsequent releases they streamlined this sound which eventually became further developed with subsequent bands like JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, SLAYER into various beloved subgenres ranging from the extreme in GRINDCORE, BLACK METAL and DEATH METAL to the streamlined in THRASH METAL and the experimental in SLUDGE METAL, POST METAL and even DOOM METAL. obviously the most celebrated track is the opener "BLACK SABBATH" with its iconic tritone riff and creepy atmospherics. when i envision it the adjective cinematic comes to mind. it just sets a mood long before singer OZZY OSBOURNE enters in. obviously OZZY is one of the great frontman in ROCK N ROLL history, but id argue not from his voice which is evocative but rather limited. i dont think he'd disagree with me on that. where his gift lies is in his commitment to the material and his presence as a relatable avatar for the every-man. i find OZZY immensely more relatable than contemporaries of the 1970s like ROBERT PLANT, ROGER DALTREY or even members of the then-recently disbanded BEATLES. no disrespect to any of them but they cover an altitude beyond us mere mortals. to my ears, OZZY comes off as something attainable. i think this is why he is beloved by every ROCK N ROLL iteration since, including PUNK ROCK and all its incarnations like 1980s HARDCORE and 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK. i also think lyrically OZZY is never given enough credit for the intelligence of his lyrics. in my mind the song "BLACK SABBATH" can be a substitute for your pick of any existential crisis, global or personal. i should also mention that the riffs of guitarist TONY IOMMI are legendary and the aforementioned TRITONE PATTERNS (specifically diminished 5ths) as well as detuned guitars (to accommodate his recently disfigured right fretting hand) and ample distortion is in effect the very template for the sound of METAL for the past 50 years. its hard to downplay his impact on this and subsequent records. his riffs alone are copied by modern guitarist to this day. IOMMI basically is METAL. i was lucky in that as a teenager i got to see a reunited BLACK SABBATH at OZZFEST numerous times and hearing specific tracks like "BLACK SABBATH" and "N.I.B." in a love context always sounded haunting and absolutely massive. even in their waning years they were a force to reckon with even after supporting acts like SLAYER, PANTERA, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, JUDAS PRIEST, SLIPKNOT or ROB ZOMBIE. never did they disappoint. again, its hard to downplay the importance of this record. as i stated before, it is also one of those records that gets rediscovered year after year by young musicians, much like THE STOOGES or THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, and continues to influence and shape modern culture. seminal record by a seminal band. definitely worth your time to investigate. 
photo manipulation by nacrowe
due to their complex songs written in odd time signatures with with lyrics that had literary ambition, RUSH has had a cult following since the 1970s and are very much an acquired taste. some people can't get past GEDDY LEE's vocals, others find them pretentious.
in their documentary RUSH: BEHIND THE LIGHTED STAGE (BANGER FILMS, 2010) directors (and fellow CANADIANS) SCOTT MCFADYEN and SAM DUNN lovingly showcase the trajectory of their career both from the perspective of the band and their dedicated fans, which include prominent musicians like TRENT REZNOR (NINE INCH NAILS), TAYLOR HAWKINS (FOO FIGHTERS), VINNIE PAUL (PANTERA), LES CLAYPOOL (PRIMUS), DANNY CAREY (TOOL), ZAKK WYLDE (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY), SEBASTIAN BACH (SKID ROW), MIKE PORTNOY (DREAM THEATER), KIRK HAMMETT (METALLICA), TIM COMMERFORD (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), JASON MCGERR (DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE), JIMMY CHAMBERLAIN and BILLY CORGAN (SMASHING PUMPKINS) as well as contemporaries like GENE SIMMONS (KISS) and MICK BOX (URIAH HEEP) and entertainment industry heavyweights like JACK BLACK (TENACIOUS D), MATT STONE (SOUTH PARK) and CLIFF BURSTEIN (Q PRIME MANAGEMENT). for some it was their technical wizardry on their instruments that drew them in while for others it was their expansive palette of sounds which mirrored thematic depths of their lyrics that inspired such devotion. what comes across is their genuine affinity for the honest, authentic nature of these three unassuming, well-adjusted CANADIANS. in GEDDY LEE and ALEX LIFESON you have two second generation immigrant kids that found each other in middle school in the suburbs outside TORONTO. LEE was the son of HOLOCAUST survivors of POLISH descent while LIFESON the son of a YUGOSLAVIAN (SERBIAN) family the immigrated shortly after WWII. in both you had families that instilled hard work and kindness, which in other words meant they had a typical CANADIAN upbringing. i feel like this was a key to their success since, ironically, it freed them from worrying about success. they had a balanced sense of identity rooted from an early age that made them take the successes and failures of their unusual career in stride with a sense of humor, but also intense focus on the craft itself. a very strong puritan ethic seems to mark them. there is a definite sub-narrative throughout the film that gets into the idea of RUSH as a cultural phenomena and the idea of not being "cool" and being an "outcast" that arguably defines the fan experience. most of the famous musicians (interestingly the majority of them being notable bassists and drummers) seem to have a confrontational approach to this subject as they dismissed that and liked them because they liked them. REZNOR in particular expands on his appreciation for the choices made by the band in terms of their inclusion of technology and sense of arrangement to incorporate an expansive set of instruments (including the keyboards, synthesizers, etc). the one voice i could have left without hearing predictably was CORGAN who seemed to whine about how RUSH wasn't properly appreciated by the music critics. at times it seems like he was projecting himself and the legacy of his own band onto RUSH in a visceral way which was annoying and completely self-serving. you really get the sense that RUSH don't care about people in opposition or indifferent to the group. their concern is their own sense of creative evolution and those that appreciate it. CORGAN's whining just seemed completely counterproductive and i resent him for it. that aside one of the things i most appreciated about the band was their sense of mutual respect and genuine love for one another. this was seen when the uncomfortable talk about when drummer NEIL PEART's wife and daughter passed away separately and in quick succession. the band gave him his space and were willing to hang it up. this dedication continues now after his passing from cancer. RUSH is GEDDY LEE, ALEX LIFESON and NEIL PEART. period. quickly about PEART, they go into his awkwardness growing up and discovery of drums as a means of self-expression but for me the most interesting thing about his career was how in his later years he took drum lessons from jazz icon FREDDIE GRUBER and effectively altered his playing style. that amazes me his devotion to evolving and learning new aspects to his instrument that continued until his passing. even when he was celebrated as one of the greatest living drummers, he retaught himself from the ground up. just so inspiring. if you don't like RUSH, i get it. but even so this film may be worth your time, even if it is a love letter to the greatest CANADIAN band by a CANADIAN production company which received grants from the CANADIAN government to make this production happen. i recognize all that and still recommend it. RECORD REVIEW | "THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS" BY DAVID BOWIE4/1/2021 
photo & text by nacrowe
i remember my senior year of high school, a few months after relocating to SACRAMENTO from KUWAIT in the aftermath of 9/11, visiting a childhood friend in ORANGE COUNTY over winter break. i always find it interesting how music has a way of presenting itself to you at a point when you are ready to receive it. this friend had lots of opinions on music, some i agree with and many i dont, but i remember being in a car with him for that few days with a copy of DAVID BOWIE's THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS (RCA, 1972) on repeat. by the end of that trip i was a BOWIE fan by osmosis and basically sought out the rest of his discography.
i think what captured my imagination at first were the lyrics and how they utilized this premise of an otherworldly being as a rock star to showcase real emotions regarding isolation and being an other. im thinking of songs like "FIVE YEARS," "MOONAGE DAYDREAM," "IT AIN'T EASY," "STARMAN," and "ZIGGY STARDUST" specifically. you can read into that depiction a pretty powerful character study of what it must have been like to be a BOWIE or any cultural phenomenon dealing with issues regarding fame and mass adulation. on one had you are raised up and admired but that distance is cutting into your very sense of identity and personal self-worth. "ROCK N ROLL SUICIDE" and "HANG ON TO YOURSELF" really dig into that territory lyrically. i remember during my time working abroad i was constantly aware of my own exoticness and being an other, especially when living in MYANMAR, JAPAN and ALBANIA. you had to be aware that people noticed you and that it was nearly impossible to blend in and be anonymous. i think that is probably why i gravitated to this BOWIE album in particular when living and working overseas. i should also mention that guitarist MICK RONSON is a beast and the feedback-drenched saturated soundscapes he came up with for this record make it sonically transcend the FOLK MUSIC and acoustic foundations that obviously underpin it. this record was a gateway drug to another of my favorite artists, T. REX, and the whole back-to-basics, less-is-more mentality of 1970s GLAM ROCK in general. BOWIE obviously had a varied career with lots of creative peaks, this just being one of them, but the world opened herein made me receptive to new sounds and ideas which to me mark any work of significance. it literally expanded my appreciation for what could be accomplished within the construct of ROCK N ROLL. it made me a more receptive listener. 
|
May 2022
All
|
