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photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
summing up the cultural legacy of seminal 20th century experimental ROCK AND ROLL musician and composer FRANK ZAPPA neatly is such a difficult task, but accomplished BRITISH director ALEX WINTER (yes, of BILL & TED fame) does an admirable job in this recent estate-authorized documentary ZAPPA (MAGNOLIA FILMS, 2020). as such, this is the first film given access to the extensive ZAPPA archives and it shows since there is much intimate footage of the composer, THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION and all iterations of his band over the years, not to mention family footage of his four children growing up.
im convinced this is one of the better music documentaries i have seen in recent years, partly because of the respect WINTER pays towards his subject. this is not a hagiography by any means and ZAPPA is shown warts and all. we see him as a man possessed by a ferocious drive and manic creativity that is a result of his being a "slave to his inner ear." we also see him as a womanizer and someone that put career in front of family for much of his professional life. in fact, his hit only hit song "VALLEY GIRL" was created as an excuse by his daughter MOON UNIT to spend time with him. again, WINTER does not shy away from his shortcomings that made him a complicated figure. an aspect concerning ZAPPA that i was unaware of was the extent to which he was independent after his time at WARNER BROS, establishing ZAPPA RECORDS and later BARKING PUMPKIN RECORDS to put out his own records as well as those of supposedly commercially unviable acts like ALICE COOPER and THE GTO'S. this commonplace now for major artists, but back in 1981 not so much. seems ZAPPA was trailblazer from a business perspective as well. one thing that comes across in spades is ZAPPA's love of MUSIC and MUSICIANS. this can be seen not only in his numerous collaborations with talented musicians, but also with regard to his sticking his neck out at congressional hearings related to the PARENTS MUSIC RESOURCE CENTER and their efforts to censor music. ZAPPA and his music was not a target, but his stature and credibility provided the opposition to this wave of potential overreach with a fitting white knight and spokesperson. i dont recall seeing BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, BOB DYLAN or TOM PETTY up their selflessly fighting the good fight. kinda sad that none of them did. with all the bullshit going on currently in FLORIDA with banned books and whatnot, it feels very much like we are coming full circle on this matter. also im glad that a significant portion of this film was dedicated to the orchestral compositions written by ZAPPA throughout his life. it is a lesser known and criminally under-appreciated aspect of his immense oeuvre by the general public. especially at the end of his life when he was dealing with terminal PROSTATE CANCER, it was rehearsing and conducting these orchestral compositions that gave him great pleasure. so im glad that such was not overshadowed by his celebrated ROCK AND ROLL career. when i think of ZAPPA i am presented with a towering cultural figure who more than anyone else i am aware of, never compromised his vision. he is the very embodiment of creative freedom. who knew the CZECH people agreed in that estimation. his music has not aged a bit and has influenced countless musicians that seek to challenge and push the medium forward. i hear his influence in everyone from ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, THE RESIDENTS, PRIMUS and SYSTEM OF A DOWN to THE FLAMING LIPS, THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS, KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD and TALKING HEADS. ZAPPA is an incredible achievement and is most definitely worth checking out.
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parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating legendary songwriter JOHN FOGERTY!
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
its been almost ten years ago now i was with my godmother, who is a music supervisor by profession, at an NPR radio program being recorded in some long hallway at LINCOLN CENTER watching the surviving members of MUSCLE SHOALS being interviewed as part of a promotional effort for an upcoming documentary. famously the house band / studio musicians at MUSCLE SHOALS known as THE SWAMPERS played on legendary tracks by ARETHA FRANKLIN, WILSON PICKETT, ETTA JAMES, PERCY SLEDGE and even THE ROLLING STONES. now MICK JAGGER, KEITH RICHARDS and company namely recorded three tracks off of STICKY FINGERS (ROLLING STONES, 1971) at MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND STUDIO in ALABAMA with THE SWAMPERS including perennial crowd pleasers "BROWN SUGAR" and "WILD HORSES." during this NPR interview one of the participants was asked about which ROLLING STONES songs he was a part of and could only remember "BROWN SUGAR" and "YOU GOTTA MOVE." my godmother turned to me and asked me which one he forgot, to which i muttered sheepishly "i think 'WILD HORSES' is the other song." without hesitation she blurted out "WILD HORSES" in from our position in the back of the audience, heads turned around and then back to the dude on stage who nodded and said something to effect of, "yeah, 'WILD HORSES,' thats right." my godmother then told me that she knew there was a reason she asked me to join her. at that moment i was stunned and petrified.
STICKY FINGERS is a legendary ROLLING STONES album that was part of a string of massively influential generation-defining albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s that also includes the likes of BEGGARS BANQUET (DECCA, 1968), LET IT BLEED (DECCA, 1969) and EXILE ON MAIN ST (ROLLING STONES, 1972). the band, being part of the BRITISH INVASION cohort of ENGLISH musicians (including but not limited to THE BEATLES, THE KINKS, THE WHO, THE YARDBIRDS, THE ANIMALS and so on), were all obsessed with the AMERICAN BLUES traditions of the deep south. recording at MUSCLE SHOALS during a break on tour provided such an opportunity at a facility and team known for churning out the best BLUES and SOUL MUSIC of the era. this record is also notable as it marks the introduction of MICK TAYLOR on a ROLLING STONES studio recording and the first since the death of founding member BRIAN JONES. "BROWN SUGAR" is one of those CELEBRATED yet MISUNDERSTOOD songs. it very much should be regarded as more PROBLEMATIC and CONTROVERSIAL than it currently is. originally entitled "BLACK PUSSY," its lyrics pretty explicitly talk about the middle passage from AFRICA of a women that was sold into slavery and then raped by her white master. i mean end stop right there. but somehow given the mood and feel of the song, many listeners dont consider the lyrics other than it being vaguely about female black sexuality, which is still PROBLEMATIC. call me crazy, but i always assumed the song may have been about heroin, as there is a later long storied tradition of BRITISH songs that may possibly be about love or heroin, such as THE BEATLES' "EVERYONE'S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT ME AND MY MONKEY," BLUR's "BEETLEBUM," SUEDE's "SO YOUNG" and THE STRANGLERS' "GOLDEN BROWN" among many others. despite its immense popularity the song has been retired in recent years due to JAGGER's unease with its subject matter as society has evolved over the past half decade. "WILD HORSES" is similarly considered another classic first-tier ROLLING STONES song on par with "SATISFACTION," "GIMME SHELTER," "TUMBLING DICE" "RUBY TUESDAY" or "PAINT IT BLACK." its a PLAINTIVE ballad originally written by RICHARDS that was born out of his TREPIDATION for going out on the road after his son was born. there is some speculation that JAGGER channeled his relationship with MARIANNE FAITHFUL into the track, but at its core the song seems to speak to the sorry inevitability of the longing and HEARTACHE that comes with physical distance. its not a road song but it kind of is. i remember reading that this song had a big impact on the next generation of songwriters, especially with poetic upstarts like PATTI SMITH. the ROLLING STONES did ballads from time to time but this one still stands out amongst their catalogue and is a crowd favorite. my personal favorite song on the record is "BITCH." like all the best ROLLING STONES songs, its just all GROOVE with just a hint of MENACE. my understanding is that the song is all about JAGGER's LIBIDO. the idea that love is a bit of an unnecessary trouble when he is interested in is getting down. you cant say that the dude is not HONEST, i mean that is what JAGGER is known for. and god bless him for that! so yeah, dont let me be the first one to encourage you to check out STICKY FINGERS. like the other much-heralded ROLLING STONES records from this period, STICKY FINGERS is pretty much an institution unto itself. it is most definitely worth checking out. 
photo & text by nacrowe
lets get something straight: there are no bad BEATLES albums.
that said, the longtime critical knock against MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (PARLOPHONE, 1967) has been its supposed stylistic and conceptual in-cohesiveness. such criticism is hard to dismiss outright, especially given that its predecessor, SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (PARLOPHONE, 1967), besides being a cultural milestone and landmark album, is arguably on the short list of greatest concept albums of all-time. if not the greatest. so there is that. i look at it from a different tack. where critics see in-cohesiveness i see eclecticism. THE BEATLES were constantly attempting to push the boundaries of their work in terms of PRODUCTION, SONG CONSTRUCTION and PRESENTATION. each time they made an artistic breakthrough, such on celebrated releases like RUBBER SOUL (PARLOPHONE, 1965), REVOLVER (PARLOPHONE, 1966) and the aforementioned SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND, the subsequent release was an earnest attempt to break out of expectations both in terms of the public and within themselves. so even SGT. PEPPER'S as an CULTURAL ARTIFACT became a gilded cage of a sort for THE BEATLES. that is why i totally love the fact that they embraced nonsense on MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR. yes there are poignant INTROSPECTIVE songs with an observational bent like the PAUL MCCARTNEY-penned "PENNY LANE" and "THE FOOL ON THE HILL" tracks, but far and away the most enjoyable are more LEWIS CARROLL-adjacent psychedelic songs like "HELLO GOODBYE," "STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER" (which was a double A-side non-album single with "PENNY LANE" originally but has been included on subsequent rereleases), "BLUE JAY WAY," "MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR" and of course most famously "I AM THE WALRUS." the album is a soundtrack to a television film the band directed about a bus of BRITISH tourists being taken on a tour (presumably in ENGLAND near LIVERPOOL) with fantastical happenings taking place along the way. its a ludicrous premise devised by MCCARTNEY with KENEY KESEY's MERRY PRANKSTERS exploits almost certainly front of mind, but what said premise did was free up the band to essentially create nearly anything on such a broad canvas without worry of it being THE BEATLES. its almost an anti-concept concept album in a sense. further releases, most famously THE BEATLES [WHITE ALBUM] (PARLOPHONE, 1968) had a subtext regarding the fragmentation and ultimately the dissolution of the band. MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR represents the last team effort of sorts, maybe due to the fact of the recent passing of their beloved manager BRIAN EPSTEIN (but who really knows?). the FREE-ASSOCIATION, CODED NONSENSICALITY of the lyrics may be in part a result of the bands collective embrace of TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION and its focus on settling the mind into a state of restful alertness. its a technique since made famous by famous adopters like DAVID LYNCH, MIA FARROW and even HOWARD STERN who swear by its creative benefits in allowing outside and internal noise to dissipate and allow uninhibited expression to prevail. again, i cant imagine the constraints and pressures of being a member of THE BEATLES, notwithstanding a creative unit that had since lost their leader and primary support system in EPSTEIN. MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR is one of my favorite BEATLES albums, in part because of its IDIOSYNCRASIES and just plain WEIRDNESS. dont ask me what its about, i couldnt tell you. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
years ago when i was an secondary english teacher as a matter of necessity (i was tasked with creating an elective) i started teaching PHOTOGRAPHY. the class very much dovetailed with the online school newspaper i also helped initiate. there was some instruction regarding composition and light but the thing i always attempted to instill was the idea of capturing a MOMENT. french photographer HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON even had a term for it, THE DECISIVE MOMENT.
in the recent documentary SHOW ME THE PICTURE: THE STORY OF JIM MARSHALL (SAMPSONIC MEDIA, 2019) you are presented with an all too human figure in legendary PHOTOGRAPHER JIM MARSHALL who despite his serious shortcomings created an almost MYTHICAL body of work in how well he captured intimate moments with CULTURAL ICONS as they were in the ALCHEMICAL process of SPIRITUAL TRANSCENDENCE and ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT. being bombarded with his generation-defining photographs of the likes of MILES DAVIS, JANIS JOPLIN, BOB DYLAN, JIMI HENDRIX, JOHN COLTRANE, MUDDY WATERS, THE WHO, CHUCK BERRY, JOHNNY CASH, SANTANA, LED ZEPPELIN, B.B. KING, CREAM, THELONIOUS MONK, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, THE ROLLING STONES, JOHN LEE HOOKER, THE BEATLES, DUKE ELLINGTON, JOHN MAYALL, ARETHA FRANKLIN, THE GRATEFUL DEAD, DUANE ALLMAN as well as regular people during moments of POLITICAL STRIFE and PERSONAL COURAGE during the midst of the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, it becomes apparent of his preternatural gift to anticipate the moment and capture it at its peak EMOTIONAL POTENCY. my breath was taken away because i have had t-shirts and posters of several of what i learned were his PHOTOGRAPHS. they are iconic 20TH CENTURY CULTURAL MOMENTS, no way around it. and what makes this documentary so interesting is that for a man with such SENSITIVITY and INTIMATE capacity to capture such images, there was an alternate figure that inhabited the same body that harnessed a mountain of SELF-LOATHING, manic drug consumption and glowing adoration of the PHYSICAL INTERPERSONAL INTIMIDATION that came with gun-wielding. its very much a JEYKLL and HYDE dynamic at play which allowed him unlimited access and deep TRUST on the part of his subjects and the manufactured fear and loathing of those who tried to get close to him. growing up in a single-parent immigrant household with just memories of a brutally ABUSIVE father, it make sense that he had issues with INTIMACY outside of what he found in his viewfinder. but we are all the more enriched that his work exists and its interesting to consider how the medium itself has transitioned in recent years with the advent of SOCIAL MEDIA and the the proliferation of amateur photographers utilizing the camera phone in their pocket. we are inundated and bombarded on a minute-by-minute basis with an unrelenting cacophony of poor PHOTOGRAPHY. much like music, PHOTOGRAPHY itself has been DEVALUED since the advent and CULTURAL UBIQUITY of the IPHONE over the past two decades. id argue such a state of affairs makes his work stand out that much more. its interesting to consider that he left the field in the late 1970s once his access became limited by the CORPORATIZATION OF LIVE PERFORMANCES. in true capitalistic form, even someone as brilliant as MARSHALL was DISPOSABLE and seemingly REPLACEABLE by know-nothing bean counters and invested parties who wanted to control all assets of wealth-generation, including event PHOTOGRAPHS. so MARSHALL marks the end of an era of sorts. its hard to believe that his kind will appear again, just given the state of the music business and the pervasiveness of SOCIAL MEDIA. again, we are all enriched by his work and hopefully this documentary will shed some light on what to the public is an often invisible occupation. this documentary is a revelation. SHOW ME THE PICTURE is definitely worth checking out. 
photo & text by nacrowe
i remember my cousin once explaining to me how KISS was beyond unbelievably lame because they apparently represented everything base, market-driven and inauthentic about music. of course i disagreed and my counterargument went straight to LOVE GUN (CASABLANCA, 1977). i asked him if he thought PAUL STANLEY was being phony when he sang about his penis on the title track "LOVE GUN." thats right, dude was indisputably genuine when he sang about how his special lady "pull[ed] the trigger of my love gun."
enlightened? not so much. authentic. absolutely. and that pretty much sums up the ethos of KISS in general. not the most talented or artistic, but you cant knock them on effort or intent. they are as DIY as it gets and have long been a working man's band, despite their flaunting of wealth, sex and various (non-drug related) indulgences. i always think of their creative output as the embodiment of the old-school laborer mantra that success is about "99% perspiration and 1% inspiration." "PLASTER CASTER" is a celebration of the noted (now late) visual artist CYNTHIA PLSTER CASTER who famously took casts of erect rock star phalluses by the likes of JIMI HENDRIX, ERIC BURDON (THE ANIMALS), WAYNE KRAMER (MC5), CHRIS CONNELLY (MINISTRY), JELLO BIAFRA (DEAD KENNEDYS), RICHARD LLOYD (TELEVISION) and DAVID YOW (THE JESUS LIZARD) among many others. interestingly in recent years she has done a similar thing with female rock star breasts which include SUZI GARDNER (L7), PEACHES and KAREN O (THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS) among others. honestly "CHRISTINE SIXTEEN" is extremely problematic but is indicative of where cultural mores where in the ROCK AND ROLL community in the 1970s. its all out there, just do any cursory internet search on the alleged dalliances of DAVID BOWIE, STEVEN TYLER, BILL WYMAN, IGGY POP, TED NUGENT and MICK JAGGER with underage groupies back then. its pretty revolting. so yeah, i kinda skip this track whenever possible as it did not age well. at all. like so many other ROCK AND ROLL songs from the later half of the 20th century, such as "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE" and "I SAW HER STANDING THERE" by THE BEATLES, "UNDER MY THUMB" and "BROWN SUGAR" by THE ROLLING STONES, "DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME" by THE POLICE or "SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN" by CHUCK BERRY, it would have been called out and crucified (justifiably) in the #METOO era. my favorite track bar none off LOVE GUN is the ACE FREHLEY-penned and sung track "SHOCK ME." its got this nasty opening riff that has this BLUES-y repeated bend at the end. its just a classic ROCK AND ROLL lick that is immediately identifiable and fun to play. the song was inspired by FREHLEY nearly once being electrocuted on stage during a previous tour, but could just as easily be about the jaded complacency of being overstimulated and the need for something bigger to take you over the edge. in essence it feels like a song about excess, which is thematically very much a concern with KISS throughout their discography. along with the title track, these are the two songs that i regularly return to. the rest of the album is kinda whatever. im not gonna recommend KISS to anyone since they are very much an acquired taste. you kind of have to embrace the ridiculousness of the band to have fun with it. but if you are a fan of CLASSIC ROCK or the more excessive 1980s brand of ROCK AND ROLL (im thinking VAN HALEN or MOTLEY CRUE), then KISS and their absurd LOVE GUN album might be worthy of further investigation. or not. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
COUNT ME IN (RED & BLACK, 2021) is an interesting documentary because it is not so much concerned with the history of drumming per se (because it does dabble in the evolution of the instrument); its primary focus is the actionable pleasure of actually playing the drums. that driving PRIMAL CONNECTION to not only the other players, but the audience as well. it is the drums that establish and maintain that SACRED UNION and keep it pulsating in unison.
much of the film itself centers around interviews with STEPHEN PERKINS (JANE'S ADDICTION, PORNO FOR PYROS), CINDY BLACKMAN (LENNY KRAVITZ, SANTANA), CHAD SMITH (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) and JESS BOWEN (THE SUMMER SET) who all participate in a drum circle (with complete kits) at the film's conclusion. for me that active listening and seamless SYNCHRONOUS INTERPLAY between players is at the heart of what drumming is. it is something i witness firsthand in my youth in NIGERIA watching musicians there play in drum circles with talking drums; the collective INHALATION/EXHALATION as time signatures weave in and out of each other. im not religious but there is something SPIRITUAL about that. the film does pay its due to those players that are key in the evolution from JAZZ to ROCK AND ROLL including the likes of ART BLAKEY, BUDDY RICH, ELVIN JONES, MAX ROACH, RINGO STARR (THE BEATLES), KEITH MOON (THE WHO), CHARLIE WATTS (THE ROLLING STONES), GINGER BAKER (CREAM) and JOHN BONHAM (LED ZEPPELIN). that transition is interesting from JAZZ to the BRITISH INVASION bands is interesting because in essence the new breed thought like JAZZ drummers (in terms of FINESSE and SWING). but helped initiate a new lexicon that was the basis for all that followed. similarly the transition from the technically gifted drum gods of the 1970s to the more rudimentary PUNK drummers was an evolution in intent. there was a sense of going for the jugular and getting out just as quick, technicality being an unnecessary frill that distracted from the song's impact. interesting stuff. the drum becoming an instrument of PROPULSIVE AGGRESSION leading the charge. watching this its very easy to nitpick about innovative and highly consequential past and current drummers that were overlooked including NEIL PEART (RUSH), DANNY CAREY (TOOL), TRAVIS BARKER (BLINK-182), MOE TUCKER (THE VELVET UNDERGROUND), BILLY COBHAM, DAVE LOMBARDO (SLAYER), ROY HAYNES, BILL WARD (BLACK SABBATH), ZACHARY CHARLES HILL (HELLA), TITO PUENTE and MEG WHITE (THE WHITE STRIPES). but i feel such criticism is not warranted because creating such an exhaustive list was not the intent of the film (although the lack any mention of latin percussionists is glaring). COUNT ME IN is much more involved with the joy of playing and those players that influenced the drummers being interviewed, which also included STEWART COPELAND (THE POLICE), TOPPER HEADON (THE CLASH), SAMANTHA MALONEY (HOLE, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL), CLEM BURKE (BLONDIE), TAYLOR HAWKINS (FOO FIGHTERS), NICKO MCBRAIN (IRON MAIDEN), RATT SCABIES (THE DAMNED), BEN THATCHER (ROYAL BLOOD), EMILY DOLAN DAVIES (THE DARKNESS, BRYAN FERRY), ROGER TAYLOR (QUEEN) and IAN PAICE (DEEP PURPLE). i feel this film was successful in that not only celebrated the ARTISTIC POTENTIAL of the instrument, it also examined its nuances by including a consultation by JESS BOWEN with ROSS GARFIELD, a.k.a. THE DRUM DOCTOR. based on her needs he curates a kit that she utilizes in the studio at the close of the film. i think most people would that that a drum kit is a drum kit is a drum kit, but really once you get into sizes, materials and the vintage of the pieces the whole affair becomes quiet SUBTLE and INTIMATE. you really get a sense of the DYNAMIC RANGE of the instrument through this process, and not just SONICALLY but EMOTIONALLY. and that was my big takeaway from the film. that and hearing the drummer from my favorite band (JANE'S ADDICTION) talking about why he loves his instrument so much. i was more than pleased to watch and learn that STEPHEN PERKINS was such a central figure in this documentary. so im biased. that said this is a film definitely worth checking out even if you cant keep a beat (like me). thats probably why i play guitar. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the wildly idiosyncratic and breathtakingly inventive music of the prolific cult band SPARKS!
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
there is an unbridled joy and childlike amorality in the simple melodies and often nonsensical lyrics of MARC BOLAN throughout the T. REX classic ELECTRIC WARRIOR (REPRISE, 1971). during a period of listless and ever-indulgent PROG ROCK and its attendant unfocused masturbatory virtuosity, T. REX and the GLAM ROCK movement it inspired was a back-to-basics affair that very much put the onus on the groove and the sentiment being conveyed. in this sense the music was both transgressive and revolutionary in its paired-back aesthetic, laying the cultural and sonic foundation for the PUNK ROCK that followed later in the decade.
standout tracks include "JEEPSTER," "COSMIC DANCER" "LIFE'S A GAS," "MAMBO SUN," and of course the classic "BANG A GONG (GET IT ON)." much like the impressionistically evocative and phantasmagorical childlike lyrics of SYD BARRETT from a few years prior, most T. REX songs are less about the literal meaning of said lyrics and more about the complex feelings they transmit in tandem with the music. it is that alchemical interplay between the music and lyrics of BOLAN that make his T. REX output so compelling and influential decades after his untimely passing in 1977. that sensibility of possibility very much harkens back to the rudimentary beginnings of early BRITISH INVASION and even earlier to the birth of ROCK AND ROLL with legends like CHUCK BERRY, LITTLE RICHARD and even JERRY LEE LEWIS. when i listen to T. REX i am very much reminded of that progression and that creative lineage. ELECTRIC WARRIOR is an absolute classic of a recording that is seemingly universally celebrated by generations of musicians since, including INDIE ROCK, POST PUNK, SHOEGAZE, TRIP HOP, NEW WAVE, ALTERNATIVE ROCK and PUNK ROCK devotees including the likes of JOY DIVISION, THE RAMONES, TRICKY, THE SMITHS, R.E.M., BAUHAUS, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS and THE NEW YORK DOLLS among countless others. its the type of seminal record, much like REVOLVER (PARLOPHONE, 1966), AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE (TRACK, 1967), LED ZEPPELIN IV (ANTLANTIC, 1971) or NEVER MIND THE BULLOCKS (WARNER BROS, 1977), that i consistently hear traces of in modern music. most definitely required listening. definitely worth checking out. 
parodies by nacrowe
every now and then on DEER GOD RADIO i like to pepper in some artists that i feel are CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED, including BROADCAST, THE STRANGLERS, DEVIN TOWNSEND, ELASTICA, LADYTRON, TRICKY and DANIEL ASH. i feel strongly that standout 1960s singer-songwriter HARRY NILSSON is of that variety as well. none other than THE BEATLES name-dropped in early interviews and considered him a peer (much like BRIAN WILSON of THE BEACH BOYS later on). my introduction to his music as a child was thought-provoking children's animated film THE POINT! (review linked HERE).
what i appreciate about him is the unique INVENTIVENESS of his lyrics and upbeat SOPHISTICATION of how he constructed his melodies. he could convincingly make any song topic compelling (even a desk!) and was able to evoke seemingly any emotion with a unique voice that was as IMPASSIONED as it was ANGELIC. if you are unfamiliar with his catalogue, then please check out this episode i did on NILSSON back at the beginning of 2021. i definitely consider it a highlight. 
photo & text by nacrowe
as with all things LOU REED, the late career return to form with release of NEW YORK (SIRE, 1989) is as COMPLEX as it is INSCRUTABLE. the man was famously INCONSISTENT with his creative output, at once drawing his audience in with singularly POIGNANT insights and diatribes about the complications of MODERN LIFE, only to push them away with subsequent throwaway releases that seemed concocted to either cash in on or refute his previous success. such a dip and dive can be seen in the wake of all his classic releases, from TRANSFORMER (review linked HERE) and CONEY ISLAND BABY to THE BELLS, THE BLUE MASK and NEW SENSATIONS. all were followed up with INCOHERENT, less successful releases that seemed designed to ALIENATE and winnow down his audience (i.e. METAL MACHINE MUSIC).
such was his career. NEW YORK is a late career revisit to the beloved UNDERGROUND community that he celebrated during his early to mid 1970s heyday. this nostalgic world included his friends that were STREET HUSTLERS, TRANSVESTITES and HOMOSEXUALS who in the intervening years had largely passed on due to the HIV/AIDS crisis. this HARROWING sense of loss and regret can be best seen in the highlight track "HALLOWEEN PARADE" which recounts those left behind during a PRIDE PARADE. in my mind, this track in particular with its direct insights that cut through bone over a MINIMALIST backing track is what REED does best. no bullshit, just a straight sniper shot to the heart. the singles "ROMEO HAD JULIET," "DIRTY BLVD" and "BUSLOAD OF FAITH" all follow a similar tableau of STREET LIFE characters doing what they can to survive in the urban jungle of NEW YORK CITY. but it is that sense of lost opportunity and the transformation of a community that feels like the core thread of this record. ironically at the time REED was living happily with his first wife in rural NEW JERSEY, so the physical and psychic distance between him and this UNDERGROUND world from a decade past is an interest dynamic. the theme was further explored on his follow-up MAGIC & LOSS, which contrary to form was another stellar effort. there are times where i feel like everything in ROCK AND ROLL has been stated or examined and that everything is just a rehash, a copy of a copy. and then i go back and listen to REED records like NEW YORK and i am confounded by how REVOLUTIONARY his music was, much like the output of peers in LEONARD COHEN, NEIL YOUNG and JOHN FOGERTY, with just his voice and a guitar. it makes me think that what is missing in today's ROCK AND ROLL is not a dearth of sonic exploration, but rather a lack of vicious self-reflection. SOCRATES is said to have stated that an "unexamined life is not worth living." well REED lived a thoroughly examined life and we are all the beneficiaries of such DARK, self-directed entreats. NEW YORK is most definitely worth checking out. required listening in my opinion. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
with the revelation in recent years of his diagnosis with PARKINSON'S DISEASE, the cable documentary THE NINE LIVES OF OZZY OSBOURNE (A+E, 2020) has the feeling of a long-form EULOGY about the beloved and celebrated singer. PARKINSON'S is a long-term auto-degenerative disease (much like life itself) that attacks the nervous system and is highly debilitating. so stands to reason that now is the best time speak with the man and have him reflect on his life in depth.
to its credit, THE NINE LIVES OF OZZY OSBOURNE is as much concerned with the narrative surrounding the iconic and massively influential career of OZZY OSBOURNE as it is with his private relationship with his family, with special attention to his wife/manager/business partner SHARON. notable participants in this documentary include three of his adult children (AIMEE, KELLY and JACK) as well as former bandmates RUDY SARZO, TONY IOMMI and GEEZER BUTLER and industry peers like ROB ZOMBIE (WHITE ZOMBIE), JONATHAN DAVIS (KORN), MARILYN MANSON, POST MALONE, ICE-T (BODY COUNT) and record producer RICK RUBIN. i will not try to hide my adoration of OZZY. suffice to say i have dedicated not one but two radio show episodes to him and his massive influence (DEER GOD RADIO 12: OZZY OSBOURNE and DEER GOD RADIO 133: OZZFEST). i have also written in the past about watching him perform at OZZFEST JAPAN in 2015 (linked HERE), which in my opinion didnt go well (note: i was not aware of his condition at the time i wrote it). in my opinion the allure of OZZY is his ability to be an everyman. he's not a MYTHOLOGICAL figure like ROBERT PLANT, phenomenal poet like BOB DYLAN or JOHN LENNON or have a preternaturally stellar vocal range / stage presence like RONNIE JAMES DIO or ROB HALFORD. to me he has something more valuable, he makes great music seem TANGIBLE and within reach of his audience. his lyrics are immediate and direct with little need for fancy decorations to show off his cleverness. there is a reason that his work in BLACK SABBATH has influenced every generation of modern rock music since (NEW WAVE OF BRITIS HEAVY METAL, PUNK ROCK, THRASH METAL, ALTERNATIVE ROCK, DEATH METAL, HARDCORE, SLUDGE METAL, METALCORE, POST HARDCORE, BLACK METAL, etc.). and a lot of that has to do with the unique PERSONAL relationship OZZY has with his audience. so all that being said, i thought it was particularly interesting that THE NINE LIVES OF OZZY OSBOURNE moves past the more tabloid-bating aspects of his career (biting the heads off doves and bats, pissing on THE ALAMO, snorting ants on tour with MOTLEY CRUE) and delves into his failings as a father with his first marriage and the time he was so out of his mind on drugs that he attempting to strangle his second wife SHARON. to me that relationship with SHARON is the crux of this film and the central node on which his life and career hinged. the daughter of OZZY's former manager DON ARDEN, it was SHARON that basically willed OZZY to move on with his career after being dismissed from BLACK SABBATH in the late 1970s. her PATIENCE with his ADDICTIVE PERSONALITY which included drugs and infidelity is almost saint-like in some aspects, even as recently as a few years ago. interestingly the very recent public shaming of OZZY for his dalliance with a longtime hairdresser was completely omitted from discussion in the film. that was an interesting decision since here most of his poor behavior is limited to the 1980s. with that one omission in mind, the film does a pretty good job of providing a portrait of a legendary musician that doesnt delve into HAGIOGRAPHY as is often the case. by his own admission OZZY is flawed human just like the rest of us. maybe his extremes are further out then us mortals will ever go (example: attempting to strangle your wife while intoxicated) but it is precisely his FALLIBILITY that makes him one of the most beloved frontman of all time. and perhaps one of the greatest as well. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
what the documentary ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON AND THE BADN (DIAMOND DOCS, 2019) examines effectively is the mercurial nature of that special alchemy that makes musical collaborations work. its a mysterious process that is deeply rooted in our most basic need for connection, which is what i feel when i am entranced and under the spell of music.
this documentary is, in essence, a look back at criminally short and influential career of THE BAND from the perspective of ROBBIE ROBERTSON. it examines everything from his childhood split between TORONTO and a FIRST NATION reservation to his introduction to early ROCK N ROLL and beyond. having discovered AMERICAN ROCKABILLY and BLUES artists at a young age, ROBERTSON taught himself guitar and began writing songs while still in his teens. this gift for songwriting coupled with his indomitable drive led him to a gig with RONNIE HAWKINS AND THE HAWKS (where he met future THE BAND bandmate LEVON HELM) that morphed into LEVON AND THE HAWKS before becoming BOB DYLAN's backing band on his famed 1966 "electric" tour and then finally solidified into THE BAND. what is interesting is how THE BAND's musical chemistry was what enabled their ability to shape-shift so abruptly with such conviction and authenticity, from RHYTHM & BLUES to FOLK ROCK hybrid to what would later be deemed AMERICANA and ROOTS ROCK. the tragedy is that this unspoken bond was challenged and ultimately discarded due to tribulations related to addiction, publishing rights, recognition and family. its a cliche story now but its interesting to look back at a period nearly half a century ago when such traditional interpersonal stress points were not widely known. its also particularly sad that for a musical outfit that succeeded based on their ability to fruitfully and selflessly collaborate, that it was this gnawing of said relationship that led to their downfall. forget the music, but it feels like that abandoned relationship is the real tragedy elucidated throughout ONCE WERE BROTHERS. it was that connection that made peers gravitate to them immediately, as seen through recent interviews and archival footage of BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, GEORGE HARRISON, BOB DYLAN, PETER GABRIEL, TAJ MAHAL, JIMMY VIVINO, JOHN HAMMOND and VAN MORRISON, ERIC CLAPTON, JANN WENER and MARTIN SCORSESE attesting to such. my sense is that such a connection is frail combustible entity that must be nourished and renewed and sacrificed for. its almost like a surrogate family of sorts. which is odd, because my interpretation of THE BAND was that they were a band of brothers or family of sorts. their music has that intimate vibe of shared experiences, mutual admiration and sacrifice. i guess heroin trumps such more than it doesnt. this film is well-constructed and worth watching whether or not you are interested in this seminal and revolutionary CLASSIC ROCK band. 
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! 
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
GIBSON GUITARS really did a faceplant up back in 2019 with their aborted "play authentic" campaign.
which was really a pity because i had been watching their DIRECTOR OF BRAND EXPERIENCE MARK AGNESI since he was GENERAL MANAGER at NORM'S RARE GUITARS and hosted their GUITAR OF THE DAY YOUTUBE videos in which he would deep dive into their backroom archive of vintage guitars and elaborate in exquisite detail about their production, history and playability. the dude knew his stuff and his appreciation and passion for guitars was palpable. i was practically rooting for the dude when moved on to GIBSON. which is why i think its a great move that GIBSON has him doing these long-form videos where he similarly guides us through the collections of famous musicians from RICK NIELSEN (CHEAP TRICK), MIKE CAMPBELL (TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS) SLASH (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER), and DWEEZIL ZAPPA (ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA) to KIETH NELSON (BUCKCHERRY) and DAVE AMATO (REO SPEEDEWAGON). its basically the same thing he did at NORM'S, even with the same batch of characters. in other words: its a match made in guitar nerd heaven. once i learned of this series i have basically been mainlining them, irrespective of the artist being interviewed. bar none the coolest guitar shown was producer JOHN SHANKS' GIBSON ES-355 previously owned by JOHNNY MARR. 'nough said there. obviously the vast majority of the products involved are GIBSON-related, but its also fun to see when they veer off into other manufacturers. this gives me hope that GIBSON is getting off their high horse and acknowledging the fact that they are part of a greater community. hopefully they take on their role as elder statesmen and give back to the guitar-playing community, because it looked bleak there for a while. real bleak. this series at least smells like they have their act together and were humbled by their atrocious marketing mistakes over the last decade. 
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. 
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