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October 28, 2006

What are you doing for Halloween – Zappa and G.G. Allin

With a few days to go before Halloween I was scanning the media to see if the great music Halloweens of yore were still happening. The concert list for New York this Halloween night really doesn’t set the spine-a-tingling; Medeski, Martin & Wood, Sheryl Crow, Christine Lavin are some of the tricks (or treats depending on your choice of candy) for the night. Though I don’t care for their music Slipknot will be showcasing their costumed wardrobe and stage show that night along with an old treat – the Misfits playing in Times Square. But, does anyone remember when Frank Zappa would play the Palladium every Halloween or G.G.Allin would entertain with his vile and short explosive shows?

Both Frank Zappa and G.G. Allin died in 1993. Both were completely unique in voicing their opinions and playing their music. Over the years Zappa became a cult following. His mixture of avant-garde classical minimalism, ‘70s guitar rock, be-bop jazz rock and satirical lyrics created a carnival atmosphere at his concerts. If P.T. Barnum was still alive Zappa and the Mothers of Invention would be the circus’s orchestra. His Halloween stage shows incorporated a mix of burlesque, a visual sense of Salvatore Dali and the wit of Mark Twain. At least that’s what I saw and felt when I saw him.

G.G. Allin was one scary dude. No one I knew every went to his shows for the music. They went for the stage show. Now, strangely enough, Allin’s full name was Jesus Christ Allin. The name was reported to be from His father who had a vision about his son. The G.G. came from his younger brother who called him Je Je, which became G.G. His colorful life became one dedicated to booze and drugs. In between those pursuits he spent some time in jail. His penchant for confrontational theatrics on stage usually curtailed his concert to around 15 minutes of fame. Along with appearing nude, ripping broken bottles across his body, defecating on stage and throwing it at the audience, there was always a few minutes for a sexual act as well. He once said he wanted to commit suicide on Halloween during a concert. Alas, his death came a few months early. His last show should have been on Halloween as it ended in a riot, which took to the streets of lower Manhattan. Allin, naked and bleeding from jumping through a glass door somehow out raced the police and hid out at a friend’s apartment. He was found the next day dead from a heroin and booze overdose. A true rock’n’roll death.

Halloween was made for Zappa and Allin. What are you doing for Halloween?

Posted by nick on 9:48 AM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2006

You Smell Like Teen Spirit – Courtney Sells Out Nirvana

The media whoring Courtney Love has made noise about opening up the Nirvana coffers to allow advertising companies, TV, and other media outlets the opportunity to bid and pay high sums of money for the use of certain Nirvana songs in advertising, TV shows and alike. Can’t you just see the melee as advertisers from ever fragrance, stink bottle-and feminine hygiene company from around the globe line up to try and get the deal-of-a-life-time with their new fragrance – “It Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

How distressing would this be? Stones, Beatles, Led Zep, The Clash and The Ramones all have had songs appeared in ads over the last ten years or more. After “It Smells Like Teen Spirit”, what would they be after? “Lithium” could be good for the pharmaceutical guys. Or is it too direct as the lyrics suggest:

I'm so happy 'cause today
I've found my friends ...
They're in my head
I'm so ugly, but that's okay, 'cause so are you
I like it - I'm not gonna crack
I miss you - I'm not gonna crack
I love you - I'm not gonna crack
I killed you - I'm not gonna crack

“Come as You Are” could be a happy tune for Applebee’s. Their registered slogan is “Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood”. Nothing better than a :30 second TV commercial with Kurt wailing in the background:

Come as you are, as you were,
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy.
Take your time, hurry up
The choice is yours, don't be late.

And the final eerie coda could be as the commercial fades out……,

And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun!

Capital One, or any other credit card could grab a few lines out of “Heart-Shaped Box” for their few seconds of fame. Would you sign up with Nirvana thrashing away and telling you:

Hey! Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice

Maybe HR Block would be better for that. Beers and Auto always go together with rock. Strangely enough they go all to well on the streets too. The Beer boys would like “Scoff”, from the “Bleach” album:

In my eyes, I'm not lazy
In my face, It's not over
In your room, I'm not older
In your eyes, I'm not worth it
Gimme back my alcohol

Unfortunately, the next lyric would end that relationship….

Heal a million, kill a million? – You can’t have it all.

It is left up to our own opinions and imagination if Courtney Love drove Cobain to his ultimate end. We could consider Love to be the next generation Yoko Ono, both fairly hated and should remain quiet and reverent to their husbands and band mates’ fare. (It’s keeping them in the money now isn’t it). With Corbain’s daughter, Francis Bean, now 14 years, I wonder if she has heard lyric her father wrote:

She should have - been a son

Posted by nick on 9:47 AM | Comments (0)