Archive for the 'For Those About To Rock...' Category
MGP Rewind: Dio Lyrical Examination
Back in the 1990s or nearabouts, I’d composed a lyrical examination of sorts for Dio’s first album, Holy Diver. At least, some of the choice tracks on the album. Bill M. posted it on the Internet, and then added his own commentary. Since you might have never seen this (or the other tracks dissected), here’s an example…
Holy Diver
Holy Diver [MGP: Question: what is a holy diver?]
You’ve been down too long in the midnight sea; oh, what’s becoming of me? [MGP: Call me kooky, but somehow I'm focused more on what's becoming of the drowning priest; he has my attention at this moment in time]
Ride the tiger, you can see his stripes but you know he’s clean [MGP: so, normally seeing his stripes means that the tiger is dirty? That brings us to Dio-ism #2: seemingly deep points obscured to all who are not Dio]
Oh, don’t you see what I mean? [MGP: as a matter of fact, NO!]
Gotta get away – holy diver [BILL: Is this "get away FROM the Holy Diver", or telling the Holy Diver to do so?]
Shiny diamonds, like the eyes of a cat in the black and blue [MGP: someone beat up a cat? maybe Dio? the holy diver? WHO?]
Something is coming for you – LOOK OUT! [MGP: important Dio word or phrase #2]
Race for the morning [BILL: See Dio-ism #2]
You can hide in the sun ’till you see the light [MGP: Dio-ism #3: blatant use of paradox]
Oh, we will pray it’s all right
Gotta get away – get away
Between the velvet lies [BILL: Does that mean fibs made of Elvis paintings, or "lies" as a verb?]
there’s a truth that’s hard as steel [BILL: Same Truth-with-Many-Lies from "Straight Through The Heart"?]
The vision never dies, life’s a never-ending wheel [MGP: one that, according to "Stand Up And Shout," we are all nailed to. Thanks, Dio]
Holy diver, you’re the star of the masquerade, no need to look so afraid
Jump on the tiger [MGP: any masquerade where they invite tigers may be one to avoid; jumping on him may be bad, too]
You can feel his heart, but you know he’s mean
Some light can never be seen [MGP: PARADOX ALERT!]
(repeat verse one)
[MGP: Note: this song, like many Dio songs, has a problem with clearly defining what is happening to whom. Who's got "shiny diamonds?" Who has to "get away?" We'll NEVER know!]
As for other Internet rantiness given to Rev. M. in the past, check out my continuation of his already established A-Z One Hit Wonder Metal Bands rundown. It’s truly retro-licious!
4 commentsRadio Free Satan Are Into Swapping
What happens when your favorite devilish deejays trade places to host a different program? Tune in to Radio Free Satan for a special Satanic Show Swap!
This week, Reverend Bill M. spins choice new-wave and post-punk gems on THE METRO, while JNothing invades THE DEVIL’S MISCHIEF with a unique hour of carnal comedy and netherworld novelty. Then next week, Dave Ingram hands the big band baton over to Matt Ingram to conduct LAMBERT’S BASEMENT, while bringing you a new eclectic mix of electronica on ELECTRIC CANDLELIGHT.
Keep listening to Radio Free Satan this season for other surprises too.
2 commentsTrailer: Trick Or Treat (1986)
No, not the new movie with the similar name and the not similar plot, but the original heavy metal horror film from the mid-’80s. Classic slice of metal cheese with the undead rocker antagonist played by… a Solid Gold dancer? Blasphemy! But also true. Cameos from Ozzy and Mr. Simmons, and just enough fuel to feed the PMRC fire at the time. In retrospect, some harmless and admittedly goofy fun with a soundtrack from the band everyone in America forgot to notice: Fastway. Too bad, really.
So, get out your backwards spinning records and your lighter fluid, and enjoy this charming tale of a boy named Skippy and his misguided devotion to animal-printed bandanas and playing the stereo so loud, a dead evil rock star comes forth and scares the bejeesus out of a small suburban town on Halloween.
1 commentBlood Fountains
Music by Stephen Kasner and filmed in Belgium by Dwid Hellion, Tine Guns, Ture and SVH. For more, check out Blood Fountain’s MySpace page.
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What Ozzy Wants Of Us
There are many constants in the world. We will all grow old. We will all die. And Ozzy Osbourne will pretty much put on the exact same concert that he’s been performing for the last 25+ years.
A shining example of this predictability can be gathered in a way not involving having to go to some non-ventilated venue, pushed and bumped from all directions by sweaty, meth-addled music subculture losers, and, in the end, voluntarily relinquishing the years of proper hearing you have left. Yes, I am referring to the almighty live album. And what better evidence of recorded Ozzy concerts than the 1982 platinum-selling release of Speak of the Devil (or, Talk of the Devil, for you Brits).
By this point, Randy Rhoads is already dead. Rudy Sarzo is playing bass on this one, a month prior to quitting and joining Quiet Riot. Of course, there’s the pre-Night Ranger guitarist, Brad Gillis as well. And you probably don’t care about the drummer and keyboardist, so what’s the point?
Speak of the Devil is a collection of live-performed Black Sabbath classic and not-so-classic tunes (covered?) and, oddly, one you cannot get anymore in North America as it was deleted from the catalogue in 2002. Ozzy might hate this album (which he claims he did due to label pressures as a response to the Dio-fronted Live Evil Sab album of live tracks) and there are rumors that it isn’t as “live” as it purports to be, but who cares? What we do get from this album — in addition to Ozzy’s intermittently out-of-tune vocals, of course — is The Three Wants of Ozzy. Purely for clarification…
- He Wants Us To Know That He Loves Us All
- He Wants To See Your Hands (Come On!)
- He Wants Us To “Keep On Smokin’ It”
Of course, I’m getting older and have long since lost patience for music subculture nonsense and the Peter Pan Syndrome it so glaringly invites. In response to the above…
- Rock musicians do not love us. They need us for money, and little else. The “love” bit is an effective means by which to get you to part with your cash. Ever told a girl you loved her just to get her in bed? Same premise.
- Put your hands down and stop acting like a monkey. And ditto with the lighters. Trust me, you’ll be cringing 10-20 years from now.
- Drugs are a marvelous filter to divide masters from slaves — drug addicts, being in the latter category. If you have no brains, then, yes, keep smoking “it.”
Still, I love the classics — with all of the schmaltz, tackiness and cheese that come along with ‘em. As a spectator, of course.
But, enjoy your music today. Because you just might outgrow a whole bunch of what’s attached to it a lot sooner than you think. A decade or two from now, you can sit back and watch your embarrassingly documented youth on YouTube (or whatever takes its place) in all of its stubborn and short-sighted glory. And won’t that be fun?
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W.A.S.P. In “The Dungeonmaster”
The preceding clip is from a hard-to-find movie called The Dungeonmaster (also known as “Ragewar”). I could describe it in my own words, but this is the Internet and someone else has already done it for me:
“Paul, a computer whiz who spends more time with his machine than with his girlfriend, finds that he has been chosen as a worthy opponent for Mestema, an evil wizard who has spent centuries searching for a challenging foe. After having his computer changed into a wristband weapon, Paul does battle with a variety of monsters before finally coming face to face with the ultimate adversary.”
In other words, it is high-grade, full-blown, top shelf, extreme ’80s cheese. The “evil wizard” is even played by the bald guy on Night Court, for cryin’ out loud. Bonus! Of course, my sugar-overdosed teen brain, demanding immediate neck injury, always had to fast-forward to this part wherein W.A.S.P. assayed the role of Hell’s band, or something like that. Definitely a cult classic from my days of yore. Anyhoo, in 1985, any P.M.R.C. Hit List musical act that battles its opponent with heavy metal is about three power chords above awesome. Take that, Sheena Easton!
I still have a nearly quarter-century old VHS recording of this flick lurking somewhere in the tape stacks. Did I just say “quarter-century”? Moving along…
So, this was a nostalgia post today. Enjoy.
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