OFF: Truth (oh no) and Shock Rock

[Chip Hart]

Ted Jackson jr.:
> But when BOC erupted onto the scene in
> the early 70s, they were for sure breaking new ground, esp.
> lyrically.

        The "new" ground that BOC has broken in the world of music is so
        incredibly slim.  Don't get me wrong - I love them, I know
        exactly what you're talking about - but it's not liked they
        changed any facet of even guitar-based rock and roll.

        The point of which is that it's silly to slag on one band (GWAR
        or MM) for not being original when the bands we worship here
        follow a formula set by a genre.

        Not that the formula's bad, mind you :-)

> When discussing BOC, we're going back 25 years now.  Maybe what
> they're doing today isn't unique, but trust me, when BOC started out,
> there wasn't anyone doing things exactly like them...

        Well, geeze, if we accept the narrow limits of r+r music, there
        aren't many people doing what the Bad Brains, Henry Rollins, or
        KISS were doing either.  But, as much as I love each of those
        bands (and recognize the significant contributions they've
        provided r+r), I can't really say what they were doing was
        truly groundbreaking, either.

        Rock and roll, like most art, is founded on the premise that the
        best artists steal.  Occasionally, someone appears to "break"
        from the norm.  So, everyone panics when the Bad Brains release
        the first hardcore album back in the 80's - and it's full of
        reggae.  Great as it was (and, boy, is "I Against I" great),
        it's not like they thought of it.  They just did it really well.

        And now that I think about KISS and the reactions my (and
        others') parents had to Gene Simmons spitting out blood 25 years
        ago, I can only chuckle at the thought of Marilyn Manson.

        It's extremely rare that these groundbreakers are doing
        something that hasn't really been done before in some fashion
        (even Jimi and the Beatles owe a lot to their predecessors).

        Which is, I believe, exactly why Ron pointed out that "it's all
        been done before."

--
Chip Hart                           *                          chip at pcc.com
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