HW:Re: Bob Calvert a punk? um, no. Bob Calvert, meet Ray Stevens.

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In a message dated 8/7/01 1:36:43 PM, jayne at WALLISFAMILY.KAROO.CO.UK writes:

<< Bob Calvert wasn't anything in particular - he totally defied
categorisation. Among other things, he could certainly be described as a punk
pre-cursor - just look at the lyrics to 1973s "Urban Guerilla". ANY punk band
would have loved to have written those words.

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this one isnt so sure about that, much less 'defying categorization.' or
being a 'punk precursor'.

what Mr Calvert was inclined to be was.... a "character actor"

*he had a silver machine
*he had an orgone accumulator
*he ejected from his plane
*his android replica was acting up again
and so on...

 in this context, he was an  'urban guerrilla' as well,
and, as a character actor, he was 'in character'.

but as surely as mr. brock's gtr. solo on the original version
wasnt quite in tune
and as surely as subsequent post-calvert renditions of the song
came perilously close to 'vaudeville'
IMO this wasnt 'social insurrection' taking place here.
===
and then there's "raw power" by the stooges, as punk 'precursors' go.....
to name just one example among others. [calling Dr Pearson]
 sigh....
===
which brings us to Ray Stevens.
whose hits included "gitarzan", "the streak"
the 'classic hits radio' syrup-fest  "everything is beautiful"

and a song called "mr. businessman".
"you'd better take care of business, mr. businessman  [if you can]"
making 'bombs in his cellar' notwithstanding
it was as a succinct an indictment of 'the system' as Mr.Calvert's.
and, i suppose, had the same relation to the real world as Mr. Calvert's.
as both of these singers were "in character" for their respective,
conceptualized indictments.

though Calvert's HW version had the advantage of a killer rhythm section.

=====
so was Mr Calvert a punk precursor?
this one thinks Mr Calvert would bristle at the suggestion that he was then,
or had ever been, a  'punk'.
===
Homework for you:

what were Calvert's original lyrics to 'sprit of the age'? as released, those
words had been previously recited as "Starfarer's dispatch". the live version
i have isnt clear enough to tell, but there was a completely different set of
lyrics at first.

and in deference to Mr. Calvert, as recitations go, "the beast of chaos"
sounded much more ominous than say, the post-Calvert vaudevile "urban
guerrilla".
=================
various trivial annoyances have delayed my 'tripping'; i hope to begin an
edited version on tuesday.

"<>"