BOC: "recognizing genius"

[Douglas Pearson]

On Thu, 15 Feb 2001 20:31:47 +0000, Nick Medford <nick at HERMIT0.DEMON.CO.UK>
wrote:
>In message <3.0.3.32.20010215075338.006b5f6c at acmenet.net>, Bolts of
>Ungodly Vision <js3619 at ACMENET.NET> writes
>>If you feel like setting up an altar for the glorification of Sandy
>>Pearlman after following this link,
>>
>>http://www.mb5.com/bios/pearlman/
>
>Did he write this stuff himself or merely pay someone else to do it?

Reads like a typical "keynote speaker" bio, which is what it is.

>A few points:  'heavy metal' is a long established term in chemistry, it
>was used by William Burroughs as far back as the 50s (a 'heavy metal kid'
>was a typically Burroughsian twisted sci-fi creature, being someone with a
>dependency on said substances), and appears in Steppenwolf's 'Born To Be
>Wild' ('heavy metal thunder').

... none of which refer to a style of music ...

>Where the claim that Pearlman 'coined' the term fits into all this I'm
>not sure, although maybe he did use it in a new context.

I have no idea who first used the term to apply to music ... Hapdash and
the Colored Coat perhaps?  But it's probably safe to say that all
subsequent usage of the term was inspired by/borrowed from Burroughs (and
it would probably be a not-too-risky bet to make that even if Pearlman was
one of the first to apply the term to music, that he got the idea from
Meltzer).

>Also: the Dictators- the 'first punk record'? Ever heard of the MC5?

The Wailers (Seattle, not Kingston) were making records in the 50's.
And 'Here Are The Sonics' was at least 5 years before "Looking At You".
But hey, much better to say the Dictators made the first punk record than
to say that the Sex Pistols (or, more accurately, the Damned - them again!)
did.  At least Jac Holzman (Elektra, signed the MC5 & Stooges) has never
claimed (to the best of my knowledge, anyway) to have "discovered"
or "invented" punk rock.  Unlike Malcolm McClaren (not even Pearlman is
egotistical enough to have claimed to "invent" it!).

    -Doug
     ceres at sirius.com