Something Must Have Happened Over Manhattan
The words conjure images of two planes smacking into the World Trade Center, a violent act that the Arabs still have yet to sow, very bad Karma indeed.
Most people who know me, know my passion is listening to music, mainly rock in all its forms, except rap, because RAP aint rock, nor is pop and neither deserve to be in the hall of fame which is hunk of shit, I plan to create my own some day to correct that crap.
What though is my favorite song? If you think of the thousands stuck in my head, and from my club days I had a knack of picking up songs off the first two beats.
I do have a favorite though and thought I would share this here on the ole blog and the reasons why.
The New York Dolls- Frankenstein
The New York Dolls in my opinion are THE first punk band. They were so punk, they didn't invent the fucking word yet to describe them. They essentially tore down classic rock and progressive rock at the time back into a raw 1950's sound that would be emulated even today. To gain attention though they dressed as women, which may have distracted from what they were doing musically, still though, they even were trend setters in this regard as they were all straight, right at the time the gay movement and new wave would make gender bending the norm.
On Frankenstein what we have is not only progressive, original, first time musical achievements. The first punk sound, the throw back to fifties rauch guitar with duel guitarists, but we also have an amazingly awesome new wave synth sound. So they pioneered new wave and punk, again, never credited as most of this lays later with the Ramones and Sex Pistols.
They also came out of CBGB's and New York, so suck it London.
They year was 1973, let us put that in perspective. Most people would not come to know punk or the roots until 1977 or later. If you think about the time period, 1973 was only 5 years after wood stock. The times were moving fast, music in my life time has not changed in 20 years.
The synth track while not the first, I have to give that to Roxy Music, but Roxy only layed that down a few years earlier, Bowie was not even in his Berlin period yet. Iggy and the Stooges, while clearly also the other early grandfathers of punk, could not muster a synth track.
What makes Frankenstein unique though, is the fact that with all these elements that actually duplicated a Wall of Sound technique similar to that nutcase Phil Spector.
It is Johnny Thunders though that is amazing. If not for his tragic heroine abuse, move over Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse you ain't got drug problems compared to him and Dee Dee Ramone. Thunders slams down some of the most awesome fucking rifts that you have to listen too, hard, to appreciate over the screaming vocals.
The Lyrics suggest a mounting doom, until David Johansen is litterally screaming in a very whiney new york accent Frankenstein, litterally Screaming. This song is pure rock because its yelling, angy, and unleashed. No song ever that I have heard has become so unhinged, so loud, so in your face, but holds itself together without having to curse or turn into mindless noise. That to me is music. Its litterally falling apart rage but they maintain the song, all throughout this wonderful synth beat is fighting over the guitars. The song is one giant Battle of sound.
I can listen to it over and over again. If you want to know anything there is about music, this is a song to analyze and you won't read that anywhere else.
So as the rock and roll hall of fame looks at Run DMC and Madonna, you remember the true rock legends the New York Dolls, and if that song doesn't make George Bush's daughters tear off their clothes and fuck each other, than I don't know what will.
Rock Lives.
Most people who know me, know my passion is listening to music, mainly rock in all its forms, except rap, because RAP aint rock, nor is pop and neither deserve to be in the hall of fame which is hunk of shit, I plan to create my own some day to correct that crap.
What though is my favorite song? If you think of the thousands stuck in my head, and from my club days I had a knack of picking up songs off the first two beats.
I do have a favorite though and thought I would share this here on the ole blog and the reasons why.
The New York Dolls- Frankenstein
The New York Dolls in my opinion are THE first punk band. They were so punk, they didn't invent the fucking word yet to describe them. They essentially tore down classic rock and progressive rock at the time back into a raw 1950's sound that would be emulated even today. To gain attention though they dressed as women, which may have distracted from what they were doing musically, still though, they even were trend setters in this regard as they were all straight, right at the time the gay movement and new wave would make gender bending the norm.
On Frankenstein what we have is not only progressive, original, first time musical achievements. The first punk sound, the throw back to fifties rauch guitar with duel guitarists, but we also have an amazingly awesome new wave synth sound. So they pioneered new wave and punk, again, never credited as most of this lays later with the Ramones and Sex Pistols.
They also came out of CBGB's and New York, so suck it London.
They year was 1973, let us put that in perspective. Most people would not come to know punk or the roots until 1977 or later. If you think about the time period, 1973 was only 5 years after wood stock. The times were moving fast, music in my life time has not changed in 20 years.
The synth track while not the first, I have to give that to Roxy Music, but Roxy only layed that down a few years earlier, Bowie was not even in his Berlin period yet. Iggy and the Stooges, while clearly also the other early grandfathers of punk, could not muster a synth track.
What makes Frankenstein unique though, is the fact that with all these elements that actually duplicated a Wall of Sound technique similar to that nutcase Phil Spector.
It is Johnny Thunders though that is amazing. If not for his tragic heroine abuse, move over Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse you ain't got drug problems compared to him and Dee Dee Ramone. Thunders slams down some of the most awesome fucking rifts that you have to listen too, hard, to appreciate over the screaming vocals.
The Lyrics suggest a mounting doom, until David Johansen is litterally screaming in a very whiney new york accent Frankenstein, litterally Screaming. This song is pure rock because its yelling, angy, and unleashed. No song ever that I have heard has become so unhinged, so loud, so in your face, but holds itself together without having to curse or turn into mindless noise. That to me is music. Its litterally falling apart rage but they maintain the song, all throughout this wonderful synth beat is fighting over the guitars. The song is one giant Battle of sound.
I can listen to it over and over again. If you want to know anything there is about music, this is a song to analyze and you won't read that anywhere else.
So as the rock and roll hall of fame looks at Run DMC and Madonna, you remember the true rock legends the New York Dolls, and if that song doesn't make George Bush's daughters tear off their clothes and fuck each other, than I don't know what will.
Rock Lives.
posted by Chuck Deggsy at 11:46 AM
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