The legend goes that blues man Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at a lonely crossroads in Mississippi at midnight in exchange for great musical prowess.

It's well documented that The Stones were greatly influenced by Johnson's life and music. And perhaps it was this influence that led them to make their own deal with the devil in 1981 when their tour to support the album Tattoo You ushered in the age of corporate sponsored Rock & Roll.
​
This tour marked the first time that a major rock band allowed itself to be branded by corporation. In this case, the fragrance giant Jovan paid The Stones somewhere between "one million" and "several million" dollars to sponsor their 1981 North American tour.

The rest, as they say, is history. Corporate sponsorship is now commonplace in the live music industry and to this day The Stones continue to reap the benefits to the tune of $109.7 million.

You could argue that by selling out their own souls, The Stones. the self proclaimed "World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band", also sold the soul of Rock & Roll itself, robbing it of it's rebellious spirit and ultimately leading to it's demise at the hands of corporate greed.

But then again, if the Robert Johnson legend is true, then the entire history of Rock & Roll can be be traced back to a pact with The Devil. The Stones just did it the way they did everything else.

To excess...

Even if you do believe that corporate sponsorship helped kill Rock & Roll, you have to admit that these Mick and Keith Halloween masks are pretty cool.

Produced by Jovan for Chicago's Classic Rock station 95½ WMET to promote the Stones 1981 US Tour, they are perfect if you're looking for a last minute costume this year.


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If you were a monster kid of the 1980’s like me, you probably spent a lot of your time and energy following the antics of Freddy Krueger. I can't tell you how many times I watched and re-watched those Nightmare on Elm Street  movies, either on the big screen at the movie theater, on the VCR at home, long after the rest of my family was sleeping safely in their beds.

Or so they thought...

If I wasn't watching the movies, I was talking about them. My friends and I would dissect all of the elaborate kill scenes and and laugh again at all of Freddy's awesomely bad jokes. It was a lot of fun.

To a pudgy, twelve year old nerd like me, Freddy Krueger was a rock star.

He transcended the horror genre to become a true pop culture phenomenon, and by the late 80’s he had ingrained himself into completely into the American consciousness.

Between 1984 and 1991 he appeared in six movies, hosted his own television show, had numerous merchandising deals, and even tried his hand at the music business. You could say he was the precursor to the multi-tasking pop stars of today.

Everyone knows about Freddy Krueger's groundbreaking effect on horror cinema, but I’d like to take some time to look back on his often overlooked impact on the world of popular music.

If you think about it, Freddy has been intrinsically linked to music from the very beginning.

Like many great horror villains of the 80’s his arrival on the scene was accompanied by theme music that was simultaneously chilling and memorable.

In this case it was the Main Title theme to the 1984 Wes Craven classic, A Nightmare on Elm Street. The piece was composed by Charles Bernstein who also scored the music for such 80s genre fare as The Entity and April’s Fools Day. Craven would also tap him again two years later to score his underrated sci-fi/horror flick, Deadly Friend.

Combine that theme music with a couple of creepy little girls repeating that eerily hypnotic jump rope rhyme, “One, Two, Freddy’s coming for you…” and you truly do have the stuff of nightmares.

Many of the great horror icons of the 80’s had memorable theme songs, but none of them were able to make the transition into mainstream musical success in the way that Freddy did.

Jason from the Friday the 13th franchise may have made more money at the box office, but he was no match for Freddy when it came to personality. Although he was an efficient killing machine, as a silent hulk his personality was lacking. And quite frankly, he really didn’t seem to take much joy in what he was doing. It was all business with him. As a result, he also racked up more total kills over the years than Freddy; but let’s face it, he was kind of a bore.

Freddy on the other hand was the life of the party.

A real cut-up…

He was just as likely to have you in stitches with one of his awful puns as he was with his razor blade fingers. His kills had a surrealistic flair and his methods were always inventive and imaginative. Most importantly, he always seemed to be having so much damn fun.

If you were a teen destined for slaughter, you could do worse than he dying by Freddy’s hand. At least you’d know you were going in style…

Freddy’s first foray in the popular music landscape came occurred in 1985 when he was subject of the song “Freddy Krueger” by Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D), a crossover thrash metal side project featuring members of the band Anthrax. The song appeared on their album, Speak English or Die, commonly considered a classic of the genre.

​Although it was not a commercial hit, it did provide Freddy with some valuable street cred in the heavy metal music scene.

Freddy’s first taste of mainstream musical success came on the coat tails of the hair metal explosion that ruled the airwaves of MTV back when that sort of thing actually mattered.

​In 1987, he was featured prominently in Dokken’s video for the song "Dream Warriors", a metal song which appeared on the soundtrack to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. 

​The song was also released as a single which charted at #22 on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and solidified, once and for all, Freddy’s rock star status.

This taste of mainstream musical success in combined with what I can only assume was a desire to grow as an artist, eventually resulted in Freddy releasing his own album.

Surprisingly, he turned his back on the metal scene where he got his start by putting out a straight up pop record, Freddy’s Greatest Hits featuring The Elm Street Group which was released on RIC records in 1987.

The album is long out of print but you can find it on You Tube.

It's mostly a collection of oldies covers with a few originals thrown in for good measure. Wisely, Freddy does very little actual singing, instead opting to deliver one- liners and cackle in the background while The Elm Street Group handles most of the vocal duties.

Sales were not great, as the attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator resulted in little more than a novelty record.

Undaunted Freddy reinvented himself again. This time turning his attention to the other up and coming musical genre that was taking American by storm.

​Hip Hop.

And it was there that he would find his greatest success.

The first notable reference to Freddy in the world of Hip Hop came in 1987 via the track"Nightmare on ADE Street" by Miami Bass pioneer MC ADE.

The song is essentially a battle rap aimed at Freddy with ADE describing in detail how he would defeat him if their paths crossed. Later that year Freddy responded with a battle rap of his own, by way of rival Miami MC, “Stevie B” called "Nightmare on Freddy Krueger Street". 

 Much like his introduction to Heavy Metal, while neither of these tracks garnered much mainstream success, they illustrated that Freddy could be a viable commodity in the world of Hip Hop.

The following year he was featured prominently on not one, but two, mainstream Hip Hop tracks.
“Are You Ready for Freddy?” by the Fat Boys and “Nightmare on My Street” By DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, which were both in consideration for inclusion on the soundtrack to A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.

Ultimately the Fat Boys were given the honor, but it was it the funktastic beats of Jazzy Jeff and the undeniable charisma of a young Will Smith that landed their spin on the Freddy mythos at #15 Billboard’s Hot 100 charts.

​New Line Cinema later sued Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s record label for copyright infringement, forcing them to destroy the official music video for the song and clearly label all vinyl pressings of the record with the following disclaimer:

"NIGHTMARE ON MY STREET” IS NOT PART OF AND HAS NOT BEEN EMBODIED IN THE SOUNDTRACK OF ANY “NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET” MOTION PICTURE. THIS RECORD IS NOT AUTHORIZED, LICENSED OR AFFILIATED WITH THE “NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET” FILMS, NEW LINE CINEMA CORP., THE ELM STREET VENTURE OF THE FOURTH NEW LINE/HERON VENTURE."

 Despite the controversy, it was Freddy’s best selling record to date. And as it turns out, it was also the peak of his musical career.

In the years following, Freddy’s appeared in music videos by Romeo’s Daughter and The Goo Goo Dolls, both of whom contributed music to the soundtracks for Nightmare on Elm Streets Parts 5 and 6, respectively. But neither song got much traction, and eventually Freddy’s music career dwindled alongside of his box office returns
.
And although it’s been close to 30 years since he’s been involved in a new project, it seems Freddy isn’t quite ready to give up on his musical dreams (nightmares?) just yet.

In the last few months he quietly posted two videos on You Tube featuring a hardcore Gangster Rap persona with music produced by a mysterious duo known as The Merkins.

The rhymes here are more focused and mature than anything Freddy’s ever attempted in the past. This is the work of a man who has been burned, not only by a vigilante mob of angry parents seeking revenge, but also by the blazing furnace of the pop music industry. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here.

​Freddy will always be remembered first and foremost as horror villain royalty, but it is clear that he also left behind a musical legacy that is as eclectic and surprising as his methods of murder.

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Wednesday night's Banned Books Week Bedtime Selection was And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and illustrated by Henry Cole.

It tells the true story of 2 male penguins, Roy and Silo, who displayed homosexual behavior and were given an egg to care for by their zookeepers at the Central Park Zoo. It’s not hard to guess why this book topped this list of most challenged books every year from 2006 – 2010, except 2009 when it came in second.

The dreaded homosexual agenda…

As expected, a number of concerned parents rushed to have access to this book restricted for fear that it would instill a sense of tolerance and empathy in their still impressionable youths.

Most libraries did not concede and kept the book in regular circulation, but it of course became a lightning rod debate topic for both sides of gay rights debate.

Here’s the thing. In case you haven’t noticed, gay people are everywhere.

And they are to stay. How’s that old saying go?

Get used to it.

Accept the fact that your kids are going to see gay people everywhere.

They are at restaurants. They are at the movies. They are at school. They are walking their dog past your house. And some of them are going to even have families whether you like it or not.

There are opportunities everywhere for you kids to ask you what you may perceive as an awkward question. So why not tackle the issue head on?

While we were reading it, my daughter Olivia did ask "But, where's the mommy?"

Rather than sidestep the issue, my wife and and I explained to her that even though she has a mommy and daddy, some people have 2 daddies, or 2 mommies. And that others only have a mommy, or a daddy and every combination in between. She took a minute to think about it and then said "Just like Kelly's mommy and daddy don't live together?" referring to her older cousin who's parents are not together. We didn't stress the point that some people are gay, but rather that everyone's family is different.

Even if acceptance isn't your thing, you could always use this book to help your kids spot homosexuals so they can avoid them if you want. Because, that's your right whether I like it or not.

Everyone should look at this book as a teaching tool, even if what you’re teaching is in intolerance.

Banned Books Week
Celebrating the Freedom to Read: 09/27-10/03/15
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org

Last night’s Banned Books Week Bedtime selection has been a favorite in our house since my daughter Olivia was a baby. In fact, if you did the math I would bet that it would be high on the list, if not topping it, of the most repeatedly read books in our home.  It’s so special to us, that when my second daughter Claire came home from the hospital a few weeks ago, it was one of the first books that big sister Olivia instinctively chose to “read” to her  to introduce Claire to our sacred family tradition.

I put “read” in quotation marks, because Olivia is three years old.  And while she loves books, and can recognize letters, and maybe an occasional word, she cannot technically read.  She’ll get there eventually, but in the mean time she loves to be read to, or to sit by herself immersed in the illustrations of her favorite picture books.

But Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See? with its focus on colors, animals, and most importantly it’s simple and repetitive prose, was the first book that Oliva was able to memorize and recite front to back after repeated readings. And as a result, it was the first book she was able to “read” all by herself, and the first to give her that special feeling of satisfaction one gets after finishing a good book.

​Even though we don’t read it as much as we used to since Olivia has moved onto to more complex stories, it was nice to revisit our old friend Brown Bear again last night.  Especially for me, since it granted a rare reprieve from having to do all the heavy lifting of the actual reading myself. And Olivia even found something new to relate to this time around with the appearance of the teacher near the end of the book.  “I have a teacher now too!” she told me excitedly referring to the fact that she herself recently started  going to school for the first time.

As a cherished family favorite, you can imagine my surprise when I came across this title while reviewing a list of banned children’s books. It simply couldn’t be. I mean, it’s literally just about differently colored animals looking at each other. How could that possibly offend anyone? Did I miss the part of the book where Brown Bear goes into feeding frenzy and violently devours the other animals before setting his sights on the children and their teacher? Was their some hidden sexual innuendo between Purple Cat and Blue Horse that I had somehow missed over the course of countless readings?

I’m happy to report that it was neither of the above.

Although the real reason is somehow even more disturbing…

​It turns out that the reason the Texas Board Education Board saw fit to ban Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was the fear that it would spread Marxist ideas.

Say what now?

That's right.

According to a 2010 Huffington Post article, Brown Bear was banned from public schools in Texas because the Education Board confused its author, Bill Martin Jr. with Bill Martin, a college professor and author of the book Ethical Marxism: Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation. But keep in mind, this was not just a blanket banning of all “Bill Martin” books. Brown Bear was evaluated individually, and it was determined that it should be banned because the author’s adult work contained "very strong critiques of capitalism and the American system."

This confusion was eventually sorted out and Brown Bear returned to school library shelves all across Texas where it remains to this day, but this story does raise an important question about book banning and intellectual freedom. 

Even if beloved children’s author Bill Martin Jr. was a card carrying member of the communist party, how does that make the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? inappropriate for children?

I can see the logic of not shelving Ethical Marxism: Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation in grade school libraries based on reading level alone. I’m 38 and I struggled to comprehend a general synopsis of the book without getting lost in philosophical jargon. But how anyone could read Brown Bear and infer any kind of hidden agenda other than teaching kids to recognize animals and colors is beyond me.  It is literally one of the most simplistic books ever written.

Despite this fact, a group of educated adults whose job it is to facilitate education, had a meeting, discussed the content of this book, and decided that it should be banned based purely on a reaction to communist paranoia.  And let me remind you that this happened in 2010, not during the Red Scare of the 1940's and '50's. Or even the Cold War of the 1980's...

This kind of dangerous thinking is exactly what makes Banned Books Week still so relevant today. There are a lot of scared people out there making irrational decisions that infringe not only on our intellectual freedom, but on our children’s as well.

​ If knowledge is power, then we must stay vigilant to ensure that we  have access to the knowledge and ideas contained within the pages of books.

Even if that knowledge is just learning to recognize colors and animals….

Banned Books Week
​Celebrating the freedom to read: September 27th to October 3rd, 2015
For more information: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org

In honor of Banned Books Week, every night this week, my daughter Olivia (age 3) and I are going to celebrate our intellectual freedom by reading a frequently banned or challenged book at bedtime to see if we can get to the bottom of what all the fuss is about. 

Our first selection was In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak.

It ranked 25th place on the "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000" list compiled by the American Library Association primarily because of it's depiction of the protagonist, a toddler named Mickey, in the nude.

Over the years some librarians took it upon themselves to paint a diaper on Mickey, while others felt burning the book itself was a more effective form of censorship.

The book, a 1971 Caldecott recipient, is a beautifully illustrated fantasy that is perfect for ushering your little ones off into dreamland. Inspired by the Little Nemo comic strips of the early 20th Century and Sendak's fascination with Disney and Mickey Mouse in particular, the format is similar to that of a comic book, using sequential art and speech balloons to tell the story of Mickey's dreamy adventures in the Night Kitchen.

​So the question is, is this book appropriate for children? 

Absolutely.

Anyone too uptight to share this book with their child based on mild nudity is depriving them of the experience of  a truly wonderful work of art. My daughter thought it was "a really great book" and she was fascinated by the vibrant illustrations that jumped off the page and drew her into the magical world of Mickey's imagination.

You can watch animator Gene Deitch's faithful 1987 adaptation here:

Yes, Mickey is shown naked, including (GASP!) his penis, but his anatomy is depicted tastefully and discreetly. In fact, while reading the book last night, Olivia did not even seem to notice it. And even if she had, it would have been an opportunity for us to discuss the difference between girls and boys, not something to be embarrassed about or shy away from.  

Some extremists have even suggested that the milky white imagery and so-called "phallic" milk jug represent a manifestation of Sendak's homosexuality. But in my opinion, there is nothing inherently sexual here, and any adults who perceive such overtones are certainly projecting them on it themselves. 

And as far as a young child's interpretation of the book, who can relate to the fun of running around naked more than a toddler? My daughter is three and she thinks being naked is hysterical.

In fact she's probably at home doing "The Naked Dance" right now. 

Banned Books Week
​Celebrating the freedom to read: September 27th to October 3rd, 2015
For more information: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org

With the release of “I Put a Spell On You” in 1956, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins effectively invented the concept of “shock rock”.  Rock and roll was still in its infancy and Screamin' Jay was already upsetting the status quo with a stage show steeped in occult imagery, and sexually charged vocals which ranged from guttural, inhuman growls to screams that sounded as if they were echoing from the bowels of hell.

Originally intended as a tender love ballad, legend has it that Hawkins was blackout drunk when he went into the studio and bellowed out that immortal first take of“I Put a Spell on You”. As a result, the song was transformed into a searing testimony to unrequited love gone wrong, loaded with bad intentions, and dripping with testosterone-fueled swamp magic. Jay later admitted that he had to re-learn the song from that original recording in order to perform it in concert because he literally had no recollection of doing it..

If the parents of teens in the 1950’s were concerned that rock and roll was the devil’s music, Screamin’ Jay certainly seemed to support their case. By cavorting on stage with a bone through his nose and displaying his lust through a series of animalistic grunts and groans, he subverted white America’s black stereotypes by embracing them. And in doing so, he brought their worst nightmares to life.

Although subsequent cover versions were hits, Screamin' Jay’s own version of “I Put a Spell on You” never actually made the charts. But his impact on the history of rock and roll is undeniable. His influence can be seen in the generations of countless “shock” rockers who followed in his footsteps and who valued macabre theatrics just as much (if not more) than the music they performed.

Throughout the 60’s and 70’s, Screamin’ Jay continued to tour and record new music but he never came close to matching the success of his debut single. By the time the 80’s rolled around, he was an all-but-forgotten relic of a bygone era and “I Put a Spell On You” had been relegated to the status of Halloween novelty song.

Then, in 1984, he experienced a brief renaissance after a young, indie filmmaker named Jim Jarmusch featured “I Put  A Spell On You” prominently in the soundtrack of his first major work, Stranger Than Paradise. The film briefly revived a cult interest in Hawkins which led to a string of live performances that included a stint as the opening act for Nick Cave in 1986. You can read NME’s interview with Screamin’ Jay from that tour here. It’s clear from the article that Hawkins was not afraid to speak his mind and was just as much of a character off stage as he was on.

But, the highlight of this short-lived revival was a 4-song set sitting in with New York’s garage/psych torchbearers, The Fuzztones, on December 19th, 1984 at Irving Plaza, NYC. The following year Midnight Records released a 12” EP documenting the show titled, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and The Fuzztones: Live. Long out of print, it can be found online if you’re willing to do some digging.

Reviews of the show were generally favorable, and with good reason. Amazingly, Screamin’ Jay’s voice sounds just as fearsome and earth shattering as it had thirty years earlier. And it is clear from this grainy video footage of the show that he hadn't lost a step when it came to campy stage theatrics either.  Also, I'm pretty sure he uses the term "fur burger" in this clip which includes a few minutes of stage banter before "I Put a Spell On You" that was edited out of the official release. 

The Fuzztones are firing on all cylinders here as well, obviously excited to be backing one of their heroes. They were a band eager to shake off their critics assertions that they were nothing more than a top notch bar band playing music that no longer mattered, just as Hawkins was eager to prove that he could still be relevant in this cynical, modern era. The magic combination of an underdog retro rock band, and an aging bluesman, desperate to escape obscurity, brought out the best in everyone involved. A similar pairing would prove to be just as fruitful for R.L. Burnside and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion twelve years later.

The album starts with one of the Fuzztones  introducing Screamin' Jay as an "old friend" he ran into "down in the swamp last night" who was '"gnawin' on a human leg bone". The audience welcomes him politely, but it seems that many of them are unaware of the spectacle they are about to witness. After Hawkins takes the stage they  lurch into a searing version of his 1958 single, "Alligator Wine", a plodding, shout-along, blues number in the vein of  Muddy Waters’ "Mannish Boy". The song recounts the recipe, and nefarious uses, for the eponymous beverage whose ingredients include alligator blood, fish eyes and swamp water. Hawkins also manages to slip in a reference to AIDS towards the end of the song that shows his instinct to shock was still fully intact and in touch with current events.

Next up is “I Put a Spell on You” with The Fuzztones psych-rock groove takes the song to another dimension as Screamin’ Jay furiously howls into the cosmic abyss.

By this time the crowd is eating out of Hawkins' hands. He takes a moment to acknowledge the band with whom he is obviously impressed. He explains to the audience that they "ain't even started yet” and lecherously describes their intentions to “touch parts of  you that's never been touched”. 

Hilariously, he follows this sexually charged rap with a surprisingly earnest performance of an original Christmas song, “It’s That Time Again” which he describes in the intro as “kinda a rockin', funky little thing”.

Even more hilariously, they close the set with an inspired rendition of 1969’s “Constipation Blues”, complete with some of Jay’s signature vocal improvisations that simulate the sounds of a man struggling with title’s harrowing condition. This performance gives new meaning to the concept of scat singing.

As the recording ends, the club's MC seems keenly aware that he and the crowd have just witnessed something special. He displays a genuine reverence in his voice for Screamin' Jay, repeatedly saying "What a voice" as he comes to the stage. Amusingly, the host almost seems surprised at how well The Fuzztones  played as he describes them as having done a "very capable job on the backup".

That night, the unlikely union of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and The Fuzztones tapped into that primal essence of rhythm and blues music that has the ability to stir the soul in dark and mysterious ways. And even if it was only for a few fleeting moments, they used that mojo to break through the surface of the synthesized, robotic sheen of popular music to reveal the blood and guts of rock and roll beneath . 

As Halloween draws near, I thought I would take some time over the next few weeks to delve into my collection and take a closer look at some classic horror-themed music from over the years.

Where better to start  a focus on Halloween music, than with a track from everyone’s favorite costume wearing, non sequitur spitting, horror-obsessed MC, Kool Keith? A founding member of  the seminal 80’s hip-hop crew the Ultramagnetic MC’s, Keith has become infamous for his use of horrific lyrics and his penchant for constantly reinventing himself with bizarre new personas over the years.

And although all of these personalities have their own unique traits, there is an undercurrent of  horror imagery that runs throughout his many incarnations. Whether it’s the psychedelic sci-fi horror of Dr.Octagon or the grisly lifestyle of urban mass murderer Dr. Dooom, it’s clear that Keith has an affinity for the genre.

In 1999, he released his third solo album, First Come First Served under the alias Dr. Dooom which was commonly regarded as a backlash to the unwanted attention he received from the white, indie rock crowd after the release of his first album, 1996’s Dr. Octagonecologyst under the name Dr. Octagon. 

There is a definite shift on this album away from tone and style from Octagon, which was a trippy, atmospheric work filled with dark, absurdist imagery and spaced-out scatalogical humor.

In contrast, First Come First Served was firmly grounded in gritty “reality” of the streets as typically depicted in 90’s gangsta rap, but with a twist. These were tales from the hood told from the point of view of Dr. Dooom, a trash talking “gangsta rapper” who also happened to be a cannibalistic serial killer who would not only murder, but also dismember and eat, anyone he had beef with. It is often interpreted as a satire of late 90’s hip-hop evidenced by Keith’s subversion of the standard gangsta rap structure including the album cover which parodies Pen & Pixel Graphics work for No Limit Records.

One of the albums signature tracks, "Apartment. 223", describes Dooom’s abode, a projects apartment, strewn with body parts in various states of storage and consumption as well as the various bizarre means by which he would dispatch of his victims and and prepare them as food.  Many of the details here echoed those of the Jeffrey Dahmer case which had gripped the nation less than a decade before.

To anyone familiar with the song, one of the most memorable parts is the hook, which consists of Dooom shouting “Apartment 223” followed by a eerie sample of legendary genre actor Peter Lorre saying “I’m very hungry,” repeated three times. Though by no means a “pop” song, you’d be hard pressed to not find the simplistic chorus stuck in your head after a few listens..

The song ends with another sample of Lorre saying,

“You look surprised...
You do not see anything on the table? (Chairs
Squeak against floor) Well wait until I get the box....”

NSFW:

I was always curious as to the source of these Lorre samples whenever I listened to the song, though admittedly I never put any real effort into investigating it. Then, a few years ago,  I stumbled upon the source while listening to Drop Dead!: An Exercise in Horror, a 1962 spoken-word horror album written and produced by Arch Oboler. By the early 1960’s Oboler was known primarily for his work in film, but he had pioneered horror and suspense in the theater of the mind on the old-time radio show Lights Out in the 1930’s and 40’s.

Turns out the sample is from a Psycho inspired piece on the LP called “I’m Hungry”. Performed by Lorre, it’s told from the perspective of a peculiar man who is talking to a female dinner guest. In the course of the conversation the narrator repeatedly states how hungry he is as he proceeds to take out a box, remove the head of a “pretty young girl” and cut into it with his “special saw” to get to her brains which he apparently finds delicious. Lorre’s performance is chilling. In under three minutes he is able to create a gruesome sense of dread that remains with you long after the record is over.

The first time I heard Lorre say “I’m very hungry” in it’s original context, I was immediately hit with a wave of recognition that filled me with nerdy glee as I realized that Keith and I both appeared to be fans of the same obscure 1960’s horror record. Since both works share a common theme, Lorre’s line is a perfect sample for the song and it’s clear that Keith was inspired by Oboler’s “psycho type” horror.

When you look back over his career, and his overall creative output, it’s easy to picture a young Kool Keith growing up in the Bronx taking in a steady diet of spooky records and monsters movies in addition to the real-life horrors of life on the street that were unfolding outside his window. It was the culmination of these elements that eventually led Keith to the creation of Dr. Dooom and in turn, the horrorcore classic, First Come, First Served.

For more info on Kool Keith, check out his official website: http://www.ultrakeith.net/

A few weeks ago a friend tagged me in a Facebook meme challenging me to name ten books that have “stayed with me” after reading them. One of the ten books I listed was Jeff Smith’s sprawling fantasy series, Bone.  

If you’re not “in the know”, Bone is an “all ages” graphic novel which tells the story of the three cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, who after being outcast from their home of Boneville  embark on an epic adventure where they encounter a myriad of people and creatures as they find themselves unlikely heroes who attempt to save the world from a race of evil rat creatures and their master, the Lord of Locusts. 

Although the three main characters look as if they stepped off the pages of the Sunday Funnies, do not be fooled.  Yes, there is a lot of humor to be found here, but the story is much deeper than you would expect with drama and character development on par with Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings trilogy.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys graphic novels, fantasy, or just great writing. 

The true brilliance of Bone is that it tells a story complex and engaging enough for adults while still remaining completely accessible to grade school age children. The internet is full of parents and kids alike praising the merits of Bone and crediting Jeff Smith with sparking their love of reading.  Personally, I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to be introduced this classic.

So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that this series of books, which has introduced countless kids to the joy of reading, was named among the top ten most banned books of 2013.

Wait, what?

So, in honor of Banned Books Week, I thought I would take a few minutes to defend, and endorse, what is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of modern storytelling. This is especially fitting since BBW is focusing on the graphic novels this year.

The chief complaints from parents who have challenged the series is that it ”promotes drinking, smoking, and gambling” and because of  “political viewpoint, racism,  violence and horror”.

Yes, some of the characters in Bone do drink, smoke and gamble. But it should be noted that the characters who do indulge in these vices are typically depicted as being buffoonish and are in not intended to be “role models”.  

I have got some news for these parents, people in the real world smoke, drink and gamble too. And your kids are going to be exposed to it whether you like it or not. Why not take this opportunity to have an open discussion with your children about these things and explain to them how and why these habits can be harmful? 

The accusations of “political viewpoint” and “racism” are laughable. There are a variety of different creatures in the world of Bone that the cousins encounter along their journey. And Smith does indeed touch on the ways that these races coexists within that world, but he does so in a thoughtful and respectful way that mirrors the reality of our own society. 

Again, this would be a great opportunity for a discussion with you kids about how the real world works. Perhaps if we start having open and honest discussions with our children about how people of different races or beliefs interact we might actually be able to evolve our society out of this quagmire of prejudice and knee-jerk left/right politics we find ourselves in now.

As far as "violence and horror' goes, there is nothing in Bone beyond the level of what you would find in any Disney movie. The rat creatures are kinda creepy though...

This is why Banned Book Week is so important. It shines a light on the root cause of much of the world’s turmoil, ignorance.  Too many people out there would rather shelter their kids from the real world instead of preparing them for it. Give your kids some credit. You might find that they are smarter that you think. If you assume that you children are "not ready" to handle certain topics, you are ensuring that they never will be.  

Books can and should inspire discussions about controversial issues because in case you haven’t noticed, the world is full of them.   

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. For more info check out http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/.

For  information on Jeff Smith and his work go to http://www.boneville.com/.

In 1996, Beck was asked to contribute a track to Los Angeles radio station, KROQ's annual Christmas tape and he submitted this trippy slice of Hebrew hip-hop. The following year it was released on the Geffen Records Christmas compilation, Just Say Noël.

This song was in many ways a precursor to 1999’s Midnight Vultures as many of the “robot funk” elements and themes of extravagant living explored on that album can be found here.

So, spark up your Menorah, kick back, and feel the funk of "The Little Drum Machine Boy"...

Beck is headlining the XPoNential Music Festival this Sunday  in Camden, NJ.

Since yesterday's post about Beck's lost BBC sessions was so well received, I figured I would continue the countdown to his headlining set at the XPoNential Music Festival on Sunday with some more Beck related history.

Here’s a throwback to what may or may not be Beck’s first television appearance on a short-lived Australian late-night show hosted by popular Aussie comedian Andrew Denton. 

The clip features an amazing  live performance of “Beercan”, the third single released from Beck’s major label debut, Mellow Gold followed by an impromptu cover of Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot".

After releasing the subdued,  acoustic number, “Pay No Mind (Snoozer)” as his second single, “Beercan” was a return to the goofy folk-rap of Beck’s mega-hit “Loser”. Although both are great songs, neither managed to match the impact of his debut. 

This early live clip shows a very young Beck, backed by an incredibly tight live band, blazing through a high energy performance of the slacker party anthem. The drummer in particular is killing it here. I don’t know who that guy is, but he sure knows how to rock a beat.

After the performance, Denton greets Beck on the stage and asks if it’s true that this is his first television appearance and a dazed (possibly stoned?) Beck responds with a confused non-answer. He then participates in one of the show’s recurring bits which challenged musical guests to perform a song on the spot randomly chosen from a barrel full of well-known hits. The song he is assigned is Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot". 

Beck’s response when asked if he was up for the challenge is priceless.

To close out the show, Beck deconstructs the ‘80s hit as only he can, with the familiar guitar hook quickly dissolving into wall of feedback and distortion. 

Crack open a Foster's oil can and enjoy!