Shock Value; Were they ready for this ?
Article #136 June 2022
By: RLSchwinden aka MrZerr0
Like my friend Franko says: “Rock N Roll should not be safe, it needs to be dangerous to be authentic”
So I opened Mr. Zer0’s 55113 Roseville, back in April 2009 (you can look that up, naysayers) because I love music & movies to a lesser extent toys, and music is ALL I have done my Whole Life, in fact my Mom (Carol) worked in the Record Dept of Kreske’s Dept Store in Sioux City, Iowa before I was born! In our past 13 years of Retail Business, we have had some Great Customers come and go (unfortunately some not-so-great), recently 2 of our usual regulars “Brandon & Tomas” were in shopping, purchasing some Marilyn Manson merchandise, and they asked “So Zerr0 what do you think of Marilyn Manson?” Me, “Well, I have a few thoughts and stories on that band and him, actually” as we all were talking about Manson, Tomas offered “yea, kinda like Elvis was in the 50’s huh?” I was surprised, as I had not thought about that before, because it was completely true. So here are some thoughts I shared with Brandon and Tomas that day.
*Elvis: 1935 – 1977: 8 January 1935; Tupelo, Miss. RIP: 16 August 1977.
With 108 Billboard Hits and releasing well over 50 Albums, some 28 EPs, a whopping 117 Singles and 35 Movies & TV Shows. His last concert was in the Twin Cities 30 April 1977 St. Paul, and his first appearance was 13 May 1956 in St. Paul. Elvis released his first 45 Single in July 1954.
So here we have a young white boy who can sing like a black man in the deep South where segregation is still enforced. Where Country & Western, Vocal and Big Band music is on the radio, he dyes his hair blue black and girates like no one before him. This young man had half of the country afraid of him, so much so much so the rumor is J. Edgar Hoover, had Elvis drafted into the US Military from 1960 to 1962 to keep him out of the public eye and releasing any more “Race Music” records, paving the way for the “Safe” young teenage crooners. Now that’s dangerous. Now my Mom and youngest sister Carrie were Elvis fans, me, not so much as I really loved the years 1965 – 1969 for the music and art, everything. Although I must admit in the 90s I went through a “50s” phase whereupon I got into Elvis and began to appreciate what he brought to Rock n Roll and the Music Industry. I saw his daughter Lisa Marie in concert on 13 Aug 2003 in MPLS.
*Beatles: 1962 – 1970: Liverpool, England.
The band had 34 Hits on the Billboard Charts, releasing 29 Albums, 27 EPs, 46 Singles and 5 Films.
The only time they played the Twin Cities was 21 Aug 1965 in Bloomington, MN.
Now president Kennedy was assassinated on 23 Nov 1963, the USA was in turmoil when a guitar group from the UK appeared on American TV, on the Ed Sullivan Show on 9 Feb 1964. There had been nothing like before, 4 young men wearing long hair like girls, and the timing was just right, Americans, specifically teenage girls embraced the band, however their detractors viewed them as nothing short of communists. Until they ran into trouble in the South for making a statement that in the UK, “The Beatles were more popular than Jesus”. They seemed to recover as just last week a young 7 year old boy “Myles” bought several Beatles and Elvis items. Myself, I was introduced to The Beatles by my Aunt Debby K. she would play Beatles and Dave Clark 5 single 45 records on her recordplayer for me when when I was about 10 or 11 months old.
*New York Dolls: 1971 – 1976: New York City, NY
They released 6 Albums, 5 Singles.
Their last appearance in the Twin Cities was 24 June 2011; MPLS. and their first appearance 1 Sept 1974 St. Paul.
Now admittedly, nowhere near the popularity of the first two I mentioned, they were insanely popular and well copied by their peers in the New York area, many other bands tried to emulate them such as “Harlots Of 42nd Street” “The Brats” “Twisted Sister” “KISS” “Lugar” “Street Punk” “Planets” “Teenage Lust” but no one could top the original “New York Dolls” though most of these bands sounded like un-polished Rolling Stones clones, they all had the same repulsive look; young men dressed in women’s type clothes. Let the insults fly. towards the end the Dolls went so far as to fly the Russian Flag as a backdrop of their shows. they said at the time “You can be gay you can be a cross-dresser, but you better not be a communust, in this day and age” How I found out about the New York Dolls, my buddie Eric DeW. introduced me to them when I was telling him I wanted to do something like “Motley Crue” but not exactly.
*Kiss: 1973 – Still going: New York City, NY.
With 26 songs on the Billboard Charts, from 60 Singles and 33 Albums.
The band’s last concert in the Twin Cities was on24 Feb 2020 MPLS, and their first appearance was on 19 May 1975 St. Paul.
Ok, dressing like women is now, not enough, NOW we have a Demon, an Alien, and 2 other guys in makeup and platform shoes. And the one guy vomits blood and breathes fire, the other one sets his guitar on fire and the other guy breaks his guitar on stage, what are we coming to? My Catholic Church Newspaper for St. Jude wrote an article about them in 1977 in Jackson, MIssissippi, discussing their songs “Calling Dr. Love” “God Of Thunder” “Detroit Rock City” “Love Em And Leave Em” “(meet me in the ) Ladies Room” how could anyone like these macho, arrogant, misogynist clowns who dress like this? Me, it was my neighbor Jimmy S. who played “Sweet Pain” for me, I absolutely LOVED the sound of Gene $immons voice, I saw the album cover (Destroyer) and I was hooked. I have portrayed the StarChild in KISSin Time (KISS Tribute) since 2013. You can see us Alive for 3 Shows …
KISSin Time: Alive
3 July 2022 Sat 9pm
Hinckley, MN. 55037
@ Rival House
Call; 320. 384. 7771 for ALL Info
*Sex Pistols: 1975 – 1978: London, England.
Not here but 9 Hits “In The UK” from 9 Singles and 2 Albums.
So we go from slick, pretty polished and over the top, to unkept, unwashed and disgusting, which would not even stand out by today’s standards, short songs not performed very well, harking back to the New York Dolls times. Most people hated them just because of the way they looked, and that is exactly why the youth loved them, their parents hated them, even though those parents loved Elvis & The Beatles! I found out about the “sex Pistols” in some “Creem” maginze I bught on KISS, I took an close look at them and thought “That guy has bugers in his nose … Who could possibly think that is cool?” I never listened to them back in the day, I thought why. But in 1987 a year after the “Sid And Nancy” film was released I thought “What is all the hubbub about?” I didn’t find it that offensive, nor that great …. In recent years I have found their music ok, I guess …. I believe “Dead Kennedys” were just a “Sex Pistols” clone.
*Public Enemy: 1985 Long Island, NY. Still active.
They have 10 Songs on the Billboard Charts, from 41 Singles, 17 Albums & 4 Vhs- DVDs.
Their last concert here in the Twin Cities was on 30 May 2013, and their 1st appearance was on 12 Dec 1988 MPLS.
Now I had been in the “Record Biz” (at that time it Really was the CASSETTE Biz) for just over a year when the 1st “Public Enemy” Cassette was released, it was a very different time, cassettes had taken over music sales from records as far back as Summer 1984. Here was the Black Guys from New York rappin about their distain for “Whitey” but yet on the Westside of Des Moines, it was young white boys buying their cassettes, heck a regular customer of our Bill S. wore a huge clock around his neck like Flavo Fav. I am sure there were many who felt threatened by this music. I met Chuck & Fav at a costume part in L.A. Sept ’94. I went a s “Ace Frehley” Chuck said to me “Hey Paul” I replied “Right band, but wrong guy” which I thought was odd, as Chuck confessed he was a KISS fan himself. Many years later in 2006, I was working with a guy (Nofarius) Garius, and he used to play their CDs after we closed. I found after a few plays I rather enjoyed this group.
*Marilyn Manson: 1989 Fort Lauderdale, FL. still out there.
Surprisingly they have 17 Hits from 33 Singles, 14 Albums, 6 VHS & DVDs
Their last show here was on 31 Jan 2018 Maplewood and their first concert here was on 1 June 1994 MPLS.
I had been working for Wherehouse Ent. on the Southside of Des Moines for about a year when in the summertime really young kids started coming asking for this “Marilyn Manson” my store had not gotten an allocation of the CD yet, so we were unsure what they were asking for. So I ordered it in. Upon arrival I had the same reaction to the cover as I did the first time I saw a photo of the Sex Pistols “Who would wnat this S***?” So we put it on … WOW, what the H*** is this, it’s just a bunch of noise and not very musical, at all, it sounds more like a few chainsaws and some drums …. well I had seen and heard it all before, “How can we upset people?” like the band covering a Patty Smith song … (look it up) my friend Darin M. played that one for me. About early 2003 I read Mason’s autobiography then their new CD was released “Golden age of Grotesque Burlesque” and I thought “Wow, this CD is really good” so I went back and checked out his previous catalog. SOme of it was ok, I found if a person was pissed off enough they could really get into this music! I met Manson in Nov 2004 in MPLS and their Drummer Ginger Fish in Aug 2003, I was taken aback, how mellow both were. Showbiz.
*Slipknot: 1995; Des Moines, Iowa – Still Going
Shockingly they have 18 Hits from 25 Singles 10 Albums 5 VHS & DVDs
Their last concert was just recently 9 April 2022in MPLS, and their 1st appearance was on 3 May 1999 in MPLS.
I was born in Sioux City, lived in Jackson, MISS. for several years then back to Sioux City, from there I moved to Phoenix, then Minn. then to Des Moines for about 15 years. On Slipknot, I watched them develop and rise to fame as I lived about a mile up the street from Shaun Crahan’s club “Hairy Mary’s” on 23rd and University in Draketown Des Moines, Iowa, where “The Pale Ones” was the house band when they did not have another band booked, some nights we walked down the to check things out, I remember my former band mate Tim F.’s band “DREDGE” played there a few times. I knew Corey Taylor from hanging out in my “RecordShop” in S. Des Moines, had known Jim Root the longest as he hung out in my W. Des Moines, “RecordShop” Mick Thompson worked at “Ye Olde Guitar Shoppe” where I purchased a few Vintage Gibson’s from and I bought my strings from Mick. To entertain myself I used to make up imaginary bands like “Children From Hell” and “Plann B” one time in 1996 I envisioned a band with 3 drummers and a Bassoon player/Vocalist. My co-worker Todd M. of “Joker’s Poem” told me “too late Slipknot has 3 drummers now” well, the band disappeared for awhile, when they emerged they had the masks and matching suits, and music that to me sounded more like a battlefield from an old WW2 film. Well they became internationally famous as you know.
So in conclusion, I feel it has everything to do with “Shock Value” and timing, as to top the last most outrageous band (thing), being one of the disenfranchised outcasts in school, and there are many of us out there, we are looking for something to grab onto, something to call our own and unite us with a sense of purpose and identity, a common bond with others who feel the way we do. Sure there were many more, other bands and artists I did not cover here, as I focused on the ones I felt made the biggest impact with the most and longest success. Since I’ve been in the Biz one way or another since 1982 with the 1st band I was in “Palace Guard” with Eric & Pat. As always I welcome any input, comments, and thoughts, as this is just my opinion from my experiences and point of view.
So check in next time ….MrZerr0
Tune into my Radio Show “PsychoGello Show” *Est. 2017
on Radio WDGY 740AM, Streaming, FM: 92.1, 103.7, 107.1: Sundays 7:30am. (past 90 Episodes @ www.MrZeroS.Com -Podcast)
Where I have covered many of the artists I have discussed here.
Brought to you BY:
Mr. Zer0’s
1744 Lexington Ave. N.
Roseville, MN. 55113
Where “Nerd Is The Word”
They $ELL:
Classic Music
Retro Toys
Vintage Video Games
And Movies too ….
Recent Comments