Sunday, May 09, 2010

Moms: Don't let your kids listen to Throbbing Gristle unsupervised

"Bristling with references to abnormal psychology, avant-garde literature and the margins of performance art, Throbbing Gristle were low on form but high on content; each record was a virus of subcultural info animating a musical host."
- Drew Daniel, "33 1/3: 20 Jazz Funk Greats"

I am reading DREW DANIEL'S book in the 33 1/3 series of album essays. The Johns Hopkins University English teacher and member of the electronic group MATMOS wrote about the seminal electronic group, THROBBING GRISTLE -- pioneers of "industrial music."

Since I am reading the book, I decided to listen to "20 JAZZ FUNK GREATS" -- Throbbing Gristle's acclaimed third album -- while driving around yesterday. I worked a Noon to 9 p.m. shift, covering a college graduation for the newspaper.

Here is what happened:

1. Driving to work, the song "Beachy Head" (named for the coastal-cliff suicide spot featured on the album cover) bewitched me to the point that I DROVE RIGHT THROUGH A RED LIGHT. Thank goodness the streets were deserted!

2. Driving to and from my assignment, I was lulled into a false sense of serenity by the catchy, nearly pop songs "Convincing People" and "Hot on the Heels of Love."

3. Driving home in the darkness, I was listening to the sinister song "Persuasion" (a first-person song about a pervert who collects underpants) that I began to think THE CAR WEAVING BETWEEN LANES BEHIND ME -- was he drunk? -- was deliberately following me.
Even when I took the "long" way home, along an at-that-time-of-night empty stretch of road alongside industrial buildings, this weaving pair of headlights followed my car.

A couple quick turns opened some space between my car and the suspected (imagined?) follower, and I took two additional side streets to arrive home.

All the while, "Persuasion" is persuading me that I'm featured in the scene of some slasher movie.

So there you have it, moms, this year's MOTHER'S DAY advice from ROUTE 1:

Don't let your children listen to Throbbing Gristle unless properly supervised.

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