B**g Like A Beast

Wow! So much has happened since my last post and it’s barely been a week. Gerald Ford passed away; the nation is mourning James Brown; and, of course, Saddam Hussein’s execution last night (eastern time). Events are piling up on us at the end of this year. And 2007 is just around the corner. Could be a year of major changes for me; I hope they’re for the good, and I hope the new year brings positive things for you as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With that all said, it’s good to be back. I missed the blogging, although it got a little tiresome doing it even five days in a row. I’ve got to hand it to those who post stuff nearly every day. I’d burn out pretty quick.

I thought I’d dive right back into the vinyl with those masters of messy metal, WASP. I don’t have the time, space, or inclination to get into their entire history, but you can read all about the band in its Wiki entry, or at the band’s own site, WASP Nation. Suffice to say they came from L.A. in the mid-80’s, and, as SleazeRoxx writes, took “perversion to an all new level. Band leader Blackie Lawless took equal amounts of Alice Cooper and Kiss to craft his own brand of shock rock, managing to land his band on the infamous P.M.R.C.'s "Filthy Fifteen" list with the sexually charged "Animal (F**k Like A Beast)".

WASP is still around, and is working on an album tentatively called Dominator, which they plan to release in 2007.

Some miscellaneous WASP trivia to brighten your day:
-- Blackie was born Steven Duren on September 4 1956. His uncle is Ryne Duren a professional baseball player. A young Steven considered becoming a pro ball player and even played in the minor leagues
-- Some people believe the initials W.A.S.P. stand for "We Are Sexual Perverts" or "We Are Satan's People" or even "We Are Satan's Preachers". "We Are Sexual Perverts" is inscribed on their first album into the vinyl next to the label. When asked, Blackie normally doesn't give a straight answer; in one interview, he answered "We Ain't Sure, Pal".
-- Blackie can be seen in the movie This is Spinal Tap; he is in a mock Spinal Tap greatest hits commercial presented by "Heavy Metal Memories."

I Wanna Be Somebody.mp3 W.A.S.P. (1984)
Animal (F**k Like a Beast).mp3 12” single (1985)
Blind in Texas.mp3 The Last Command (1985)
Easy Living.mp3 Inside the Electric Circus (1986)

posted by aikin @ 10:28 AM