My premier post on Prospect magazine's First Drafts blog. (Awaits collective CiF-style rumination as to whether it's a *proper* blog or not.) Thanks to James Crabtree for the invite. Probably NSFW, by the way:
Before they soundtracked the fall of Communism with the sappy power ballad Wind of Change, the German rock band Scorpions were probably best known for their album covers, which pushed the boundaries of adolescent “ooh-aren’t-I-outrageous?” tedium even by the remarkable standards of European heavy metal...
For full metal mullets and non-ironic lighters aloft, follow this link.
PS: And for a bit of kiddie-porn hysteria that makes the above look entirely sensible, go here.
12 comments:
Isn't it all about maximising the shock thereby creating the controversy and increasing the album sales? Or am I missing something?
And shouldn't something be done about Blind Faith?
Perhaps Bruce Dickinson should be arrested for suggesting that we bring our daughters to the slaughter.
Obviously a kiddie fiddler.
I always had the idea that Bruce Dickinson suggested bringing your daughter to the slaughter so she would be repelled and would become a vegetarian.
You're right, DH. The Scorpions could have paid for this. And as for Blind Faith, maybe the censors are working backwards through the alphabet.
Garfer/Billy: Wasn't Dickinson just going for an easy rhyme? The first draft was called 'Bring Your Niece To Dumfries'.
Hrm. I do actually have two Scorpions songs on my iTunes. I suppose I should be embarrassed and disavow them, but I actually like them both.
One thing that iTunes has done is rather de-emphasized album artwork. Though I've had some periods of mourning for this, the work was really already started by the CD format, and I have a feeling that controversial album art is becoming a thing of the past. It's just too small -- you can't make out much on a 2" square in the corner of your screen.
Do you remember when the Bow Wow Wow cover of a 17-year-old Annabella Lwin caused a big brouhaha?
Actually, Valerie, she was only 15. I presume that one's next on the list.
dammmit, dh made the blind faith reference before i could.
Sorry First Nations. I think Led Zep's 'Houses of the Holy' is still available if you're quick.
You're right, Tim -- just looked it up. And you're probably right that it's next on the list... sigh.
...and of the three, I think the Bow Wow Wow record is my favourite. Heresy, I know.
Not really. I might prefer the Led Zep, actually, but my husband is a big Bow Wow Wow fan. I can't disagree that McLaren's a bit of a genius at musical cookery. (Pretty fond of his Paris album, too.)
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