Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site aluxe.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!aluxe!jmd
From: jmd@aluxe.UUCP (Joseph M. Dakes, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, Pa.)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Heavy Metal (Daze)
Message-ID: <562@aluxe.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 11:24:27 EST
Article-I.D.: aluxe.562
Posted: Tue Dec 18 11:24:27 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 19-Dec-84 02:24:47 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Allentown, PA
Lines: 48


> Let's put the ball in the headbangers' court.  How do you distinguish the
> kind of music you like from the kind put out by the Who, Led Zeppelin, Rush,
> Van Halen, or Queen (in some of their incarnations, anyway)?  Or would you
> include any of these bands in the heavy metal area?
> 
> 						Jim Tubman
> 						University of Waterloo

First off, the music I enjoy includes Led Zep, Rush, Van Halen and early Queen.
Sorry but, I can't stand the Who.  (No flames, please)  I would not label any
of these bands "Heavy Metal" with the possible exception of early Van Halen.
I would consider these to be good old rock-n-roll bands.  Bands that I enjoy
which I label "HM" include Accept, Dio, IronMaiden, Judas Priest and Saxon just
to name a few.  The reason I would label these bands "HM" are heavy (upbeat)
rhythm, screaming lead guitar, tight solid beat (double bass drums) and image.
Judas Priest is probably the epitome of a "HM" band.  Two excellent guitarists
equipped with walls of Marshall stacks, thundering bass and drums, a frontman
who generates a lot of excitement in the audience, laser lights, lots of leather
and chains and a Harley.  Their stage presence is absolutely awesome.

> perhaps the level of lyrical and thematic sophistication is another hallmark
> of a true heavy metal band -- loud guitars are not enough; the ideas must be
> accessable to a young [should I say "unsophisticated"?] audience.  (And some
> of the audience is *really* young; the eight-year-olds I see in record
> stores are exclusively interested in the Ozzy Osborne/Twisted Sister type of
> stuff.)

I don't know what you mean by unsophisticated lyrical and thematic ideas but,
listen to some of the lyrics written by Ronnie James Dio (formerly of Sabbath 
and Rainbow) or Bruce Dickinson (IronMaiden).  Most of their lyrics deal with
sorcery, mythology and their own views of popular novels and movies.  Sure some
songs deal with simplistic ideas such as fast cars, fast women and other fun
adventures but that's what music is supposed to be anyway - FUN.  All bands use
some unsophisticated lyrics.  As a Who fan you should be familiar with "Boris
the Spider."  The satanic overtones associated with "HM" is just Jerry Fallwell
media hype.  IronMaiden's "Number of the Beast" quotes right from Revelations. 
People read and quote from the New Testament everyday but set it to music and 
right away you get a bad reputation.  Another band that took some slack for
their alleged satanic overtones is Motley Crue for their album "Shout at the
Devil."  That's shout at not shout with.  I suspect the reason that *really*
young people are interested in Twisted Osborne memorabilia is the same reason
their interested in anything - radio air play and television.

							Joseph M. Dakes
							AT&T Bell Laboratories
							Reading, PA
							aluxe!jmd