...in the first of an occasional series, "it's what LESTER would have WANTED", inspired by the writings of a certain LESTER BANGS, we present MetalMachineMusic!!!, over to you, Lou...
"...if a kid saw the cover where i'm standin' with a microphone and said, "wow, a live album!", they'd say "what a RIPOFF!". What they (rca) shoulda had was a DISCLAIMER that said before you buy it, listen to it for two minutes, because you're not going to like it, and i said in the liner notes you're not going to like it"
...and here's the inspirational BANGS himself, TAKE IT AWAY, LESTER...
..."In case you just got here, or think metal machine music refers to something in the neighborhood of Bad Company, let me briefly explain that what we have here is a one-hour two-record set of nothing, absolutely nothing, but screaming feedback noise recorded at various frequencies, played back against various other noise layers, split down the middle into two totally seperate channels of utterly inhuman shrieks and hisses, and sold to an audience that was, to put it as mildly as possible, unprepared for it. Because sentient humans simply find it impossible not to vacate any room where it is playing. With certain isolated exceptions: mutants, mental patients, shriek freaks, masochists, sadists, amphetamine addicts, hate buffs, drug-numbed wierdos too walled off by chemicals to feel anything, other people whose nervous systems are already so bent out of shape that it sounds perfectly acceptable, the last category possibly including the author of this article, who likes metal machine music so much that he acquired (did not buy) an 8 track rca cartridge so that he can listen to it in his car.
1. If you ever thought feedback was the best thing that ever happened to the guitar, well, Lou just got rid of the guitars.
2. I realize that any idiot with the equipment could have made this album, including me, you or Lou. That's one of the main reasons I like it so much. As with the Godz and Tangerine Dream, not only does it bring you closer to the artist, but someday, god willing, I may get to do my own Metal Machine Music. It's all folk music, anyway.
3. When you wake up in the morning with the worst hangover of your life, Metal Machine Music is the best medicine. Because when you first arise you're probably so fucked (i.e., still drunk) that is doesn't even really hurt yet (not like it's going to), so you should put this album on immediately, not only to clear all the crap out of your head, but to prepare you for what's in store the rest of the day.
4. Speaking of clearing out crap, I once had this friend who would say, "I take acid at least every two months & JUST BLOW ALL THE BAD SHIT OUTA MY BRAIN!" So I say the same thing about MMM. Except I take it about once a day, like vitamins.
5. In his excellent liner notes, Lou asserts that he and the other speedfreaks did not start World Wars I, II, "or the Bay of Pigs, for that matter." And he's right. If everybody took amphetamines, all the time, everybody would understand each other. Either that or never listen or bother with the other son of a bitch, because they'd all be too busy spending three days drawing psychedelic lines around a piece of steno paper until it's totally black, writing eighty-page letters about meaningless occurrences to their mothers, or creating MMM. There would be no more wars, and peace and harmony would reign. Just imagine Gerald Ford on speed- he might manifest some glimmer of personality. Or Ronald Reagan- a blood vessel in his snapping-turtle lips would immediately burst, perhaps ridding us of that cocksucker. As is well known by now, JFK enjoyed regular injections of Meth and vitamins from happy croakers. 'Nuff said. Hey may not have actually accomplished anything (except the Bay of Pigs- wait a minute, Lou hasn't been doing his homework), but he had style and a winning smile."
...enrique says - I'LL BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR!!! and that's all it is folks, a dollar a side, due to the pricing peculiarities of music downloads, go HERE if you just gotsta buy the other three sides.
...go HERE if you just want the torrent.
