"I'll just say what I've got to say. I'm here to destroy this fucked up system. I'll do it. Thats why I got the job. I said let it be me, I will use my hands, I'll use our strength. Let's fucking burn it to the ground." -- Anton Newcombe(BJM)
It seems that every genre of music has at least one artist who stands out. They define what it means to play within that boundry and raise the bar. But, if your really lucky and look for it you can find the ones that slipped through the cracks through various speed bumps on the road to glory(for lack of a better word). The Brian Jonestown Massacre falls into this category. Their roots go deep into the 60's psychedelic movement carried by bands like 13th Floor Elevators, Count Five and The Strangeloves and they cited The Velvet Underground as a huge influence as well. Lead by eccentric, Anton Newcombe, they had a long standing carrer filled with fights, personal bouts and just a bad rep, but somehow the music always prevailed.
Newcombe was(and still is) an avid writer and creates at a breakneck speed. In 1996, they released three full length albums, Their Satanic Majesties Second Request, Take It From The Man and Thank God For Mental Illness. All of which are classics to this day and will be for along time. But Anton's heavy drug abuse and aggressive nature made his difficult to work with and the band saw many line-up changes in their most prominent time. Their connection with The Dandy Warhols, and most of the bands early footage, was captured on a documentary called Dig!, that was released in 2005.
The most important thing I've taken from The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a true appreciation the music I may not have been around for. Alot of music from the 60's have been pushed aside and left for all the older people to reminise to. The Rolling Stones and The Beatles were great bands and arguably some of the most influential bands of all time, but some stuff doesn't always make it. So I put together a short list of music that I think made the grade their way.
1. The Strangeloves - Night Time
2. 13th Floor Elevators - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Dylan cover)
3. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - It Girl
4. The Sonics- The Witch
5. The Seeds - Pushin' Too Hard
6. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Nevertheless
Don't Judge.
My Trusted MOGs
Nice
How 'bout Plastic People Of The Universe?
My Trusted MOGs
Yeah I dig Plastic People. Europe had a wild take on psychedelic music, but I'd still have to say we did it best. Just an opinion though.
My Trusted MOGs
When I started watching Dig! I didn't know how much Anton I could take. i still think he's a prima donna, but like everyone else in the movie says, he obviously is talented. He's his own worst enemy. The music is good, but I want to know even less about him after all is said and done. It's a great film though, to watch the Dandy's take off and BJM stay in place.