The Zen of Metal

I don't know too much about Zen but I know it deals with a state of "to be" and not worrying about petty shit and crazy expectations. So, with that, I have a very Zen-like Metalic last 24 hours.

Last night at KZSU, I'm intro by the previous DJ as being "KZSU's resident Heavy Metal King". While I played about 15% metal and the rest punk/hardcore and then Einstrüzende Neubauten and some moody number by Slim Cessna's Autoclub. HERE's playlist from list night's show. Following me was long-time DJ Big Chief. Chief started with Michael Schenker Group's "Armed & Ready" arguably one of the best ever early 80's hard rockin' metal tracks. The rest of his show reads like one of my high school mixtapes:

Iron Maiden - Rime Of The Ancient Mariner ("The albatross falls from his neck!")
Judas Priest - Victim of Changes ("You've beeen foool-in' ar-rrround with some...hot guy..." Fill homoerotic reference here)
Rainbow - "Man on the Silver Mountain" (from "On Stage") I heard this a zillion times at my Dio (and later Grateful Dead) worshippin' friend Darren's place.
Queensryche - "The Lady Wore Black"
Metal Church - "Beyond The Black" ("Will WE make it back...?")
Exodus - "Deleiver Us To Evil"
Slayer Hell Awaits - And I STILL can't sing all the words without a lyric sheet. ("Angels still dying by the the sword...!")
Megadeth - "Good Morning/Black Friday" ("Paint the Devil on the wall!")
Saxon - Crusader ("The battle, the battle lies far to the Eeeast!")
Angel Witch - Witch Witch ("Burrrrn the whiiiite wiiiitch!")

If that weren't enough today was record & book sellin' day in Berkeley. First stop was Moe's Books where I picked up a copy of "Vegan With A Venegance" by the awesome Isa Chandra Moskowitz Naturally, I couldn't stop from putting the title of the book to the 'Priest song "Screaming For Venegance". Then it was on to Amoeba where after a lil Stevie Wonder - someone threw on the Probot album.

Granted, I only half liked this album but the spirit of it was apt. My name was called to pick up my trade amount right when Lemmy's song came on. Lemmy & $75 in Amoeba trade = awesome!
Following that and food at Smart Alex plus an ill-fated trip to Comic Relief (I forgot they moved, waay duuumb!) I trudged up to Rasputin's and sure enough first song I hear: 'Priest's "Victim of Changes". And not just that song but the ENTIRE "Sad Wings of Destiny" album followed by "Highway Star" by Deep Purple. Fuck Yesss! One of the employees said to her co-worker "I'm glad we're not listening to that 'I'm so saad' music ("like emo")- we're listening to something that really rocks and has power'. I said 'oh yeah, this is some of the most kick ass stuff ever made'. She giggled a little but she agreed & actually was really feeling the power of thee 'Priest and Purple. I swear I'll never get sick of that freakin' solo in "Highway Star". When I was checking out one of the cashiers was tryiing to sing "I love her, I need her!" from "Highway Star".

Deep Purple (Mark II) - Bombed out epic jams

Messrs Blackmore, Glover Lord & Paice play a half-hour long version of "Mandrake Root" bombed out of their skulls. Ian Gillan does the very stoned & giggly intro. Audio via >WFMU's wonderful "Beware of the Blog" and DP's Live In Aachen, Germany 10th July 1970 This version is only half of the entire thing. I might be daring enough to play the whole thing on KZSU someday.

Led fuckin' Zeppelin could never pull this off - their strength was the rhythm section whereas Deep Purple was a BAND. Dare I say Purple was heavier and much more intense? Beyond "Smoke on the Water" and maaaybe "Highway Star" they're pretty much unknown on American radio. They were giants in Japan & Scandinavia but they sure as hell weren't a "two song wonder" like say Foghat or some drek. Unlike Zeppelin they rarely had that "bloated" feeling which isn't so much Zeppelin's fault as it is the dumb-ass hardcore fans and the coke-addled marketing machine that's behind their legacy. You wanna take this up some more? Meet me after school - by the bike racks. The bike racks!