MIT Tech, September 14, 1982: Difference between revisions
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{{:MIT Tech index}} | {{:MIT Tech index}} | ||
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<center><h3> Imperial Bedroom </h3></center> | <center><h3> Imperial Bedroom </h3></center> | ||
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Remember when the new wave in popular music broke out into the public eye in the late seventies? All those outrageous performers got big-time publicity in splash articles in ''Time'' and the ''Rolling Stone'', and we heard for the first time names like Iggy | Remember when the new wave in popular music broke out into the public eye in the late seventies? All those outrageous performers got big-time publicity in splash articles in ''Time'' and the ''Rolling Stone'', and we heard for the first time names like Iggy Pop, the Sex Pistols, and the Dead Kennedys. The self-styled music prophets who had been looking around for the Next Big Thing declared that this was it, and we the public just kind of braced ourselves for the deluge. | ||
But when we opened our eyes again, we found that nothing much had really changed. New Wave was kept alive by die-hard tragically hip types and newspaper staffs of obscure colleges with no journalism majors, but it turned out that though the shock troops of the New Wave had the audacity to turn pop music on its ear, they didn't have the balls to come up with a New Music to replace it. | But when we opened our eyes again, we found that nothing much had really changed. New Wave was kept alive by die-hard tragically hip types and newspaper staffs of obscure colleges with no journalism majors, but it turned out that though the shock troops of the New Wave had the audacity to turn pop music on its ear, they didn't have the balls to come up with a New Music to replace it. | ||
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''Under the Big Black Sun'' by X is similar to ''Imperial Bedroom'' in that it is a new kind of music, building on the past but jetting out much further. X emerged from L.A.'s hardcore punk scene, invading the public consciousness in a big | ''Under the Big Black Sun'' by X is similar to ''Imperial Bedroom'' in that it is a new kind of music, building on the past but jetting out much further. X emerged from L.A.'s hardcore punk scene, invading the public consciousness in a big way last year. Their music was distinguished from the punk morass by reason of their intriguing and catchy sound, and an engaging and endearing ability to communicate intimate feelings. Yet, despite the fact that the critics raved ''Wild Gift'' up and down, that album was a commercial dog. | ||
But now X is back with a new label, better publicity, and an album that's a terrific follow-up to ''Wild Gift''. The melodies are more varied and sophisticated, and the guitar is more daring. The lyrics take even greater risks and have more depth of feeling. | But now X is back with a new label, better publicity, and an album that's a terrific follow-up to ''Wild Gift''. The melodies are more varied and sophisticated, and the guitar is more daring. The lyrics take even greater risks and have more depth of feeling. | ||
The word that critics have most often used to describe X is ''honest''. Each song seems to be a sincere effort to communicate deeply-felt and sometimes painful emotions. A good part of the first side deals with singer Exene's feelings concerning her sister Mary's death in an auto accident."Riding with Mary" and "Come Back to Me" are haunting and extraordinarily open explorations of that theme. | The word that critics have most often used to describe X is ''honest''. Each song seems to be a sincere effort to communicate deeply-felt and sometimes painful emotions. A good part of the first side deals with singer Exene's feelings concerning her sister Mary's death in an auto accident. "Riding with Mary" and "Come Back to Me" are haunting and extraordinarily open explorations of that theme. | ||
Most of the album deals with feelings of sadness, grief, and dejection. Like the cover, each song is a tellingly observant but slightly unreal picture of life. The album on a whole, however, is not gloomy or depressing. It is saved | Most of the album deals with feelings of sadness, grief, and dejection. Like the cover, each song is a tellingly observant but slightly unreal picture of life. The album on a whole, however, is not gloomy or depressing. It is saved by Billy Zoom's bright guitar work and the overall kinetic feel running through all the music. | ||
by Billy Zoom's bright guitar work and the overall kinetic feel running through all the music. | |||
Lyrics with a negative theme combined with bright, upbeat music was what my seventh grade music appreciation teacher told me was the definition of traditional American blues. The strongest feeling I get from X's new album is that I am listening to uniquely American music, a new kind of modern blues. | Lyrics with a negative theme combined with bright, upbeat music was what my seventh grade music appreciation teacher told me was the definition of traditional American blues. The strongest feeling I get from X's new album is that I am listening to uniquely American music, a new kind of modern blues. | ||
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Neither of these two albums is necessarily a classic, or a blockbuster herald of a new age of pop music like the original New Wave was supposed to be. They are a heartening sign that the tremendous potential displayed by New Wave artists is finally finding its way into mature and relevant channels. That's just the kind of trend the pop music genre needs now. | Neither of these two albums is necessarily a classic, or a blockbuster herald of a new age of pop music like the original New Wave was supposed to be. They are a heartening sign that the tremendous potential displayed by New Wave artists is finally finding its way into mature and relevant channels. That's just the kind of trend the pop music genre needs now. | ||
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{{tags}}[[Imperial Bedroom]] {{-}} [[Beyond Belief]] {{-}} [[The Long Honeymoon]] {{-}} [[You Little Fool]] {{-}} [[X (band)|X]] {{-}} [[My Aim Is True]] {{-}} [[Time, December 26, 1977|Time]] {{-}} [[Rolling Stone, September 2, 1982|Rolling Stone]] {{-}} [[Iggy Pop]] {{-}} [[The Sex Pistols]] | |||
{{cx}} | {{cx}} | ||
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{{Bibliography notes}} | {{Bibliography notes}} | ||
{{Bibliography next | |||
|prev = MIT Tech, October 3, 1980 | |||
|next = MIT Tech, May 5, 1987 | |||
}} | |||
'''The Tech, September 14, 1982 | '''The Tech, September 14, 1982 | ||
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<small>Page scan.</small><br> | |||
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Latest revision as of 14:27, 21 August 2021
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