Song of the Day: Black Sabbath, "Neon Knights"

 

Groove Power: Anthrax, "We’ve Come for You All"

Anthrax, We’ve Come for You All (Sanctuary, 2003)

Though I consider myself an Anthrax fan, I’ve woefully neglected the John Bush years almost entirely. After playing with Los Angeles-based band Armored Saint from 1982-1992, Bush replaced singer Joey Belladonna in 1993 for the album Sound of White Noise. He stayed with the band until 2011’s Worship Music, when Belladonna returned. In the interim, Anthrax released a total of four studio albums with Bush, none of which I’ve given a proper listen.

Armored Saint, a wonderful band in its own right, meanwhile, largely went on hiatus between 1991 and 2000, when Bush returned to the band—singing for both Anthrax and Armored Saint for a short time. (This timeline is based on record release dates; recording dates and live performances might tell a different story. And another singer, Long Island metal head Dan Nelson, intervened briefly before Worship Music; Belladonna re-recorded his vocals.)

So listening to this record is similar to listening to Anthrax for the first time all over again. It’s a very different band. Not only is Bush’s singing style different from Belladonna’s vocals—long an attraction for me—the band’s approach to music is different when performing with Bush. While earlier Anthrax records—even those with original singer Neil Turbin and earlier band members Dan Spitz and Dan Lilker (who went on to S.O.D., Nuclear Assault, and an online radio show with Gimme Metal)—were more thrash metal oriented, with Bush as front man, Anthrax is much more groove oriented, what some might call alternative metal, “power groove,” or even straight-forward hard rock. The band is older, perhaps wiser. Released after Sept. 11, 2001, We’ve Come for You All is decidedly less fun than the records with which I’m more familiar.

The music is still ably played. Bush’s vocals are athletic and forceful, and the tried-and-true combination of Frank Bello on bass, Charlie Benante on drums, and Scott Ian on rhythm guitar continues to impress and delight. The band was also joined by Rob Caggiano on lead guitar for the first time; he later went on to play with Cradle of Filth and Volbeat. Several guests also appear on the record, including Dimebag Darrell of Pantera, Anthony Martini of rap metal act E-Town Concrete, and Roger Daltrey—though minimally.

Lyrical content touches on the topics of persistence, struggle, independence, love, reciprocity, nostalgia, cars, and betrayal. Despite a couple of potential pop culture references—”Black Dahlia” lightly addresses the 1947 Los Angeles murder case, perhaps from the point of view of the killer, and “Cadillac Rock Box” is more about driving than the car make specifically—the record is light on what used to be an Anthrax hallmark. 1987’s Among the Living included songs based on Stephen King’s novel The Stand and Judge Dredd comics, for example. That said, celebrated comic book artist Alex Ross painted the cover—a stoic group portrait of the band and its fans, perhaps, but not Ross’s best work. It’s good to know that Ian and the band still have an interest in comics.

While it might not be the Anthrax I know and love, it’s still Anthrax. And that means something. Many critics reviewed the record positively—noting its more radio-friendly approach—and the record reached 122 in the U.S. Billboard 200. Yet while I don’t quite like the idea of ignoring two decades of a band’s recorded output, I much prefer Anthrax’s records up through Persistence of Time and from Worship Music onward. I also much prefer listening to Armored Saint, so it can’t just be Bush. Regardless, call it the Belladonna Effect; there might be some heavy metal alchemy at play. I’ll have to spend time with Sound of White Noise, Stomp 442, and Volume 8: The Threat Is Real to see if that preference holds.

Daily Headlines for Aug. 3, 2022

Column: What is kipple, and how did it take over my life?

Nichelle Nichols Helped Show America a Different Future
As Lieutenant Uhura in “Star Trek” and an advocate for inclusiveness in the U.S. space program, Nichols made an indelible impact on our collective imagination.

War Spurs Ukrainian Efforts to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
The role of gay soldiers, the lack of legal rights for their partners, and the threat of Russia imposing anti-L.G.B.T. policies have turned the war into a catalyst for change in Ukraine.

Last Conviction in Salem Witch Trials Is Cleared 329 Years Later
The exoneration of Elizabeth Johnson Jr., the last person whose name was not officially cleared, came from the efforts of an eighth-grade civics teacher and her students.

By embracing Donald Trump, LIV Golf is branding itself as the MAGA Tour | Opinion
The ruse that LIV Golf isn’t an expressly political organization fell apart during last weekend's event at Bedminster. It should surprise no one that Donald J. Trump was right in the thick of it.

He's serving 40 years in prison, while legal marijuana makes others rich
The time has come to legalize cannabis at the federal level. In the process, let's make sure people caught up in the war on drugs are not forgotten.

‘Own Every Dollar’ Gang Unleashed Havoc in Manhattan, U.S. Says
Members are responsible for killings, robberies and assaults in Washington Heights, officials said as they indicted 24 people.

Vin Scully, forever the voice of the Dodgers, dies at 94

Column: Vin Scully’s voice, a serenade of rebirth, will live on forever in Los Angeles

Column: Memories of 1950s’ Vin Scully photos strewn on my living room floor linger

Song of the Day: Depeche Mode, "Just Can't Get Enough"

 

Sheer Pragmatism: J. Sakai, "Beginner’s Kata: Uncensored Stray Thoughts on Revolutionary Organization"

J. Sakai, Beginner’s Kata: Uncensored Stray Thoughts on Revolutionary Organization (Kersplebedeb, 2018)

This 32-page digest-sized pamphlet published by Quebecois imprint Kersplebedeb was an excellent read to follow Maxim Raevsky’s Anarcho-Syndicalism and the IWW. I love reading materials from various times in radical history, and I ascribe them sizable inspirational, practical, and romantic value. I view such writers and subjects as heroes of history. 

Sakai’s slim volume, which is also available in full text—for free—on Kersplebedeb’s Web site, called me on the carpet and took me to task for doing so, encouraging me to apply the Zen concept of beginner’s mind to my political activism and labor organizing. Instead of relying on potentially outmoded and perhaps unsuccessful forms of organizing, we should focus on the modern day and sheer pragmatism: What tactics and techniques, what strategies, will help us accomplish our goals with the people, organizations, and structures we’re working with today?

In fact, Sakai cautions against defaulting to heroic moments such as the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Spanish Civil War of 1937 as our frameworks and models for success. They might have succeeded, but not in a sustainable way. “[T]here are numbers of radical people as well as different groups with revolutionary ideas,” Sakai writes. “But if only temporarily, there is no revolutionary organization yet which is strong enough to impress its ideas against mainstream politics.”

If we presume that we don’t know anything about successful revolutionary organizing, what can we do? Sakai offers several ideas:

• Learn to stop covering up your ignorance—readily admit when you don’t know something

• Apply democracy selectively in organizations—Sakai suggests that the most effective work is often done in purely personal projects such as Jim Campbell’s Prison News Service and the National Committee to Defend Black Political Prisoners, which was largely run by one woman. Small group projects also show promise along these lines: “[Strip] away unnecessary people and organization… .”

• Minimize emotional response and value judgments related to your work—instead of being thrown by events or feedback, just consider it as information: “Don’t think of what you’re being told as positive or negative. It’s just information.”

• Avoid focusing on examples from the past that confirm or verify your existing beliefs or biases

• Concentrate on building alternative structures

Sakai spends the rest of the pamphlet exploring that idea. They caution against merely criticizing or critiquing opponents, as well as falling prey to hopelessness. “We revs are always way outgunned and outnumbered by the mercenary forces of the capitalist state, until the final stages of the struggle,” Sakai writes. “Everything we do, our tactics and strategies, our organizations and subcultures, all assume great imbalances in strength between us and the capitalist ruling class.”

Small collectives, intellectual journals, and zines—even blogs—might not be enough. We need to reframe our thinking about revolutionary organization in terms of building revolutionary organizations. Easier said than done, but thought-provoking and inspiring all the same. What would that look like? How would it work? Who would you involve? What would you do?

“[Y]ou cannot be an individual revolutionary in any meaningful sense,” Sakai challenges. “[I]t is only complex revolutionary organization that lets our full political thoughts and intentions become full sails of reality.”

Cells of a Future Society: Maxim Raevsky, "Anarcho-Syndicalism and the IWW"

Maxim Raevsky, Anarcho-Syndicalism and the IWW (Black Cat, 2019)

Originally serialized in the New York-based newspaper for Russian-American anarchists Golos Truda #119-124 (Jan. 5 to Feb. 9, 1917), this reprinted pamphlet piqued my interest in recent days because Raevsky was born in the late 19th century in Nezhin, a city of the then Russian Empire that is now in northern Ukraine. During the current war in Ukraine, Russian forces have downed planes near Nezhin and launched cruise missiles from the Black Sea targeting a military vehicle repair plant in the city, as well.

During Raevsky’s time, he left Nezhin as a teenager to study in Germany, where he became an anarchist. He worked on the Geneva- and Paris-based paper Burevestnik before moving to New York City. Golos Truda was the paper for the Unions of Russian Workers of the United States and Canada, a confederation of mutual aid societies for Russian anarchist emigrants. The Unions encouraged members to join the Russian sections of the Industrial Workers of the World.

In this essay, Raevsky draws parallels between anarcho-syndicalism and the IWW, which disavowed any connection to anarchism at the time. Revolutionary syndicalism, which grew out of a Mikhail Bakunin-inspired portion of the International Workers; Association, called for direct action by a working class organized in trade unions, the destruction of the state, and an economy based on grassroots federations of unions or workers. Direct action was the key, with a general strike growing into armed revolt. Such syndicalists were opposed to parliamentary socialists, who hoped to take power through political organizing—though with the support of the working class. (Organizers were concerned that such political parties worked with unions only to further party causes and that they were too focused on election campaigns rather than stronger action.)

Changes were occurring in business, and trade unions—unions organizing workers of a given craft—began to shift to industrial unions. Such unions embraced different kinds of workers within the same industry and focused on improving their working conditions and lives. The opposition to parliamentary socialism continued, and the new labor unions were intended to serve as creative—as well as destructive—elements: the cells of the future society.

In many ways, the IWW adopted the aspects of anarcho-syndicalist industrial unions: viewing unions as the cells of a future society, using the general strike as a tool, prioritizing direct action over political parties and elections, and seeking social and economic liberation for working people. But it focused mostly on economic and workplace concerns. Anarcho-syndicalism puts a premium on the social aspect. People struggle not just against capitalism, but against the state and its norms.

While much of the pamphlet concentrates on the arcane politics and practices of adjacent but different organizing groups—similar to the strident bipartisan sniping and modern-day infighting seen among liberal activists and third parties, as well as continuing echoes of historic disagreements in groups like the Socialist Workers Party and International Communist League (even science fiction writer Eric Flint’s exit from the SWP when Jack Barnes rose to power)—I am drawn to the theory as well as the practice.

The ideas of freedom and liberation are beautiful. How would you spend your time if you had more of it? But what is the ideal human society in which such freedom and liberation would occur? Do we all have equal access to freedom and liberation? How should work and play balance in life? Who do we work for, and who profits from our labor? When the chips are down, who can we rely on: ourselves, our families, our friends, our neighbors, our communities, our co-workers, our employers, our political leaders and parties? So much of current American society seems to prioritize corporations and corporate profit—leaving people little in the way of support networks. Yourself and your family are not enough.

We also seem to not be focusing on improving the lives of all people. That concerns me. I don’t know that unions are the answer, but they seem to be a step in the right direction. They’re a valid form of mutual aid, and the best unions stand up for the rights and benefit of all workers. That’s more than I can say about many politicians I read about in recent years. 

All people. All citizens. All neighbors. What opportunity that would bring.

Borderline New Age: Phillip Keveren, "Prayer Changes Everything"

Phillip Keveren, Prayer Changes Everything (Discovery House, 2016)

This compact disc of “instrumental music for reflective prayer” was offered by the devotional magazine Our Daily Bread. Apparently uncredited on the cover and tray card, the insert includes a personal message from Phillip Keveren, who plays keyboards on the recording and arranged six of the 10 pieces. Kent Hooper, also on keyboards, arranged the remainder.

The music is performed by seven musicians led by Keveren and/or Hooper and includes flute, oboe, guitars, and percussion. Some of the pieces also involve the Sacred Arts String Ensemble, which might be a larger or similar setting of the Sacred Arts String Quartet or Sacred Arts Strings, which Keveren had a hand in. Only the concertmaster and contractor of that ensemble receive credit. Unlike most meditation or spa music (its own distinct genre!) I’ve encountered, the music—while calm and largely soothing—is more inspirational and upbeat in its tempo and structure. Prayer, though reflective, seems intended as an uplifting experience.

Opening with “Pray for Me,” an instrumental cover of Michael W. Smith’s single taken from his 1988 album I 2 (Eye), the initial sensation is borderline new age music, with Hooper’s keyboard work slightly more synthesizer oriented. The pieces Hooper arranged seem to feature synths more forwardly, while the pieces arranged by Keveren largely do not. (Actually, some do, such as “Take My Life, and Let It Be” and “In the Garden” though the synths are more muted in those cases, providing more background wash or swell than the occasional bleep and gurgle, which I welcome.)

The bulk of the songs other than the Smith cover are traditional hymns, with one—Hillsong’s “Lead Me to the Cross”—stemming from more recent devotional music currents. Of the two arrangers, I prefer Hooper’s arrangements—”Pray for Me,” “Lead Me to the Cross,” “On My Knees,” and “The Lord’s Prayer”—because they edge closer toward new age music. (“On My Knees” even includes pleasant Enya-like portions, reminding me of “Orinoco Flow.”) For the most part, however, the music is gentle, minimal—though not minimalist—music along the lines of a simpler Windham Hill or Dan Gibson’s Solitudes without the natural sounds. That both of those labels are now defunct saddens me.

Erik Gratton’s flute features prominently in “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” paired with Bill Woodworth’s oboe for duet sections. Woodworth also features in “Take My Life, and Let It Be,” offering a nice counterpoint to the predominant piano. A guitarist takes the melody line briefly in “Lead Me to the Cross” before returning for a triumphant ending. For the rest of the CD, the keyboards—the piano, really, if it be one—takes lead in most cases, with the other instruments there merely for variety.

As a prayer or meditation aid, the music is a bit dramatic and energetic for me; I’d find it distracting, though it could make excellent music for focused work. If a listener is more familiar with the hymns featured, their lyrics might come to mind, either aiding one’s prayer or meditation, or perhaps distracting one with the lyrical content.

The recording is an interesting project, one which inspires me to ask who its intended audience is. Was it merely intended as a premium for Our Daily Bread readers? Is there a market for instrumental devotional music? If so, how large is it?

Song of the Day: The Shangri-Las, "Sophisticated Boom Boom"

 

Daily Headlines for Aug. 2, 2022

Editorial: Senators, protect marriage equality ASAP

Column: Solitary confinement is shrouded in secrecy and open to abuse. Why does California allow it?

Boy Scouts Near End of Bankruptcy, but Group Faces Challenges
Organization’s $2.5 billion plan for compensating roughly 82,200 sex-abuse victims will test whether scouting can still appeal to families

Life under the Taliban: ‘what matters is that we’re hungry’
Economic collapse since Islamists retook power a year ago leaves many Afghans struggling to make ends meet

Samuel Sandoval, one of the last World War II Navajo code talkers, dies at 98

It Took an English Women’s Team to Bring Home a Soccer Title—and Fans Love Them for It
Lionesses are still celebrating their victory over Germany in the European Championship; ‘this is what dreams are made of’

Deshaun Watson gets laughable suspension from Sue Robinson as NFL fumbles its case | Opinion
The retired judge who gave Deshaun Watson a measly six-game suspension deserves criticism, but the NFL failed to make a strong enough case against QB.

Why Deshaun Watson's towel habit was key in his suspension ruling

Deshaun Watson Is Suspended for Six Games Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations
A neutral arbitrator levied the penalty against the star quarterback after the NFL recommended that he receive an indefinite ban, no shorter than a year. The league still has the option to appeal the ruling.

Impostor Who Wooed Secret Service Agents With Lavish Gifts Pleads Guilty
Arian Taherzadeh claimed to work at Homeland Security to ingratiate himself with agents

Song of the Day: Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely, "Slipping Around"

Friendly Exhortations: Long Way, "We Got a Long Way to Go…"

Long Way, We Got a Long Way to Go… demo cassette (self-released, 1999)

This is a seven-song demo tape from a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-based pop punk band called Long Way. Recorded March 24 and 26, 1999, the songs were performed by a four piece made up of Vinicius (guitar and vocals), Marcos (drums), Edson (guitar), and Claudio (bass and vocals)—and written collectively.

Sung in English, the music is high-energy pop punk that reminds me of melodic Dischord-style hardcore—the vocals occasionally bring Minor Threat or Seven Seconds to mind—and California pop punk, with simple, single-note guitar solos along the lines of Screeching Weasel. 

The handwritten insert offers lyrics in English and Portuguese, as well as several friendly exhortations such as “Read zines”—calling out the Brazilian zines Enizzine and No Fun Zine—“Go to shows,” “No violence at shows! Pogo happily to the sound of the Long Way,” and  “Any form of prejudice, whether racial, social, sexual, to different people—all prejudice—is shit.” Liner note marginalia also says, “Lyrics and vocals by their respective authors,” “Society often tries to reduce us to a simple number: a CPF, a grade at school, a paycheck, a statistic. Value yourself; don't lose sensitivity. Be human and be happy!” and “Booklet by Vinicius Mitchell, Rio de Janeiro, 1999.” Almost 25 years after this demo came out, I reached out to a Brazilian illustrator and comics artist named Vinicius Mitchell to see if they’re the same person. We shall see!

Long Way offers an energetic, friendly approach to pop punk, with tuneful songs, solid choruses—particularly on “Don’t Judge Me” and “Hopeless”—and largely positive lyrics. I can only imagine the local scene in Rio de Janeiro at the time; Long Way would have fit easily onto the bill for many shows I’ve gone to over the years in Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, New York City, and now Los Angeles. I would have loved to see them live. Additional bands (Freakanoise, Dirty Shoes, YAWL, New Born Generation, Speak Clear, PPZ, and Surface—assuming they’re all bands) and zines (Trapilho, PV, and AFL) are listed in the thank you section.

Song lyrics address topics including living life to the fullest; individualism; making choices; the 1970s Mexican situation comedy El Chavo del Ocho, which was dubbed in Brazilian Portuguese in the 1980s; hopelessness; conformity; and challenging relationships. Despite some sense of concern or complaint in some of the songs, the tenor overall is one of hope and optimism. By finding our own way in life and developing a strong sense of self, we can overcome day-to-day challenges and problems.

The seven songs are recorded on one side of a tape. When the songs end, there’s little one can do but rewind and listen to them again. Seven solid songs! I wonder whether the band recorded anything else—and what’s happened to everyone since this demo was released. I hope they’re all doing well. I’ve enjoyed revisiting this demo.

Daily Headlines for Aug. 1, 2022

Judge approves major parts of Boy Scouts' bankruptcy exit plan; pieces remain unresolved

Column: Republicans are ready to talk about racism. But only anti-white racism

A Nigerian Street Vendor Is Beaten to Death in Italy as Witnesses Stand By
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Reconnected After Years, College Friends Find Strength in Each Other
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Key Lime Pie Fans Whipped Up Over Dessert Snub
Florida designated strawberry shortcake as its official state dessert. That hasn’t gone down well in certain culinary circles; ‘a travesty’

Op-Ed: What happens when TikTok is your main source of news and information

Man With Loaded Assault Rifle Arrested Outside Iranian Writer’s Home
Masih Alinejad, a journalist who lives in Brooklyn, was the target of an international kidnapping plot last year, according to a federal indictment and the writer.

Lies for Profit: Can Sandy Hook Parents Shut Alex Jones Down?
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Alex Jones' main company files for bankruptcy; Austin trial expected to continue

Will the Biggest Publisher in the United States Get Even Bigger?
The Biden administration is suing to block Penguin Random House from buying Simon & Schuster. A United States District Court will decide if the sale can proceed.