Musicians with wacky religious beliefs

  On 12/14/2010 at 11:07 PM, Iain C said:

i agree with xxx but keep this shit out of my wacky religion thread, peta isn't a religion, go grind your axe somewhere else

scientology isn't a real religion either

*grind*

father yod!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Yod

  On 12/14/2010 at 11:50 PM, triachus said:

  On 12/14/2010 at 11:07 PM, Iain C said:

i agree with xxx but keep this shit out of my wacky religion thread, peta isn't a religion, go grind your axe somewhere else

 

scientology isn't a real religion either

 

 

*grind*

 

 

Same with Mormonism.

  On 12/10/2010 at 3:56 PM, disparaissant said:

nope, he converted to jehovah's witness-ness in like 2001 or something, and then went COMPLETELY off the rails.

here's the actual quote btw

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"God came to Earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, 'Enough.'"

 

also, george harrison was a hare krishna, wasn't he? at least briefly? i know nina hagen and boy george both were as well. and i think most of the members of the x-ray spex became such.

Lots of kids into straight edge hardcore music in the late '80s and early '90s were recruited or otherwise became Hare Krshnas.

The center of this picture is Ray Cappo from Youth of Today, probably when he was in his Hare Krishna hardcore band Shelter (the guy on the left with the Bad Brains shirt is a bonus for bizarre religion/hardcore crossover).

I always felt it was related to vegetarianism becoming such a big part of being straight edge in the late '80s.

I saw Shelter play once and it was so bizarre and hilarious at the same time - a full on hardcore band completely decked out in Hare Krishna garb - their pink robes, beads and shaved heads with the dangling pony tail thingy and whatnot - while jumping around playing such heavy music. Before the show they were on the side of the stage chanting and praying and ringing little bells and shit.

But they were a good band when I saw them - I can't front on that!

Just saw that there's a whole site dedicated to it: http://krishnacore.com/contents.html

^ haha interesting

Krishnacore!? nice, i had no idea it was trend

  On 12/10/2010 at 12:53 PM, Iain C said:

Incredible String Band are serious Scientologists:

look, mike heron got into some weird shit but dont go knocking ISB especially since the video you posted they were not at that time involved. anyway if you wanna get wacky try this one, not a classic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvVPpiOs-AQ

edit: also I don't know how that one guy in Jedi Mind Tricks calls himself a buddhist while the other guy is super violent and ripping on gays

edit2: +1 for sun ra and whatever the funk george clinton is on

  On 12/17/2010 at 7:26 AM, Scrambled Ears said:

  On 12/10/2010 at 12:53 PM, Iain C said:

Incredible String Band are serious Scientologists:

look, mike heron got into some weird shit but dont go knocking ISB especially since the video you posted they were not at that time involved. anyway if you wanna get wacky try this one, not a classic

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvVPpiOs-AQ

 

edit: also I don't know how that one guy in Jedi Mind Tricks calls himself a buddhist while the other guy is super violent and ripping on gays

 

edit2: +1 for sun ra and whatever the funk george clinton is on

i'm not knocking ISB at all - just like i'm not knocking low, dino jr, or the fucking alabama sacred harp singers. i like ISB and that just happens to be one of my favourite songs of theirs.

  On 12/17/2010 at 7:26 AM, Scrambled Ears said:

edit: also I don't know how that one guy in Jedi Mind Tricks calls himself a buddhist while the other guy is super violent and ripping on gays

 

edit2: +1 for sun ra and whatever the funk george clinton is on

I never got that either, it's a bit like those murderers and hardened criminals who suddenly "find god" in prison yet still brag about their exploits in interviews.

Sun Ra and George Clinton are both considered part of afrofuturist culture; that and both were obsessed with outer space. The difference is that Clinton developed a mythology of concept albums and themes for P-Funk, whereas Sun Ra actually thought he was from another world, and that was a key part of his music and philosphy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fth9UUa1Mfw

^

Coltrane was also very spiritual, he was raised Christian but really read up on a plethora of Eastern and esoteric religions and movements.

piggybacking on the coltrane mention, it's the perfect time to add this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsiFKkOT0nw

her whole small-time religious cassette tape-era music is actually really really great. i get vangelis vibes at times for some reason.

  On 12/10/2010 at 3:52 PM, Richy said:

All religious beliefs are wacky imo.

  On 12/14/2010 at 9:19 PM, jhonny said:

  On 12/10/2010 at 4:30 PM, Iain C said:

j. mascis from dinosaur jr is a hindu for some reason:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJGLp33KsFE

lol that's pretty cool. He's also a very decent golfer and skier apparently, which is just a random I reckon!

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

He's also a very decent drummer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFNlWBtznBo

  On 12/17/2010 at 7:15 AM, xxx said:

  On 12/14/2010 at 11:07 PM, Iain C said:

i agree with xxx but keep this shit out of my wacky religion thread, peta isn't a religion, go grind your axe somewhere else

 

  On 12/14/2010 at 8:57 PM, sneaksta303 said:

Brandon Flowers (of the killers) is a mormon.

 

this is fascinating, just fascinating, i was trying to find info on LDS musicians with a cursory google search when i heard about Low and this didn't come up.

"New Jerusalem" of The Second Coming for Mormons is a few miles away from me in Independence, MO., which is super-convenient for me in case LDS'ers have it right. Here is the site of the Mormon Garden Of Eden. Let me tell you, even the briefest surveys of Independence makes that Eden bit pretty hard to swallow

It's pretty impressive and really strange to behold this temple because this is the picture of everyday Independence

ohhh silly xxx. don't you know that, when jesus comes again, independence will be surrounded by a dome of fire that only the true saints can pass through?

more mormons:

the aquabats

kaskade

uhm one of the new york dolls, i think, which is hilarious.

edit: yep - arthur "killer" kane

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Kane

  On 12/17/2010 at 8:09 AM, Iain C said:

i'm not knocking ISB at all - just like i'm not knocking low, dino jr, or the fucking alabama sacred harp singers. i like ISB and that just happens to be one of my favourite songs of theirs.

heh didnt mean to come off so miffed...but they havent been involved with scientology since the mid 70s and though it is a major facepalm i just wouldnt want to see them in the same league as John Travolta.

this piece by Joe Boyd (their producer) is interesting http://cosmedia.freewinds.be/media/articles/grn040197.html

some interesting blurbs,

"Back in 1971, ISB and Chick Corea were the biggest names Scientologists could lay claim to. Now they've entered a different league, where some of the biggest names in Hollywood, from John Travolta and Tom Cruise to Sharon Stone and Demi Moore, are eager disciples of LRH's word. Its influence has grown enormously: the organisation now claims 8 million members world- wide and an annual income of pounds 200 million."

"After a few drinks (Scientologists aren't teetotal - they just don't drink 48 hours before auditing), Mike (Heron) told me that during the 1974 Portuguese coup the previous year, Scientologists had gained control of one of the most powerful radio stations in Lisbon with the intention of taking control of the government. He was convinced that the 'church' would definitely have control of a country somewhere by the end of the decade."

basically the saga is a sad one, they were hooked in as the whole affair was just taking off. to hippy seekers it was probably a fascinating new foray, they were, after all, all about getting into the "divine" moment. it's just sad that some of the best lyricists and musicians (imo) of the last 50 years degraded completely over that bullshit.

repeat after me,

"think for yourself"

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j mascis is a hindu cause hinduism is pretty fucking awesome. all your favorite reggae musicians are rastafarians. rastafari is a weird-ass collection of ideas.

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I had an atheist professor say that the Rastafari movement was one of the more sane and interesting offshoots of Abrahamic religions in his opinion, and I agree. Definately a very specific, and rather baffling, set of beliefs in regards to its origins though. The worst part is that just about any major college contains white, drum circle starting, dreadlock-sporting neo-hippies are influenced by it, usually via Bob Marley. Somewhat annoyingly, most Rastas tolerate this because they aren't assholes, despite their movement is highly (and understandably) Afrocentric.

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it might be interesting but it's not sane. it's a racist, sexist, homophobic mess of a religion. like most of them.

I'm a white fellow with locks, but not a 'neo-hippy' or any idealist in any way. When living in Toronto, which has a huge Rastafari base, I would always have black cats giving nods or power signs, whatnot. It was really nice to feel involved in a culture I had really had nothing to do with and I guess I felt a part of it in the sense that it's an alternative lifestyle. Occasionally I would get a kill whitey look from someone.

Definitely, a lot of hate and fear associated with that religion. The other main thing I could never get into besides the points raised before, is the association of blood with death. You can't touch a woman when she's menstruating! Everyone knows thats the tastiest sauce.

David Byrne is a Quaker, of oatmeal fame.

Jaz Coleman

Peter Green

Both lost the plot in religious cult circumstances.

  On 12/10/2010 at 11:35 PM, vamos scorcho said:

stockhausen (hilarious interview)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrzi4YNhvig

woah, that really was all news to me.

the Temple of Psychic Youth / Psychic TV

Genesis P-Orridge forever , and briefly Peter Christopherson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjssKDFlBZM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebjLTSXcudA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHIyeQBgtOw&feature=related

Alan Moore, not primarily a musician but is heavily into magick and divination

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNaFcOW0FJ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdNbocU6wKc&feature=related

Skinny Puppy briefly with the Process, which was later revealed by the Process church creators to be an elaborate ruse that Ogre took seriously

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOF_il2mmjs

  On 12/10/2010 at 7:42 PM, Ragnar said:

Chick Corea

This.

Also Horatiu Radulescu was a weird Taoist.

Dunno if Catholicism can be considered strange but Messiaen was into it to an unusual degree.

  On 3/18/2011 at 11:24 PM, Awepittance said:

the Temple of Psychic Youth / Psychic TV

i think they started out as more of a parody/commentary on cults and religion, then p-orridges ego got the best of him it pretty much turned into one.

also hell yes to whoever said sun ra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UINN_bQzCPE

I wouldn't take anything Prince says too seriously. After all he also claims that playing guitar made him keep his hair and that an angel cured him of epilepsy when he was a child.

And on a positive note, The Rainbow Children is a monster album. I guess that's what happens when Prince actually cares about a subject, he tries to write GOOD music about it. Instead of the tired variations on "Let's Party V. 7.324" that he's been cranking out since the mid 90s in the name of chasing "hits"

Interesting thread, can't think of any musicians I love (apart from Prince and early 90s Beck) who have professed to any notable religious slant. Out of interest Iain, if a certain artist professed to any particular religious leaning, would it colour your appreciation of their music if you hadn't already heard or grown to like them (sorry if I missed something in this thread already, this isn't a sober post)?

anyone mentioned Ken Downie of Black Dog yet? doesn't he reckon he's been reincarnated from an ancient Alexandrian soldier or some shit?

the 13th floor elevators. 60s garage rock band with a pretty epic story.. they were on some kind of semi religious 60s mystical acid quest for "pure sanity", and it ended badly for all of them.

  On 3/19/2011 at 4:21 AM, Z_B_Z said:

the 13th floor elevators. 60s garage rock band with a pretty epic story.. they were on some kind of semi religious 60s mystical acid quest for "pure sanity", and it ended badly for all of them.

 

Interesting. I have one of their albums but don't know a thing about their personal history. Will have to look into this.

if you have a strong enough interest, check out 'eye mind: the saga of roky erickson and the 13th floor elevators' by paul drummond. one of the more interesting rock bios ive read.

an interview with their late guitarist that kind of gives you a taste of some of the content of the book-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0YQPzxDFlA