The 500 - #162 - OK Computer - Radiohead

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #162
Album Title: OK Computer

Artist: Radiohead

Genre: Alternative Rock, Art Rock

Recorded: Three Studios in the London Region of England

Released: May, 1997

My age at release: 31
How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #42, elevating 120 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Paranoid Android

University destroyed my love of reading.

Okay, that is an unfair generalization that lacks subtext. More specifically, a second-year English course at King's College (Western University) called "The Novel" negatively impacted the pleasure I used to get when reading. Since then,  I have struggled to read for pleasure and relaxation.

Silverwood House, on the campus of King's College, Western
University (London, Ontario). My class was in a basement lecture hall.

The trauma came with the pacing of the course, which required students to read, digest, discuss and write about classic works of fiction at breakneck speed. We kicked off September with Don Quixote. Often considered the first modern novel, it is a 1,000-page tome full of rich characters and captivating themes. I was engrossed. However, after four or five classes discussing the Cervantez classic, the professor reminded us that we would be examining Henry Fielding's Tom Jones in two days.

"Two Days?!" I was still highlighting sections from the back half of Quixote! I panicked and that night at a local doughnut shop, fueled by caffeine and nicotine, I hastily began "reading" the comical and romantic adventures of the eponymous hero in this 18th Century picaresque satire. Now, I say "reading", but this was expeditious skimming. I ripped through the 800-plus pages with my highlighter and a copy of Cole's Notes by my side.

NOTE:  Cole's was a Canadian bookstore chain (now absorbed by Indigo Books) that released study guides providing summaries and analysis of literary works. (Some readers may be more familiar with the U.S. equivalent – Cliff’s or Spark’s Notes.)

This is how the rest of the year would go. I wouldn't read the novels on the book list and I certainly did not have time to enjoy Emma, Madame Bovary, Pride and Prejudice, or Anna Karenina. Instead, I  skimmed over these great works of literature, absorbing the basic plot while desperately finding something clever to say or write about each one...always with the help of a Cole's Notes guide by my side. It was the 1980s equivalent of an AI assistant, which I’ll admit I’ve used to help refresh my memory of these iconic novels… Indeed, I had completely forgotten about the term "picaresque satire" -- so don't give me too much credit for dropping that literary gem earlier.

Revisiting OK Computer, the third studio release from British Art Rock band Radiohead, reminded me of a time when I loved to read for pleasure. Specifically, the album's second track, Paranoid Android, took me back to my carefree teens (aged 15-18) when I read voraciously and haunted the city's bookstores and libraries like mullet-haired, phantom philobiblist.

City Lights Book Shop has been a London, Ontario landmark
for 50 years, and I visited it several times a week through my teens.

Paranoid Android was the lead single released from OK Computer, a record that marked a change in the musical direction of Radiohead. Their previous record, 1995's The Bends (#111 on The 500) was more conventional, with a focus on guitar driven tracks that followed a straightforward song structure. The lyrics explored, as was de rigueur at the time, personal, emotional and introspective themes.

Album cover for The Bends (1995).

OK Computer was, by contrast, more experimental. It eschewed conventional song structures and incorporated electronic sounds, complex arrangements imbued with atmospheric soundscapes. The lyrics, while still personal, tackled broader and dystopian themes, including technology, modern life and societal alienation.

Paranoid Android is a six-minute opus comprising sections and was written after songwriter and lead singer Thom Yorke had an unsettling experience in a Los Angeles bar in the mid-90s. The shy and reclusive Yorke was ill-prepared for the stardom that had come with the band's success. Out for a quiet drink, he found himself surrounded by people who were anxious for a conversation and a connection with the "rockstar". In a 2022 interview with Far Out Magazine, Yorke said:

"Everyone was trying to get something out of me. I felt like my own self was collapsing in the presence of it, but I also felt completely, utterly part of it, like it was all going to come crashing down any minute. The people I saw that night were just like demons from another planet.”

The title, Paranoid Android, was taken from a book (and book series) that I loved when I was an avid teen reader -- The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The comedic science fiction novel series features a robot named Marvin (The Paranoid Android) who is programmed to provide assistance to crew members aboard the spaceship "The Heart of Gold". However, Marvin was a failed prototype, programmed with a Genuine People Personality (GPP) by fictional Sirius Cybernetics Corporation. The defective “character”  suffers from severe depression and boredom because, in his words, he has a "brain the size of a planet" and is forced to spend his days completing mundane tasks despite having full knowledge of the universe -- including the insignificance of the creatures who inhabit it…carbon based lifeforms from Earth included.

In the early 80s, I read the first three books of the Hitchhiker's Series several times. They were everything my teenage brain wanted in a story -- quirky characters, outrageous humour, relatable themes and imaginative adventure. They were also my unwitting introduction to the philosophies of nihilism and existential absurdism, which came to dominate much of my thinking throughout high-school and my first-year philosophy studies at King's College.

The Hitchhikers Book Series (initially a trilogy in 1983 when I first read them.

Some day, perhaps in retirement, I might take a university course similar to "The Novel", unburdened by twenty-something stresses and anxiety. How marvelous it would be to actually read Tom Jones for enjoyment, although I am uncertain of regaining my passion for fiction. The only fiction books I have read in the past few years were with my middle school students. Much like Marvin, I have been programmed to appreciate fiction for teachable moments or curriculum purposes. I still find myself skimming Young Adult fiction for literacy informed connections I can highlight in class.

Maybe, if there is time before year's end, I can read my Grade 7s The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy...just for fun. No "Quick Writes", "Reader Response Sheets", "Comprehension Questions" or "Essays". Just an absurd story of galactic adventure and a paranoid robot named Marvin.

The 500 - #259 - The Velvet Rope - Janet Jackson

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #259
Album Title: The Velvet Rope
Artist: Janet Jackson
Genre: R&B, Trip Hop, Pop
Recorded: 3 Studios (Minnesota, New York, Los Angeles)
Released: October, 1997
My age at release: 32
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not At All
Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #318, dropping 59 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Got 'Til It's Gone

Over the past 45 years, singer, songwriter, dancer and actress Janet Jackson has carved out a remarkable career. The youngest child of North America's most famous musical family, The Jacksons, she has sold over 100 million albums and holds the record for the most consecutive top ten entries on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart by a female artist.

Jackson's socially conscious and sexually provocative lyrics are as ingenious as the many genres of music from which she draws the inspiration for her unique sound. Additionally, her high-energy, elaborately choreographed and technically innovative stage productions have become legendary.

Lights and lasers on Jackson's 2023 Together Again tour

However, despite these accolades and her mountainous success,  she might best be remembered for a brief, but controversial, moment during the half-time performance at the 2004 Super Bowl. Her right breast, covered partially by a star-shaped nipple shield, was revealed to a television audience that exceeded 90 million in an event that has been memorialized by the unfortunate and lazy moniker "nipple-gate".

In brief, "nipplegate" occurred at the finale of Jackson's performance when, joined by singer Justin Timberlake, the duo sang his popular song Rock Your Body. The final lyric in Timberlake's hit is "Bet I'll have you naked by the end of this song". Consequently, the plan was for the former N'SYNC vocalist to tear the leather breast cup off Jackson to reveal red, lacy "lingerie" underneath.

Jackson, performing with Justin Timberlake at 2004 Superbowl

However, when Timberlake crooned the final lyric and pulled on her bustier, both the black leather and red fabric came free, momentarily revealing Jackson's breast. Some speculate that the "mishap" was intentional. However, both Timberlake and Jackson have maintained for 19 years that it was a legitimate "wardrobe malfunction".

Jacson, covering up, moments after the "wardrobe malfunction"

Jackson's breast was visible for less than a second. But that was enough to spark discussions (and outrage) that eclipsed an exciting main event --Tom Brady and the New England Patriots winning their second NFL Championship, 32-29, against the Carolina Panthers. The internet was inundated with searches in the days that followed, crashing Janet Jackson's site. In fact, YouTube co-founder and creator Jawad Karim has stated that he was inspired to create the video platform after "having difficulty finding footage of the wardrobe malfunction online.

In a survey following the event and Jackson' apology, it was clear that the majority of parents were not troubled about the mishap, with only 17 per cent indicating they were "very concerned". Perhaps it was the mili-second “exposure” that irked publicity-minded politicians because the White House got in on the act by issuing a statement and the U.S. Congress went on to hold hearings into the prime time television flub.  Adding to the outraged Washington frenzy the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an investigation into this "shameful display", eventually fining broadcast company CBS half a million dollars. FCC Chairman Michael Powell also issued a statement, saying: "Clearly someone had knowledge of it. Clearly it was something that was planned by someone." Despite not being able to determine who the "someone" was, Powell’s statement continued, "'she' probably got what 'she' was looking for", ostensibly ascribing all the blame to Jackson.

CBS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Les Moonves was reportedly "obsessed" with ruining Jackson's career because he considered her apology insufficient, according to the 2021 documentary Malfunction: The Dressing Down Of Janet Jackson. Indeed, Moonves blacklisted her music and music videos from all CBS/Viacom media outlets, including MTV, VH1 and more than 200 radio stations. From the sidelines, it seems incredulous that the sight of a patch of female flesh would inflame someone to such drastic action.  Incidentally, Moonves was fired from CBS in 2018 after being credibly accused of sexual harassment, intimidation and assault.

Les Moonves when Chairman and CEO of CBS

What about Timberlake? Well, unsurprisingly, a familiar double standard was at play and it only elevated his career. He remains one of the world's biggest selling artists and returned to host the Super Bowl Half Time show 13 years later.

Timberlake at the Super Bowl in 2017

In his detailed examination of the event and the fallout, journalist Johnny Harris aggregated data from 200 news articles of the time of the Great Uncovering in 2004. He learned that only half of them mentioned Timberlake in passing" and one-third failed to mention him at all. Additionally, Harris examined the language used by reputable media outlets, including the New York Times and Washington Post. A clear pattern emerged where the media chose words to portray Jackson as the sole perpetrator and provoker, while framing Timberlake, who actually removed the breast cup, as an innocent victim.The Boston Globe was carried away, noting: "Justin Timberlake reached over to that infamous right breast of Janet Jackson". Infamous?  It's as if Jackson was a mythological siren using her irresistible feminine charms to lure the 22-year-old Timberlake to a rocky shore of decadence.

As the hoopla built around the event, my clever friend James jokingly, but poignantly, commented, "I'll never understand how anyone could be angry about a boob?" True enough. Not only are they beautiful, they sustain life and half the population have them -- more if we count fat guys.

At the time, I didn't think much about it all, but since the tempest in a bra cup nearly two decades ago, I have come to understand better how shabily women are treated by the media. The Pamela Anderson/Tommy Lee sex tape theft which resulted in illegal videocassette copies being sold to the public is another case in point. Anderson was painted as shameless and whorish, while Lee was celebrated as cool, virile and well-endowed.

The TV series Pam & Tommy helped me rethink the 1995 events

Although I regret the jokes I made (or laughed at) in the past, I am pleased with the progress I've made as a human over the 19 years since "nipplegate" and the 28 years since the Pam and Tommy Sex Tape. Anderson and Jackson have soldiered on and both report that they are happy with their place in the world. Jackson is currently on her 10th concert tour, called Together Again, and it is selling out stadiums, arenas and ampitheatres in 37 cities across North America. As my students would say -- "You slay girl!"

 **The Velvet Rope was Jackson’s sixth and was certified triple platinum in both the U.S. and Canada. It was my first time listening to it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well worth a listen.

The 500 - #272 - Dig Me Out - Sleater Kinney

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #272

Album Title: Dig Me Out

Artist: Sleater-Kinney

Genre: Punk-Rock

Recorded: John & Stu's Place, Seattle, Washington

Released: April, 1997

My age at release: 31

How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, At #189, moving up 83 spots since 2012

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Pretty Babies

It was a friend, Steve Crew, who put the band Sleater-Kinney on my radar. Some readers of this blog series might remember Steve from his guest blog post in February, 2021. He wrote about album #384, A Quick One by The Who.

Steve and I enjoyed chatting about hockey, music and film. While visiting him in the spring of 2006, he produced a video cassette he had recorded. He wanted to show me an interview with screenwriter, producer and director Oliver Stone on a new television program called The Henry Rollins Show.

Rollins, an outspoken, post-punk, renaissance man, had carved a niche for himself in contemporary counter-culture as a musician (fronting the LA punk band Black Flag), spoken word artist, actor, activist and novelist. His new program, on the cable channel IFC, allowed Rollins to play to his many strengths. Each 40-plus-minute episode featured engaging and often provocative segments, including Teeing Off and Letters From Henry, in which he offered short, acerbic and often comedic takes on current social issues.

Each episode also included an interview section in which Rollins was able to engage in an uncensored, thought-provoking chat with a diverse group of creative artists, many of whom eschewed conventional talk shows. Over the course of two seasons, his guests included the aforementioned Stone, Iggy Pop, Paul Thomas Anderson, Eddie Izzard, John Waters and Larry Flint.

Finally, each episode included a musical performance, typically from bands or musicians who were lesser-known or avant-garde in their sound or performance style. On the inaugural episode I watched with Steve, a high-energy, punk-rock trio of females named Sleater-Kinney was featured. I was riveted by their performance (which can be seen here).

Formed in 1994, the band took their name* from Sleater-Kinney Road, located near their first practice space in Lacey, Washington, a suburb of the capital, Olympia. Founding members Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker had been active in the Washington music scene for a few years. Brownstein was in the group Excuse 17, and Tucker was part of the influential riot grrrl (feminist punk rock) movement, with the cleverly named band Heavens To Betsy.

Sleater-Kinney was originally a side project for Brownstein and Tucker but, when their primary groups disbanded, it became their focus. Their first two records, Sleater-Kinney and Call The Doctor, featured Laura McFarlane on drums.

By the time of their third release, Dig Me Out, the trio had built a loyal following in the Pacific Northwest club circuit and Janet Weiss had replaced McFarlane. The lyrics on Dig Me Out address feminism, heartbreak and survival, alongside robust, high-octane rock and roll. Weiss' drumming is outstanding, drawing comparisons to the work of Ringo Starr (The Beatles), Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones) and Mick Avory (The Kinks). The Avory connection seems to hold water because Dig Me Up's album cover is clearly a homage to the 1965 album, The Kink Kontroversy. (Thanks to my pal V.A. for that heads-up.)

It is considered Sleater-Kinney’s breakout album, being well received by music critics. In his 1997 review of the record, Matt Diehl of Rolling Stone Magazine noted that while "the Spice Girls (a manufactured pop group) prattle on about 'girl power', Sleater-Kinney remain the real socket for that energy".

The trio released six more studio records between 1997 and 2019, after which Weiss departed the band amicably. In 2021, Sleater-Kinney launched their latest album, Path Of Wellness, with new drummer Angie Boylan.

A few years after Sleater-Kinney appeared on that episode of The Rollins Show, guitarist Carrie Brownstein was featured on another IFC television series entitled Portlandia. Alongside Saturday Night Live alumni Fred Armisen, the satirical, and often surreal, sketch show pokes good-natured fun at the inhabitants of Portland, Oregon -- a city famous (and often mocked) for its eccentric, hipster citizenry.

Much like the quirky humour on Portlandia, Dig Me Out might not be for everyone. Tucker's emotional vocal delivery is an acquired taste. However, as Sara Scribner of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "she is obsessed with finding emotion in the cold machinery of the human heart" – and that works for me.

Addendum

* Following the publication of this blog, a reader, Michael Breen, shared the following photo (found on Google) and let me know that the band took their name from an Exit Sign of Interstate 5 - which led to the street I mentioned. See below.