Posted on 10/20/2004 3:44:54 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Metal men give dystopia a suitable soundtrack;Stick It To Bush
You can’t keep a good concept album down — especially when elements of its ominous story can be found lurking in current events. In 1988, Seattle quintet Queensrÿche released “Operation: Mindcrime,” a dark record that depicts a dystopian future society driven by charismatic — and sinister — demagogues. The central character is a street kid named Nikki who comes under the thrall of Dr. X and turns into his loyal assassin, eliminating anyone who poses a threat. It’s sort of “1984” meets “The Manchurian Candidate” with a dramatic metal soundtrack welded on. “It’s a story about a terrorist,” singer Geoff Tate explains. “It sort of fits in with what’s going on in the world right now.” The band began life in the early ’80s with a sound that owed quite a bit to Iron Maiden, with Tate’s operatic pipes wailing out front. Gradually, more progressive, arty influences found their way into the mix, earning Queensrÿche the tag “thinking man’s metal.” “Operation: Mindcrime” represents the band’s creative pinnacle, selling well over a million copies, though its follow-up record, “Empire” (1990) actually sold a bit better thanks to the top 10 single “Silent Lucidity.” Queensrÿche is revisiting “Mindcrime” on its current tour, with elaborate staging, surround-sound technology, orchestral backing and even actors portraying characters from the album. Careful, guys, remember what happened to Styx on the “Mr. Roboto” tour.
There’s a story to tell
“I’ve always been interested in dramatic productions,” says Tate, 45. “I’ve always thought of Queensrÿche as a very dramatic musical organization, and our music lends itself to that sort of treatment. Especially ‘Mindcrime,’ because it’s a story. “We started on this route because I was writing a screenplay based on the album,” Tate says. “And I noticed there are a lot of holes on the album that you can’t cover musically. … So in true Queensrÿche fashion we started brainstorming and came up with some angles that would make it interesting for us to play it and interesting for an audience to see it.” Tate says that going back to the old album inspired the band members to work on a sequel, titled (what else?) “Operation: Mindcrime II.” And, he says, there’s definite interest in a “Mindcrime” movie from the Hollywood community. “Over the years we’ve been approached by various companies about making a movie, but we never felt quite right about it,” Tate says. “Whether it was the people they wanted to use, the screenwriter or the director, it just didn’t feel right.” Directors Luc Besson, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino are on Tate’s wish list to take the project’s helm.
Sticking it to Bush
“Mindcrime” is an album about devious individuals gaining control over the hearts and minds of impressionable people, and it’s a theme that never strays too far from Tate’s observational eye. “The situation in our country is perfect fodder for an album,” Tate says. “I’m fascinated by marketing, by the commercials the government makes and the ideology they sell us and that we buy so readily. We’re really just a nation of consumers; that seems to be our culture. “They can tell us we need to go to war with Iraq, and we buy it. We don’t question it. We don’t say, ‘Wait a minute, Iraq didn’t have anything to do with the terrorist attacks. Why are we going to war with this country?’ “I’ve come into contact with a lot of people who say they want to vote for George Bush. And I ask them, ‘Why are you voting for someone who has failed on every level as a leader?’ I don’t understand why people who don’t have two nickels to rub together support an administration that has no concern for them.” Queensrÿche’s political stance apparently has ruffled the feathers of some fans who were under the impression that their favorite band was a horse of a different color. “We’ve gotten some flak from fans who say they’re going to burn our records,” Tate says. “We recently played a benefit show … which gathers funds for the Democrats. “People have said to us, ‘How can you do this? How can you get behind this?’ And I say to them, ‘Listen to the records. We’ve always been on this platform.’ ”
This somehow reminds me of the time Pamela Anderson wondered why Hillary didn't leave Bill, like she left Nikki. To which a wag replied "because her husband's the most powerful man in the world, while your's was a drummer in a hair band."
There ya have it MFH !..........entire article is inert with that statement IMO.
Stay safe !
Nope. That was Nirvana. :)
Very thoughtful of Queensryche to check in from the Land of Suck to let us know what they're thinking.
Send a FR-mail to "weegee" so he can add you to the Rock & Roll ping list we've got. I'll be interested in hearing about your after-report of the show.
Thanks!
Uh oh! Another college flunky band with less knowledge in their entire essence than the average conservative has in his/her right front tooth.
Gosh, what's next? Marilyn Manson going on a vote for Kerry tour.... I'm frightened...
NOT!
Say what you will about MM, but he is no bleeding heart liberal.
Figures, he wasn't even born in this country.
Was. After Operation:Mindcrime, it's all downhill.
Hey Geoff, it's not your politics turning us off. It;s your dead creativity. At least Sean Penn can still act.
Yup.....
Voices are Calling Me
Calling me
Calling me...
BWAHAAAAAAA!!!
...Amen. :o)
I always liked these guys, pretty much everything up to, but not including "Empire". I kinda figured they were more Libertarian, rather than lefties, but frankly I couldn't care less about their political opinions.
They are trying to make a big comeback, and they don't see the irony in what they are doing - The liberals will eat it up, and these "anti-consumers" will make millions off of, who else? Consumers.
Actually, I had planned to do a song about the liberals and use that as the basis and call it "Violent Stupidity"...
I think that lyric you're looking for is:
(Ahem, clears throat)
"Informer, you know say daddy me snow me I go blam I licky boom boom down, detective man say say daddy me snow me stab someone down the lane, I licky boom boom down"
FReegards...MUD
Yeah, okay...I'll follow you...right behind the rest of the lemmings headed for the cliff.
Good liberal: self-aggrandizing dolt.
LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.