Season of the Witch : How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll (9780698143722) (27 page)

The band is Ghost B.C. from Sweden. They are led by Papa Emeritus, who calls his musicians the Nameless Ghouls. They have remained anonymous, preferring instead covert identities as demonic agents. Yet, in interviews, despite being masked or conducted via email, they are remarkably candid. When asked about their interest in Satanism, they do not praise the devil or talk ominously about the destruction of mankind. Instead, they admit to having no “satanic agenda” but draw upon their inspiration from horror movies. One of the Ghouls explained that “in the theater that is Ghost, everything is supposed to feel like it is orthodox devil-worshipping. As an audience member, you can choose to believe whatever you want to. And you can choose to partake, or you can choose not to.” Papa Emeritus (whose own identity has changed over time) prefers to play up the role. When asked by the same writer how he worships the devil, the singer replied, “My mere existence is a dishonor for the Church, thus being in favor of ‘the old one.'”

It was the new millennium, the Internet a dominant feature of social interactions, people looking anxiously at a possible utopia or dystopia, depending on who was in office at any given time. What were the devils of superstition in the face of a coming global climate disaster? What good was magic when you had a computer in your pocket? The occultism of the New Age movement was reduced to Bikram yoga, sweating your way to
enlightenment. And rock and roll is music for nostalgic adults, no good for dancing or taking ecstasy to at all. So it would seem to be the prevailing attitude. But the truth is, people were continuing to explore alternative spirituality; the Internet was a thriving community for Neopagans, Wiccans, and chaos magicians. Social media made it possible to share every kind of spiritual idea in an instant. The occult imagination persisted, but new technology made it possible to create granular subcultures. And musicians could be found exploring in the same ways.

Earlier in 2013, the same year Ghost B.C. haunted Boston, another band was using the occult to stage their own unique ritual. Around 7:00 p.m., very early for a rock concert in any venue, the trio that makes up Om walk through the crowd to a stage set up in the Temple of Dendur in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Upon entering you meet two pharaonic statues guarding a shallow pool, now littered with the coins of tourists hoping for good luck from whatever ancient Egyptian deities might still be listening. On the other side of the pool stand two massive structures making up the remains of the two-thousand-year-old temple, built in 15 BCE and dedicated to the god Osiris by Augustus Caesar in the Roman province of Egypt. An angled wall of glass comprises an entire side in an effort to remind you that the temple once stood in the stark desert sunlight. Here in the midst of Manhattan in a famous room in a famous museum, a chant begins to fill the hall. As the audience pushes closer to the stage, the chant gets progressively louder. It resonates around the poor acoustics of the room, bouncing off stone and water and glass. The lyrics reference Eastern, Islamic, Jewish, and Christian mysticism, invoking the Kabbalistic feminine attribute Shekinah,
Ezekiel's vision of dreadful angels, astral travel, the Hindu concept of
prana
(breath or spirit), and reincarnation. One song, “Addis,” is the complete mantra for the invocation of the Hindu god Shiva. While these religious ideas are fairly disparate, Om brings them together in a way that is more than just fanciful New Age collating. Om weaves their own spiritual mythology, driven by the heavy power of their music. Some might even call it magic, causing change in the audience's consciousness by means of Om's mighty riffage.

Despite the way the concert was a reminder of rock's most awful pretensions and satirical ripeness—such as the mockumentary
This Is
Spinal Tap
's infamous miniature Stonehenge scene—a moment like Om at the Met shows how rock's spiritual affinity with occultism has never died. But more important, it underscores how the pact rock musicians and audiences made to expand their consciousness and push beyond the restraints of traditional American music and its underlying spiritual identity never ceased. The occult took possession of the imagination of rock musicians and their fans, and redefined popular music and culture even into the new
millennium.

NOTES ON SOURCES

I was wholly dependent on and eternally grateful to Rock's Back Pages, the online library of music magazines. Many of the quotes and factual material came from sources found here, such as
New Music Express
(
NME
),
Sounds
,
Rolling Stone
,
KRLA Beat
,
Beat Instrumental
,
Creem
, and
Kerrang!
Newspapers and other magazines were found in various library databases and other online archives such as
Time
,
Rolling Stone
, and
Playboy
. Magazine name and year are noted in text or in the notes below.

INTRODUCTION: WE ARE ALL INITIATES NOW

Quote by Dan Graham is from his book
Rock/Music Writings
(New York: Primary Information, 2009).

History of Dionysus and the term “god who arrives” are from
Dionysus: Myth and Cult
by Walter F. Otto (Dallas, Texas: Spring Publications, 1991).

CHAPTER 1: (YOU MAKE ME WANNA) SHOUT

Many books were essential for the research of this chapter. Material regarding the beliefs and music of African Americans is from
Slave Religion
by Albert
Raboteau (New York: Oxford University Press, 1978);
The Music of Black Americans
by Eileen Southern (New York: Norton, 1983);
Sinful Tunes and Spirituals
by
Dena J. Polacheck Epstein (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1977); and
Re-Searching Black Music
by Jon Michael Spencer (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1996).

Other material on African music and the quote “danced religion” is from
Religion in the New World
by Richard E. Wentz (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990).

Information on the relationship of the blues to African music and religion was found in
Big Road Blues: Tradition and Creativity in the Folk Blues
by David Evans (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1982);
The Devil's Music
by Giles Oakley (Boston: Da Capo Press, 1997); two essential works by Paul Oliver:
Blues Fell this Morning
(London: Cambridge University Press, 1990) and
Savannah Syncopators
(New York: Stein and Day, 1970); and “Yorùbá Influences on Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo” by Ina J. Fandrich (
Journal of Black Studies
, vol. 375, no. 5, May 2007).

Material on Robert Johnson was informed by
Escaping the Delta
by Elijah Wald (New York: Amistad, 2004).

Lyrics and other useful information were found at the remarkable website Lucky Mojo, a repository of material on voodoo and the blues written and curated by Catherine Yronwode.

Material on the early history of rock was helped by
All Shook Up: How Rock 'n Roll Changed America
by Glenn Altschuler (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), and
Rock and Roll: A Social History
by Paul Friedlander (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1996). Elvis quotes are from
Leaves of Elvis' Garden
by Larry Geller (Bell Rock Publishing, 2008).

Samuel Cardinal Stritch's letter was quoted in “Stritch Calls Rock 'n' Roll Throwback to Tribalism,”
Washington Post
,
March 2, 1957.

Details on the relationship between the Beat Generation and bebop are from
The Beat Generation
by Christopher Gair (Oxford: Oneworld, 2008).

CHAPTER 2: RELAX AND FLOAT DOWNSTREAM

Two outstanding sources for material from the 1960s are the CD-ROM collections of the complete
San Francisco Oracle
(Berkeley, CA: Regent Press, 2005) and the searchable online archives of the
International Times
. Another essential source for my understanding of the spiritual milieu of the era is
Turn Off Your Mind
by Gary Lachman (New York: Disinformation Press, 2003).

For information on witchcraft and Wicca, I am indebted to three major works:
Drawing Down the Moon
by Margot Adler (New York: Viking, 1979),
The Triumph of the Moon
by Ronald Hutton (New York: Oxford University Press,
2001), and
Real Magic
by Isaac Bonewits (Newburyport, MA: Red Wheel/Weiser, 1989). Other sources include
Witchcraft Today
by Gerald Gardner (New York: Citadel, 2004) and
God of the Witches
by Margaret Murray (London: Oxford University Press, 1970).

I was deeply educated by
Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music
by Rob Young (London: Faber and Faber, 2011)
,
a history of folk and British rock's folk roots, particularly in regards to Syd Barrett
.

Material on Madame Blavatsky is from
Occult America
by Mitch Horowitz (New York: Bantam, 2010), and
Madame Blavatsky: The Mother of Modern Spirituality
by Gary Lachman (New York: Tarcher, 2012).

The David Thompson quote on Mark Boyle is from an article in
Sound International
, quoted at length at http://www.boylefamily.co.uk/boyle/texts/atlas_notes1.html (accessed May 8, 2014).

Many of the Beatles' press conference quotes were found at www.beatlesinterviews.org and thebeatlesbible.com.

The Paula Scher quote is found in Steven Heller, “Divinyl Inspiration,”
Step Inside Design
20, no. 6 (2004): 58–67.

John Sutherland Bonnell is quoted in “Noted Cleric Criticizes Resurgence of Spiritism,”
Los Angeles Times
, February 7, 1968.

June Bolan quote is from http://www.pink-floyd.org/barrett/sydarticle.html (accessed July 1, 2014).

Quote from Wouter J. Hanegraaff is from his useful book
Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed
(London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2013).

CHAPTER 3: THE DEVIL RIDES OUT

Sources for history of the Rolling Stones came from a variety of magazines and interviews, but two books provided excellent material:
Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones
by Stephen Davis (New York: Broadway Books, 2001) and
Up and Down with the Rolling Stones
by Tony Sanchez (London: John Blake Publishing, 2011).

On Led Zeppelin, I am indebted to
Led Zeppelin IV: 33
¹
/
₃
by Erik Davis (London: Bloomsbury, 2005),
Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page
by Brad Tolinski (New York: Crown, 2012),
Led Zeppelin 1968–1980
by Keith Shadwick (Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 2005), and
Hammer of the Gods
by Stephen Davis (New York: Ballantine Books, 1986).

Aubrey Powell spoke to me over the phone about his time with Hipgnosis and working on Led Zeppelin album covers.

Material on Aleister Crowley was easy to come by, but an interview with Rodney Orpheus proved most illuminating along with material from Gary Lachman's
Aleister Crowley: Magick, Rock and Roll, and the Wickedest Man in the World
(New York: Tarcher, 2014).

William Yarroll was quoted in “California Probes Rock Music ‘Devil,'”
Chicago Tribune
, April 29, 1982.

Material on Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan is from articles referenced in the text as well as a phone interview with Zeena Schreck and the article “Has the Church of Satan Gone to Hell?” by Jack Boulware,
Gnosis
(Winter 1999).

Some material on Ozzy Osbourne is from “Ozzy Osbourne, Off and Rocking,”
Washington Post
,
April 17, 1986.

Quote about the band Heart comes from “Paying the Price of Sudden Success,”
Washington Post
, October 12, 1977.

Some information on the PMRC is from the National Public Radio article “Parental Advisory Labels—The Criteria and The History,” October 29, 2010.

Phil Baker quote on Dennis Wheatley is from an article in
Fortean Times
found at http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/2623/the_devil_rides_out.html (accessed on July 1, 2014).

CHAPTER 4: THE TREE OF LIFE

A phone interview with Arthur Brown was the source of much of the material on his music and ideas, along with the book
The God of Hellfire
by Polly Marshall (London: S.A.F. Publishing, 2006) and the article “Flame On” by Mike Barnes,
MOJO
, August 2013.

Otto quote is from
Dionysus: Myth and Cult
.

I am grateful to Nicholas Pegg for his outstanding book,
The Complete David Bowie
(London: Titan Books, 2011).

Bowie's quote about Marc Bolan is from
Blood and Glitter
by Mick Rock (London: Vision On, 2004).

Material about
Morning of the Magicians
came directly from
Morning of the Magicians
by Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier, trans. by Rollo Myers (New York: Stein and Day, 1964), as well as Lachman,
Turn Off Your Mind
.

Biographical and other information on William Burroughs and Brion Gysin include
William S. Burroughs
by Jennie Skerl (Boston, MA: Twayne Publishers, 1985),
The Beat Hotel: Ginsberg, Burroughs, and Corso in Paris, 1958–1963
by Barry Miles (New York: Grove Press, 2000),
Nothing Is True—Everything Is Permitted: The Life of Brion Gysin
by John Geiger (New York: Disinformation Books, 2005), and a phone interview with Genesis Breyer P-Orridge as well as a 2002 interview done with Richard Metzger, “Annihilating Reality: An Interview with Genesis Breyer P-Orridge.”

The interview with P-Orridge is also the source for P-Orridge's quotes, as well as details on Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV. Other material about the industrial scene (as well as information on goth rock) are from
Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984
by Simon Reynolds (New York: Penguin Books, 2006).

Austin Osmon Spare quote on sigils is found in
Stealing Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Modern Western Magic
by Nevill Drury (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011).

Other sources include
The Gothic: A Very Short Introduction
by Nick Groom (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012) for material on goth rock. On magic, art, and Austin Osmon Spare, I consulted
Surrealism and the Occult
by Nadia Choucha (Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 1992) and
Stealing Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Modern Western Magic
by Nevill Drury (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011).

Some anecdotes about Killing Joke are from a phone interview with the band's bassist, Youth (Martin Glover).

Quote from Cosey Fanni Tutti is from an email interview.

Details on the meeting between David Bowie and William Burroughs were found at http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beat-godfather-meets-glitter-main man-19740228 (accessed July 1, 2014).

The quote “nature throwing up,” regarding the music of Killing Joke is from http://www.killingjoke.org.uk/aid/articles/1987-1991/torontostar210489.html (accessed July 1, 2014). Other Killing Joke material related to the fanzine interview is from http://www.radcyberzine.com/text/non-rad/kj.81.int.html (accessed July 1, 2014).

CHAPTER 5: SPACE RITUAL

Material on Hawkwind is from
Hawkwind: Sonic Assassins
by Ian Abrahams (London: S.A.F. Publishing, 2005) and the remarkable website The Archive: a history of over thirty years of UK festivals
(ukrockfestivals.com) and “Crushed Dreams: The 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival—40 Years On” by Dave Smith, posted on live4ever.uk.com, August 25, 2010 (accessed May 8, 2014).

Some Michael Moorcock information and quotes are from
London Peculiar and Other Nonfiction
by Michael Moorcock (Oakland, CA: PM Press, 2012) and from an email interview with Moorcock.

Quotes by Sun Ra are from “Interview: Sun Ra Pt. 2” by John Sinclair,
Ann Arbor Sun
, April 1967; “Sun Ra: Space Is the Place” by Andy Gill,
NME
, August 7, 1982; and “Sun Ra and His Myth-Science Arkestra” by John Sinclair,
Creem
, November 1972.

I received a complete education on the history of electronic music from
The Sound of Tomorrow: How Electronic Music Was Smuggled into the Mainstream
by Mark Brend (London: Bloomsbury, 2012) and
Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture
by Thom Holmes (New York: Scribner's, 1985).

Material on Robert Moog is from the essential 2005 documentary
Moog
, directed by Hans Fjellestad, and a phone interview with Herbert Deutsch.

Stewart Brand quote is from “Making It” by Evgeny Morozov,
The New Yorker
, January 13, 2014. Quotes by Karlheinz Stockausen are from a May 1972 lecture at the Oxford Union found at http://youtu.be/nTeLI5dUzKw.

Interview with Florian Fricke is from a 1996 interview found at http://www.eurock.com/features/florian.aspx.

Quote from Bettina Waldthausen is from an interview with Jason Gross at
Perfect Sound Forever
(www.furious.com), August 2013.

Historical details and other facts on progressive rock are
Mountains Come Out of the Sky: The Illustrated History of Prog Rock
by Will Romano (Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 2010). Anecdotes and quotes are from phone interviews with Roger Dean and Greg Lake. Some related quotes are from
Progressive Rock Reconsidered
by Kevin Holm-Hudson (New York: Routledge, 2001),
Bill Bruford: The Autobiography
by Bill Bruford (London: Jawbone Press, 2009), and “Yes” by David Laing,
Let It Rock
, February 1974.

Quotes and some information on G. I. Gurdjieff are from
Shadows of Heaven: Gurdjieff and Toomer
by Paul Beekman Taylor (Newburyport, MA: Red Wheel/ Weiser, 1998).

Quotes regarding Pierre Schaeffer from John Mowitt are from his book
Radio: Essays in Bad Reception
(Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011).

CHAPTER 6: THE GOLDEN DAWN

Henry Rollins's quote is from “How Rockers Helped Free the West Memphis Three” by Patrick Doyle,
Rolling Stone
, September 15, 2011.