Season of the Witch : How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll (9780698143722) (28 page)

BOOK: Season of the Witch : How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll (9780698143722)
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Mitch Horowitz is quoted in “Jay-Z: A Master of Occult Wisdom?” National Public Radio, September 19, 2009.

Quotes on the contemporary occult scene and music are from an email interview with Raymond Salvatore Harmon and a phone interview with Stephen O'Malley. Some insights into theories around Madonna's Super Bowl appearance are from “‘Ye Shall Be as Gods': Madonna's Super Bowl Occult Satanic Ritual” posted at beginningandend.com, February 8, 2012 (accessed May 8, 2014).

Papa Emeritus quotes are from “Show No Mercy: Ghost B.C.” by Brandon Stosuy, pitchfork.com, April 12, 2013 (accessed May 8, 2014).

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, thanks to my editor, Mitch Horowitz, for pushing me to get this just right. I had little more than an idea and he helped turn it into a book. A bigger mensch you will never meet. Of course, I wouldn't even have thought the idea any good if it wasn't for my agent, Matthew Elblonk, who has been a constant support, a kind critic, and a steadfast advocate. Thanks to the brilliant Arik Roper for the cover of my dreams. I was a fan for years, and now am proud to call him a friend.

Thanks to all the folks who contributed their time by way of interviews, suggestions, and support, including Rodney Orpheus, Robert Fripp, Arthur Brown, Greg Lake, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Nik Turner, Zeena Schreck, Emil Amos, Aubrey Powell, Roger Dean, Bernie Worrell, Herbert Deutsch, Bill Laswell, Stephen O'Malley, Mark Pilkington, Simon Reynolds, Raymond Salvatore Harmon, Richard Metzger, David Metcalfe, Pam Grossman, Mark Fraunfelder, Chris Bohn, and Cosey Fanni Tutti.

Special thanks to Ethan Gilsdorf, whose fellowship and writerly support were with me all the way. My deepest gratitude to Scott Korb for his rigorous editorial input, spiritual guidance, and unwavering friendship. To my dear friend Joe Gallo, for being there when it all started. And to Ezra Glenn for his loving companionship.

There are too many friends and family to name, but there are some who had a particular impact on the writing of this book, including my
Sunday night D&D group (J. P. Gluting, Michael Marano, Janaka Stucky, et al.), Seth Riskin, Amy Ross, Jim Lopez, Tony Tauber, and Tim Halle.

Thanks to my sisters, Karen Bebergal and Lisa Mead, to my fantastic extended family, Judy Ashworth and the entire Neill clan, with special fondness in my heart for Emily and Sarah. And to the memory of Byron, Ruth, and Eric Bebergal.

Thanks to my buddy and son, Sam, who offered some excellent advice, who kept me laughing, reminding me to take time to play, and who is the light of my life.

But how to thank my wife, Amy? She is my guiding star, my home, and my heart. Her humor, insight, and love kept me afloat. The poets tell of nine muses. But I will lay my flowers only at the feet of Amy.

INDEX

The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. The link provided will take you to the beginning of that print page. You may need to scroll forward from that location to find the corresponding reference on your e-reader.

Abbey Road
(Beatles),
xiv
,
58

Abrahams, Ian,
179

acid rock.
See
relax and float downstream

“acousmatic,”
184

Acoustical Society,
180

“Adam in the Garden,”
17
–18

“Addis” (Om),
229

Adorno, Theodor,
179

advertising and rock art,
44

Aethenor,
222

Affenstunde
(Can),
189

African traditions,
xxii
,
xxiii
,
xxvi
,
2
,
3
,
4
,
5
–6,
10
–20,
26
,
75

Aladdin Sane
(Bowie),
153
,
154

Albarn, Damon,
221
–22

album cover art,
xiv
,
xv
,
xvii

devil rides out,
84
,
99
,
100
–101,
106
,
118
–19,
120
,
121

relax and float downstream,
58
–60,
68
,
84

space ritual,
191
–92,
192
–93,
197
–98,
200
,
201
,
203

tree of life,
142
,
153

(you make me wanna) shout,
27

See also
occult influence on rock

Alice Cooper,
136
–37,
138
,
151
,
152

Alien
(movie),
198

aliens,
xiv
,
xxiii
,
xxvii
,
139
,
141
,
142
,
143
,
144
–45,
153
,
174
,
175
,
176
,
178
,
180

“Allegro Barbaro” (ELP),
199

Alpert, Richard (Ram Dass),
38
,
39

Alpha Centauri
(Tangerine Dream),
190

Altamont Concert,
84
,
115
,
172

Amboy Dukes,
68

American Front,
166

American South,
2
,
3
,
4
,
5
,
6
–9,
14
,
16
–17,
27

American witch trials,
117
,
136

Anaheim Convention Center,
128

Ancient of Days, The
(Blake),
47

Anderson, Greg,
223
,
224

Anderson, Jon,
201
–2

Angels?
(Chick),
123

Anger, Kenneth,
81
–83,
85
,
86
,
102

Animals,
54

Anthology of American Folk Music,
27
–28

Apple Records,
62

Aquarian Age,
65
,
84
,
107
,
172
,
174

“Aquarius,”
67

Archies,
69

“arcs of sound,”
173

Arena,
149

Aristophanes,
41

Arkestra,
176
,
177

Armstrong, Neville,
187

Art Nouveau,
40
,
42
–43

“art rock,”
196

Aryan perfection,
148
,
149

Asch, Moses,
26
–27

Asher, Jane,
48

Ash Ra Tempel/Ashra,
190

Asmodeus,
124
,
227

Astaire, Fred,
51

“Astral Chant, An” (Pink Floyd),
36

“Astral Projection” (Garson),
186

“Astronomy Domine” (Pink Floyd),
36

“Astro Zombies” (Misfits),
120

Ataraxia: The Unexplained
(Musical Expressions of the Occult)
(Garson),
186

Atem
(Tangerine Dream),
190

“Atropos” (ELP),
197

“Attack of the Demon” (Black Widow),
116

“At the Mountains of Madness” (H. P. Lovecraft),
68

Augustus Caesar,
228

“Aumgn” (Can),
189

Aurora Plastics Corporation,
106

Autobiography of a Yogi
(Yogananda),
201

automatons,
205

Baalzebul,
124

“Baba O'Riley” (Townshend),
92

Bacchae, The
(Euripides),
xxxii

Bach, Johann Sebastian,
xxviii
,
183

back-masking,
100
,
103

Baez, Joan,
172

Baker, Phil,
80

Baker, Robb,
125

Bakshi, Ralph,
xiv
,
96

Balance, John,
164
–65,
166

Balch, Antony,
159

Baldwin, Jason,
210

Ballard, J. G.,
179

Bangor, North Wales,
50
,
51

Bangs, Lester,
95
–96

Baphomet,
104
,
212

Baraka, Amiri (LeRoi Jones),
8

“Barbarian, The” (ELP),
199

Barrett, Syd,
31
–32,
32
–34,
36
–37,
45
–46,
47

Barrett
(Barrett),
46

Bartók, Béla,
199

Battelle, Phyllis,
22

Baudelaire, Charles,
26
,
42
,
85
,
87
,
148

Bauhaus,
168

Bay City Rollers,
13

Baynes, Cary F.,
36

BBC News Magazine,
109
–10

BBC Radiophonic Workshop,
187

BBC Television,
77

Beach Boys,
57
,
63

Beardsley, Aubrey,
41
–42,
163

Beat Generation,
25
–26,
28
,
39
–40,
49

Beat Instrumental,
116

Beatles,
xiv
,
xv
,
xvi
,
xxiii
,
xxiv
,
32
,
44
,
48
,
50
–54,
55
,
56
,
57
,
58
–62,
74
,
84
,
91
,
96
,
99
,
100
,
101
,
193

Beausoleil, Bobby,
82
–83,
102

Beaver, Paul,
186

bebop,
26

“Be-Bop-A-Lula” (Vincent),
97

Bee Gees,
13
,
167

Beggars Banquet
(Rolling Stones),
77

“Bella Lugosi's Dead” (Bauhaus),
168

Ben Hur
(movie),
200

Bennett, John G.,
204
,
205

Benson, Ezra Taft,
101

Berg, Philip,
216
–17

Bergier, Jacques,
143
,
149

Berkeley,
182

Bewitched
(TV show),
72

big band music,
26

Bikram yoga,
227
–28

Birthday Party,
168

Bishop, Bainbridge,
132

biting head off bat (Osbourne),
105

“Black Corridor” (Hawkwind),
179
–80

Black Flag,
211

Black Mass
(Lucifer),
186

Black One
(Sunn O)))),
223
,
224

Black Sabbath,
xiv
,
xxiv
,
105
,
108
–13

“Black Sabbath” (Black Sabbath),
110

Black Sabbath
(movie),
108

Black Sun,
165
–66

Black Widow,
115
,
116
–17,
118

Blake, William,
26
,
47
,
134

Blavatsky, Helena Petrovna,
48
–49,
65
,
131
,
133
,
148
–49,
166

Blizzard of Ozz
(Osbourne),
106

Blount, Herman (Sun Ra),
176
–78

blues,
xx
,
xxi
,
xxiii
,
xxiv
,
2
,
3
,
7
–9,
10
,
12
,
19
,
21
,
32
,
78
,
97

bodhisattvas,
25
,
28
–29

Bogan, Lucille,
7

Boing Boing
(webzine),
223

Bolan, June,
34

Bolan, Marc,
151

Boleskine House,
93
,
94

Bonham, John,
103

Bonnell, John Sutherland,
57

Boone, Pat,
23
,
32

Boston Gardens,
202

Boston Globe,
115
,
196

Bowen, Michael,
64
,
65

Bowie, Angela,
146

Bowie, David,
xiv
,
xvii
,
xxiv
,
xxxiii
,
139
–43,
144
–47,
148
,
149
–51,
152
,
153
–55,
161
,
219

Boyd, Joe,
40

Boyle Family,
43
–44

Bradbury, Ray,
193

Brain Salad Surgery
(ELP),
197
–98

Brand, Stewart,
182

Branwyn, Gareth,
223

Brend, Mark,
185
,
187

Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka,
160

“Bride of Evil” (Slayer),
120

Brim,
44

Briscoe, Desmond,
187

British folk music,
199

British Invasion,
32
–33,
47

Brock, David,
173

Brown, Arthur,
xiv
,
43
,
125
–29,
132
,
133
,
134
–35,
135
–36,
138
–39,
146
,
173
,
180
,
219

Brown, Barbara,
63

Brown, Jerry,
63

Bruford, Bill,
200
–201

Bruno, Giordano,
129

Buckley, William F.,
115

Buddhism,
xix
,
25
,
37
,
39
–40,
49
,
57
,
66
,
127

Bulgakov, Mikhail,
85

Bulwer-Lytton, Edward,
143
,
149

Burdon, Eric,
54
–55

Burial Hex,
222

Burroughs, William,
xxv
,
144
,
145
,
157
–59,
160

Butler, Geezer,
108
,
111
,
112

Byrds,
54

“Cabala” (Garson),
186

California's State Assembly's Consumer Protection and Toxic Materials Committee,
103

call and response,
17

Can,
189

“Candlewolf of the Golden Chalice” (Sunn O)))),
223

Carter, Chris,
155
,
156

Catholicism,
4
–5,
23
,
74
,
109
,
212
–13

Cave, Nick,
168

Celestial Monochord
(Fludd),
27

Celtic mysticism,
71
,
95
,
98

“Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family” (Bowie),
153

“Chapter 24” (Pink Floyd),
36
–37

Charge of the Goddess (Valiente),
117

Chariots of the Gods
(Von Däniken),
175

Chicago Tribune,
23
–24,
125

Chick, Jack,
123

Child, Francis,
27
–28

Child Ballads,
27
–28

Childhood's End (Clarke),
100

“chord of the pleroma,”
133

Choucha, Nadia,
159

Christianity,
xix
–xx,
xxi
,
xxii
,
xxiii

devil rides out,
81
,
86
,
105
,
110
,
111
,
113
,
114
,
117
,
122
,
124

relax and float downstream,
57
,
61
,
64
,
71
,
72
,
74
,
75

space ritual,
175

tree of life,
129
,
130
,
167

(you make me wanna) shout,
2
,
3
,
4
–5,
5
–6,
7
,
10
,
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
,
15
,
16
,
19
,
23
,
24
,
25
,
28

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