The Lord's Hall - The Music Thread

[Jameta]

Note: This is still the making. sweatdrop More details to come, but you guys can post.

This thread is not only intended to give members a place to talk about how music interacts with their faith and overall life, but a place to analyze specific pieces possibly relating to various religions and their histories. A member can post either their feelings on music in general (their favorite song or band, what genre moves them, etc.), reply to the topic provided in the second post, or both.

Past Discussions:
Ozzy Osbourne's Mr. Crowley (Apr 25, 2005)
Tea Party's Shadows on the Mountainside (May, 2005)  

[Jameta]

Current discussion: The insturmental track The Awakening by Godsmack of the Faceless album.

Lord Darc

Basically what it is... it's basically tribal in some way. I don't know if YOU would call it tribal, but I think of it as tribal. It's not heavy and radical like most of Godsmack's other material, but it's calming, and almost spiritual in some ways.

Why this piece was chosen: Lord Darc feels a strong connection to it... and I needed help reviving this section. sweatdrop I love you, LD. heart

Agust 16th, 2005  

[blukattt]

Hmm, the way I took it was that Ozzy heard about Alester Crowley, and like many of us was drawn towards figureheads in the occult. After finding out that (IMO) Crowley used his station to manipulate his pupils, he got pissed, and wrote a song about it. whee

I suppose I could hunt down an interview with the Oz man where perhaps someone asked him what it meant, but I'm lazy...and at work. xd  

[Keistera]

I remember Ozzy saying that the song came about when he and Randy (I think) were messing around with a copy of Crowley's Thoth deck. In the book for his Prince of Darkness box set (I'm a proud owner... mwahaha), he says: "Crowley has been a fixture of my live shows for nearly 25 years. The song really takes me back. It's definitely one of my favourites."

I think Ozzy just has a major fascination with all things Occult, and Crowley is part of that. IMHO, the song expresses his curiosity about Crowley and his work in general -- what the hell were you talking about, man? ... Okay, not quite... that way. razz He seems geniuinely curious.

I would like to know what Ozzy himself thinks of the song, in a bit more detail.

Ozzeh Rocks! domokun  

[wicked_hat]

I too when I was younger wasn't sure if it was about a real person or a fictional person. of course now I know. I love this song ( and most of Ozzy's work) but havbe never really thought about the meaning of the song. I rarely do think about the meaning unless it is something verry obviouse (i.e. snowblind)  

[Jameta]

Some details on the song, brought to you by Song Facts:

- The line "Won't you ride my white horse" is a drug reference. Crowley was a known user of opium.*

- When Crowley was born they scattered the afterbirth because he had a birthmark shaped like a swastika. Ozzy sings about it in the line "They scattered the afterbirth."

* This is a "duh", but I thought I should mention it as well: a rider on white horse is (if I remember correctly) supposed to initiate the apocolapyse, according to Christian theology.  

[Jameta]

Ozzy Osbourne Biography

Although [Black] Sabbath has long been plagued by cries of 'Devil Worshipers' and 'Satanists', the devil had nothing to do with the choice of the name, regardless of how dark and satanic the name sounded. This point is strengthened by the following incident: As the band began to make news a group of satanists asked them to play at their "Night of Satan" at Stonehenge. They flatly refused, for which they were later informed by the head witch, Alec Sanders, that the group had placed a hex on the band members. Ozzy apparently asked his father to make them up some aluminum crosses, and they wore them 24 hours a day for protection, seeming to take the threat seriously.

The link.

I will have more info. and my opinion later... again. sweatdrop  

[Jameta]

Ozzy Osbourne Biography

Black Sabbath's first completed album was released on Friday February the thirteenth, 1970... The band was not very popular at the time of the recording, and they simply wished to do what they liked best - sing about the darker aspects of life. They likely never thought that they would make it big in the music business at this point. In fact Ozzy has said that he was just happy to show his mother that his voice could be recorded on a piece of vinyl...

The record company took it upon itself to place an upside down cross on the gatefold of the album, and this immediately caused people to associate the band with Satanism. Sabbath did not want the upside down cross, but bowed to the record companies marketing methods. Inside the inverted cross was a poem that seemed to correspond with the album's cover - a woman standing in a countryside, in a gothic appearing setting. The poem is called "Still falls the rain".

...

The album 'Paranoid' was recorded in four days, again at Regent Sound, and released in January 1971. The cover shows a person running out of the forest with a sword and shield in hand. It seems a strange representation of being paranoid, but the album was actually intended to be called "War Pigs" (mans constant desire to have weapons of destruction and killing). The record company objected to the title, and so they named the album after the song on the album, "Paranoid". The song "War Pigs" actually came about when the band had been told tales of horror and war from soldiers at an American Air Force Base while the band played there.

...

In 1971[,]... [the] "Master of Reality" album was released... This album would raise eyebrows with the song "After Forever", which was clearly a religious song. Churches called it blasphemy, and others began to speak out against the band, perhaps partly because of the song, or what the band represented. In any event, 1971 turned into a rollercoaster of events, from the groups dressing room walls being decorated with crosses painted in blood in Memphis, to a Satanist jumping on stage with a sacrificial knife during the same show. The local witches coven later gathered outside the band's hotel, Geezer trying to scare them off with a fake hex.

 

[Jameta]

Ozzy Osbourne- Biography

During the Diary tour, Ozzy would throw raw meat into the audience. It was (supposedly) part of his contract to throw 25 pounds of calves livers and pigs intestines. The promoters were once phoned by a parent asking how to get the blood out of the clothes. Eventually people began to bring meat to the show to throw back at him, and this progressed to the point where people would throw dead frogs, snakes and cats. Once someone threw a toy doll and Ozzy went crazy thinking that someone had thrown a real infant onto the stage.

...

On August 12 and 13th of 1989, Ozzy played the Moscow Music Peace Festival.

 

[Jameta]

From my brief research and review of the man widely known as Ozzy Osbourne, I have found his reputation as a "Mad Man" to be created more by his producers and the public than himself. Although he sparked it all with the dove incident, everything else comes from outside interpretation. If anything, Mr. Osbourne is more comfortable with his spirituality than most so-called believers, for he has struggled through hard times and willing stared into the depths of the universe's negativity. As can be seen in lyrics and actions, he is more of a man of peace than a promoter of violence.

And thus I conclude, "Ozzy, we love you." heart

P.S. Have an idea for a discussion? This time, I swear I'll put it up if you provide me the information through PM. biggrin  

[blukattt]

Jameta

And thus I conclude, "Ozzy, we love you." heart

Quoted in total agreeance. Mr. Osbourne, truly thou art a muse of the ears.  

[Keistera]

Agreed. heart
The media is so good at hyping up everything... yet... not so good at portraying the truth (it doesn't get good ratings).  

[Jameta]

Keistera

Agreed. heart
The media is so good at hyping up everything... yet... not so good at portraying the truth (it doesn't get good ratings).

Yeah, they always have to get "the story". The Daily Show made a good point by everyone jumping on the bride case, portraying it as a kidnapping or potential homicide. There was one newcastor, one of the older, wiser ones, that posed the question of it just being cold-feet.  

[PhantomPhoenix0]

Umm... is the Ozzy discussion still going? Cause I have a song discussion in mind.  

[Jameta]

PhantomPhoenix0

Umm... is the Ozzy discussion still going? Cause I have a song discussion in mind.

We're changing; hold onto that idea, as NS ran me by a song through PM. If you think you'll forget it, just PM me now.