These were the days when hard rock and metal actually were relevant. The PMRC had pull with the record companies. What had me laughing even back in 1983 when Motleys Shout at the Devil record was a new album. Right there under the 5 pointed star WARNING: MAY CONTAIN BACKWARDS MESSAGES. friggin stupid. The warning alone would make people want to buy the record just to hear what it says played backwards. My record player wouldnt play backwards or the stylis would get fucked up, but my mother and dads old 1960s turntable did. I was one of the many teens who actually spun the album backwards. Same with Iron Maiden on their Piece of mind album. Its gibberish at the end of side 2 I think as I remember when played foward but backwards its got a message. The backwards message warning on Crues record was all Motleys idea, since Iron Maiden didnt have such a warning on Piece of Mind. Keen marketing sceme for rebelious teenagers.
wasp has EXPLICET LYRICS PARENTAL ADVISORY warning tag on their Live ... In the Raw. That was the PMRC pressing the record company. Once The Last Command album gained steam in album sales the PMRC ( Parents Music resource Center ) attacked WASP and Blackie Lawless by name in their stupid speeches and information booklets theyd hand out at concerts and record stores. Even picketing hard rock concerts reading bible verses via a megaphone to people standing in line waiting for the arena doors to open telling concert goers how its not too late to repent from WE ARE SEXUAL PERVERTS. Course nobody gave 2 shits about their bible or anything else about them. But Tipper Gores group went after alot of bands. Claiming Kiss was an acronym for KNIGHTS IN SATANS SERVICE since the majority of Kiss songs were about making love.we all know that Kiss isnt satanic but the PMRC went after them anyways.
Sorry to get so far off topic LOL
Theres the 12 inch singles too. Guns N Roses had The 45 shaped like a gun, side one had paradise City and the flip side has Its so Easy live. Its cute. The 45 shaped like a suitcase , side one having the Mr Brownstone single flip side had My Michelle. Motley released the song Dr Feelgood as a single, I had the 45 shaped like that sword , snake wrapped around it with wings. The flip side had Without You.
metalrulesall, im sorry but I disagree with you on how music being a harmless form of art. I believe music is at least for hard rock/metal is a release for the band or singer. They write songs when ideas are born. Its an out for them to arrange the music to their words.
But I dont buy this with rap or gangster rap. I seriously think violent rap has a real after effect on todays young people. Glorifying drugs, violence and degrading women. Kids hear this stuff and actually want that lifestyle. What is so sad is that the rappers sell this crap to the kids, getting rich even from kids while much of the time preeaching how life is so hard in the hood or how women are hoes. I see them as such hyprocrates. Kids arent dope dealers or addicts, they arent born degrading women or to shoot people. They arent born hating people for no reason. They are taught to by their role models or peers. This rap shit distorts reality from fantsy for many young people.
