Heavy Metal Islam

[nightflier]

There's no section on books here, so I'm posting this in News & Rumors, but I suppose it could have gone into Rave Recordings too. Tons of music written about in these books too. Anyhow...

After hearing some raving reviews I decided to pick up Heavy Metal Islam (http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Metal-Is...065348&sr=8-1), Muhajababes (http://www.amazon.com/Muhajababes-Al..._bxgy_b_img_b), and The Pirate's Dilemma (http://www.amazon.com/Pirates-Dilemm...f=pd_sim_b_49), three books about how popular culture changes whole societies. Never mind the latter two, but if you want one heck of a good read, Heavy Metal Islam is great reading. Even if you don't care for Heavy Metal music, it's a fast-paced reader about youth and their music in the Middle East. Not only is this a real eye-opener about music's influence, but it also reaveals some trends that I think are still going unnoticed:

1. It seems that Heavy Metal is making a come-back, not just there but all over the world. Even skin-tight jeans, converse shoes, eyeliner for men, and feathered/spiked hair is coming back. I think this is a continuation of the trend we saw in the communist world in the 80's and 90's, and is now making it's way to other oppressed societies as an undercurrent of rebellion and protest.

2. It appears that this may be an avenue for Women's rights to spread to the Middle East. Now Levine doesn't deny that Women have a long way to go, but he argues that this is also true in Heavy Metal scenes everywhere. That said, women in the Middle East are active behind the scenes as producers, managers, and agents.

3. Middle Eastern artists are also being confronted with the struggle to keep the message independent, except that there the message is being co-opted by governments more than the media industry. The result is the same, though: less protest and anti-establishment themes as the trade-off for wider distribution. Between the lines, I think it's also interesting to see that the corporate (read: non-democratic) culture of our own media giants have the same values and pressure those onto the artists in the same way that the repressive governments of the Middle East do.

4. Not to beat a dead horse, but one of the mediums that popular music is thriving on is vinyl. It's likely that this is also because there are still a lot of turntables in use in poorer countries, but young people cite some of the often mentioned advantages too: larger artwork, tangibility, and the cool factor of the DJ culture. No mention of sound quality, though. Granted CDs are the primary medium, but it was interesting to read this.

5. Heavy Metal, Rap, and Popular music is an economic equalizer. It appeals to rich and poor alike. Many Middle Easter societies are very much hierarchical, but one of the messages the young people are drawn to is one of equality and democracy.

Anyhow, I thought these are interesting trends. And the book is definitely worth a read. As a former metal head, I found myself re-living vicariously many of the experiences (some good, some not so much) that I remember. Highly recommended.

[bobsticks]

If we could drop some crack and Tech-9's and a few thousand copies of NWA's "F*** Tha Police" we might be on to something.

[nightflier]

The very fact that you have to spell that F*** with asterisks, tells me that maybe we need some rebellion here too.

[nightflier]

Gee, I really thought this post would generate some interest. The book is a great read, really. Maybe posting about a book on this forum wasn't the best choice. Oh well.

[bobsticks]

The very fact that you have to spell that F*** with asterisks, tells me that maybe we need some rebellion here too.

Actually, I chose to utilize the asterisks. The censor is pretty easy to get around, plus this here's family pg-rated infotainment section of the forum. I try and save my vitriol for the Off-Topics where folks can't say they weren't warned.

See, it's the warm-fuzzy Sticks.

[Mr Peabody]

warm, fuzzy, sticks, there's gotta be something funny to say here but I've drawn a blank.

NF, you never give up the Metal, man.....

[Auricauricle]

Isn't that a little redundant: "Popular culture changing whole society"...? If "popular" pertains to what is society considers desirable, then doesn't it somehow indicate that society has already adopted it....? Mebbe this isn't the formulation, but in a knee-jerk sorta way, the phrase seems a little cock-eyed.

Tha's getting away from things a bit; sorry: just had to bring it up...

From the gist of your post, that anti-establishment industries are actually regulated by the establishment seems to signal that with all the good the music etc., it may amount to more a way to vent the ol' spleen than open the doors to reform and the usurpation of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes.

Still, if the masses can be duped into thinking they're making a difference, mebbe it might be a good way to keep 'em quiet....

Just a few thoughts to throw into the soup....

[mbbuchanan]

So parents were right in the late sixties and seventies; "HEAVY METAL (rock music)WILL RUIN OUR YOUTH AND CORRUPT SOCIETY!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Auricauricle]

Oh, yeah! And it will rot your teeth and make your nether parts fall off....Fots wah ahm actlly a funni foundin' eunuch in ree lahf....

[nightflier]

Oh, yeah! And it will rot your teeth and make your nether parts fall off....Fots wah ahm actlly a funni foundin' eunuch in ree lahf....

Auric,

Were you the poor sap who was being lectured to in the opening dialog of that Twisted Sister music video ? And more importantly: "WHAT [DID] YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE???"

[bobsticks]

He put a Twisted Sister pin on his nurse's uniform...

[Auricauricle]

Spendin' way too much time in this place, that's for sure....You're right, fightknifer: I gotta get out, more...

One look at Dee Snider, and ya know things just won't go through your head quite the same way, y'know....

BTW: I noticed the brackets. Who's snider, now?

[nightflier]

Auric,

Regarding the "Popular culture changing whole society" statement, I should have clarified. What I meant by Popular culture should perhaps be written as Pop culture. By this I mean that teen-age culture is changing society. In the Middle East, teens and early 20-somethings, while they make up the majority in numbers compared to other age groups, don't necessarily have the same social and political influence. What the books try to say is that this minor subculture is changing these societies despite this seeming lack of influence. They also suggest that the same is true in our own society where teens feel the same sense of alienation, yet culturally they have tremendous influence on the economy, social mores, and even the political direction of our country. Everything from iPods to Obama-fever is influenced by them, perhaps more than we (the older, wiser crowd, LOL) would like to admit.

I just started on Mujahababes. Not quite the same caliber as Heavy Metal Islam. The writing is sophomoric, the wording is poor, and grammar is certainly lacking (considering Stratton is a BBC journalist, that's a bit surprising - don't those Euro-news types consider themselves smarter than us?). That said, it's a very easy & fast book - kind of reads like a high-school diary and moves very quickly with lost of being-there scenarios. I bought the book used, but it looks brand-spanking new, not even a crease, so I guess it was $8 well spent.

Considering there are virtually no English language books about daily life in the Middle East that don't overwhelm the reader with war and misery, unfortunately all too common there, this book is a refreshing alternative. If we also consider that this is a book about young people, who's majority is also an unfortunate result of war and misery, that makes Mujahababes (and Heavy Metal Islam) a very unique book as well.

I've read that there are lots of books written in Arabic too, mostly dealing with the clash of cultures, addressing young people peripherally, but most of them don't make it to an English translation. The argument is that the point-of view is not Western and thus may be hard to comprehend for us, but I'm going to guess that the saleability of these books, if translated, also plays a part. The argument being the same age-old one that we don't want to humanize those who we drop bombs on, I suppose. All of this is unfortunate, because I think that, if there wasn't a war between our cultures, we could both learn a lot from each other. Moreover, if we did have peace, we could probably benefit far more from it than with war, not the least of which is by the sharing music that now is hardly heard.

I hate to say it, but my mind's image of the Middle East has always been overwhelmingly negative. Images of Ottoman abuses from the distant past all the way up to the cruel and seemingly arbitrary repression in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. The current slew of Western-authored books on the wars and the implication that our Manifest Destiny now expands to their borders, certainly have done little to change that image. Even movies supposedly on the "left" from Syriana to Rendition have done little to change my thoughts from the Middle East as a desert wasteland of human misery with the elites there happily in cahoots with the worst of our own. What these points of view completely forget to include is that the everyday people who live there, many of whom live in considerably less ideal situations than we do here, are also working within their societies to meet very basic needs. Everything from finding good-paying jobs in modern cities, finding love & happiness, having families, and living an ordinary life is not too different from our own lives. These books bring that reality front & center and should be applauded for their candor in doing so.

As much as I am enjoying Mujahababes, I still think Heavy Metal Islam is the real winner here and does a better job of bridging the gap in my mind. Actually, used, it costs less than Mujahababes: under $8. A bargain, IMO. If you're already in there buying your regular fare of Robert Harley books, then why not throw in Heavy Metal Islam (if for nothing else than to reach the $25 price point for free shipping).

[Auricauricle]

NF: It has taken a few hours for me to think of a fitting response to your post....A considered and measured one is required, for your missive is a sincere one and deserves due reply. Having dwelled upon it over the past nearly twenty-four hours and mulling over the swarms of thought coursing through my poor head, I so lift my pen.

Like you, I have been fascinated and heartbroken over the latest events surrounding those lands we call the Middle East. In a historical perspective, the lands and their peoples are among the most influential the world has ever known. The contributions to science, mathematics (the language of science), philosophy, literature, politics and so on, of the Middle Eastern peoples through the millinea would fill many volumes.

It seems ironic, at the risk of speaking peversely, that fundamentalism and autocracy have roosted there, and that these civilizations, once proud and bold beacons whose rays illuminated the benighted West, have failed. The struggles exemplified by (secular) Popular Culture remind us that the struggle (jihad) to succeed continues, despite the overweening presence of zealous forces who see their ways of life threatened.

It's strange, to think of it. Somehow, it seems--and I could be wrong here--that the scientists, mathemeticians, chemists, etc., of the ME had successfully merged faith and reason in a seamless confluence that even we (Enlightened!) of the West struggle with to this day. As you said, there is so much we can learn from each other....Yet, as their civilizations crumbled, so did this creative spirit. What the hell happened?

Like you, I have read many books whose account of the ME that are full of misery and violence, but the peoples of the ME are far richer than that simple description, and their history deserves much more than that constricted POV. One good book I can recommend is Albert Hourani's, "A History of the Arab Peoples" (1991), Belknap Press, Havard University.

I thank you for recommending the books above, for they will certainly be sought out. Despite my rather over-extended presence on this forum, I am a student and my reading priorities must be diverted elsewhere. Like you, I am interested in popular culture, for it is a good way to get a good feel for a civilization's pulse...in particular, when discussing the "clash of cultures".

Yes, quotation marks....I use them because, if there is anything that listening to music has taught me, if there is any universal language it is music. Listen to any strain: Be it Baroque or Bedouin, somehow one can always discern in the strains influences and references from all over the globe, when you open your ears. Tchaikovsky and Rimsky Korsakov took material from the ME; country music today is descended from folk-song of Scotland, Ireland and Norway; Dvorak used Negro spirituals and on and on....

I know this is a segue away from the original topic, but it relates back to the so called "clash of cultures". Cultures do clash: that's what we get for living on the same planet. I just wish (as you do) that it wasn't so bloody and wasteful!

Thanks for twisting this poor head a bit more....

BTW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yny6svM5INA

[atomicAdam]

So parents were right in the late sixties and seventies; "HEAVY METAL (rock music)WILL RUIN OUR YOUTH AND CORRUPT SOCIETY!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Actually Plato has been right about that since a long time ago.

[Auricauricle]

(LOL) That's an interpretation of "The Republic" I have not appreciated!

Fer yer eddication and edification: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMG20rBfkM8

You'll be tested in the morning....

[nightflier]

[I]Yes, quotation marks....I use them because, if there is anything that listening to music has taught me, if there is any universal language it is music. Listen to any strain: Be it Baroque or Bedouin, somehow one can always discern in the strains influences and references from all over the globe, when you open your ears. Tchaikovsky and Rimsky Korsakov took material from the ME; country music today is descended from folk-song of Scotland, Ireland and Norway; Dvorak used Negro spirituals and on and on.

I actually have Hourani's book in my bookcase, but never read it. Maybe I should.

Yes, classical music has long been tied to Middle Eastern and other foreign influences, perhaps unbeknown to most people of European descent. Maybe it's that whole Black Athena engendered aversion, but it bears repeating. I also think it's important to realize how much cross-pollination there is in pop music nowadays. Not only with popular artists (Shakira and Sting) but also in new trends such as the mixing of Raggaeton with Arabic themes. And even in Jazz there is a whole new wave of artists, mostly originating in Europe (who would have thought) who are reviving the Third Stream movement from the late 50s, merging European classical foundations into new contemporary jazz composition.

Come to think of it, here's a thought for the next book: Jazz Islam. On the front cover you could have a Mujahababe wearing a Billy Childs t-shirt, LOL.

Come to think of it, the fusion of jazz with Arabic music would probably be very pleasing. Or is there such a thing already? If there is, I'd like to hear some of it.

[Auricauricle]

"Rondo a la Turk, anyone?"

Even listening to Rai, one can pick up a lot of "cross pollenation".

Truth be told, Hourani has been a good space filler here, too....Still turn to it from time to time; but it's dense and will take some serious work to get through.....

[nightflier]

Finished the books. Mweahhhh. Maybe I was a little too enthusiastic. Stall recommend Heavy Metal Islam, though. The others are just OK.

I've been pulling out some some of my old Metal albums this week (from my rebellion against everything phase) and the music did put a few more things into perspective.

I also just saw Feanor's list classical recommendations. Does anyone here have such a list for Metal? I wonder what that would look like.

[Mr Peabody]

Something like this maybe:

1. Judas Priest: Stained Class or Unleashed in the East or Screaming For Vengence
2. Black Sabbath, We Sold Our Souls For Rock & Roll or Heaven & Hell
3. Iron Maiden, Power Slave
4. Nightwish, Once
5. Tristania, Beyond The Veil
6. Disturbed, The Sickness or Indestructible
7. Tool, Any
8. Godsmack, Faceless
7. Dio, Dio or Last In Line
8. Ratt, Best of
9. Pantera, Best of
10. Metallica, Ride The Lightning, In Justice For All or Master of Puppets
11. Stone Sour
12. Ozzy, Diary of A Madman
13. Limp Bizkit, Chocolate Starfish.....
14. Scorpions, Love At First Sting or Black Out
15. Accept, Balls To The Wall
16. Dokken, Under Lock & Key
17. Motorhead, No Remorse
18. Queensryche, Warning
19. Youthanasia or Symphony of Destruction
20. Guns'n'Roses, Appetite For Destruction
21. Rob Zombie, Hillbilly Deluxe
22. Yngwie Malmsteen, Rising Force

Off the top of my head, I'm sure there's some I forgot of my collection and I'm sure others have their picks as well. If some one was really just getting into Metal I figure the "Best of's" is probably a good way to sample a band. This is a good representation of my core Metal though.

[bobsticks]

That's a solid starter list right there. A cat could burnout some lighters doin' the Freebird homage to all them tunes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxr8LhV9POw

[Mr Peabody]

Then there's the whole discussion of what is "Metal". Nightflier mentioned Def Leppard in another post talking about Metal but I don't really consider them Metal. One of my favorite bands is Triumph but I don't consider them Metal. But maybe we should table this for another thread.

[Auricauricle]

Would the line up on the Heavy Metal soundtrack qualify as a guide? Mebbe it's irrelevant now....

Where's my Judas Priest?

[Mr Peabody]

Judas Priest is on my list and as I remember it the Heavy Metal soundtrack would not count, Don Felder, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick, I don't think so. The soundtrack to Bride of Chucky is more like it, Bruce Dickison, Power Man 5000, Type O Negative, Slayer etc.

[Auricauricle]

I guess I'm gonna have to retake that Hooked On Phonics course!

I think you're right about the soundtrack, which was more situational than reflective of the genre. Steely Dan, heavy metal? Um, yeah, sure.....