The Beatles 1968
paean to the madman Charles Manson does not fare well in the hands of Rob
Zombie and Marilyn Manson, in my humble opinion. The duo opened their
tour in Detroit last night in a set that included a "Helter Skelter" cover.
Okay, I admit to detesting Zombie and Manson's music and schtick. That said, I
did meet Zombie at SXSW 2012 and found him to be a smart, interesting guy.
Several things make "Helter
Skelter" such an interesting if not important song. First, improbably, it
was Paul McCartney's creation and did not emerge from John
Lennon's darker side. Paul was looking to break out of the sweet balladeer
stereotype and, well, this tune certainly did so.
Next, "Helter
Skelter" is arguably the first-ever heavy metal song, illustrating yet
another of the many ways The Beatles were constantly innovating. It introduced
many of us to thick sound, dense rhythm, amplified distortion, outrageous
volume and other metal trademarks.
Finally, can it be
argued that the song is a punk rock progenitor, too? After all, its hard edge,
rapid pace and fried, frayed vocals would feel quite at home at CBGBs in the
1970s.
Zombie and Manson's
interpretation aside, there are some terrific covers of "Helter
Skelter" from the likes of Pat Benatar, Oasis and Soundgarden (a
creepy-but-compelling, slow-motion take).
No matter the
version, pay attention to the drummer. During The Beatles' recording of "Helter
Skelter," Ringo exploded in anger after the 16th take. He threw his
drumsticks against the wall, screamed "I've got blisters on my
fingers," stormed out the EMI studios and quit The Beatles - for a day or two. Of course, The Beatles appropriately chose to keep Ringo's angry scream in the song.
Image courtesy of Steve Hoffman Music Forum.