Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Mad Marlon- Guerrillas In the Trunk



Escaped.

The internet persona of Mad Marlon is no less compelling than that of the most popular viral video stars. The 87 videos the self-proclaimed "Wyandotte Ambassador" posted a couple months ago are astoundingly odd. Yet those curiosities would be of little interest to me if the new material from his forthcoming release wasn't so mind-bendingly outstanding. In a genre filled with copycats, Mad Marlon owns a refreshingly unique and subversive voice. Call him the Kool Keith of Kansas. Wayward Blog and Demencha have also taken note of the "futuristic thug."

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Everybody knows that time changes everything. My opinion of Ron Asheton's work on guitar is no exception. I was shocked when I bought Raw Power as a kid. "This guy can't play," I thought. I also made certain that my folks never spotted the album cover. After guitarists like Greg Ginn, Dr. Know and Keith Levene changed my perception of noise, I fully embraced Asheton's sound on the Stooges albums. I eventually got to see him play at this in-store event. But my tastes had changed once again. Now I can hardly bear to hear Asheton's blues-less, nihilistic sound. Asheton was found dead in his home earlier this week.

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Kansas City Click: Shay Estes croons at Jardine's tonight.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ron Asheton was the Stooges' guitar-player on their first two albums, but on Raw Power he switched to bass. James Williamson was the guitarist on Raw Power.

Happy In Bag said...

Thanks for the correction, Steve. I guess that spoils my little memorial, but I'd rather be right than clever.

Anonymous said...

No problem. Ron has a lot to be praised for on his own. And he finally got to enjoy the fruits of his labors. R.I.P.