This researcher has a different take. It is likely that this song was a part of, or inspired by, the Imaginos cycle. In the Imaginos album the Loa , spirits in the Vodun tradition, play a key role. In the album, seven specific ones are dubbed the Les Invisibles and are behind many of the intrigues that unfold over the course of the album. There are of course dozens of Loa and no type of ruling council within the tradition. It is likely Pearlman confused the tradition of the Seven African Powers , sometimes described as Orishas in Santeria , with the Loa of Vodun.
Another linkage to the Imaginos cycle are the lines: "They learned from men who'd just refrain/From glancing at a mirror's face." As was noted in the second installment , obsidian mirrors play a key role in the cycle. Historically they were used for divination purposes by a host of sources, including the Aztecs , Dr. John Dee and Joseph Smith .
Roses are mentioned in the song as well. The rose is a common alchemical symbol:
"Whether white or red, roses were the favorite flowers of alchemists, who often entitled their treatises The Rosary of the Philosophers . White roses 'like lilies, were linked to the white stone, the objective of the first stage of the Work, while the red rose was associated with the red stone, the objective of the second stage. Most of these roses have seven petals, each petal relating either to a metal or to an operation in the Work...' A blue rose was to become the symbol of the impossible."
( Dictionary of Symbols , Jean Chevalier & Alain Gheerbrant, pg. 815)
an alchemical rose The common use of seven-petaled roses by the alchemist is of course highly compelling in the context of this song. Pearlman also makes reference to a "secret cave." As was noted above, the cave is a common symbol of initiation.
While this researcher believed that sex magick was a possible explanation for "OD'd On Life Itself," this clearly seems to be the purpose of "7 Screaming Diz-Busters." Both the penis (diz) and semen ("duster's dust") are referenced while Diz-Buster clearly seems to be describing an orgasm. The references to alchemy further reinforce this, as many modern scholars have speculated that the hidden secret of alchemy was in fact sex magick , techniques of which were stealthily hidden in their texts. The presence of the number seven is likely a reference to the Loa of the Imaginos cycle, indicating the deities being evoked. And of course the refrain of "Lucifer, the light" is a time honored celebration of hidden knowledge.
Tyranny and Mutation : Closer
For our purposes here, there is not much of interest of side B. While still strong, the songs on this side largely avoid esoteric themes. Opener " Baby Ice Dog " featured the first lyrics the band ever recorded by punk poetess Patti Smith while the Bouchard brothers' moody " Wings Wetted Down " features more of Joe's nightmare psychedelia. Richard Metzer , Pearlman's old colleague from Crawdaddy , contributes the much maligned " Teen Arche r." A kind of preview of the arena abomination that would became staples in the late 1970s, the song is driven by a catchy riff that makes for good cock rock fun (pending one doesn't get nightmare visions of Spectres ).
Pearlman finally returns to the fold with closer " Mistress of the Salmon Salt " and it unsurprisingly features a compelling set of esoteric lyrics. Drummer Albert Bouchard took a more conventional view, however, and believes the song is about a woman who disposes of dead bodies: " 'They lyrics are really bizarre, you know, the famous story of the person that kills people, or actually I don't think she kills people, but she performs a service. She would bury the murdered dead, and use them as fertilizer for her plants' " ( Agents of Fortune , Martin Popoff, pgs. 40-41).
The last verse of "...Salmon Salt" lends credence to Bouchard's theory, with its references to juke joints and the Coast Guard . And this could also explain the description of the song's female lead as "Quicklime Girl." Quicklime is an actually substance that is extremely flammable when combined with water. It could theoretically be used to dissolve bodies. Curiously, it was known to ancient world and w as used as a weapon by the Romans and the Chinese. Some have even speculated that it was a component of Greek fire .
The first three verses, however, hint at a more esoteric significance to the song:
In the garden district Where the plants grow strong and tall Behind the bush there lurks a girl Who makes them strong and tall...
In the fall when plants return By harvest time she knows the score Ripe and ready to the eye Yet rotten somehow to the core...
A harvest of life, a harvest of death One body of life, one body of death And when you've gone and choked to death With laughter and a little step I'll prepare the quicklime friend For your ripe and ready grave For your ripe and ready grave
The lyrics seem to evoke the ancient custom of human sacrifice to enhance the fertility of crops. The Huffington Post provides t wo compelling example of this custom :
"India has long practiced sacrificial obeisance to Mother Earth. As late as the 19th century, the Kandhs of Bengal sacrificed a person for the Earth Goddess, Tari Pennu, in order to ensure healthy crops and immunity from disease. Blood was especially important in the cultivation of turmeric, which needed it to develop its rich, red color. The Uraons of Chota Nagpur offered human sacrifices to Anna Kuari, who blesses the harvest. And the Lhota Naga of Brahmapootra severed the heads, hands and feet of their victims and planted them in the fields for fertilizer.
"Aztec hymns tell us that Tonacacihuatl, Our Lady of Substance, was once the Goddess of the Hunt, Blood and Night, but as the people grew to depend more on agriculture, She evolved into the Earth Goddess. The son of Her fertility was the corn, which was depicted as being identical with the obsidian knife which was Her symbol. These were the phallic representations of Xipe, the young god identified with the corn and the sunlight, both of which grew up and increased to maturity from the depths of the dark earth.
"Here, too, fertility, death and sacrifice are connected. The husking of the corn is perceived as the same act as the tearing out of a sacrificial victim's heart, both accomplished with the obsidian blade. At the celebration of the broom harvest of the Earth Mother, first an older woman, and then a young girl were beheaded and their blood spread on fruit, seeds and grain to guarantee abundance."
As for the lady's mantle of "Mistress of the Salmon Salt," salmon has very interesting symbolism in Celtic mythology:
"... The salmon is of the same essential nature as the boar, in that both are creatures of sacred wisdom. Wells of knowledge recur in Irish literature overhung by hazel-or-rowan-bushes and in them live the salmon of knowledge who feed on the scarlet berries or the nuts dropping into the water. Whoever eats the flesh of these fish acquires second-sight and knowledge of all things. This is what happened to Finn as a boy. He was the pupil of a bard or file and was busy one day grilling a salmon for his master. As he turned the fish on a spit he burned his finger and sucked it. He instantly became omniscient and was given a prophetic tooth. Thereafter he had only put his thumb on his wisdom tooth and chew it to become gifted with second-sight. Salmon, again, was the food of Eithne, the allegorical figure of Ireland, after her conversion to Christianity. With the boar and the wren, the salmon was a particularly druidic creature and one of the symbols of wisdom and spiritual nourishment..."
( Dictionary of Symbols , Jean Chevalier & Alain Gheerbrant, pg. 823)
Cannibalism could then be implied if the "salmon salt" is the flesh of the Quicklime Girl's consorts, which she may partly consume to gain wisdom. On the whole, however, this researcher suspects this song revolves around some type of modern cult performing ancient fertility rites . The reference to a juke joint in the final verse could even put the song in the same universe as "Before the Kiss, a Recap." Is this possibly a reference to Conry's and Pearlman's "Motif of the Rose" secret society (addressed in part two )?
And with that I shall wrap things up for now. In the next installment we'll address the landmark Secret Treaties album. Будьте на связи.
Posted by Recluse at 1:47 AM
Labels: Cults , freemasonry , Hidden History , High Weirdness , HP Lovecraft , human sacrifice , Illumination , Occult , Process Church , Rock 'N Roll , secret socities , UFOs
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carisma_sensei
no subject
Date: 2016-10-12 11:31 am (UTC)Another linkage to the Imaginos cycle are the lines: "They learned from men who'd just refrain/From glancing at a mirror's face." As was noted in the second installment , obsidian mirrors play a key role in the cycle. Historically they were used for divination purposes by a host of sources, including the Aztecs , Dr. John Dee and Joseph Smith .
Roses are mentioned in the song as well. The rose is a common alchemical symbol:
"Whether white or red, roses were the favorite flowers of alchemists, who often entitled their treatises The Rosary of the Philosophers . White roses 'like lilies, were linked to the white stone, the objective of the first stage of the Work, while the red rose was associated with the red stone, the objective of the second stage. Most of these roses have seven petals, each petal relating either to a metal or to an operation in the Work...' A blue rose was to become the symbol of the impossible."
( Dictionary of Symbols , Jean Chevalier & Alain Gheerbrant, pg. 815)
an alchemical rose
The common use of seven-petaled roses by the alchemist is of course highly compelling in the context of this song. Pearlman also makes reference to a "secret cave." As was noted above, the cave is a common symbol of initiation.
While this researcher believed that sex magick was a possible explanation for "OD'd On Life Itself," this clearly seems to be the purpose of "7 Screaming Diz-Busters." Both the penis (diz) and semen ("duster's dust") are referenced while Diz-Buster clearly seems to be describing an orgasm. The references to alchemy further reinforce this, as many modern scholars have speculated that the hidden secret of alchemy was in fact sex magick , techniques of which were stealthily hidden in their texts. The presence of the number seven is likely a reference to the Loa of the Imaginos cycle, indicating the deities being evoked. And of course the refrain of "Lucifer, the light" is a time honored celebration of hidden knowledge.
Tyranny and Mutation : Closer
For our purposes here, there is not much of interest of side B. While still strong, the songs on this side largely avoid esoteric themes. Opener " Baby Ice Dog " featured the first lyrics the band ever recorded by punk poetess Patti Smith while the Bouchard brothers' moody " Wings Wetted Down " features more of Joe's nightmare psychedelia. Richard Metzer , Pearlman's old colleague from Crawdaddy , contributes the much maligned " Teen Arche r." A kind of preview of the arena abomination that would became staples in the late 1970s, the song is driven by a catchy riff that makes for good cock rock fun (pending one doesn't get nightmare visions of Spectres ).
Pearlman finally returns to the fold with closer " Mistress of the Salmon Salt " and it unsurprisingly features a compelling set of esoteric lyrics. Drummer Albert Bouchard took a more conventional view, however, and believes the song is about a woman who disposes of dead bodies: " 'They lyrics are really bizarre, you know, the famous story of the person that kills people, or actually I don't think she kills people, but she performs a service. She would bury the murdered dead, and use them as fertilizer for her plants' " ( Agents of Fortune , Martin Popoff, pgs. 40-41).
The last verse of "...Salmon Salt" lends credence to Bouchard's theory, with its references to juke joints and the Coast Guard . And this could also explain the description of the song's female lead as "Quicklime Girl." Quicklime is an actually substance that is extremely flammable when combined with water. It could theoretically be used to dissolve bodies. Curiously, it was known to ancient world and w as used as a weapon by the Romans and the Chinese. Some have even speculated that it was a component of Greek fire .
The first three verses, however, hint at a more esoteric significance to the song:
In the garden district
Where the plants grow strong and tall
Behind the bush there lurks a girl
Who makes them strong and tall...
In the fall when plants return
By harvest time she knows the score
Ripe and ready to the eye
Yet rotten somehow to the core...
A harvest of life, a harvest of death
One body of life, one body of death
And when you've gone and choked to death
With laughter and a little step
I'll prepare the quicklime friend
For your ripe and ready grave
For your ripe and ready grave
The lyrics seem to evoke the ancient custom of human sacrifice to enhance the fertility of crops. The Huffington Post provides t wo compelling example of this custom :
"India has long practiced sacrificial obeisance to Mother Earth. As late as the 19th century, the Kandhs of Bengal sacrificed a person for the Earth Goddess, Tari Pennu, in order to ensure healthy crops and immunity from disease. Blood was especially important in the cultivation of turmeric, which needed it to develop its rich, red color. The Uraons of Chota Nagpur offered human sacrifices to Anna Kuari, who blesses the harvest. And the Lhota Naga of Brahmapootra severed the heads, hands and feet of their victims and planted them in the fields for fertilizer.
"Aztec hymns tell us that Tonacacihuatl, Our Lady of Substance, was once the Goddess of the Hunt, Blood and Night, but as the people grew to depend more on agriculture, She evolved into the Earth Goddess. The son of Her fertility was the corn, which was depicted as being identical with the obsidian knife which was Her symbol. These were the phallic representations of Xipe, the young god identified with the corn and the sunlight, both of which grew up and increased to maturity from the depths of the dark earth.
"Here, too, fertility, death and sacrifice are connected. The husking of the corn is perceived as the same act as the tearing out of a sacrificial victim's heart, both accomplished with the obsidian blade. At the celebration of the broom harvest of the Earth Mother, first an older woman, and then a young girl were beheaded and their blood spread on fruit, seeds and grain to guarantee abundance."
As for the lady's mantle of "Mistress of the Salmon Salt," salmon has very interesting symbolism in Celtic mythology:
"... The salmon is of the same essential nature as the boar, in that both are creatures of sacred wisdom. Wells of knowledge recur in Irish literature overhung by hazel-or-rowan-bushes and in them live the salmon of knowledge who feed on the scarlet berries or the nuts dropping into the water. Whoever eats the flesh of these fish acquires second-sight and knowledge of all things. This is what happened to Finn as a boy. He was the pupil of a bard or file and was busy one day grilling a salmon for his master. As he turned the fish on a spit he burned his finger and sucked it. He instantly became omniscient and was given a prophetic tooth. Thereafter he had only put his thumb on his wisdom tooth and chew it to become gifted with second-sight. Salmon, again, was the food of Eithne, the allegorical figure of Ireland, after her conversion to Christianity. With the boar and the wren, the salmon was a particularly druidic creature and one of the symbols of wisdom and spiritual nourishment..."
( Dictionary of Symbols , Jean Chevalier & Alain Gheerbrant, pg. 823)
Cannibalism could then be implied if the "salmon salt" is the flesh of the Quicklime Girl's consorts, which she may partly consume to gain wisdom. On the whole, however, this researcher suspects this song revolves around some type of modern cult performing ancient fertility rites . The reference to a juke joint in the final verse could even put the song in the same universe as "Before the Kiss, a Recap." Is this possibly a reference to Conry's and Pearlman's "Motif of the Rose" secret society (addressed in part two )?
And with that I shall wrap things up for now. In the next installment we'll address the landmark Secret Treaties album. Будьте на связи.
Posted by Recluse at 1:47 AM
Labels: Cults , freemasonry , Hidden History , High Weirdness , HP Lovecraft , human sacrifice , Illumination , Occult , Process Church , Rock 'N Roll , secret socities , UFOs
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