rpk@lmi-angel.UUCP (Bob Krajewski) (10/28/86)
An article in Sunday's New York Times about the mainstreaming of performance art compared Lily Tomlin's satire of an NYC perf-art type (the piece was called ``Me'') and a ``patented'' Lydia Lunch tirade, and Lily came out ahead -- more authentic, even. There was a letter to _Forced Exposure_ (it rules the world of gnarly 'zines) about certain types being famous for being famous which didn't name names, though you can guess who he was thinking of. I'm not sure if LL really is doing anything worth paying attention these days -- a lot of ``edge'' stuff (``This is dangerous... offensive... blood... peppered with Anglo-Saxon terms... guts... violence... sex... I'm gonna scream my neuroses at you... My problems turned up to ten...'') I find boring, pretentious, and dangerously close to taking away the dignity of those who really do suffer (including the performers themselves). On the other hand, she gives great interviews, was brilliantly bratty (her true self) in Eight-Eyed Spy (or was it Mars... all those No Wave NYC bands seem to run together), and of course, there is the sex appeal element.
hogge@P.CS.UIUC.EDU (John Hogge) (10/31/86)
[on Lydia Lunch]
>/* Written 1:11 pm Oct 28, 1986 by rpk@lmi-angel.UUCP
I'm not sure if LL really is doing anything worth paying attention these
days -- a lot of ``edge'' stuff (``This is dangerous... offensive...
blood... peppered with Anglo-Saxon terms... guts... violence... sex... I'm
gonna scream my neuroses at you... My problems turned up to ten...'') I find
boring, pretentious, and dangerously close to taking away the dignity of
those who really do suffer (including the performers themselves). On the
other hand, she gives great interviews, was brilliantly bratty (her true
self) in Eight-Eyed Spy (or was it Mars... all those No Wave NYC bands seem
to run together), and of course, there is the sex appeal element.
/* End of text from uiucdcsp:mod.music.gaffa */
I like several things by Lydia, the best being album "13.13". "In Limbo"
is good but *slot*; "Drowning of Lucy Hamilton" I've only heard once but
like alot--has no vocals on it, just deranged piano and good guitar (and
is perhaps interesting as being a work by 2 women, no men), and "Queen of
Siam" had some interesting things on it but was uneven. 13.13 is the best
musically, similar to Live Skull with Lydia's dredd vocals on top.
--John