I realized something this morning while listening to "Jesus Was a Androgyne": There is a brand of weirdness that needs to be addressed: the Authentic Weirdo category. As I have explained in earlier posts, the Advanced Theory came out of conversations that Britt and I had about what it means to be a "weirdo." When I say someone is Overt, it means that they are trying to appear strange in an obvious way. For instance, if everybody believes that a pop song can only be three minutes, write one that is seven minutes. If everyone is singing about love, incense, and peppermints, write a song about transvestites and hard drugs. Advanced artists move beyond this stage into a style of strangeness that is much more difficult to understand. You can tell that Lou Reed makes weird music, but it is a weirdness all its own, a weirdness that doesn't stick to the formula of "if this is popular, I'll do the opposite."
However, both the Overt and the Advanced make conscious decisions to be a certain way. In fact, the theory is based on the idea that Advanced geniuses know exactly what they are doing, no matter how ridiculous their latest project seems. But the Authentic Weirdo is just a very strange person who can't help but to make weird music. Lou Reed could write hits if he wanted to, but he chose a different path. Artists like Dory Previn, though, would love to make normal music, but they just can't. Most of the Authentic Weridos are mentally ill, of course. Wesley Willis is one of them. Michael Jackson is another.
I guess this is all my way of saying I really don't understand what is behind "Jesus Was a Androgyne." Maybe her influences are clear to others, but I do know that it is more Authentically Weird than anything you'll hear on a Sonic Youth record.
3 comments:
Even though I am a Dory Previn fan, I admit that I usually skip that particular song on the CD. However, I think I have a decent guess at her meaning. I would say that she is referring to the idea that Jesus, although male, demonstrated traits more often associated with women-compassion, love, etc. Yes, that would be a sweeping generalization, but she offers hints at confirmation in the song 'Morning Star, Evening Star' when describing 'father love' as cold and distant. I would also say that she is probably not thinking about popularity but simply trying to express herself honestly. In that regard, I would disagree with your statement that she 'would love to make normal music.' I very much doubt that-it would not be an authentic expression of her own.
Morning Star / Evening Star is my favorite song by Dory, it has 'helped' me a lot for many years. I don't think Previn's songs are 'weird' but just very much sincere, honest, and of great intelligence. Her music is actually very traditional, just a few chords, verses and choruses... She expresses something you might call weirdness for it is deeply personal and sincere and not heard that often. In her songs but also her books and everything else she has been doing throughout those many years...
Anyway, thank you for posting something about Dory Previn on the internet!redym
Interesting thoughts. I think what Dory was expressing is that sexuality as we know it in western (and probably any) society is a fallacy; that it is unimportant. She was also saying we are our own Jesus, we are our own god. I've been listening to this a lot on my bike to work and it is indeed a very weird, but exhilarating song. Musically speaking, it too can be heard as 'weird', but that's because it's been taken out of it's context as part of a musical and placed on a 'pop' album, as well as Dory singing in a idiosyncratic style she felt fit for the song. Despite some mentioning that she had a small voice, she sure could vary it a lot to convey different attitudes.
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