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Saturday, November 25, 2006

Evil Music I Enjoy Part 1: Ministry



Ministry

Brief History
In part one of a multi-part series looking at bands I love, or loved, and giving you my opinion on why I like their music and what it means to me I decided to start with a band that I am, as of right now, making a special three part Mix CD compilation to: Ministry.

Brief history tells the story of Al Jourgensen, a Cuban born American musician. In Chicago, Illinois, which was to be the spot where industrial music was to explode in the counter culture scene, he began Ministry as a New Wave band. First on the Wax Trax! label which was the top indy label for industrial music acts for a period of time and eventually he ended up at Arista records. Around this same time Al, along with members of EBM forefathers Front 242 were in a project called Revolting Cocks. But internal problems left Al by himself. Al hooked up with Paul Barker of a group called the Black Outs and the two, along with Bill Rieflin and Fini Tribes Chris Connelly took over the mantle. Revolting Cocks(RevCo for short) was hard industrial band with a tongue in cheek country music flair. Al invited Paul to be his chief co-writer for Ministry.

Ministry went from a new wave group to becoming the fathers of American industrial music. Mechanical drum beats, precision metal guitar, pulsating bass, and loud screams. Their first album from Warner Bros. owned Sire records was an album that rolling Stone included on its list of the top 500 albums of all time, "The Land of Rape & Honey." The two and their collaborators including Bill Rieflin, Chris Connelly, Duane Buford, and others would go on to work on both Ministry and RevCo. In 1992 Ministry achieved some level of mainstream success with "Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the way to Suck Eggs" thanks in part to their single Jesus Built My Hotrod with Butthole Surfers Gibby Haynes and a series of music videos that made it onto Mtv. The group also made an appearance into the Steven Spielberg movie AI in the Flesh Fest scene.

The band released a few more albums and Paul Barker left Ministry in 2003 leaving Jourgensen to develop an almost more hardcore/speed metal outfit.



My Interest In Ministry
I had heard of Ministry as I began my interest in industrial music. Growing up black I had R&B and some rap around but I wasn't able to connect as, I guess, I was an angst filled teenager. but Metal for the most part didn't work but industrial grabbed my attention. The factory sounds and ability to experiment without ever losing that distinguishable quality in their own sound helped.

Though I heard of Ministry it wasn't until a VH-1 program entitled Top 100 Bands of Hard Rock that I really heard them. Listening to the members of Green Day and Living Colour speak on the band, the images, and the clips of the music which were able to combiend heaviness and catchy rhythms without an element of pop caught my ear. My friend burnt me a CD including Jesus Built My Hotord and I was taken away by the tongue-in-cheek humor of the lyrics as well the aggression and craft that the song included. The entire album of Psalm 69 was brutal but lacked what I hated about Metal: the bloated pretentiousness. The excess darkness and humorless attitude. Ministry was band about the darker side but weren't afraid to throw in the dancier drum beats, keyboards, horns, and southern vocals.

Though I am a newer fan I feel a little sadden by Jourgensens current work. More straight forward but too hardcore for me. Still, as my friend says, bad Ministry is better then most music. If you're interested, check out Greatest Fits. A collection of singles including a song with NIN Trent Reznor from the 1000 Homo DJs side project. Al and Paul had many other projects besides Ministry and RevCo. Though I liked RevCo the best.

Favorite Albums from Ministry & RevCo

Ministry-Psalm 69


Minsitry-Filth Pig


Ministry-The Darkside of the Spoon


Revolting Cocks-Beers Steers & Queers


Revolting Cocks-Linger Fickin' Good

Videos For Your Amusement

Ministry-Jesus Built My Hotrod


Ministry-Stigmata


Revolting Cocks-Crackin' Up

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