5 December 2023
The Steel family has two sons; Jonathan and Michael. The family, proud of Michael, hates Jonathan. Jonathan, who is treated as a disgrace to the family, goes through a troubled adolescence. One day, a drunk driver causes Michael’s death, and the family is devastated. Having lost his brother, Jonathan runs away from home and hits the streets. While wandering the streets in the grip of alcoholism and drugs, he comes across a music store, sees the blood-red guitar in the window and decides that he wants to be a rock star. He breaks the window and steals the guitar. His life is now integrated with this stolen guitar. The young man, whose only wish is to be famous one day, meets Charlie, nicknamed Chainsaw, who owns a major record company. Having achieved the fame he wanted, Jonathan later realizes that this life is not as happy as it seems from the outside. In fact, all he wants is to prove himself to his parents who has never valued him. Our hero, in search of love, calls his family before a concert, but the answer he gets from the phone is ‘We don’t have a son’. The story will end with Jonathan hanging himself with guitar strings at the end of a concert.
A story that could be considered cliché was handled so well that one of the best concept albums ever emerged. Let’s examine the band and the music a little bit.
In fact, Blackie Lawless thought of releasing this album under his own name. After all, for Blackie=W.A.S.P, it wouldn’t matter but due to fan pressure, the album was released again as W.A.S.P. The previous album, Headless Children, was also very good, but The Crimson Idol tells a very touching story. And it does this without getting bored and by fulfilling the basic function of music: Caressing your soul.
Blackie was never able to keep W.A.S.P. on a permanent roster most probably due to his mentioned huge ego. His longest relationship was with Chris Holmes. Blackie played almost all the instruments in Crimson. Only two outstanding drummers, Frankie Banali and Stet Howland, played the drums. Making the album alone allowed him to use his energy more efficiently. The album is the product of 3 years of work.
The main armory of the album are melancholy and emotional passages. The keyboards were also played by Blackie. Its solid production and integrated structure from start to finish are important features of the album. Blackie has a very unique and wonderful voice, and his vocals are actually great throughout this album.
Especially the last song, The Great Misconceptions Of Me, is the summary of everything. If you haven’t listened to it yet, this song will easily tell you what you will encounter.
One of the striking facts about the album is that The Crimson Idol tour was held 15 years after the album’s release. I guess this is a rare situation. Additionally, on the 1998 reissue, a song/speech called The Story Of Jonathan was added to the end of the album. Here Jonathan tells his own story.
In conclusion, while I advise you not to miss this great album which deserves the definition “Art”, I send you off with lyrics that express the purpose/result duo of the story.
Jonathan to the Gypsy:
I just wanna be, I just wanna be, I just wanna be
The crimson idol of a million
Jonathan to the king of mercy:
I don’t wanna be, I don’t wanna be, I don’t wanna be
The crimson idol of a million
I don’t wanna be, I don’t wanna be, no I don’t wanna be
The crimson idol of a million eyes
10/10
