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Helter Stupid | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1988–1989 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 47:26 | |||
Label | SST (252) [1] | |||
Producer | Negativland [2] | |||
Negativland chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Robert Christgau | A− [4] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
The Great Alternative & Indie Discography | 6/10 [6] |
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [2] |
Pitchfork | 7.2/10 [7] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10 [8] |
Helter Stupid is Negativland's fifth studio album, released in 1989. [9] [10] It is a concept album focused on the media coverage of a hoax formulated by the band claiming that "Christianity Is Stupid" from their previous album, Escape from Noise , had inspired David Brom to murder his family in Rochester, Minnesota, as well as other moral panics related to popular music. [8] [11]
The first half of the album is composed of the tracks "Prologue" and "Helter Stupid". The two together form an extended piece lasting over 22 minutes. The concept, and some of the sampled material, came from a San Francisco television news program that was duped by a media hoax perpetrated by Negativland while promoting its previous album, Escape from Noise . [12] Other samples used include those from Rev. Estus Pirkle (further samples from If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? , as used on "Christianity Is Stupid"), "Spring Rain" by Bebu Silvetti, Lenny Bruce, an interview with Charles Manson, and "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles (in reference to the Helter Skelter theory of the Tate–LaBianca murders). [13]
Parts of the "Perfect Cut" tracks on Side 2 draw from samples of "The Winning Score", a 1977 presentation by TM Century, producers of radio jingles and imaging.
Chumbawamba sampled Helter Stupid extensively on their 2000 album WYSIWYG .
Trouser Press wrote that "as inspired propagandists coming to terms with an ability to manipulate the truth, Negativland shifted their mindfuck campaign to a higher plane with Helter Stupid. [14] The Rough Guide to Rock called Helter Stupid "probably [the band's] best and most accessible album." [15]
Escape from Noise is the fourth studio album by Negativland. It marked the band's first release on an established independent record label, SST Records. On the album, they continued to develop their experimental style, as well as incorporating elements of pop music with shorter tracks and more conventional melodies. "Christianity Is Stupid", a track featuring samples from the propaganda movie If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?, proved to be an enduring signature song: the band and the release gained widespread attention a year later due to an SST press release falsely implying that murderer David Brom had listened to the song before killing his family members.
"Helter Skelter" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song was McCartney's attempt to create a sound as loud and dirty as possible. It is regarded as a key influence in the early development of heavy metal. In 1976, the song was released as the B-side of "Got to Get You into My Life" in the United States, to promote the Capitol Records compilation Rock 'n' Roll Music.
Recurring is the fourth and final Spacemen 3 studio album, released in early 1991 on Fire Records. The band had broken up prior to the release of the album. During the recording, the relations between band members had soured to the extent that the record is in two parts – the first side by Peter Kember, and the second by Jason Pierce.
If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? is a 1971 American Christian exploitation film directed by Ron Ormond, featuring Southern Baptist minister Estus Pirkle.
Grotesque (After the Gramme) is the third studio album by English band the Fall. Released on 17 November 1980, it was the band's first studio album on Rough Trade.
Helter Skelter is the second studio album by The D.O.C.; released on January 23, 1996. This album was an attempt at making a comeback following the car crash which severely damaged his vocal cords. The album was widely ignored, and has even been discredited by D.O.C himself. The name of the album is a reference to Charles Manson's idea of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" prophesying the end of the world.
The ABCs of Anarchism is an EP by American electronic group Negativland and British rock band Chumbawamba. A three-track collection, it incorporates samples of songs from Chumbawamba's Tubthumper (1997) as well as music by the then-current artists including Ice Cube and the Spice Girls, and television shows such as M*A*S*H and Teletubbies. The release's lyrics focus on political theory and children's media.
"Jugband Blues" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, in 1968. Written by Syd Barrett, it was his sole compositional contribution to the album, as well as his last published for the band. Barrett and Pink Floyd's management wanted the song to be released as a single, but were vetoed by the rest of the band and producer Norman Smith.
Greed is the third studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1986, through record label K.422. Greed marks the slow turning point for Swans away from the harsh, brutal noise rock of prior releases, and is also the first Swans album to contain contributions from Jarboe.
"Christianity Is Stupid" is a song from Negativland's 1987 concept album, Escape from Noise.
A Big 10-8 Place is the third album by Negativland, released in 1983. It was the first album with the involvement of band member Don Joyce. The album's title is a reference to the radio ten-code "10-8," which means "back in service" or "available for next call" in the context of common CB radio usage. The lyrics and collage sound clips on the album make frequent reference to the CB radio hobby, as well as mischief like jamming.
Negativland is Negativland's first album, released in 1980. Each copy of the album has a different cover. The initial pressing was 500 copies. Unlike all other Negativland albums, the album has no titles for the songs, just numbers. It is the rarest Negativland album, next to the misprinted Dispepsi albums and the U2 E.P.
Our Favorite Things is a compilation DVD by the band Negativland, released on November 27, 2007. The original release date on October 23 was skipped due to a pressing error in the DVDs and the bonus CD, a collection of Negativland covers done by an a cappella doo-wop group. It contains 20 of the band's greatest "hits" animated by 20 different artists from all over the United States. The cover parodies the artwork of the film The Sound of Music as well as title of the film's song "My Favorite Things". The front features a "review" from the character Goofy saying, "It's goofy". The people on the cover are dolls.
Negativ(e)land: Live on Tour is a 1997 live album, released by SST Records. It was released against the wishes of the band, who had left SST following the U2 Scandal. It was released to compete with Dispepsi, a Negativland album.
Helter Stupid is a song by Negativland, released on their 1989 album Helter Stupid. It is an audio collage of the media controversy that resulted when, as a prank, Negativland claimed that their song "Christianity Is Stupid" had spurred David Brom to kill his family.
Happy Heroes is an EP by sound collage and experimental musical group Negativland, released in 1998.
Lust is the third album by Ambitious Lovers. It was released in 1991 through Elektra Records. It was the band's final album.
Negativland is an American experimental music band that originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. The core of the band consists of Mark Hosler, David Wills, Peter Conheim and Jon Leidecker. Negativland has released a number of albums ranging from pure sound collage to more musical expositions. These have mostly been released on their own label, Seeland Records. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, they produced several recordings for SST Records, most notably Escape from Noise, Helter Stupid and U2. Negativland were sued by the band U2's record label, Island Records, and by SST Records, which brought them widespread publicity and notoriety. The band is also part of the Church of the SubGenius parody religion. Negativland coined the term culture jamming in 1984. Don Joyce added it to the album JamCon '84 in the form of "culture jammer". The band took their name from a Neu! track, with their record label Seeland Records also being named after another Neu! track.
Fireproof is the fifth and last studio album by Irish rock band That Petrol Emotion, released in 1993.
Grotto of Miracles is the second studio album by American experimental rock band Sun City Girls. It was released in 1986 by Placebo Records. Like many Sun City Girls LPs, Grotto of Miracles has become a collector's item.