Brits Beyond The Beatles & Stones

The British Rock Olympics: The Style Icon Competition, Part Two – The ’70s

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Ask me where I would love to have lived in the 1960s, and I’ll say LONDON in a Big Ben minute. The fashions, the music, the clubs! Imagine the chance to sit in on the drug trials of Mick and Keith! Or being able to crawl through Paul McCartney’s bathroom window, as fans once did. Blimey, the bobbies didn’t even carry guns (and still don’t, except for special circumstances). Alas, the swinging times came to an end in the 1970s, as inflation, unemployment, high taxes and strikes eventually made for a very unmerry old England. But when times get rocky, rockers liven things up. And nowhere was this more evident than in London, where artists helped quell the chaos with new sounds and provocative fashion. Here, then, is Part Two of my take on London’s 2012 Olympic games: The 1970s’ British Style Icon Competition.

The British Rock Olympics: The Style Icon Competition, Part One – The ’60s

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When it comes to music, I’ve waved the U.K. Rock Team flag my entire life. Okay, I realize those skinny boys stole a lot of riffs and rhythms from their American R&B heroes of the ’50s. But there was something about their electric British sound and haughty, mod style that turned me into a Union Jack junkie from my earliest Beatle-loving days. So, in honor of London hosting the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, here is Part One of my series on British rock medal winners: The 1960s Style Icon Competition.

Heil, Heil, Rock-n-Roll. What’s with Brit Rockers and the Third Reich? Part One

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Why have so many British artists had a fascination with Hitler, with Nazi fashion and, in some cases, with fascist philosophy? In this two-part article I’ll attempt to provide some insight — hopefully, without appearing to excuse, justify or make light of truly bad behavior. We’ll begin with the Nazi uniform itself – one of the Third Reich’s greatest works of propaganda.

Heil, Heil, Rock-n-Roll. What’s with Brit Rockers and the Third Reich? Part Two

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Should I trash my entire collection of David Bowie recordings because I abhor the fascist comments he made over 30 years ago? In part 2 of an article examining British rock stars’ fascination with Nazi imagery, we’ll take a look at three English superstars who’ve have made some mighty disturbing comments over the years.

A Moonage Daydream – How Apollo 11 Inspired Bowie and Zowie’s Lunar Love

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Forty-five years ago this month I was eating Pillsbury Space Food Sticks, building my own mini lunar module from a kit, and drinking Tang — the beverage of astronauts! Like the rest of the world, I was caught up in Apollo 11 moon-landing mania, as Neil Armstrong took that first giant step on July 20, 1969. The event spawned national pride, crackpot conspiracy theories, and countless innovative spinoff technologies. It also inspired an androgynous young British performer to release a song that would define his career.