I mentioned in my first post that to keep things a bit more varied I was only posting one song per band, and I also mentioned there might be one or two exceptions. This is an exception, but only kind-of.
I am not an expert on Misfits having only truly explored their work and become a fan relatively recently, but here is the history as I understand it. In the early 1980s the band, legendary and influential as it would eventually become, broke up after a relatively short run. Lead singer and sole songwriter Glenn Danzig moved away from punk and into metal, first with a band called Samhain and then a band simply called Danzig which he has been with since. In the meantime other members of Misfits, brothers Doyle Frankenstein and Jerry Only tried to start a Christian metal band called Kryst the Conqueror, yes really, but this never really came together.
After years of litigation and spite between the brothers and Danzig, Jerry and Doyle got the rights to perform and release new material under the name Misfits in the mid 90s. Most hardcore Misfits fans will acknowledge these are really two separate and in many ways very different bands. Mostly down to Jerry Only having a vastly different outlook and level of musical ability compared to Glenn Danzig.
Today's song comes from 1999's "Famous Monsters", the second and last album of this reborn incarnation of the Misfits. "Saturday Night" has a very 1950s ballad quality to it, showing Jerry Only's love of/influence from 50s rock and roll. (This love would be further confirmed when Only released 2003's "Project 1950", an entire cover album of 50s and 60s rock/doo-wop/r & b hits.) The main difference between "Saturday Night" and the 50s songs it pays homage to is that the speaker appears to be a serial killer.
As I alluded to above, only 2 albums and some other material would be released by this new Misfits incarnation before another schism would occur. Lead singer Michael Graves was fired, Jerry took over vocals and Doyle left to pursue other projects and eventually tour with Danzig. Drummer Dr. Chud, who had been with the brothers since Kryst the Conqueror, also left.
Thus the history of Misfits can be filed in 3 distinct periods/bands. The Danzig Era, Graves Era and Jerry Only Era. Though Doyle and Danzig did come back to do a couple of reunion shows under the name "The Original Misfits" last year so who knows!
Happy Saturday Night everybody!
I am not an expert on Misfits having only truly explored their work and become a fan relatively recently, but here is the history as I understand it. In the early 1980s the band, legendary and influential as it would eventually become, broke up after a relatively short run. Lead singer and sole songwriter Glenn Danzig moved away from punk and into metal, first with a band called Samhain and then a band simply called Danzig which he has been with since. In the meantime other members of Misfits, brothers Doyle Frankenstein and Jerry Only tried to start a Christian metal band called Kryst the Conqueror, yes really, but this never really came together.
After years of litigation and spite between the brothers and Danzig, Jerry and Doyle got the rights to perform and release new material under the name Misfits in the mid 90s. Most hardcore Misfits fans will acknowledge these are really two separate and in many ways very different bands. Mostly down to Jerry Only having a vastly different outlook and level of musical ability compared to Glenn Danzig.
Today's song comes from 1999's "Famous Monsters", the second and last album of this reborn incarnation of the Misfits. "Saturday Night" has a very 1950s ballad quality to it, showing Jerry Only's love of/influence from 50s rock and roll. (This love would be further confirmed when Only released 2003's "Project 1950", an entire cover album of 50s and 60s rock/doo-wop/r & b hits.) The main difference between "Saturday Night" and the 50s songs it pays homage to is that the speaker appears to be a serial killer.
As I alluded to above, only 2 albums and some other material would be released by this new Misfits incarnation before another schism would occur. Lead singer Michael Graves was fired, Jerry took over vocals and Doyle left to pursue other projects and eventually tour with Danzig. Drummer Dr. Chud, who had been with the brothers since Kryst the Conqueror, also left.
Thus the history of Misfits can be filed in 3 distinct periods/bands. The Danzig Era, Graves Era and Jerry Only Era. Though Doyle and Danzig did come back to do a couple of reunion shows under the name "The Original Misfits" last year so who knows!
Happy Saturday Night everybody!
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