DJ Jim Q's Playlist: Acceptance
Welcome one and all, our theme this month is Acceptance. We have the Lexington, Kentucky chapter to thank for this inclusive theme. The playlist is primed to be an inviting and affirmative listen. Ready your ears to receive this transmission, here we go.
Music, especially in its independent and alternative forms, has always been a refuge for those seeking acceptance outside of societal norms. From the earliest blues and country, to the formative years of rock-n-roll, to the outsider status of early jazz, all the way up to more contemporary subversive genres; the rebels, freaks, weirdos and nonconformists have always gravitated to music. Within these creative communities, societal refugees often find an acceptance unattainable elsewhere. It is a special kind of acceptance that is based on differences rather than conformity. In tribute to 1932 cult classic film “Freaks”, The Ramones rally all eccentrics to join them with the chant, “Gabba gabba, we accept you, we accept you, one of us.” Misfits unite!
Recently, my daily commute has been pleasantly occupied with an enthralling podcast called “The History of Rock Music in 500 Songs”. It’s an exhaustively in-depth historical examination of the origins and evolution of rock-n-roll through the songs and artists that propelled it into what it is today. I would whole-heartedly recommend it to all the amateur ethnomusicologists and music obsessed out there. I just finished listening to the episode on Little Richard. Being a fan, I was certainly aware of his many exploits, but I wasn’t fully educated on just how explosive his presence and influence was at the time. It is impossible to overstate the impact he had on the trajectory of contemporary music. Both musically and culturally, Little Richard upended norms and pushed his way into the mainstream despite the entrenched forces resisting an openly queer black man playing the “devil’s music” in 1950’s American south. His flamboyant exuberant energy and brash musicality inspired generations of performers. James Brown, Prince, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles all cite Richard as an essential formative influence. Richard intertwined gender ambiguity and queerness into the very foundation of rock-n-roll. He was the originator — he was the genesis. He knocked down boundaries and created a space for others to thrive more easily. And while Richard didn’t seem to have any concerns over the resistance and judgment of mainstream society, his personal conflicts were deeper and unresolved. The Little Richard story is one of persistent struggle with acceptance. Richard was full of contradiction and complexity. At points in his career, in a religious fervor, he would publicly renounce queerness and his music. At times, he even offered to buy back his “evil records”. It was clear that he was deeply conflicted. As author Jason King in the new documentary “Little Richard: I Am Everything” put it, although “he was very very good at liberating other people through his example, he was not good at liberating himself.” Little Richard passed in 2020 at the age of 88, I hope he was at peace, although I suspect he was still in turmoil. It is heart breaking to think that the legendary artist who made rock-n-roll a more accepting domain, never quite found acceptance within himself.
Everyone is welcome to the party, the theme this month is Acceptance and I’m resigned to let the good times roll. Acquiesce and indulge in these songs of surrender and approval. We’re so glad you’re here, you’re invited to stay as long as you’d like. The playlist is just 3 hours, but you’re welcome to listen on repeat indefinitely. Steve Lacey beckons others in his quest for self acceptance in “Like Me”, Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” is either a threat or an open invitation depending on your reading, and Nico sings of self acceptance in “I’ll Be Your Mirror”:
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I’ll be your mirror, reflect what you are, in case you don’t know
I’ll be the wind, the rain and the sunset The light on your door
to show that you’re home
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A touching assurance, it really doesn’t get any more accepting than that.
See you next month with another playlist and post. Thanks for listening and if you enjoy these playlists give me a holler on Twitter. I would love to hear from you. Follow me on Spotify to keep up with these playlists.