17.2004 »
MUSIC
.......... ¥ ............
Back to tke future
Lonely Planet Boy
Johriath • Sanctuary Records
There is— in the context of our country’s
increasingly puritanical, anti-cosmopolitan cul
tural climate— a seductive whiff of the contra
band to this new compilation of decadent,
witty glam-
rock tunes hy
the first openly
gay pop star.
The self-
described “true
fairy of rock ’n’
roll,” Johriath
recorded and
released these
stings, with
much hype
and little suc
cess, in the
early 70s, a
The first openly gay pop star, the late
decade before
he died— liter Johriath sounds like Ziggy Stardust-
ally forgotten, era David Bowie
ptxir and alone- —of an AIDS-related illness in
1983 in New York.
Lonely Planet Boy was conceived and com
piled hy Morrissey, a longtime Johriath obses
sive, making it one of the most tangible acts of
musical hero-worship ever. (How many artists
pay lip service to their heroes/influences, and
how many actually open the vaults, buy up
rights and release long-buried gems?)
The disc contains songs from Jobriath’s
1973 self-titled debut album and its follow-up,
1974 s Creatures o f the Street. Though more ten
der and whimsical, they strongly resemble the
Pioneering homosexual rediscovered;
pioneering metrosexuals reunited
grandiose, cabaret-weaned wistfulness of
While Jobriath’s outsize talent, beauty,
Jobriath’s glam peer, the Ziggy Stardust-
imagination and ambition did go unrewarded
era David Bowie; tracks like the mourn ■ during his lifetime, Lonely Planet Boy is at least
ful piano ballad “Space Clown" and the
some small vindication, not only of one fasci
funky rocker “Earthling” even match
nating should’ve-been queer icon, but of the
Ziggy s space-based themes of difference,
currently endangered aesthetic ideals— should I
alienation and escape. More earthhound
say “values.7"— that he represented.
are the sinewy, harpsichord-driven
— Christopher McQuain
gender-identity challenge “i’maman”;
the richly melodic, “Moonlight Sonata”-
referencing “Heartbeat”; and the previ
ously unreleased “1 Love a Good Fight,”
Duran Duran • Sony
a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the
(homo)erotic side of conflict.
Unabashedly admitting my love for Duran
Lonely Planet Boy doesn’t skimp on
Duran during the ’80s at a small private school
presentation, either. The bright pink
got me branded a fag hy a fellow student who
inside sleeve is a Johriath panoply, tak
counted Queen among his favorites. Queen?
ing us from the lipsticked, angelic, stat
Queerly, somebody
uesque chorus hoy of the first album to the
wasn’t doing his
warm, scruffy, slightly sleazy softcore persona he
homework.
adopted after retiring from the music biz that
Fast-forward 20
failed to achieve him stardom.
years: I still love
Duran Duran, and
The liner notes include an introductory fan
letter hy Morrissey, a thoroughly informative
nobody’s question
biographical essay and still more photos,
ing my sexuality—
only my sanity after
including a particularly •gorgeous black and
dropping $300 on a
white composition in which the singer’s visage
is glamorously lit to resemble that of a brave,
ticket to see them
tragic cinematic heroine of the '40s. This
last fall in a small
Arizona club. 1 fig
image seems most emblematic of Jobriath’s
troubled life and early death.
ured it might be my
Astronaut
Bob Mensel, Artistic Director
Saturday, December 1 8 ,2 0 0 4 ,8 pm • Sunday, December 1 9 ,2 0 0 4 ,2 pm
Kaul Auditorium • Reed College
T h e P o rtlan d G ay M e n ’s C ho ru s welcomes guest conductor M a ry M c C a rty
for our first mamstage event of our 25th A nn iversary S e a s o n .
Multi-talented Mary - flutist, singer and former director of
Chrysalis Children’s Choir will bring her inimitable energy and musicianship
to our annual celebration of all the holidays of the season.
A friendly and warm tradition for the entire family!
For ticket sales and information, go online to www.pdxgmc.org
or call the PGMC office at 503-226-2588.
T ic k e t p r ic e s : $ 2 5 , $ 2 0 , $ 1 5 a n d $ 1 2
ABSOLUT
___ W I L L A M E T T E
R egional A
rts
& C u lture C ouncil
WEEK
CATERING
I
503-2 9 1 -8 3 5 0
only chance to see the original five (singer
Simon LeBon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and
three unrelated Taylors: bassist John, guitarist
Andy and drummer Roger), who hadn’t played
together since Live Aid in 1985.
2004 is almost over, but the reunited Duran
Duran are far from it, as evidenced by Astro
naut, which should relaunch them into the
stratosphere. “(Reach Up for the) Sunrise”—
the exhilarating first single, originally featured
in remixed form on the Q ueer Eye for the
Straight Guy soundtrack— will send Erasure
into fits of jealousy and everybody else to the
dance floor.
The rest of Astronaut has one foot in the
bedroom and the other planted squarely in the
real world. LeBon has not sounded this homy
since 1990’s Liberty, lauding the joys of sex and
love on upbeat electro-pop-rockers “Astro
naut," “Nice” and “Want You More!” His in
satiable libido is also front and center on funky
standouts “Taste the Summer” and the blush-
worthy “Bedroom Toys.”
The aptly titled “Finest Hour" could have
been an Olympic theme a la “Not Enough
Time” by INXS, had it arrived
sooner. The same could be said for
the optimistic, Oasis-esque “What
Happens Tomorrow,” which lyri
cally offers hope and a strong
shoulder on which to lean during
tough times.
Astronaut boldly goes where
few bands have been able to return
to after reaching such lofty heights.
Houston, we no longer have a
problem.
—Jim Thompson JF1