The Crimson Idol
Encyclopedia
The Crimson Idol was the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., originally released by Capitol Records
in 1992 (1993 in the United States). The album is a concept album
, telling the story of the rise and fall of a fictional rock star named Jonathan Steel.
The album took nearly three years to complete, and was originally recorded as a Blackie Lawless
solo album, but Lawless bowed to fan pressure and released it under the W.A.S.P. moniker.
The Crimson Idol World Tour unusually took place 15 years after the release of the album to mark its 15th anniversary, starting on October 26, 2007 in the Principal Club Theater, Thessaloniki
in Greece
. It also marked the first time that the film recorded for The Crimson Idol was ever shown in public. This was played along with the band as they performed their tracks in synch with the film. This show marked the only time that the album has ever been played from start to finish by the band since recording the album. The show also featured "Mephisto Waltz" the seventh track from the 1989 album The Headless Children
as the intro to the show before playing the first track of The Crimson Idol, "The Titanic Overture". All shows had a long encore section ranging from 2-6 songs, containing classics and "Take Me Up" from the new album Dominator
.
, and starts to wander the streets, getting addicted to drugs and alcohol. When he walks past a music store, he sees a guitar
and wants to become a rock star, therefore breaking the display window with a bottle of booze and thus his journey into acclaimed excess begins.
He plays the stolen crimson guitar as often as he can, to try to obtain money to record an album. Then he meets a man, "Chainsaw" Charlie, the president of a major record company. He promises to make Jonathan a star, and introduces Jonathan to Alex Rodman, who will become his manager. Jonathan becomes a rock
star, but he finds out that life is not as glamorous as it seems. Jonathan has fame and fortune, but not the one thing he always wanted, the love and acceptance of his parents.
One night before a concert, Jonathan calls his parents in an attempt to reconcile their differences and heal the emotional wounds between them. According to the story "less than fifty words were spoken" the last four of which being "we have no son."
Jonathan realizes that he will never be accepted by his parents and decides to commit suicide. During the aforementioned concert, Jonathan removes the strings from his guitar, shapes them into a noose and hangs himself.
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in 1992 (1993 in the United States). The album is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, telling the story of the rise and fall of a fictional rock star named Jonathan Steel.
The album took nearly three years to complete, and was originally recorded as a Blackie Lawless
Blackie Lawless
Blackie Lawless , is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P..In an interview, Blackie claims to have been born in the kitchen of the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood,...
solo album, but Lawless bowed to fan pressure and released it under the W.A.S.P. moniker.
The Crimson Idol World Tour unusually took place 15 years after the release of the album to mark its 15th anniversary, starting on October 26, 2007 in the Principal Club Theater, Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It also marked the first time that the film recorded for The Crimson Idol was ever shown in public. This was played along with the band as they performed their tracks in synch with the film. This show marked the only time that the album has ever been played from start to finish by the band since recording the album. The show also featured "Mephisto Waltz" the seventh track from the 1989 album The Headless Children
The Headless Children
The Headless Children is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., released by Capitol Records in 1989. It is now the highest selling W.A.S.P. album to date , producing 3 UK Top 40 hit singles, with 'Mean Man' missing the top 20 by one spot...
as the intro to the show before playing the first track of The Crimson Idol, "The Titanic Overture". All shows had a long encore section ranging from 2-6 songs, containing classics and "Take Me Up" from the new album Dominator
Dominator (W.A.S.P. album)
Dominator is the thirteenth studio album by the American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., it was released in 2007. The US release was originally planned but the label deal fell through. Covers of Burn by Deep Purple and Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival were included on the originally...
.
The story
The story of The Crimson Idol revolves around a teenager named Jonathan. He is the son of William and Elizabeth Steel, and brother of Michael Steel. Michael is the favored son of his parents, but Jonathan is a complete failure in their eyes. He runs away from home after his brother is killed in a car accidentCar accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
, and starts to wander the streets, getting addicted to drugs and alcohol. When he walks past a music store, he sees a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and wants to become a rock star, therefore breaking the display window with a bottle of booze and thus his journey into acclaimed excess begins.
He plays the stolen crimson guitar as often as he can, to try to obtain money to record an album. Then he meets a man, "Chainsaw" Charlie, the president of a major record company. He promises to make Jonathan a star, and introduces Jonathan to Alex Rodman, who will become his manager. Jonathan becomes a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
star, but he finds out that life is not as glamorous as it seems. Jonathan has fame and fortune, but not the one thing he always wanted, the love and acceptance of his parents.
One night before a concert, Jonathan calls his parents in an attempt to reconcile their differences and heal the emotional wounds between them. According to the story "less than fifty words were spoken" the last four of which being "we have no son."
Jonathan realizes that he will never be accepted by his parents and decides to commit suicide. During the aforementioned concert, Jonathan removes the strings from his guitar, shapes them into a noose and hangs himself.
List of characters
- Jonathan Aaron Steel
- Jonathan's brother, Michael Steel
- Elizabeth Steel (Jonathan's mother)
- William "Red" Steel (Jonathan's father)
- The Mirror
- Chainsaw Charlie
- Alex Rodman
- The Gypsy
- Doctor Rockter
- The King Of Mercy
Track listing
- All songs written, composed, arranged and produced by Blackie Lawless.
- "The Titanic Overture" – 3:23
- "The Invisible Boy" – 4:04
- "Arena of Pleasure" – 4:06
- "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)" – 7:36
- "The Gypsy Meets the Boy" – 4:08
- "Doctor Rockter" – 3:43
- "I Am One" – 4:27
- "The Idol" – 8:40
- "Hold on to My Heart" – 4:14
- "The Great Misconceptions of Me" – 9:29
1998 CD reissue bonus track
- The Story Of Jonathan (Prologue To The Crimson Idol) - 16:35
1998 CD reissue bonus disc
- All songs written by Blackie Lawless, unless otherwise indicated.
- "Phantoms in the Mirror" - 4:36
- "The Eulogy" - 4:16
- "When the Levee BreaksWhen the Levee Breaks"When the Levee Breaks" is a blues song written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie in 1929. The song is in reaction to the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927....
" (Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
) - 7:06 - "The Idol (Live Acoustic)" (Lawless) – 4:35
- "Hold on to My Heart (Live Acoustic)" - 4:23
- "I Am One (Live, Donington 1992)" – 4:58
- "Wild Child (Live, Donington 1992)" (Lawless/Holmes) – 5:53
- "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue) (Live, Donington 1992)" – 8:24
- "I Wanna Be Somebody (Live, Donington 1992)" - 6:14
- "The Invisible Boy (Live, Donington 1992)" – 4:15
- "The Real Me (Live, Donington 1992)" (Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
) – 3:41 - "The Great Misconceptions of Me (Live, Donington 1992)" – 9:45
Band
- Blackie LawlessBlackie LawlessBlackie Lawless , is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P..In an interview, Blackie claims to have been born in the kitchen of the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood,...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, lead guitars, rhythm guitars, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Bob KulickBob KulickBob Kulick is an American guitarist and Grammy Award-winning record producer, best known for his studio work with Kiss. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is the older brother of former Kiss lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, whom he suggested Kiss hire....
– lead guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Frankie BanaliFrankie BanaliFrankie Banali is an American rock drummer, best known for his work with multi-platinum heavy metal band Quiet Riot. He has been the band's manager during since 1994. He played drums in the heavy metal band W.A.S.P., as well as with Billy Idol...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Stet HowlandStet HowlandStet Howland is a Professional drummer, was born August 14, 1958 is from Plymouth, Massachusetts graduated high school in 1978 from Duxbury High School. Started playing drums at age 7, he has been teaching and playing for a living since age 13...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Other credits
- Produced by Blackie LawlessBlackie LawlessBlackie Lawless , is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P..In an interview, Blackie claims to have been born in the kitchen of the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood,...
- Engineered and mixed by Mikey Davis at Fort Apache Recording Studio, Hollywood, CA
- Arranged by Blackie LawlessBlackie LawlessBlackie Lawless , is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for heavy metal band W.A.S.P..In an interview, Blackie claims to have been born in the kitchen of the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood,...
- Assistant engineer: Ross RobinsonRoss RobinsonRoss Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
- Mastering by Ian Cooper
- Design and art direction by Kosh Brooks Design
- Photography by Gene Kirkland
Singles
- "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue)"
- "The Idol"
- "I Am One"
- "Hold On To My Heart"