"The Red Sea" by Ken Clark

Updated January 24, 2008

I don't usually pitch music videos on here, but what the Heck, there is always a first. I recently checked out Ken Clark's music video, "The Red Sea". I liked it a lot! Now, most of you do not know this, but I used to be a rock music critic from about 1978-1982 or so.

I interviewed some pretty big stars, including Ronnie Montrose (intriguing website here) and Judas Priest, mostly at Hollywood record companies. It's pretty fun to go a big record company to interview a rock star. Everyone is really relaxed and happy, and as a journalist, you are treated as a star also. There are all sorts of hot women working at the record companies.

Everyone is really laid back and no one worries about or gets upset about anything. When the time comes for the interview, record company AR guys come around and offer everyone bottles of expensive beer or designer spring water. You're amongst the decadent liberal Western urban elite.

No one has any problems or worries or hangups or money problems or anger issues. And for about an hour or so, it's just you (and the other journos) and the superstar.

I also used to get backstage passes a lot and that was a lot of fun too. Groupies are a blast, though they usually don't trickle down to us journalists. Amazing how many beautiful young women are dying to have sex with a musician.

At the end of the night, though, the luckiest groupies are all paired off with a musician, and then there are those that never got picked. Them and the roadies, journos and friends of the band. Too many women, and not enough men to go around. That most males should experience such difficulties!

As rock journalists, we were derided as "not serious" by our compatriots, but we never cared. The shows were often free and the bands always wanted to talk. There were also lots of free albums.

You go to the Roxy nightclub in LA and you note its filled to the brim. Everyone is there free on a record company pass. Drinks are all free too, as many as you can drink. Now tell me these entertainment companies aren't drowning in cash to toss around?

Ah, but I reminisce.

I recently checked out this neat video by an obscure artist named Ken Clark. The video is called "Red Sea" and it is very well done. The theme of the video is something along the lines of this blog - war on terror, Mideast, neocons, Iraq War, and a general progressive line running through it. If every other video on MTV was a progressive political video like this, could we change the tenor of this blighted land?

I also liked the sound of this band, but then I like rock and roll. Punk rock, hard rock, just rock, death metal, hard rock, rockabilly, country rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock...I hope to be rocking into my eighties!

For those who know rock music well, the first third or so of the Ken Clark Band sounds like Roky Erickson (especially the Roky Erickson and Aliens hard rock Evil One sound of around 1981 - great stuff if you have never heard it - I love Creature With the Atom Brain) and the 13th Floor Elevators! Bet you never heard of them. 96 Tears, anyone? Roky FAQ is here.

I don't have time to go into the fascinating contours of Roky's life - read the FAQ if you want more. Let's just say that Roky was one of rock's classic burnouts in the Syd Barrett mold - since the early 1970's, he has apparently suffered from full-blown paranoid schizophrenia.

Since 2005, he has apparently made a significant recovery from his illness, though those familiar with schizophrenia know how limited a statement like that can be. He has a neat website here. See also the interesting topic (new to me until now) of Outsider Music.

Many on the list of Outsider Musicians are apparently mentally ill, often schizophrenic, manic depressive or depressive. Others either had no talent, or never got signed despite being talented, or liked to make really weird music.

Others are just plain weird artists, who go far beyond the mold of your average strange artist type. Yes, artists are weird! I hung around them for years...List of outsider musicians here.

After that, it changes, but I can't really pin it down. I want to say Flying Burrito Brothers or ZZ Top but that's not quite it. The blurb lists the late Warren Zevon and Randy Newman, two LA singer-songwriter greats. One could hardly have better influences.

Have fun and good listening.