Funny seeing you here. For those unaware, I returned to this whole column writing gig a couple of weeks ago in the forum with a pretty well received piece entitled "Crack the Skye"; a name taken from the Mastodon album with the same name. If you haven't read said column let me give you the abbreviated version of what it is I plan on doing on a week to week basis. My columns will be inspired by albums, combining my passion for music and wrestling into one outlet. In some cases the inspiration will simply be metaphorically speaking where others there will be a more direct correlation between the album's content and my column's content. Trust me, it's far less complex than it seems. This week's column for those unaware, is inspired by the band Life of Agony. More particular an album they put out in the 90's that really gets overlooked by a lot of rock fans. For a long time this album would be the last taste we would get from Keith Caputo as the group's frontman. Though the band would reunite in 2003 it still didn't help soften the blow of losing out on six years between this album and what up to this point has been their final album "Broken Valley." They've always been a band I've been deeply into since the first time a friend turned me on to their debut "River Runs Red." When it came time to write a return for the main page, I thought this album fit in with the theme that was in the back of my head. So let's get on with the show.
Hope
I'm waiting for something, something to happen
I'm hating procrastinating but I can't find the motivation
But I know there's no hope
When I was younger I was a huge Nirvana fan. Being an eleven year old kid who was just getting really into music during the height of their popularity I'm sure played a huge part in that. I remember very distinctly listening to Black Sabbath, Metallica, Guns N Roses, and Nirvana almost everyday. While they may not be considered a metal band by any stretch of the imagination, the things they did in their music often times went outside the realm of what is accepted in your typical rock and hard rock genres. While I still argue that Nevermind isn't their best album it did bring the band to the masses. Even though overtime they've become one of the most overplayed bands on the radio, it's hard to deny what it is they brought to mainstream music. In my opinion, they brought parts of an underground punk influenced rock scene to the forefront of radio friendly rock. They made it okay to not be technically sound in your performance. They made it okay to play loud music with even louder noise echoing in the background. They may not have been the best band on the planet, but nobody can deny that they were truly different than anything your typical radio station had to play.
That's the thing though, yes I love Nirvana; always have and always will. What is their appeal though? What is it that made them transcend the Seattle rock scene and become the biggest rock band of my generation. I'd love to tell you that it was their approach to music or even simply the songs they created; but we all know I'd be lying. That's not to say that they don't deserve praise, but for a band that sounds like an unsigned garage band to get the praise that would be warranted from the next Led Zepplin or Rolling Stones seems a bit extreme.
I remember riding home with my parents after a grocery trip when the DJ cut into the radio station with a newsbreak informing the listeners that Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain had been found dead, the victim of an apparent self inflicted shotgun blast. In one moment, one of the most popular bands during the early 90's would cement itself as one of the biggest bands of all time. Why did it take such a tragedy for people to appreciate the music of Nirvana? Then again was it that we really appreciated the music of Nirvana, or did listeners simply want answers? It was as if a band that were good became legends for all the wrong reasons.
Weeds
If tomorrow never shows
I want you all to know
That I loved you all, you're beautiful
And I had myself a ball
I'm sure you are wondering just exactly what this has to do with wrestling, well be patient because I'm getting there. You see, as much as I love a band like Nirvana it's hard to argue that perhaps they became overrated in terms of their popularity. It's not their fault at all but rather it's a strange occurrence that tends to happen when a death occurs. Hell look at Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker, a great performance for sure but there were those out there that acted as if he reinvented the wheel with his portrayal of the Joker. No disrespect to the dead, but seriously let's not get carried away here. In fact, as much as it pains me to say it since I love the film a great deal; but it's hard to argue that the stigma of Ledger's performance (brought on by his death) didn't at least help the staying power of the film in terms of ticket sales. Make no mistake about it though, the film is damn good but was it worthy of being so highly touted?
Furthermore, we can look at Brandon Lee's final performance in The Crow. Another great film, and another great performance but out of nowhere everyone was hailing Brandon Lee as this great that never was. Make no mistake about it, The Crow is a cult classic and righfully so; but Brandon Lee's career wasn't going anywhere. I mean prior to The Crow do you remember people talking that highly of Showdown in Little Tokyo or Rapid Fire? Sure they are movie's that I liked as a kid but acting as if The Crow was going to lead Brandon to bigger things is like assuming Cynthia Rothrock was on the cusp of greatness. Not saying they aren't good for what they were, but let's accept them for just that; fun action flicks.
Wrestling isn't any different. For reasons unknown we let tragedies have adverse effects on the way we remember certain aspects of their careers. Sometimes the effect is positive while others it's negative; yet either way it's impossible to deny. While by no means am I here to discredit legacies, I do want to bring these examples to the forefront. My purpose is simple, to make it known that great and good are two different things; and that there is nothing wrong with being good as opposed to great.
Gently Sentimental
Found your future, felt your fight
And I found yours, and you found mine
Brian Pillman at one point was one of my favorite characters of all time. Sure he had some good matches with the likes of Jushin Liger and Scotty Flamingo but he was like Nilla Wafers. Good, but nobodies favorite. I'd compare the idea to saying Vance Archer is your favorite wrestling right now. One thing the guy did have going for him back in the day was that he wasn't Tom Zenk. Other than that he was simply Brad Armstrong without a curse. Wearing his little trunks as a throwback to his days of being a Cincinnati Bengal and being thrown together in such pointless stories as the "Yellow Dog" debacle. To his credit, it's not that he did a bad job it's just that you can only take so many times of seeing generic happy face # 32 come to the ring, slap the unwashed hands of a bunch of kids vowing to be the best, only to job to a midcard heel. The heel though, such uncharted territory for Brian and maybe like people like me he too was tired of being the good guy.
If there was ever anybody who found their true calling as a heel it was Pillman. There were plenty of times were I legitimately would have believed you if you told me that Brian had a nervous breakdown and just snapped. While guys like Russo have made an art out of looking dumb by trying to outsmart the fans; Brian simply left them baffled. Call me a juvenile, but when Pillman's antics caused a professional like Bobby Heenan to drop a f-bomb on a live broadcast of Clash of the Champions; my homemade tape of the event became something I cherished just a little more. Don't even get me started on the "I respect you booker man" shoot. The best thing about Pillman as a heel though, was he worked everybody. He didn't just work the fans, he worked the boys in the back, and more importantly he worked his own boss. Hell Eric Bischoff still thinks the whole thing is a work and I bet still holds out hope that Brian will show up in TNA as part of the most elaborate angle ever.
Pillman's death though really cut down a good career. It sucked to see one half of my favorite tag team of the 90's and a guy who seemingly was just tapping into his true potential to have such an ill-fated end. Somewhere along the lines though people started coming out of the woodwork to praise Pillman's work. Treating him as if he was one of the best heels of all-time. Now I loved Brian, and followed his career for quite some time; but let's not get carried away. While his final gimmick was great it still didn't make up for the fact that he never really got over with the fans. Maybe it was one of those characters that simply was too smart. Fans weren't sure if they should boo Brian because he was the heel or cheer him because his character seemed so real. That's my problem though, the fans who want to come out and pretend that they loved everything he did during his career; well where were you when he was stuck in a go nowhere feud with Goldust? Was Pillman able to portray a great character? You bet your ass. Still doesn't change the fact that he never really was any better than a midcarder. Don't read that as a slight to him though, because it's not. It's just that it takes more than a short of being a captivating performer to be a legend.
Tangerine
Still hung over from the night before
Cosmic hunger, I'm your fruitful whore
Soul sun searching, let your spirit soar
Still hung over from the night before
I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the days of seeing Eddie battling Dean Malenko; whether it be two out of three falls in ECW or raising the wrestling bar on the premier of Nitro. The first time I saw Eddie wrestle was the first time I saw someone incorporate the lucha libre style that didn't come off as a complete cornball. Whereas most guys were so cartoony and over the top it was hard to take them serious, Eddie was the first wrestler I saw that incorporated the style while maintaining a normal wrestling persona (if such a thing exists.) I knew the first time I saw the guy wrestle that he was one of those whom I could witness wrestle night in and night out without becoming bored. Whereas the above mentioned Pillman demanded your attention with his heel character, Eddie put out this aura that just simply made you want to watch his every move.
It's the little things sometimes and Guerrero was a master at just that. He lived by the mantra "lie, cheat, and steal" yet got over with the fans. Something that didn't rely on him trying to come off as a "hipster" trying to play to the smarks; he did so by simply being Eddie. Which in this business outside of Ric Flair, not a lot of people can say they've accomplished. Flair may have been the dirtiest player in the game, Guerrero too the game to new places. The sheer methods in which Eddie cheated were amongst some of the most creative I can recall seeing. Taking off his own boot against Kurt Angle, was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how far he was willing to go to get the victory.
Sadly, like Pillman before him Eddie's life was cut short in the midst of his most over character to date. I'd be lying if I said the montage set to Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" didn't still to this day bring a tear to my eye. As for Guerrero's legacy it's hard to say. I understand why he's in the Hall of Fame but you almost have to wonder if he was still alive and had chosen to end his career on that day rather than tragically pass; did he deserve the nod? I can't with a straight face argue against Eddie being inducted into a HOF that sets it's standards so low that Koko B. Ware is inducted; but did he kayfabe deserve such a honor? It's hard to deny how good Eddie was but in wrestling it's rare that talent is rewarded, typically it's accomplishments. Accomplishments, that are ironically predetermined based on the opinion of one's employer. Then again, doesn't that ring true with any job. Ultimately your boss dictates any and all promotions which in turn dictates where your career path takes you. In some cases the talent does outshine the politics, and perhaps Eddie was on the verge; but we'll never know. My question still remains though, if we were judging the merits of Eddie's legacy by his accomplishments over his talent; then what is it that he accomplished?
My Mind Is Dangerous
Hideous devastations, lifeless serenity
My abstract emotions, somehow, get the best of me
Lord take away my sorrow, Lord take away my pain
Erasing life tomorrow, ain't the motive to the game
I honestly don't even know how to approach this one, simply because I've found myself writing about it so many times so I'll actually keep this section a little short. I feel I've shared my opinions on Benoit enough times that to keep doing so is redundant but he fits in with my theme for this column. The murders were a heinous act, and whether you think it was the act of a madman or the act of someone whose brain was damaged due to the high impact wrestling style that Benoit wrestled is neither here nor there. One thing that you can't change is the memories Benoit produced inside that wrestling ring. For instance I remember seeing Benoit chop Eddie Guerrero so hard one night that he broke his own finger. I'm talking blood dripping out of the side of his hand. I dare you to find a mainstream wrestler who brought such intensity to the big leagues.
His rolling German suplex is still emulated by Kurt Angle, and even Shawn Michaels has used his Crippler Crossface in recent years keeping his memory alive. There obviously is no denying that the final chapter in Benoit's book of life is one best skipped. I ask you though, does the final chapter being bad make the entire book not worth reading? Are we supposed to forget about his wars with Kevin Sullivan, Chris Jericho, or even his two epic triple threat matches with HBK and Triple H?
Benoit is the standout example for this column for all the wrong reasons. Whereas everyone else I'm writing about such their legacy grow after their death, Benoit saw his fade away. I'd never in a million years try and justify what Chris did to his wife and kids but that also doesn't mean that I won't put in my Benoit DVD and watch some awesome matches. Should Benoit's career be celebrated? Doubtful. At the same time there is no reason to pretend that he never existed because in doing so we are robbing ourselves of pieces of wrestling history.
Neg
Sea shells raise hell to the soles of my feet
Why don't you open your minds to the sweet?
I tripped and fell down
Lost potential simply isn't the same as losing a legend. Everybody in this column is someone whom I hold in high regard for one reason or another but they still tend to leave more questions unanswered than anything else. Were they on the path of setting the wrestling world ablaze? Maybe, but it's a question we can never answer for the obvious reasons. We can speculate all we want, but at no point does simple speculation become truth. Sadly, lost potential was this next wrestler's biggest trait. Coming from such a widely known wrestling family and having a legend in the making brother, didn't help either.
No matter though, I still do this day will say that I prefer Owen Hart over his brother. Probably the best time in the world to be an Owen Hart fan was at Wrestlemania X. Seeing Owen pin his brother clean live on pay-per-view not only was a pleasant surprise but it also provided one of the best encounters of the night. Everything about that feud was great. From the "make-up" to Owen snapping and attacking Bret's leg following what he thought was a selfish move on Bret's part to not tag out in their title match, even Owen convincing his own mother to throw in the towel for Bret costing him the world title. The downside though, was it always seemed that no matter how close you thought Owen was to winning the big belt; he always fell short.
Even after his brother left following the Montreal Screwjob and it seemed all but a given that Owen would head into a title feud with Shawn Michaels, it just never happened. Instead Owen spent his days chasing after Triple H's European title for awhile before finally falling back into the tag division. He did manage to capture IC gold but even that seemed more transitional than anything. The last days of his career saw him in a thrown together team with Jeff Jarrett before inexplicably bringing back his Blue Blazer character.
Ironically the Blue Blazer character brought Owen full circle, and his final days left a bad taste in the mouth of those who really followed the younger Hart brother. I wish I could sit here and tell you that he won the world title and had a legendary career but instead even with at the very least; equal talent to his brother he never broke through. It may be convenient to call Owen a legend and view his career as extraordinary but it just simply wasn't meant to be. The fact remains, that the main legendary thing about his career was how criminally underused he was at times. The guy was able to make a thrown together tag team with Koko B Ware work and seem like a legit threat, and put on good matches with everybody he faced; yet in hindsight he spent more times putting guys over than actually going over guys.
Lead You Astray
Let go of what's real
Show me what you feel
Don't you be afraid
So what's the point? It's just that sometimes people think that everything that they think is good needs to be recognized. Then it seems that when death is added into the mix their opinion is altered by a desire to want to hold on to those fond memories. It's almost as if that the knowledge of knowing that they'll never see somebody they looked up to wrestle again makes them hold such memories in a higher regard than they should be. Case in point, look through wrestling threads anytime a wrestler dies and you'll see people come out of the woodwork to declare that said wrestler was their favorite. Sure I liked Steve Williams and have fond memories of his teaming with Terry Gordy but I'll be damned if you'll see me pretend as if the guy was my favorite simply because he passed away.
On the other side of the coin you have the negative impact. With guys like Benoit and even to a smaller degree the Von Erichs we tend to focus on their end more than any other aspect of their life. We are so blinded by the negativity and stigma of their death that we can't see and appreciate what they did. Never mind the fact if they should be considered a legend or not, that point is moot. Why not just focus on whether or not we considered them to be good or not in the ring? After all isn't that where they are meant to entertain us?
I just feel that not only do we let death confuse the difference between good and great but we often let it hinder our judgment. We then in turn allow our misconceptions lead us, and thus they will often lead us astray.
Well that's the return in the bag, hope you dug it. If not, there is always next time. Speaking of which, check out the next edition as I continue with the second and final half of the Soul Searching Sun album and tackle a different topic. Wish I could tell you more, but that's the beauty of letting music dictate where my columns go; I don't even know where we might end up next time.
As always I am THE MONKEY, and you've just seen the world through my eyes.
Please send all feedback to monkeyweasel9821@yahoo.com
