As you may have gathered from my other Danzig reviews, I am a huge fan of the group as well as Glenn’s side projects. The dark and sinister feel of the older music is what sucked me in and kept me coming back for more. Most of the Danzig discography is ominous and foreboding but occasionally you will come across a track that appealed to a wider audience, Mother happens to be one of those songs. With the exception of She Rides, no Danzig song got more airplay or attention than Mother but does that necessarily make it a better track? Who can say for sure? As a casual fan of the group what their favorite song is and chances are they’ll say Mother - but ask a hard-core fan what their favorite is and they will most definitely pick something with a little more meat on the bone.
When this was released as a single, most radio stations were reluctant to add it to their line up because of the “image” of the group. They didn’t want to take the chance of being branded a metal station and in all honesty they just didn’t want the possible bad publicity. Eventually they changed their tune when the song caught on and they jumped on the bandwagon, treating it like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Seasoned fans were split about the track – some viewed it as a sell out and others said that it helped to open the door for them to the mainstream scene. Honestly, this is a good song but it doesn’t reflect the true creative flow that they are capable of when they put their minds to it.
Mother … can you keep them in the dark for life?
Can you hide them from the waiting world?
Like I said, ask a group of people what their favorite Danzig song is and a good majority of them will say Mother. Yeah they might like the catchy beat and the rebellious spirit of the lyrics but when you really break it down, the song is pretty generic and basic when held up in comparison to their other tracks. But Freak, what’s it all about? Well, I’m glad you asked – and again – this is just my take on the lyrics so don’t break out the nails and crucify me. We all know the reputation that Danzig has – evil and naughty – so what better way to get under the skin of parents than to go after their most prized possessions – their children, more specifically, their darling daughters. While this is just implied in the song, it’s the video that really cements it. I still have to shake my head and wonder what type of a budge they were working with because it is an extremely bare bones production and I am sure the video vixens used were eager fans and not hired actresses.
Father … gonna take your daughter out tonight
Gonna show her my world…
Musically the song is average and doesn’t contain anything all that impressive. Yes, there are a few good guitar breaks but for the most part everything is pretty mediocre. Lyrically things look just as bleak with a lot of hinting around and repetition, would have killed them / Glenn to beef things up a little? The video is slightly redeeming but it’s black and white and once you’ve seen it a few times it really loses its appeal … all this negativity and I call myself a Danzig fan. But wait, there are some good things about this song – it helped to pull the group out of the dark rock scene [for lack of a better term] and give them some mainstream exposure. At the same time, the group’s eerie presence sent parents on a rampage – much like when the PRMC released their satanic checklist. Personally I think the whole ‘we worship the price of darkness’ image is just that – a hook to reel you in. That’s not to say that they sit around doing needlepoint and baking cookies … if that were the case I would seriously have to reevaluate my stance of the group.
Various Versions
There are several versions of the single available and even more copies and bootlegs. The most popular was the cassette single that featured the studio version of Mother on both sides. The promotional copy featured the studio version and a clean version – which still puzzles me because there isn’t anything offensive on it. The imported CD has four tracks; the studio version, a live cut, When Death Had No Name and an extremely impressive live slice of How The Gods Kill. Sadly, this one of the many CD’s that were stolen when my SUV was broken into and I hope the bastard that stole it has seven years bad luck because its hard as hell to find a replacement copy. By far the import is the best bet for extreme fans of the group – you get a little taste of everything they have to offer from the period and you can never go wrong with live versions from the group.
The Bottom Line
Far be it for me to pass up any type of Danzig related release but I hate to say this … only the hard-core fans should hunt down this single. If you already have the parent CD, there’s no need to fork out cash for this one. Now, if you come across the four song import then by all means, break out that credit card. The older one song cassette and promotional versions can usually be found at used CD stores but watch out for fake and copies – they are abundant – especially when dealing with online merchants and at auctions.
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