I Knew Chuck Mosley....

FNM comic book autographed by Chuck!

    “I knew Chuck Mosley.” “Chuck Mosley was a friend of mine.” “You, sir, are no Chuck Mosley.” Ok, so I’ve used that particular set of quotes before, in a previous review of IZZY MILLER (now known as IZZY MILLER AND THE BLACK MARKET SALESMEN). Which is paraphrasing a purloined phrase from a prized political parlance of that magical decade that was invented strictly for the satirical cannon fodder of millennial (and The South Park guys) humor-huckers worldwide: THE 1980S. (So if I am plagiarizing myself, from a time I parodied a quote, that was also plagiarized, what exactly does that make me? A “plag” on society, that’s what!) And ok, maybe Chuck Mosley wasn’t an *actual* friend of mine. But after talking with him for a few minutes, I felt as though he was. He was one of the most disarmingly humble and gentle souls it’s ever been my pleasure to meet. The fact that he parlayed that lovable psychedelic weirdness into some sort of half-muppet, half-toddler, half cartoon character that served as a beacon of focus and haven to a generation of disenchanted weirdos that couldn’t find their place in the spectrum of the zeitgeists that made up the culture at the time. (If you counted three halves, you count reaaalll gooood!) Those first two FAITH NO MORE records are more than adequate to get them on the ballot every year for “weirdest band on earth” some thirty years later. And at no point does it sound forced, contrived, concocted, conspired or crafted. It’s completely organic. Nothing shoved in there sideways just for the sake of creating a new gruel just to do it. Listening to “Soul Pretender” by PRIMITIVE RACE outlines just how pointedly tragic losing Chuck has been. Because that album is a snapshot (not snapchat…damn kids) of a Newton’s Cradle of defenseless sincerity, hope, joy, elation, chunk funk, exploration, and the “happy strange” Chuck was the personification of (at least to me). If being part of GAD! has benefited me in no other way, it made this happen, due to the humbling generosity of founder and editor-in-queef Adam Harmless. Not sure if I’ll ever pay that debt off, but maybe if more people discover something that changes their lives, or at least gives them a badass soundtrack to work behind, then I’ll continue to bear my burden to spread this here gospel. Rest In Peace Charles Henry Mosley III. Save me a table at the Arabian Disco. -Jackson A.D.

More love for Chuck...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nathan Baugh 1/15/83 - 12/24/15

Image
    Earlier this year, Guntersville, AL band The Devil's Got A Hold On Me played a show at the Glass Onion in Gadsden. I'd seen them play several times and was excited to see them tear up my local vinyl fix. Though the crowd was minimal (welcome to Gadsden!), the trio gave us their all. At least the cool people showed up. Per usual, Keith's guitar was loud and nasty and dirty and effortless. Brad killed on drums, pounding the beat with a sufficient prowess and an excess of violence. I've never heard anyone ask, "Where's the bass guitar?". The duo was, as always, tight and unhinged at the same time. And then there was Nathan...       Nate yelled into the microphone. He was always angry, hurt, determined. He mostly sang looking down. Or maybe inward. I never once saw the man sing to an audience. Never. He refused to face us beyond a passing glimpse. We were a corner into which he had backed. In reality, he was a nice guy who loved his family and frien
Read more

Chris Lee 6/29/80 - 7/23/16

Image
    Chris Lee has passed away. Unless you knew him, I don't know if I can stress just how significant he was. If you did know him, you're heartbroken like me and you don't need anyone to tell you. But I have to write this.     Chris was the most recent singer of the long-running Huntsville Alabama metal band Envain and even before that had done his share of kicking ass with other bands for years. He was a thoughtful, intelligent man who threw all boundaries away the second he took the stage or barroom floor. He embodied the D.I.Y. punk rock aesthetic. He would sport patches and even tattoos of his favorite local bands. He loved them. When the singer of The Devil's Got A Hold On Me, Nate Baugh, passed away, and the band made the hard decision to turn an already-booked show into a tribute, Chris didn't hesitate to step up and sing. He made no attempt to copy his fallen friend, he just did everything he could to entertain. Blood, sweat, and tears literally followe
Read more

We Care A Lot about Chuck Mosley

Image
  My musical endeavors, the GAD! Zine, and this blog can all be traced back to one inspiring cassette that I purchased when I was a kid: Faith No More's debut album, We Care A Lot. Early FNM introduced me to the sounds of punk, post-punk, metal, even a touch of rap that I could stand. The vocals were truly unique, with lyrics that could be abstract and enigmatic one moment and so utterly relateable and down-to-earth the next. The music that would accompany this new poetry was dark and menacing and catchy and unencumbered by any preconceived notions of a particular blueprint or specific style. This album completely opened my mind to not just a whole new world, but to an entire universe of creative possibilities. I've often said that if it weren't for punk rock, then I'd have been a lot more successful, but I would've killed myself. So, in a way, Faith No More saved my life.     Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled when Kolbey and I were given the opportunit
Read more