So thanks to whoever perused my Amazon wishlist and sent me Michael K. Haynes' The god Of Rock: A Christian Perspective of Rock Music last month. It's given me and my family hours of amusement, especially my sister-in-law, whose recent bout with stomach flu necessitated her spending several days in out bathroom over the Christmas break.
For those - mercifully - not in the know, TgOR was published in 1982 and was passed around to great hilarity by my merry band of heathens in junior high. Haynes is an ex-musician who saw the error of his ways and went on to found a ministry and become a Baptist pastor. Here's an excerpt:
IRON MAIDEN This groups is [sic] relatively obscure "heavy metal" molten madness band that has recently come out with an album named "The Number of the Beast 666."
The promotion for this album which was seen in a recent Billboard magazine pictures the skeleton of a Rock musician looming largely over the fiery pit of hell. The Devil himself stands second in command under the authority of the musician. (They just don't know.) Darkness is in the background, lightning is flashing, and hell is seen as being filled with millions of people and demons. The artwork is unbelievably gross, but pictures the possibilities very well.
The copy for the promotion reads like this: IRON MAIDEN FORGED IN THE FIRES OF HELL - THE NEW ALBUM FROM THE MASTERS OF MOLTEN METAL MADNESS - THE BEAST ON THE ROAD and other "cute" sayings.
Iron Maiden in now on a rival with Judas Priest, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, and other bands that serve their god very well.
And it goes on like this. Come on over to my house and use our bathroom for more.
Good grief…don’t even get me started.
Maybe that author can take a listen to Maiden’s “Holy Smoke”. *grin*