Genius or Insanity? The Mind of Joe Meek
By Maha Abbas Halloween may be over, but for those of you who consider the magic of houses adorned with pumpkins, artificial cobwebs, spiders and skeletons more than just a holiday, now is a great time for reflection. With the days getting shorter, more time indoors, and an overall feeling of cabin fever growing, what better to do than profile the mentally ill Joe Meek and his array of pulp-produced psychedelic garage bands. The Tornados, The Martells, The Driving Stupid, The Syndicats and The Blue Men all hold Meek responsible for their success and ultimately a new classification of sound beyond ‘60s British pop. Meek participated in a rather influential period for record producers, and musical editing in general. Before Meek, the distance between microphones and instruments lacked experimentation, and general inclusions of sounds, real or synthetic, were not thought of. He even used graveyard tape recordings as inspiration; to him, where sound came from was secondary to the aesthetic result. Meek found the world of "musical science" his forte, and to this day, has an audio interface named after him, known to capture the "signature Meek sound." From an early age, Meek was fascinated with a possible world beyond this. Outer space and all things occult consumed him. One of his more popular singles, "Telstar" by the Tornados, demonstrates his unique style, beginning with record scratches, satellites landing, and an optimistic feel about space. In fact, the contemporary alternative rock band Muse stated that the single was their influence for the track "Knights of Cydonia." Meek also had an ear for music, favoring a distorted guitar sound. Uncovering some Meek-produced tracks is a garage-rock fan's early Christmas gift. The dark and daunting guitar sound is easily recognized on The Martell's “Time to Say Goodnight.” The personal life of Joe Meek is a large part of his claim to cult fame. Described, (and without reasonable doubt) as a homosexual-schizophrenic—a deeply depressed man. Meek gradually descended into insanity and took his life at the age of 37. He idolized Buddy Holly, and killed himself 8 years after Holly's death. Some psychoanalysts claim that his suicide and insanity resulted from his sexual repression, as homosexuality was illegal in his time. In any case, men like Meek are rare. They tread the very thin line between genius and insanity. Today, most of Meek's produced work is on the following compilations, “Pebbles Volumes,” “Nuggets Volumes,” and “Scratch My Back: New Rubble,” though these compilations have gotten even more rare in recent years. Meek's life story is also documented in the 2008 film titled "Telstar." So even though these days may seem stifling, brave the weather for some of history’s most overlooked masterpieces! |
