Dickinsonian Review

Dickinsonian Newspaper- Brynn Steblay - March 2008


Caesar Pink and the Imperial Orgyóthe name is enough to make you lift an eyebrow. Imperial Orgy? And who is Caesar Pink? Well, he's no blushing Roman ruler. Pink is a man overflowing with experiences and emotions, as well as an artist who shamelessly shares his opinions.

Caesar Pink led a life wrought with desolation, depravation, and demonstration. From his youngest years, Pink was a misfit. For Pink, however, his outlet came in the form of music. When he was a teenager, Pink performed as amember of Friction, a group appropriately named for its radical political viewpoints.

It was not until 1994, after Pink had lived in a primitive cabin in the remote Appalachian woodlands, been in and out of jail, rid himself of all material possessions and most personal ties, and was ultimately chased out of his hometown, that the artist reached an all-time low, or "spiritual death."Not coincidentally, however, Pink's fall came at a time when Caesar Pink and the Imperial Orgy had just begun their journey in the musical world.

Pink's difficult past seems to serve the band well, fueling the group's shameless "celebration of life, love, sexuality and rebellion."

Their self-titled album is an intriguing collection of what group members call "gospel hymns for agnostics and atheists"ósongs whose nature changes as frequently and dramatically as Pink's own life previously did.

The first track on the album, titled "The Amazing Tenacity of Job and His Brethren," paints a grim picture of society. Pink's strained, wavering voice cries over a steady drumbeat: "There's no second chances / and no one forgives"óan assertion which alerts listeners that Caesar Pink and the Imperial Orgy will not be having any "tween" boy-band drama. Pink means business: the song's first line, apart from being grammatically incorrect, is a powerful statement, reminiscent of Pink's hard-lived life and failing religious faith.

While the first track has a punk rock feel, the second song, "In Praise of Shadows," is a much more upbeat, "rockerhymn." The song opens with a simple, catchy guitar beat similar in style to B.B. King's "Riding with the King." Female vocal accompaniment also adds an uplifting, church-chorus appeal,making this song seem less demoniac than "The Amazing Tenacity of Job and his Brethren." However, upon close listening, the lyrics are none the more comforting: "I heard a scream out in the dark," cries Pink, "Everybody's got a skeleton somewhere."

"So it is," the album's third track, is unlike any aforementioned song. The beat is a unique cross between a Mario Kart theme song (Rainbow Road, anyone?), a Hawaiian luau, and High School Musical's peppy song, "Bop to the Top."

Clearly, the sound is an extreme fluctuation from Pink's previous works; yet, the lyrics contain the same dismal outlook. "Happy Endings," the last song on the C.D., speaks about kids who smoke joints, sip wine by the water's edge, and pass time in a town with no name, satisfied with their lives because they are convinced "it's the best [they] can do." Such negativity clearly stems from Pink's troubled youth; however, despite the artist's sincerity, Pink's message is often looked down upon by others.

Caesar Pink and the Imperial Orgy has garnered much hatred from radio stations for its "ungodly, unethical" lyrics, according to WEXP Radio, a station which has banned the group from its own airwaves.

It is true, the group makes negative references to the Lord, Satan, and Jesus.

However, it is up to the listener to decide whether these comments are necessarily "insulting toGod," as some stations claim they are. One can agree that Pink's lyrics are depressing; in all fairness, however,whether or not you are a strong religious follower, there is something every listener can take away from Caesar Pink and the Imperial Orgy. Where would music be today if artists did not share their innermost thoughts and experiences? Pink has certainly led a life worth talking about, even if it is a bit depressing at times.