Episode notes

The album: Eugene McDaniels: Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse (1971)

When we approached Bardo Martinez of Chicano Batman, we figured he’d go with a left-field album choice and he did not disappoint. Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse was a cult LPs for years, one of the most overtly political albums of the entire ’70s (least of all on Atlantic Records!) and might have been wholly forgotten if not for ’90s hip-hop producers rediscovering it and using it as sample fodder. However, all groovy groove aside, Headless Heroes is also an astonishing album in regards to McDaniels’ explicit politics regarding everything from the U.S. treatment of Native Americans to blue eyed minstrels to Watergate. It was supposedly blacklisted by no less than the Vice President of the U.S. (Spiro Agnew). As Chicano Batman are no strangers to merging message and music, it was the perfect LP for Bardo and us to dig into, least of all in this current political moment.

More on Eugene McDaniels and Headless Heroes

The late McDaniels website

Mark Anthony Neal on McDaniels’ legacy

Testimonials about Headless Heroes

More on Bardo Martinez and Chicano Batman

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Headless Heroes unless indicated otherwise):

“Jagger The Dagger”

Chicano Batman: “Freedom is Free” Freedom Is Free

“The Parasite”

“Supermarket Blues”

“Lovin Man”

John Lennon: “Instant Karma”

Gene McDaniels: “Tower of Strength” Tower of Strength

Eddie Harris & Les McCann: “Compared to What” Swiss Movement

Eugene McDaniels: “Cherrystones” Outlaw

“Susan Jane”

“Freedom Death Dance”

Eddie Harris: “Freedom Jazz Dance” The In Sound

“The Lord Is Back”



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