BSPH: The World/Inferno Friendship Society - Canonize Philip K Dick, OK?

By the way - "Blade Runner 2049" is no good. It looks nice, got some chops here and there - but it is much like "Terminator: Salvation" - completely unncecessary film that would've fared much better if treated like a thing of its own. Why don't you just adapt the novel properly? As it is - "Blade Runner 2049" is an extra episode of "Total Recall 2070". And this is the nicest thing i can say about it. Anyway...



"Canonize Philip K. Dick, OK?" is a song by Brooklyn circus punk cabaret outfit The World/Inferno Friendship Society. It was released in 2011 on an album titled "The Anarchy and The Ecstasy". It is a simple and relatively straightforward song that serves as a primer on some of the central ideas of seminal american science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick packed with an infectious hook and intriguing interludes.

For some mysterious reason it is not widely talked about even though it is one of the highlights of The World/Inferno Friendship Society repertoire. It is short and snappy song that radiates with joyful "to hell with it" attitude and gives no damn whether you care about it or not.



"Canonize Philip K. Dick, OK?" is built like a pep talk. Songs regards Philip K. Dick's views on dealing with authorities, making difference and dangers of attempts to change "the system". In "For dummies" style.  It might be didactic just a little bit (like Revolting Cocks "Gila Copter 2") but The World/Inferno Friendship Society lets you know that their tongue is firmly in cheek. They don't do PO-face "all is lost" bullshit - they're having fun with it. As it should be - all the bullshit in the world is done with a po-face.

What makes "Canonize Philip K. Dick, OK?" so special? It is one of those songs that feel natural, effortless - as if it just happened. It is not dreary Blade Runner-inspired drab. It is colorful jazzed-up circus wham-bam shantey.

It explains simple state of things. "The system" is designed to neutralize those who want to change it. And so - to try that is to fall into the trap. Because in order to "change" it you need to adapt to "the system" to the point you will attain some sort of an interest in its current form and thus will have no need to change it because it will be against your interests and because of that you will protect it. Obviosly fool proof design. It is in broad strokes but generally that's the way it is. "The system" is built on those who want to change it. Because "the more things change - more they stay the same". Huzzah! The other part of the songs is concerned with two things. Imagination is toxic for the squares. Exposure to imagination turns them into Emil from "Robocop" or senator Kelly from "X-Men" - they become unstable and soon cease to exist. As for "burning bridges" - it is natural thing when you are standing by what you believe in and trying to do something, to make difference.

Structurally "Canonize Philip K. Dick, OK?" is disorienting. It skips introduction and grabs the listenter by the balls with the infectious hook right from the beginning. Then goes to the verse jumps back and then builds in another direction that culminates in a short interlude with massive shout-out back and forth: ukulele picking, saxes jumping around, guitar strumming and drums stomping diddles. It is like a downloading screen in the middle of a song.In the end it sums everything up by joyful suicidal mantra repeated to the point it stops making sense and becomes noise.

And regarding such kind of noise there is good old recipe: "what's that noise? Fuck that noise!".