Aleister Crowley - Master of the Dark Arts

Save

Documentary

Summary

Paul Morley explores the scandalous life and lasting influence of defiant nonconformist Aleister Crowley who branded himself The Great Beast in the 1920s and is still celebrated by rock stars, adopted by metal musicians and invoked in popular culture today

Review

Anna Jones

Let’s be clear: this is an investigation into the legacy of Aleister Crowley and not a celebration of his life, despite its connection to the 150th anniversary of his birth.

Presenter Paul Morley strikes a suitably ironic tone at both the beginning and the end — should he mention the infamous occultist’s name out loud, for fear of invoking dark forces? On a more serious note, Morley makes a grand job of examining why such artists as the Beatles, David Bowie, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin have referenced him in their music or artwork.

The contributions — new and archive — are excellent, too, ranging from a third-generation witch to Jaz Coleman from Killing Joke, via one of the founding members of Blondie who was initiated into Crowley’s magickal order in California.

How to listen

Loading

Credits

Crew

rolenamePresenterPaul MorleyWriterPaul MorleyProducerVictoria FerranExecutive producerSusan Marling