Art in America

Hey there, Zoo Freaks, the Zoo Crew just dropped the needle on "Art in America" by the band of the same name, straight off their self-titled 1983 album, and if you have never spun this one before you are in for a real treat. This is one of those deep cuts that should have been a bigger deal back in the day, blending progressive rock with a twist that sets it apart from everything else on the radio. Picture a concert pedal harp cutting through electric guitars and driving drums, and you start to get the picture. The track opens with this ethereal harp glissando before Chris Flynn's vocals kick in, questioning what passes for art in the land of billboards and chart-chasing radio. Those lines about "holy radio in all your glory" and shipwrecked fools selling their souls to the charts still hit hard, a sharp take on commercialism that feels as relevant as ever. The video that went into heavy rotation on the then-fledgling MTV showed the band floating in space, climbing stairs and opening doors, all symbolizing some kind of new aesthetic awakening, and it was a charmingly inventive piece that stuck with viewers who caught it between the bigger hits.

What makes the song and the band so interesting is the story behind how they got their name, pulled straight from interviews with the members. A bohemian friend named Warren Westfall, who had stacks of the art magazine Art in America lying around, asked the group what "Art in America" really meant. He figured it was the synthesis of all the cultures that make up popular culture, and since the band itself was that kind of mix, the name just fit. Chris Flynn recalled the conversation clearly, and their manager at the time, Rick Smith, even cleared it with the magazine's editor-in-chief Elizabeth C. Baker, who reportedly said "Let's rock and roll." The magazine name inspired not just the band and the album but the rousing chorus of the title track itself: "Art in America / it's different in my eyes / so welcome to new times / I know that you're tired." Baker later admitted she was fascinated by the idea of a harp in a rock band and found the video inventive. That kind of origin story is pure rock and roll lore, the sort of thing that turns a solid tune into something with real history behind it.

Produced by the legendary Eddy Offord, the guy who shaped records for Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, the whole album has that polished yet adventurous progressive feel, with arrangements co-handled by Steve Morse and keyboard work from T. Lavitz, both of Dixie Dregs fame. Morse even tossed in a guitar solo on another track, "Undercover Lover." The album peaked at number 176 on the Billboard 200, while the single itself hit number 23 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and a follow-up single "Undercover Lover" reached number 33. They toured hard, opening for the likes of a young U2, King Crimson, Roxy Music, Captain Beefheart, and Adam Ant, headlining their own shows along the way. The album cover, painted by the artist Ioannis, ended up in Michael Ochs' book 1000 Record Covers as one of the all-time greats. Live versions from places like the Royal Oak Music Theatre and the Capitol Theater in Flint, Michigan, captured that early energy, some even turning up on King Biscuit Flower Hour broadcasts. It is the kind of record that rewards a close listen, mixing delicate harp textures with arena-ready rock drive, and the Zoo Crew is glad to give it some airtime for all you Zoo Freaks tuned into THE ZOO.

Turning to how the artist, or really the band, got started, it all comes down to family and a unique vision that set them apart from the start. Brothers Chris Flynn on guitar and vocals and Dan Flynn on drums, along with their sister Shishonee Flynn on the concert pedal harp, formed the core back around 1980 in the Detroit area. Shishonee, whose real name is Ruetenik, had previously played with a group called The Trees Community, bringing that classical sensibility to the rock side. Their friend Jim Kuha joined on bass, and the lineup clicked. They began life as a mostly covers band called Father, playing local spots and building a following in suburban Detroit and around Michigan. The name change to Art in America came after that conversation with Westfall, and it stuck because it captured their synthesis of influences. Growing up near Cleveland with a grandmother who was a classical pianist and a father who was a musician, they soaked up everything from the British Invasion—Beatles, Moody Blues—to American sounds like the Beach Boys and Spirit, plus plenty of Motown bouncing around the radio dials. Chris has talked about writing in shorter formats than typical prog, following where the song wants to go without overstaying, calling their style American progressive rock with a bit of whimsy.

They scored a deal with Pavilion Records under Sony and recorded that debut in Atlanta at Offord's studio, set up in an old movie house with a stage, capturing drums live then overdubbing the rest, running the harp through Marshall and Ampeg amps for that distinctive tone. Shishonee has said the harp was never a gimmick but a way to create unique textures and tonal qualities, mixing pentatonic scales and other ideas that made people sit up and notice. After the album, they moved to Los Angeles hoping for a second record, but the pay-to-play scene did not suit them, and they drifted into other work while still writing. Decades later, producer David Hentschel reached out, leading to Cloudborn with guest bassist Tony Levin, and more recently Rise and Dreams of the Disappeared on Iconoclassic Records, remastering the original and adding new material that picks up right where they left off. The siblings have kept the creative fire going, with Dan contributing artwork and the family bond remaining at the heart of it all. Check out their official site at artinamericamusic.com, follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest from these progressive pioneers who brought the harp into rock and never stopped making music that stands out from the crowd. That is the kind of story and sound that keeps the Zoo Crew spinning records for all the Zoo Freaks out there.