ABSTRACT
Malcolm McLaren, while showing some of the qualities of the former, is usually regarded as one of the most important exponents of the latter managerial style. Certainly the use and manipulation of cultural theory is a characteristic of much of McLaren's work. Whatever reservations one may have about McLaren's methods and the shortcomings of his music, his imagination deserves respect. The most successful track on the album, 'Buffalo Gals', combines elements of New York hip hop and Tennessee square dancing, two cultural forms which would appear to be in complete opposition. The structure of 'Buffalo Gals', although based on clearly delineated sections, does not follow the verse/bridge/chorus form so typical of many pop songs. The minimal ways in which pitch is featured in 'Buffalo Gals' provide very little sense of structure or direction; instead, it is through textural and timbral manipulation that the structure becomes apparent.
