Sounds Like The Future

[In The Margins]

http://www.nypress.com/article-20603-so ... uture.html

"Two questions in, and it’s already utterly banal.” We’re off to a bad start. Ian McCulloch is late the interview, his first in the U.S. for Echo and the Bunnymen’s forthcoming 11th album, The Fountain. He looks a touch disheveled, unshaven with a pair of sunglasses on, as he shakes my hand and sits down in a table in the Chelsea office, walls lined with Aerosmith gold records and a smell emanating from a bowl of cat food sitting next to us.

I lob a couple of softballs to start and he bats them off, as if the whole thing is a waste of precious time. “I don’t like to be interrupted,” he adds, deadpan. A couple more questions in and he apologizes. It’s been a rough morning. These things happen. And when the subject of songwriting comes up, the 50-year-old rock star happily rips into the issue as though no one had ever broached it in his presence before.

“It’s quite different,” begins. “In the old days I’d write melody lines and the lyrics around them. I get the sense of melody in my head—usually in the shower. I sing phrases. I’m not normally one who sings for the sake of it, but I do sing comedy songs in the shower. Generally now my melody lines come a capella, rather than with an instrument. I think it’s a reversal of how most people, where it feels like an actual way or writing. You nail a tune and then work out the actual instrumentation. I’ve always got the songs pretty well mapped out, because once I have the melody lines, I’ll write the chords to go with it. There’s usually maybe a bit that is missing like a middle eight or an alto, which can come just by singing the rest over and over again. But generally I write the songs, start to finish. I’ll get the melodies then I’ll work out the lyrics.”

Thirty years in, it’s clear that McCulloch still has a passion for songwriting, a spark of creativity not dulled by his band’s touring revisiting of its 1984 classic, Ocean Rain, full backing orchestra in tow. It’s an album, McCulloch insists, that is as fresh 25 years later as it was when it was first recorded.

“I think our songs sound like they’re from the future. That’s how I’ve always felt about our stuff. We’ve always aimed it to be timeless. We certainly never wanted it to sound dated. Because we never used synths, really. Our music had more to do with Television or the Velvets—it was more like the New Yorky stuff, Patti Smith and all of that. And Bowie. Will loved Television and I loved the Ramones.”

Being from the future, after all, means never having to succumb to the trappings of modern music. “I don’t think about what it’s going to sound like on the radio, because I don’t listen to the radio. I don’t listen to much music at all, to be honest. I play crosswords and watch BBC News.”

Or for that matter, Coldplay, in spite of an appearance by that band’s lead singer on one of The Fountain’s tracks. “It seems like just a gimmick to put into reviews. What’s that got to do with anything? I’ve been in Echo and the Bunnymen for 30 years, what am I going to learn from Coldplay? It’s ridiculous.”

[kook]

sits down in a table

exactly how disheveled was he??

[bunnybunny]

Why was Ian so rude to this interviewer? Banal and the interrupting comment...ouch!

[black francis]

Every comment section after a Mac interview you'll find

"This guy is an utter twat."

or something similar.

[Dr Cheese]

I don’t think about what it’s going to sound like on the radio,

Probably just as well.

[kook]

like the New Yorky stuff

??

Wha?

[black francis]

The Bunnymen in their prime were a New York ftink music band.

[JackT]

Before ftink went mainstream.

[DivaDiana77]

I keep this kind of crap in mind for when I do interviews. I've been working with a friend writing concert reviews and interviewing bands. Basically, bands hate run of the mill interview questions. We were talking to Rob Zombie's PR girl and Zombie won't even grant an interview without an interviewer sending in the questions ahead of time. If you are asking the same things as have been answered a gagillion times, then they just send you the press kit with articles, deny the interview and let you have at it.

Will and Les really hated two things--
1. talking to interviewers
2. Answering stupid and banal questions that you have been asked a gagillion times.
3. They may have hated talking in general, men of few words those guys are.

[black francis]

Jack submitted the all time greatest question ever for the Noel Burke interview. Lemmie see if I can find it.

[black francis]

"Have you defiled the memory of any other beloved musical acts, or is it just the one?"

http://forum.villiersterrace.com/viewto ... noel+burke

We have some good times here.

[DivaDiana77]

Oh cool. I didn't know this had been done. Thank you.

Well, you never know when it will take off. Joy Division managed well by changing to New Order after Ian Curtis's suicide. Van Halen did well with Sammy Hagar for a few years. Sammy did some good stuff, really, but it was always compared to David Lee Roth. And yes, David Lee Roth's solo career tanked.

I'm sure Ian Curtis is doing well in the Heavenly Choir--at least I hope so.

[Sick4Tunz]

Van Halen did well with Sammy Hagar for a few years. Sammy did some good stuff, really, but it was always compared to David Lee Roth.

Oh man, don't get me on the David versus Sammy debate. Passions run high on both side. To me, Eddie is Van Halen, regardless of who's holding the mic. It's all good.

And lately, the Bunnymen are better.

[fat cherry]

Joy Division managed well by changing to New Order after Ian Curtis's suicide. Van Halen did well with Sammy Hagar for a few years. Sammy did some good stuff, really, but it was always compared to David Lee Roth. And yes, David Lee Roth's solo career tanked.

I'm sure Ian Curtis is doing well in the Heavenly Choir--at least I hope so.

sure he is but i bet he gets a few dirty looks for his version of keeping in tune. But new order didn't just change their name they changed direction completely. theres a bit of a transition period but still a pretty startling change. They didn't go (Actually i'm making this up at this point but its the impression i got) heres a JD set being sung by another bloke who has trouble holding a tune, but cant do the spakky dance and play his guitar at the same time - and heres a new one wot we wrote ourselves - DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF. it seenmed to take them 20 years to do the occasional JD tune.

AC/DC on the other hand have managed it perfectly without apparrently stopping for breath. I'm sure their forums are coc-a-bloc with people bemoaning the sad demise of bon scott and that new bloke - yes the NEW bloke cant hold a candle. but i dont know.

[Dr Cheese]

And lately, the Bunnymen are better.

Than what?