NOW Ian interview

by **In The Margins** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:08 am

I'm wondering if something was going on in Will's personal life that took priority over career stuff at the time the songs were written.

Remember them pulling out of that cancer benefit and the reason given was that one of the member's family was battling cancer. I'm not saying it was Will's family, or even if the reason was true. Although it would be truly shitty to give that reason and not have it be somewhat near the truth.

Or maybe he just doesn't care anymore. I can dig it.

by **black francis** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:28 am

And here I thought my weekend could get no worse.

Will, did you see the career advice thread?

That's not something you say in a fuckin' interview even if it is true.

by **the ghost of guitarplayer** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:33 am

Looking at this video (http://www.youtube.com/user/BunnymenTourBlog#p/u/4/tZXoU6k0Jug), it's like Will and co on stage first. Mac shortly afterwards - Mac and the Othermen. It's probably not the case, but the only other backstage footage I have seen (Flowers era) they all went in together.

by **Lancashire Fusileer** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:45 am

the ghost of guitarplayer wrote:Looking at this video (http://www.youtube.com/user/BunnymenTourBlog#p/u/4/tZXoU6k0Jug), it's like Will and co on stage first. Mac shortly afterwards - Mac and the Othermen. It's probably not the case, but the only other backstage footage I have seen (Flowers era) they all went in together.

nowt new that tbh...

by **In The Margins** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:47 am

black francis wrote:That's not something you say in a fuckin' interview even if it is true.

Agreed. Plus it can be taken out of context in so many ways.

Ian's gone out of his way in this round of interviews (print, radio) to tell us how much he and Will get along and how the Bunnymen will be forever.

I'm going to believe him and not get carried away with speculation.

by **black francis** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:51 am

I however am going to speculate and let this further ruin my weekend

by **Mr. Brian** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:10 am

the ghost of guitarplayer wrote:Looking at this video (http://www.youtube.com/user/BunnymenTourBlog#p/u/4/tZXoU6k0Jug), it's like Will and co on stage first. Mac shortly afterwards - Mac and the Othermen. It's probably not the case, but the only other backstage footage I have seen (Flowers era) they all went in together.

by **the ghost of guitarplayer** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:55 am

Hence why I put "It's probably not the case". I wouldn't know anyway. I have not seen an ordinary Bunnymen gig (as in a smallish venue) since 2003.

by **Dr Evil** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:18 pm

I guess Will is like a loyal pet dog.

by **redgumball** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 2:10 pm

“That’s what I’m trying to do – write music and do gigs that I as a 13-year-old would love.”

So Ian is gearing up to write songs for 13 year olds, while at the same time commenting on not following others and licking anyone's ass. Nice. Talk about a contridiction. I suppose Lou Pearlman is booking your tour and setting you up with studio sessions.

Is Will going to sit back and take this shit? Seems to me to bury this proper -- let Mac tour under the "sell-out, packed auditoriums" name of Mcculloch, solo. He could hold the reins and run it like the wonderful 1992 era hits of Mysterio or the top shelf "Slideling" mega-chart toppers. Remember "The Prodigal Sons"?

Can the guy not get the idea of having a solo career coupled with a Bunnymen album every few years. Keep your shit seperate. Don't mix the streams and for godsakes don't shit on your guitarist, who keeps you in business.

The only two hits worth two sacks of nuts, are Shroud Of Turin and "Think I Need It Too" - probably two songs written directly with Will in the early part of 2007.

Let's call a spade a spade -- this album was the chance for MAC to take on the title of Ian McCulloch – vocals, producer, mixing ("The Fountain") = Producer and Mixing -- which he probably doesn't have experience with. (Did anyone get the live Ocean Rain gigs pre-ordered -- he mixed that shit too -- sound sucks balls).

Overall, I would split up the Bunnymen -- and encourage others to listen to The Editors, The National, Crystal Stilts and other bands that rip off the Bunnymen better.

by **Mr.Sparkle** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 3:03 pm

Can't believe Ian would actually say that in an interview. That's pretty fucked up. If that's the case then maybe the songs that Will didn't have any involvement in should've been a solo album? I'm starting to see why Les left the band and it had more to do with his mother being sick.

What's going to happen when Will leaves the band after this? What kind of spin will the management and Ian put on it so they can put out another Bunnymen album with just 1 member as opposed to putting out another Ian solo album with a fraction of the sales?

Pretty disheartening news.

by **Dr Cheese** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:03 am

redgumball wrote:“That’s what I’m trying to do – write music and do gigs that I as a 13-year-old would love.”

So Ian is gearing up to write songs for 13 year olds,

My 13 (just turned 14) yr old is into all these crappy "emo" bands that I suspect Mac is desperate to emulate, last week when I put The Fountain on in the car while she was in it it was major griping and then on with the ipod. She says The Fountain is boring and "the singer sounds like a meff(?)" and she doesn't want to listen to "a load of old men".
Mind you she says this about all the other Bunnymen albums too so what does she know.

by **Dave Smith** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:10 pm

But.....anyone who has ever been in a band can understand what he's saying.Siberia is over,they meet up to go through new tunes and Will hasnt got anything.So Mac's songs will be used because they are the only ones they have to work on.Mac then gets it in the neck for his 'solo' album.If Will wanted more input then he should write some tunes of his own.Its hardly like his Glide output is bursting with new material is it?.

by **black francis** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:17 pm

I took it to mean what Will had come up with was (in Mac's opinion) not on par with Mac's songs.

Of course I have read far more than necessary into things before. However I just can't picture a meeting with Will and Mac to discuss the new album going like this:

Mac: Hey Will I got this batch of songs for the new album. Best batch since Ocean rain. The 13 year olds will love it. What have you got mate?

Will: Well uh about that. It's a funny story actually. I uh didn't get around to writing anything.

by **marco** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:41 pm

This is just speculation of course...but my take on it is that Will works best in a collaborative setting. I think in the early days of band, they would come up with songs together - the 4 of them in a room with the tape machine on and working off each other to come up with stuff. Maybe one person had a riff, or maybe Les had a baseline and the rest worked off of it. I think that it used to be a real collaborative effort that made for a very spontaneous environment. I think that Will doesn't think in terms of chords - he works more with riffs.

Now that there is just Mac and Will left, there isn't as much collaboration when it comes time to coming up with stuff. Mac has dozens of songs with the same basic chord structures that Will dresses up to give it the "bunnymen" sound. Sometimes this works. Over time though, for my tastes, the songs start becoming stale.

I don't know enough to say one way or another who is in the wrong, if anyone. I guess, though, there's one thing I miss about the new Bunnymen - I don't hear any spontenaity (spelling?) in the songs.

NOW Ian interview

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