|
Post by Kapitan on Jan 8, 2021 15:59:57 GMT
KDS mentioning Paul Stanley got me thinking about how Paul can be a very, very good interview, as can Gene Simmons; conversely, as much as I like some of his music, Ace Frehley is the worst, his memory being so sketchy and his mind at less than peak condition. (That said, he can be funny and charming ... just not great for anything like a serious interview.)
I love listening to or watching musicians being interviewed ... when they're good. It's not that I need gossip or anything, just coherence and interesting things to say. I don't like mumbling idiots, and I don't like cliched non-answers or obvious P.R. answers.
Along those lines, who are some musicians (or producers) you think give the best, or the worst, interviews?
Some people I think can be very interesting include: - Frank Zappa (maybe the best) - Alice Cooper
- John Darnielle (of the Mountain Goats) - Bob Dylan (not good if you want obvious answers to your questions, but overall very interesting)
- Gene Simmons - Paul Stanley - Izzy Stradlin - Tom Waits (doesn't actually tell the truth, but SO INTERESTING and funny!)
- Bob Ezrin (producer) - Steve Albini (engineer/producer)
Some I tend not to enjoy much (despite liking their music): - Ace Frehley (doesn't remember anything, usually confused) - Mike Love (can be great at times, but too often goes into his pet topics)
- Paul McCartney (jovial and coherent, but just repeats so many stories) - Brian Wilson (you can guess why...though in his best moments he is/was an amazing interviewee)
I'm sure I could think of many more for each list but I'll turn it over to you, mostly because I'd like recommendations. Who have you found to give good (informative, interesting, funny, or whatever) interviews? Or who should be avoided?
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 8, 2021 16:37:19 GMT
Interesting topic.
Best: - Bob Dylan - Jim Morrison - Ray Manzarek - Gene Simmons - Kris Kristofferson - Grace Slick - Marty Stuart - Kenny Rogers - Eric Clapton - Paul McCartney - John Lennon - Carnie Wilson - Roger Waters
- Noddy Holder - Pete Townshend - Eddie Vedder - Bruce Springsteen
- Ozzy Osbourne - Marianne Faithfull
- Frank Sinatra - Hal Blaine - Ted Nugent
- Keith Richards - David Crosby
Worst: - Brian Wilson - Carl Wilson - Mike Love - Al Jardine - Glen Campbell - Robby Krieger - Michelle Phillips - Willie Nelson - Johnny Cash - Michael Jackson - Ron & Russell Mael (Sparks) - Johnny Mathis - Whitney Houston
- Elton John - Elvis Presley
Indifferent: - Ringo Starr - George Harrison
- Neil Young - Lou Reed
- Roger Daltrey - Bruce Johnston - Justin Hayward - Stevie Nicks - Lindsey Buckingham - David Gilmour
- Paul Simon
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Jan 8, 2021 16:43:35 GMT
Ooh, Lou Reed. I have to comment there.
He's like a Bob Dylan in one sense, which is to say that if you are asking a question and you want the answer to that question, you're out of luck. This isn't going to happen. However, Reed did add something that is, if not unforgivable, at least very off-putting: he took that pretentious prick persona and amplified it like a game. And not just in his '70s drugged-out phase (and character). He did this even after he cleaned up, which is what makes it the worst. I'm willing to give something of a pass to that confused '70s version.
Maybe most annoying about it is that Reed was a smart and articulate man, and when he felt like being a decent human being to the interviewer, he was really, really good. Frankly he shouldn't have agreed to do interviews at all if he was so annoyed by them.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Jan 8, 2021 16:45:33 GMT
Indifferent:
- Ringo Starr I listened to a pretty interesting and candid interview by Ringo recently. It's only a segment, actually. I really got to check out the whole thing.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 8, 2021 16:45:47 GMT
Ooh, Lou Reed. I have to comment there.
He's like a Bob Dylan in one sense, which is to say that if you are asking a question and you want the answer to that question, you're out of luck. This isn't going to happen. However, Reed did add something that is, if not unforgivable, at least very off-putting: he took that pretentious prick persona and amplified it like a game. And not just in his '70s drugged-out phase (and character). He did this even after he cleaned up, which is what makes it the worst. I'm willing to give something of a pass to that confused '70s version.
Maybe most annoying about it is that Reed was a smart and articulate man, and when he felt like being a decent human being to the interviewer, he was really, really good. Frankly he shouldn't have agreed to do interviews at all if he was so annoyed by them.
And, that's ^ exactly why I put him in the Indifferent category.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 8, 2021 16:50:39 GMT
Indifferent:
- Ringo Starr I listened to a pretty interesting and candid interview by Ringo recently. It's only a segment, actually. I really got to check out the whole thing. I have seen/heard some interviews with Ringo where he was enlightening and, well, educational, where it came to The Beatles. Other times, he would go into his everything/everyone was great, peace and love, peace and love schtick. I guess it depends what kind of interview he was giving, you know, the subject and how much in-depth he was expected to go.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Jan 8, 2021 16:54:07 GMT
No doubt, but if you've got the time I recommend listening to that one. Though, I'd add, of all the Beatles, he's least likely to posture.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Jan 8, 2021 16:54:39 GMT
I agree with most of the ones already mentioned.
Lemmy and Ronnie James Dio used to be great interviewees
Scott Ian of Anthrax is always good.
Sammy Hagar's great.
Zakk Wylde is entertaining, but sometimes does a little too much of his goofball schtick, which is fun, and doesn't always make for an interesting or compelling interview.
Marilyn Manson and Phil Anselmo come across as total assholes.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 8, 2021 17:00:29 GMT
|
|
|
Post by kds on Jan 8, 2021 17:08:07 GMT
What I liked a lot about guys like Lemmy and Scott Ian is that they're fans of music, so in an interview, you don't just got info on Motorhead and Anthrax, but about the music they love.
For this thread, I was thinking about That Metal Show, which aired on Vh1 Classic from 2008-2015. It was such a fun show as it was just a bunch of guys (and girls too) just sitting around, talking about music.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Jan 8, 2021 17:32:10 GMT
What I liked a lot about guys like Lemmy and Scott Ian is that they're fans of music, so in an interview, you don't just got info on Motorhead and Anthrax, but about the music they love. For this thread, I was thinking about That Metal Show, which aired on Vh1 Classic from 2008-2015. It was such a fun show as it was just a bunch of guys (and girls too) just sitting around, talking about music. I agree with this entirely. You'll hear Lemmy talking about the Beatles, or Scott Ian talking about early KISS, etc. Nine times out of 10, I'd rather hear musicians talking about their teenage years or early pro years--their experience listening to or meeting OTHER musicians--than stories of their own, which tend to be embellished, or cliched, or cautious.
Marilyn Manson: agreed! I have only heard (I think) one interview, and it was on a podcast. I forget whose, but it was about an hour long, which is the point (meaning I heard enough to form an opinion). He sounded like an overgrown 20-year-old dipshit, to be honest. A pretentious moron still bragging about how messed up he still gets on booze and drugs, how crazy he is, how great he is, and it was all just tedious.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Jan 8, 2021 17:39:55 GMT
What I liked a lot about guys like Lemmy and Scott Ian is that they're fans of music, so in an interview, you don't just got info on Motorhead and Anthrax, but about the music they love. For this thread, I was thinking about That Metal Show, which aired on Vh1 Classic from 2008-2015. It was such a fun show as it was just a bunch of guys (and girls too) just sitting around, talking about music. I agree with this entirely. You'll hear Lemmy talking about the Beatles, or Scott Ian talking about early KISS, etc. Nine times out of 10, I'd rather hear musicians talking about their teenage years or early pro years--their experience listening to or meeting OTHER musicians--than stories of their own, which tend to be embellished, or cliched, or cautious.
Marilyn Manson: agreed! I have only heard (I think) one interview, and it was on a podcast. I forget whose, but it was about an hour long, which is the point (meaning I heard enough to form an opinion). He sounded like an overgrown 20-year-old dipshit, to be honest. A pretentious moron still bragging about how messed up he still gets on booze and drugs, how crazy he is, how great he is, and it was all just tedious.
I've heard a couple interviews with Manson. Sober, he seems like just a miserable person (of course, that could be the persona). I remember him most from That Metal Show. He was drunk off his ass on absinthe, and I believe Eddie Trunk said it was the most any guest ever had to be bleeped. The worst part about that show was Bill Byford from Saxon was the 2nd guest, and Manson pretty much talked over him the whole time.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Jan 8, 2021 17:45:27 GMT
I'm pretty sure the Manson interview I'm remembering was with Marc Maron, which (based on a quick Googling) was 2017. So all I can think is, dude, you're a little old for this schtick. It's pretty pathetic. I'm not even a big fan of young people acting that way, but when you're in your late 40s? That's just sad.
You don't hear Alice Cooper bragging about how cool it is that he used to get messed up, to say nothing of still doing it. Or Keith Richards, he's (presumably) still messed up but doesn't brag about it. That kind of bragging, or even the wink-wink "not that I do that stuff now, HA HA HA, right!?" talk? Like I said, embarrassing. You're the twenty-something burnout townie trolling the high school parking lot for chicks at that point: people are mocking you, not envying you.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Jan 8, 2021 17:48:27 GMT
I totally disagree with this. I think Carl was usually quite respectful, thoughtful, and sometimes insightful. What did you not like about his interviews?
One thing I'll grant, he didn't dish dirt. So if you're looking for full transparency or something, that's not forthcoming.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 8, 2021 18:05:30 GMT
I totally disagree with this. I think Carl was usually quite respectful, thoughtful, and sometimes insightful. What did you not like about his interviews?
One thing I'll grant, he didn't dish dirt. So if you're looking for full transparency or something, that's not forthcoming.
Totally?
Yeah, Carl was usually respectful, but I've seen him NOT be receptive, like he didn't want to be there, just going through the motions. I did not find him thoughtful. On the contrary, like the other Beach Boys, I found him to be giving typical, standard, repetitive answers. And that's what was frustrating. He could've been insightful because, first, he knew Brian and Dennis better than anybody, and, second, he was the "musician" of the group. Carl's answers were, in my opinion, bland, vanilla, and not at all interesting or fascinating - and, oh boy, they could've been! Carl was too nice of a guy, and a lot of what he knew was not for public consumption.
...as The Kapitan searches YouTube for good Carl Wilson interviews...
|
|