Q&A session, 2001
Originally from the 2001-2003 version of John’s official site, later taken off or simply forgotten. Either way, it is here only for reference, it’s copyrighted to the old official site.
Hello John,
If you could have wrote one piece of guitar music ever, what would it be? (i’d have liked to have written ‘the Burning of the Midnight Lamp’ by Jimi Hendrix because it is beautiful and wakes me up to the world)
– Jonny Ingham
Ya, you know what….. I’d have to say it’s this thing on the Iggy Pop and James Williamson album called, “Kill City”. There’s this peice that’s on there twice. You might wanna look on the album, it happens twice in a row. Once on the end of the first side and the begining of the second side. It’s called “night theme”, I think it’s called. They have like, “Night Theme part 1” and “Night Theme part 2” or something like that. It’s so much the exact kind of sound of my music. Like, it’s the same exact feeling, it does the same exact thing in my head that my music does. I’m not posessive like that about music, like even what I’ve written, I don’t feel like I’ve wrote it, ya know. But that’s something that I feel I could of written, ya know, I mean I’m happy for James Williamson for writing the songs, because it’s great. But, I feel that’s something I could’ve written.
Dear John,
What do you see in the future of music?
Thanks John, very much
Pat
Well, I’m really excited about it. I think this decade will be good. The basic color that it’s already showing, I think it’s really good. I’m hoping that there can be some music that can do something completely fresh with the spirit of original rock and roll, the way that in the 70’s you had a bunch of people like David Bowie, the Ramones, or the New York Dolls, people who did something really fresh with the same kind of structures. I think something just as fresh could be done with in the next few years, maybe with electronics and stuff.
So that’s what you see in the future of music?
Well, that’s one of the things I see. I mean, I have a lot of ideas. I can’t really speak for the whole race. I can say that there’s certain things that I really think are really good and show promise, things that have been done during the last couple years. But I have a real definate sort of idea of where my music’s going, ya know, where the Chili Pepper’s music is going. I know that everything I’m doing is going to be fresh and I know the Chili Peppers are too. As far the other people in rock, I can’t speak for them. But it’s the feeling in the air right now I like. Because I was alive in the 70’s, 80’s, the 90’s and now… and the feeling in the air right now, is comparable with the feeling in the air during the 70’s. Up until now, I always thought that by far, the 70’s was the best feeling time in music. But there’s something good in the air right now that i think might prove to be as potent of a decade, vibration wise, as the 70’s was.
What did you think of the 90’s?
Not much, as for the feeling in the air. I mean I think a lot of great music was done in the 90’s. But, you know, it’s incomparable to the 70’s to me, as far as the feeling in the air, the music was just as good. To me, there’s always an equal amount of great music at any given time, no matter what the vibrations in the air are.
I’m just asking what do you think of the Internet as a way to share, distribute and listen to Music, Art and Poetry.
– munro.1
It’s wonderful! I’m especially, like, with last night (Horseshoe Tavern gig in Toronto on February 13, 2001) I was playing songs, that I’ve been playing during these last few shows that I’ve been doing. But, other than that, people shouldn’t know them and all of these people knew these songs and I love that! Because I think, music is for people, ya know. When a songwriter writes a song, I don’t believe it’s just for them and what they can get out of that song. It’s like, to me, if somebody writes a song, it’s there to put that feeling in other people. That’s why the spirits give them that song… and the second a person thinks that they’re the one responsable for it and they’re looking at the song as if it’s something that’s supposed to get them something out of life and that it’s their’s, their music starts to suck! I’ve just seen it happen over and over again throughout history. When people start to be possesive about it, it’s not their’s anymore. Kinda like the same thing with a girlfriend. If you had a girlfriend that you get really possesive over and get jealous all the time, she’s more likely to go out and fuck around on you and stuff, or just not feel like she wants to be yours if you’re posessive over her, ya know. Music will do the same thing to you.”
John,
What would you consider your greatest piece of work?
– Scott Guldenzoph
Wow, I don’t know….. The last couple of things I was recording with Josh, (Bycycle Thief) I really love, but one of them isn’t even finished yet and the other needs to be mixed. But I was proud of them than anything I’ve ever done. But it’s more like the way I’m imagining my next music, when Josh and I have recorded a full record’s full of stuff. I have such a clear idea of what it’s going to sound like, because most of the songs are already written. I mean, I love my new album a lot, I have to say like as far as being proud of something. But, I really can’t say because I know I felt the same way about Californication when it was done, it felt really triumphant to me, to be able to do music now. Like, four years ago I thought that my musicial life was over and I didn’t think I was going to do great music again, and the fact that I have now, I’m really proud of it for that reason. I know I’ve done the best I can do with the new album and Californication.
I read a while back that for your guitar playing on Californication you focused on New Wave and Punk guitarists, what approach and/or
influences would you like to focus on for the new album?
Thanks a lot,
-Manny Andrade
San Bernardino, CA
Interviewer: What a lot of people really, really want to know right now is, what’s the next Chili Pepper album going to sound like? Ya know, you don’t have compare it to anything, just kinda say where you’re going with it. I know Californication was influenced by New wave and Punk Rock.
“Yeah. This will be too, but it will be in a different way. I mean, for one thing, Flea is playing a lot more lately than he was when we were making Californication. He’s really enthusiastic about putting every bit of energy he has, into this record.
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