The Shadow Boxer
During his day-job with the Red Hot Chili Peppers he’s responsible for riffs reduced to the absolutely necessary and he also back in full possession of his sound mind – John Frusciante amazes us on his fourth solo album with catchiness never thought possible as well as with hi-fi-appeal. One could almost say that he kept the richer, more consequent part of his “By The Way” input for “Shadows Collide With People”. Respect!
Of course, they may exist. Those people considering the particularly unnerving “To Record Only Water For Ten Days” to be a milestone in music (not to mention both unequally even more erratic predecessors “Niandra LaDes And Usually Just A T-Shirt” as well as “Smile From The Streets You Hold”, the latter being taken off the market shortly after its release). One could just as well speak of a scatter-brained psychogram serving only one aim: pitiless self-therapy. No doubt that this album has its place as an honest and painfully fought for testimonial of someone trying to get back up on his feet after a complete heroin blackout. And even more it’s a testimonial to its author himself who was able to shake off his own demons and to close a dark chapter of his past through it. For time being at least.
Sitting opposite to you on the balcony of the luxurious hotel Chateau Marmont on this mild California January day, this very John Frusciante has come a long way, that’s plain to see. This is not only valid for Frusciante himself but also for his music as the surprisingly strong and no longer home recording-like “Shadows Collide With People” impressively shows. This is since the balance works out right: solid, interesting arrangements let most of his new compositions come closer to the idea of Pop than ever before. With “This Cold” and “Second Walk”, even two proper punks are among the 18 songs and there are also electronic miniatures. As he sits there in his hotel room, wrapped in a hotel blanket, sneering, the Peppers’ guitarist nearly seems to be mischievous. But see for yourself.
You look good.
That’s because I feel great! To be honest: I’ve never felt better. Year by year I keep feeling more free and healthier. I’m really glad that this record finally gets released. It’s been ready for over a year now.
What led to such a long delay?
Oh well, the usual record label stuff. If that were the only thing I’m happy about these days, I still wouldn’t call myself a happy person. At the moment there are also a lot of other interesting things going on which enrich my life and make it exciting. I simply feel free to do what I want to do especially since the Chili Peppers are taking a creative break. I’m really enjoying this. I want to create as much music as possible. And that makes me glad. I’m just really excited to be alive.
Can you name some concrete examples? What are you working on?
Josh and I are preparing some experimental live shows which I’m looking forward to. There will be, for example, one with Joe Lally, Fugazi’s bassist. Josh takes over the drums. We haven’t really rehearsed yet, but I’ve got the feeling that this could become a more long-term thing in which you allow for more than having a few musicians playing Josh’s and my songs. On principle we are open for a lot of things, even for completely freestyle improvisations. Apart from that, my synthesizer is all over the forthcoming solo-album by Omar Rodriguez (The Mart Volta guitarist ed.). And I dare to say: This stuff is really sick! Compared to it “De-Loused in the Comatorium” sounds like pure pop!
Is it rather electronic?
No. Just fucked up! (laughs) I would even dare to say that it belongs to the best I’ve ever been involved in.
Why didn’t Josh Klinghoffer, but band colleague Chad Smith drum on “Shadows”?
Josh wrote all the grooves and rhythms, it’s only that he didn’t play them himself. I’m afraid Josh was simply afraid, he seemed to be like frozen. The enormous responsibility resting on his shoulders must have been a bit too much for him. That happens to a lot of young musicians when they have to perform in a large studio for the first time. It’s like having your entire self under a giant microscope. But we plan to put the complete demos on which Josh can be heard up on the Internet, as free downloads. You will hear that Chad merely copied what normally would have been played by Josh.
Nevertheless, Klingloffer is an important factor concerning this album, isn’t he?
Yes, of course. He was indispensable! I hope that this is sufficiently credited in the liner notes. It would have been a lie to merely mention him as author. He himself had problems at the end putting himself at the same level as me, you know? After all, Josh plays at least half of the guitar overdubs and keyboards, most of bass and sings a lot. And, well … he’s my best friend, you know. He and Omar are my musical soul mates.
What inspired you to write another solo album after “To Record…”?
Nothing special. You could say I’m cleaning my system, which brings me into a good starting position for the next Chili Peppers album. Actually, I’m constantly writing songs and whenever I spot a connection between some of them I try to release them as an album.
Although sounding much brighter and more hopeful, your lyrics still seem to be dealing with coming to terms with your past.
Oh, I like my past! (slightly defiant) I don’t regret a thing. I think it’s more about structuring this period from today’s perspective, to give things a meaningful structure. Even these days I’m still trying to make this tangle more plausible for myself. And a lot of this happens through lyrics. They express that I don’t want to miss what made me to what I am today. I’m very happy to be who I am.
“Second Walk” is one of the brightest and also pushing songs and yet it has got the most serious and sad lyrics. Here we are dealing with a very honest, not at all palliating summary of what nearly destroyed your life and what is now once more shaping your present: fame and fortune.
Well, I partially agree. However, “Second Walk” is a relatively old song. It was written during the same phase when I was writing my last solo record. But I don’t find it as sad as you do, especially since it’s more about the differences to the past and not so much about analogies. While back then I wasn’t able deal with everything, things are almost too easy for me these days. Today, I can handle fame quite well. Simply because I know what the exact opposite of fame feels like. I’ve been to both extremes.
Back to music. I personally had expected a much more electronic direction on this new album.
Well, it is there only simultaneously. A lot of my songs actually called for a pre-programmed version at the demo-stages. Very mechanical music. Or brittle, reduced, utterly sad things dealing with the end of everything and death, things which I will record just with acoustic guitar and voice when the time is right.
The record has just the right among of pop appeal. Last winter, Anthony Kiedis was right when he gave me the hint that your new songs would be “no more pretty out there just stunningly pretty”.
Why, thank you. Even though I wouldn’t agree that there are no more avant-garde elements in my music. (sounds a bit sour)
Right. It’s just that these avant-garde elements are rather found in the framework of the electronic sounding, instrumental interludes. Songs like “Omission” on the other hand sound like they might as well have been on the last Peppers’ album.
Perhaps. There are indeed some chord changes which I used for a Peppers’ track as well as for one of my own like this phrase on “Cut-Out”. It’s also on “I Could Die For You”, but there it sounds completely different. I don’t see anything wrong with this.
Me neither. I rather see it as proof of how important your contribution is for the Peppers’ songwriting. Does that make you feel proud?
Oh well, let the people say whatever they want. I know the truth. To some respect people overestimate my contribution, while they often underrated it in earlier times. Even on “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” I was responsible for over 50 per cent of the songwriting. It’s only that no one took it seriously, because I was following a different concept which was primarily shaped by the thought of reduction. My influence within the band has always been the same.
Whereas your way of playing and your tonal spectrum expanded due to your reverence for Krautrock bands such as NEU!, Can or Faust. But compared to The Mars Volta, this can only be partially heard on your album.
The bands you mentioned and Kraftwerk are simply the four best bands that have ever existed and at least concerning myself, their influence cannot be overheard. Concerning my songwriting a lot of things come together in it. And not everything is obvious: While recording I was listening to The Smiths all the time. But do my songs automatically sound similar? I’m a bit surprised that you don’t see the relation.
At least it’s less obvious than what concerns the majority of your songs.
Even if you look at the minimalist way I arrange my overdubs? Or all these strange, Kraftwerk-oriented synthesizers? I think you can hear that very well. I work on my songs with a similarly experimental approach. However, I might not put them on display as obviously as The Mars Volta. I might have done what at the age of 20 when I was crazy for Jimi Hendrix.
On the cinematic sounding “23 Go In To End” and on “Chances” one can hear Kraut-fan Omar Rodriguez on slide-guitar.
Well, that’s a quite natural process. Whenever Omar is here in Los Angeles we meet in order to jam, to write songs or to listen to the other’s latest musical discoveries. That he would sooner or later pay it back had been a given ever since I played on the Mars Volta album. By the way, “23 Go In To End” is an almost too obvious a nod to “Ypsilon In Malaysian Pale”, the solo work by Tangerine Dream mastermind Edgar Froese. Ingenious album, in case someone’s interested.
—Patrick Großmann
