Errors-To: et-admin at blackcat dot demon dot co dot uk Reply-To: et at cs dot man dot ac dot uk Sender: et at cs dot man dot ac dot uk Precedence: bulk From: et at cs dot man dot ac dot uk To: et at cs dot man dot ac dot uk Subject: Elephant Talk Digest #357 E L E P H A N T T A L K The Internet newsletter for Robert Fripp and King Crimson enthusiasts Number 357 Thursday, 6 March 1997 Today's Topics: SPECIAL ISSUE Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers (Part 2 of 3 parts) ------------------ A D M I N I S T R I V I A --------------------- POSTS: Please send all posts to et at cs dot man dot ac dot uk To UNSUBSCRIBE, or to CHANGE ADDRESS: Send a message with a body of HELP to et-admin at blackcat dot demon dot co dot uk, or use the DIY list machine at http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/aig/staff/toby/et/list/ to ASK FOR HELP about your ET subscription: Send a message to: et-help at blackcat dot demon dot co dot uk ETWEB: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/aig/staff/toby/et/ (partial mirror at http://members.aol.com/etmirror/) THE ET TEAM: Toby Howard (Moderator), Dan Kirkdorffer (Webmeister) Mike Dickson (List Admin), and a cast of thousands. The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. ET is produced using John Relph's Digest 3.0 package. ------------------ A I V I R T S I N I M D A --------------------- Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 20:27:12 -0600 From: Adrian Belew Subject: Adrian Belew answers. Part 2 ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: alan s cohen 1. While I know that there is considerable creative freedom within Crimson, my impression is that the band is an extension of Fripp's vision. Is it hard to write to someone elses vision, especially when that vision is so uniquely his? By this I mean that there aren't too many people going around talking about guitar gamelons and double trios, as opposed to lets form a rock band. 2. Who do you like better- Beavis or Butthead? 3. Do you ever feel restricted with your role as the "songwriter"? It seems that your role is to write the songs with the lyrics. 4. Is there anything that you'd like to do with Crimson that the others aren't too keen on? 5. Does so much technology ever get in the way of a piece? 6. Not a question but a suggestion. I've heard Howard Stern talking about King Crimson, mainly that he was shocked that you were still together. He seems to only know the title song from "The Court of the Crimson King". The subject came up when John Popper of Blues Traveller was there promoting HORDE. I thought that it would be fun if, when you next tour the U.S., sometime near the millenium, if you would appear on the show. I'm sure that he'd be expecting some old farts who are stuck in the "70's. ("Hey New York. How's everyone feeling tonight??!! Thanks for taking our questions. Alan ** Adrian replies... 1. I agree with you, the band is an extension of Robert's vision. But it is a band. It takes the collaboration of the six of us to cause the sound we call King Crimson. Can you imagine, for instance, Thrak without Bill Bruford? It would be...well, a very different Thrak. Having said that, in my opinion, King Crimson is Robert's band. Virtually nothing of importance happens without Robert's approval. This is the way it works best. I call Robert "quality control". To be honest, there are times when it is difficult for me. I'm accustomed to leading. But Robert has always graciously encouraged my input, consulted me on major decisions, considered me his writing partner, and been very supportive of my ideas. There are musical parameters in Krimson which have not changed much over my sixteen-year tenure. Do's and don't's. There are certain chord shapes which are preferred (a flated fifth, for example), certain tempos we tend to work in (around 110 bpm), certain scales we write to (symmetrical or chromatic), certain time signatures (such as 7 or 5), and all these elements combine to make the sound of King Crimson. Those are not necessarily the choices I might make. They are Robert's preferences. The challenge for me is to work within the cadre of Robert's approach. The challenge for the entire band is the continual renewal of itself within those parameters. One thing which steadies me is that I have my solo work. A forum which gives me the opportunity to do whatever I want, make the decisions, and be responsible for the outcome. That's why on my solo records I try to present the most personalized musical vision I can by playing all the instruments, writing the material, producing, doing the artwork, etc. Along with my engineer Ken Latchney I'm able to produce a full-blown record out of my house in a matter of weeks. It's immensely gratifying. But collaborating is a healthy counterbalance to doing everything yourself, and I can't think of a better group of musicians with which to collaborate. Second only to the Beatles, King Crimson is my all-time favorite band. The music is almost as great as the people involved. Robert has done an admirable job of putting together the business, the record deals, the planning, the strategies, etc. And frankly, I don't want to be doing those things. I'm grateful that he does them. My main interest is in the shared creation of King Crimson music. And in that regard, I'm satisfied. 2. I've never watched Beavis and Butthead. 3. Songwriting, lyric writing, vocalizing, fronting the band, having a guitar partnership with Robert, co-producing, and occasionally acting as drummer number three. Those are my roles in Krimson thus far. It's a hand full. As I have said there are musical boundaries but that's what makes King Crimson unique. There are times I have wandered outside those fences, usually with mixed results. "Two Hands" is a song I wish I hadn't brought to the band. I was never sure "Heartbeat" was a King Crimson song but was talked into believing so. "People" is a song I wish I had kept for myself. "I Remember How To Forget" is a song I brought to the band and then took back. I played a demo of "Remember" for the band and we learned it. After hearing the band play it, I preferred the demo version which featured a single trio not a double trio. That's the way I wanted the song produced and, in fact, it's the same demo version which appears on OP ZOP TOO WAH. Robert asked jokingly, "How does it feel to have your child beaten"? I didn't feel the band had beaten my child, I simply wanted a different approach. There are songs I brought to the band which I feel were very appropriate, like "Cage" or "Dig Me". But I have noticed the songs which seem to work best are the ones which at least start with Robert and me writing together. I would say "Dinosaur" is a successful Krimson song. It began with Robert showing me a sequence of five chords he had written. I added more and more changes to accomodate the melody I was writing and ended up with an epic! The point being it had started with Robert and therefore sounded more Krimson-esque than, say, "People" which I had written alone. There are times when I'm able to cross over into "composing", an area usually reserved for Robert. The middle instrumental section of "Dinosaur" is a good example. It was a separate piece I had intended for a solo record. But when I wrote it into the middle of "Dinosaur" it fit. There is one more role I sometimes have, that of "facilitator". Robert's compositions may need another energy. The use of feedback or whammy bar theatrics is sometimes helpful to liven up a piece. One of my favorite aspects of the band are the unison lines we play in "Vrooom", "Red", etc. and I think I help them come alive. In the 80s Krimson there was the need for two guitarists in order to facilitate the crafty guitarist approach so favored by Robert at that time. Sometimes I work with Bill to help him sort out rhythms or test-drive new grooves. Tony often initiates a song with a singable bass line, as in "Walking On Air". If it is decided that one of Tony's great grooves should become the basis for a song, then I become the "songwriter" again; adding melody, words, a chorus, or whatever is needed. And those are some of the ways it works. 4. Nothing comes to mind. 5. Only on a night when it malfunctions. 6. Recently Howard Stern had an unfortunate automobile accident. They rushed him to the hospital and found a sliver of brain lodged in his skull. "heh heh heh...heh heh heh". ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: Paul Parkinson Thanks for the Live in Japan video. Brilliant - but can we have some more please. Perhaps from a musicians view with close ups so we can see and learn from what you guys are doing ? Anyway onto the question. On the only other KC video I have ever seen you were supporting Roxy Music (in Paris? around 1983) and it was shown on the Anne Nightingale show here in the UK. The last track was Thela Hun Ginjeet and featured your black Stratocaster being SERIOUSLY abused by your goodself. When I say abused I mean like dropping a fifth by bending the neck etc. At the end of the track you make a fantastic tremolo effect by distorting the neck and playing the feedback. Right at the end of that you kill the sound completely. My question is this (and it'll settle an argument which has raged since then if you can remember ) - how did you kill the sound ? Was it 1. Volume control foot pedal on the stage ? 2. String damping ? 3. Mixing desk sourced ? 4. Something else (exceedingly clever) ? Thanks and very best regards Paul Parkinson ** Adrian replies... First of all, the Frejus, France video was never a proper video. Supposedly the camera crew was only shooting a video of the main act Roxy Music and just wanted to test their gear. This would explain the deathly lighting we ended up with. Speaking of lighting, the new Japan video, which was actually sanctioned by the band, looks the way it does due to the restricted type of lighting the band has chosen to use. I, for one, was relieved to see it look as good as it does under the circumstances. A serious documentary of the present band would be nice. In the 80s Krimson my guitar set-up included a simple row of on/off buttons for seven effects. The eighth button was a mute button which killed all sound (allowing me to tune in silence) and that's how it was done. I did have a volume pedal as well. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: William John Kovatch Question 1> What are some of the philosophical issues that you have to deal with working with King Crimson, such as your musical relationship with the other members as well as your personal feelings torward one another? Question 2> What do you see your role to be in the new Crimson as a guitarist, and then as a frontman? Question 3> What would you suggest to a young musician (or band) about finding and reaching a larger audience in our commercial society, without compromising one's individuality, musical creativity, and integrity. Thanks, Bill ** Adrian replies... 1. Philisophical Issues? I'm sorry, we're fresh out. But we've just recieved a brand new shipment of Situational Ethics, if you're interested. Seriously, we get along well musically and otherwise. The band of the eighties had some thorny moments but it's not true now. Our modus operandi these days is one of mutual respect, mixed with a dash of self-deprecating humor, and genuine friendship. We're big boys. 2. For me the guitar has the capacity to be anything and can be used to orchestrate in limitless ways. The same is true for Robert. Between the two of us we decide who paints what color in what size brush strokes on which part of the canvas and then we go to it. We've worked together long enough for most of our choices to be intuitive. The fun for me still begins with the word "discovery". My favorite role as a guitarist in King Crimson is to offer a new sound. As the frontman it's a bit different. I try to anchor the band with consistent performances. And to conduct a form of unspoken onstage communication involving subtleties such as eye contact and leading the audiences' attention to certain areas of the stage, a trick I learned from the master, David Bowie. For example, whenever someone onstage is doing something I watch them. Let's say Trey is soloing. I watch him. That way anyone in the audience who looks at me, will then look at Trey. There are physical cues which naturally fall to a frontman as well as any dialogue needed for the audience's sake. In Krimson I say the least possible and the let the music do the talking. "Hello. Thank you very much. Goodnight". I can say that in several languages. My onstage demeanor is usually one of natural exhuberance. And so I'm able to be a friendly bridge to the audience without utilizing typical showbiz cliche's. Mainly I'm there in the middle of the stage because I'm the singer. Otherwise, I'd stand somewhere else. Singing is my main role as a frontman and I try to be consistent with my pitches and phrasing and to connect if possible with the eyes of the audience. But ever since Frank Zappa dubbed me "stunt guitarist" I've felt compelled to mix in an occasional dose of histrionics. And so, out comes the screwdriver, the neck bending, the twang bar, feedback, and so on. 3. That's a big question; I wish I knew the big answer. You may not be able to achieve both aims; large popularity and integrity. Which would you be willing to give up? While you're deciding, look over the music business statistics I left you with in Answers Part One. 29,000 new CDs, etc. As you can see, it's a stretch to make it at all in the bloated music business. Music is the making of art. The music business, the making of money. In my opinion, you are successful in the music business when you maintain a balance between the music you wish to create and the necessity to earn a reasonable living and support your work. It's not an easy business. There are no guarantees no matter who youare or how big a record label you're with. Learn to live within your means, make the music you want to hear, build a support group, be informed, and enjoy the ride. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: Pierre Lapointe Hi Adrian. Will KC ever do an unplugged? Trendy I know but trendiness doesn't diminish the coolness of the format! Think it over. Will you please bring KC to my town? We have a renowned concert hall and are central to Toronto and Windsor Ontario. I'll give you my address if you need a place to stay. There now, you have two new great ideas to run with. Pierre Lapointe Kitchener, Ontario, Canada ** Adrian replies... Thanks for the offer but I adore room service. The unplugged format is a good one, (I've just finished my second acoustic-based record) but I'm not convinced it's a workable setting for King Crimson. We rely so much on technology. It might be fitting for a small portion of our show. I don't have much say in the band's bookings but we are certain to haunt the Toronto area sooner or later, it's one of North America's great cosmopolitan centers. First we'd like to write new music. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: JPRICE at TrentU dot ca Hi Adrian, First, thanks for this opportunity! -Much- appreciated. As co-FAQ guy here at ET, my first question is one that has not been answered to the satisfaction of many ETers, myself included. 1) What is the first line in the chorus of "Thela Hun Ginjeet"? I'm sure I speak for many (me, too!) when I ask: 2) Will we be seeing an '80s KC live retrospective? If so, when? For me, I'd like to hear a little about the genesis of "Heartbeat". It's one of the most beautiful love songs I've ever heard, and the only one that's ever been an "our song" for myself and a lover. Finally, Camp Fortune, Quebec, July 8, 1984. Outdoors, perfect summer night, natural ampitheatre. I'd enjoy hearing your impressions of that evening. I could go on, but I won't. Thanks again, for this opportunity, and for many years of wonderful music and inspiration for a player. J. P. Hovercraft aka jprice at trentu dot ca ** Adrian replies... 1) The line is "Qua tari mei". According to a revered African legend, if you chant this phrase over and over while several nasty- looking Rastas are preparing to skewer you, the Rastas will be moved to return your sacred Sony tape recorder to you unharmed. 2) Robert has suggested that Ken and I mix a live record from 1984 but hasn't yet given us the word. I believe it will be from one of our last Canadian dates. "Heartbeat" is one of those rare songs which just appears, spills out onto the fretboard, and is finished before you know what happened. A gift. I'm sorry to say I'm not sure what happened at Camp Fortune, (I've played so many camps). You'll have to give me more clues. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: Russell Whitworth Adrian, ET has plenty of "encounters with the band" stories... but I'd like to hear from your perspective your feelings when approached by a fan. If, say, I happened to sit next to you on a plane, would you be pleased or horrified if I recognised you, talked to you, and started asking about the new KC album? Or would a smile and a nod and a comment about the airline food be more welcome? (Personally I have always taken the latter course, incidentally. I've never knowingly annoyed any celebrities, but perhaps I've missed out on some great conversations!). Does the context make a difference: before/after a gig vs. at the supermarket? -- Russell Whitworth ** Adrian replies... If someone who appreciates the music I'm involved in approaches me to talk I'm usually happy to do so. It does, of course, depend on the circumstances. If you happened to be seated next to me in a plane there wouldn't be much talking coming from my seat as I would be too stupefied by the effects of Xanax. Please realize that even though my intentions to be cordial to my supporters may be honorable there are times when time does not allow it. This is especially true on tour. Catch me at the supermarket. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: Clark Mike Hi Adrian - 1. We talk a lot on the net about wishing/hoping/demanding that KC release this or that on CD, particularly with respect to live shows. Can you describe the process/group dynamics/considerations involved as far as how it gets decided when/what the band will release in terms of 1) previous live performances on CD and 2) studio CDs of new material. Also, could you describe same when it comes to determining what material will be played during a particular tour? There are often posts which seem to request/demand that this tune or that tune be played at a particular show or series of shows. Thanks for participating in this forum! Mike ** Adrian replies... In terms of live performances on CD Robert decides, particularily as concerns the older Krimson material. For the 80s live CD, as I've just mentioned I'm scheduled to mix it. When I mixed the Japanese video performance the band chose the performance by vote. Perhaps something similar would happen with the 80s live record. For studio CDs of new material it becomes more of a group decision with Robert in charge. Most of the choices of material are made as the music is maturing. At some point it becomes apparent which pieces are working, which still need work, or which need to be abandoned. Then an overview of the record starts to come into focus. For the first tour Robert and I made up a playlist of the material we thought most suitable. That became the material the band learned. We began with a fair representation of music from different eras. By adding new material eventually we were able to have choices. The band now has more than it can play in one show. The nightly set list is usually made up by me (but sometimes by someone else) with suggestions from anyone who has them. The main criteria seems to be the condition of my voice, which is usually fine, and how often we have recently played a given piece. To avoid stagnation for us and the audience we try to change the set around. The difficulty is in finding a beginning and an ending. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: "Gordon Emory Anderson" Adrian: Two questions: First of all, what records (outside of your own and KC) are you listening to (and enjoying) these days? Second, I thought I'd tell you about a record I've been listening to that, for some strange persistent reason, I thought you'd like. "Further Adventures....." by Bruce Cockburn has some wonderful, off-beat melodies and lyrics that I think you would greatly enjoy. Are you familiar with that guitarist? -Emory. PS: I was a skinny teenager standing next to you (in your Hawaiian shirt) trying to get into Irving Plaza on the night you opened for League of Gentlemen. PPS: I still think your solo at the end of "The Great Curve" is one of the great moments in rock. ** Adrian replies... First of all, what were you doing in my shirt? Secondly, I'm working constantly these days and haven't the time to listen to anything other than what I'm working on. Too distracting. Thanks for the suggestion about Bruce though; someday I'll pick it up. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: Christopher R Palmer Dear Mr. Belew, My question for you is, "What do you do for discipline?" Or, how do you maintain your technical ability, and (obviously, more importantly) your artistic vision/aesthetic? Your various techniques fascinate me not only for their creativity and your direct performance of them (elephantosity, fretless playing, vibrato-bar weirdness, etc), but for their total appropriateness in their respective aesthetic contexts. Thanks you very much, I'm looking forward to your answer. :) Chris Palmer http://umn.edu/~palm0108 ** Adrian replies... Thank you. My discipline comes from continual work and frequent playing. Every day I wake up with music on the brain. If at all possible I prefer to work alone early in the morning from say 7 a.m. on. It's a quiet, reflective time and I find some of my best ideas come during that period. My engineer Ken arrives at 11 a.m. and we begin working in the studio. I try to have something planned ahead for each day. We usually finish by 6 p.m. We work five days a week unless I'm hot on the trail of something in which case we may go longer or work an extra day. There are a variety of instruments ready at all times; guitars, drums, piano, cello, etc. and I love to play so I play them often. As with recording, my playing abilities come from the cumulative effect of daily work habits. I don't know scales and have no regimented practice schedule. I rely more on playing when the spirit moves me which is frequently. Sometimes I run down to the studio just to drum for ten minutes. When I'm in writing mode I simply play the song over and over, refining, editing, and adding. Often I record the track first, then begin the long process of determining what the song wants to be about. Writing lyrics takes more time than making the music. When I know what I want, I'm very quick at recording, preferring early takes. I started singing when I was five years old. I took up drumming at age ten. Joined my first band at age fourteen. Taught myself to play guitar at age sixteen. I don't know how to read or write music properly, never had lessons, but as Frank Zappa once told me, I've found my own way. Music has been the center of nearly every day of my life; I rarely take a vacation. When I go to bed at night I'm still thinking about music. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: Marc Roemer 1. What are the lyrics for the backing vocals on "Frame by Frame"? 2. What is the other lyric on "Thela Hun Ginjeet" that sounds like "battare me"? What does it mean? 3. What songs from previous incarnations of the band (e.g., "The Great Deceiver," "Schizoid Man," etc.) have you tried with Crimson? How'd you like it? Did the band ever perform them with you? If not, why not? This is very cool to ask you directly! Marc ** Adrian replies... 1. "Suddenly, from within, analysis". The singer is Tony. 2. "Qua tari mei" which is a corruption of the ancient sanskrit term "quarterly". According to legend this phrase was so powerful it was used to ward off quarter-tone tuning discrepencies before live t.v. performances such as The Old Grey Whistle Stop. The ancient ones later abandoned this belief with their discovery of the bronze God "Kahler" (pronounced K'-la) who promised "eternal intonation". 3. The only songs from past bands we have tried are the ones we play: Talking Drum, Lark's part two, Red, and Schizoid Man. My favorite is Red. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: Aymeric Leroy - "Legend" has it that it was Fripp's own decision to change Discipline's name to King Crimson in 1981. Was this feeling shared by everyone in the band, and you in particular ? As such a decision should result from the feeling that there is a sort of musical "tradition" that is carried on by the new incarnation of the band, what in your opinion is that musical tradition ? In other words, how would you define the "continuity" between 70's and 80's/90's Crimson that a lot of KC fans fail to see ? ** Adrian replies... To me Discipline is a fine name for a record (or a record label) but a bit unfriendly as a band name. I always preferred the name King Crimson which carried with it an aura of respect. The eighties band had been rehearsing several weeks, formulating what would become the album "Discipline" when Robert said one day, "No matter what we call this band it is King Crimson". To which someone said, "Then let's call it King Crimson". I remember the decision made me and Tony very happy. I don't recall Bill's reponse. There is a certain musical tradition of high integrity which comes from some of the aspects mentioned earlier. Though the music is not the same (nor should it be) I feel the 70's, 80's, and 90's bands are all "King Crimson". ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: Mike McCartney Hi Adrian, I am primarilly a fan of the 60s/70s King Crimson but I was plesantly surprised when I first heard the double trio... I give Thrack and Discipline a usual spin in my CD player. My question to you is Do you think that the 60s/70s King Crimson songs still *fit*, or work, in the current KC's set list??? And do you see the current KC adding or dropping any of them? Thanks alot, .\\ike .\\cCartney Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada ** Adrian replies... I think I answered this already, but... The decision to add or drop older Krimson would mainly be up to Robert. As I have said I have mixed feelings and prefer the current material but would be willing to try some of the older things. The ones we play now seem contemporary and fitting for the band which is one reason we play them. Just so you know, I was a huge fan of early King Crimson and still appreciate it's forward thinking and uniqueness. Those were great records. But those bands made a different music, with different players, with different instrumentation, different attitudes, in a different style, using a different vocabulary, all from a different era. All things considered, I prefer to do what we do now. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: Alan dot Maguire at mercer dot ie Dear Adrian, Thanks for taking the time out to answer all of our questions....I only hope you dont get the same old boring questions over and over, (as Robert said, you wouldnt want to read it all for fun) so here goes..... When another KC member brings a new song into rehearsal how do you go about creating a complementary guitar part? What, for example makes you think Aha! I'll play this one in a different time signature or key whatever? Regards, Alan Maguire Dublin P.S. Keep up the good work....Cant wait for the next KC album. ** Adrian replies... Generally speaking Robert writes the instrumental pieces and I write the songs (either on my own, with Robert, or from some idea started by someone in the band). Regardless, I always write the melodies and lyrics. The band members are responsible for adding their own parts. There are exceptions. There are times when the band may improvise something which is then formalized into a piece. There are sections in songs or musical pieces on which other members of the band have colloborated. There are drum pieces written by the drummers; stick pieces written by the stickers. There are many times when a song starts with a groove devised by some combination of the rhythm section. No one else brings in a new song; that seems to be my domain. However the music is arrived at, both Robert and I decide our own sounds and approaches. Sometimes by talking about it beforehand and sometimes by trying sounds until arriving at the right combination. In the case of music played in different time signatures, we work those parts out in advance. Many pieces are worked out quietly in advance, then taken to the full band and worked on further. And those are some more of the ways the band works. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: sid smith <106050 dot 2211 at compuserve dot com> 1. The Beatles Anthology series brought to light many alternative mixes and versions of songs in progress. Would you ever consider a similar project with King Crimson ? 2. When I saw you live in London last year, I was sure that I could hear Mellotron type strings / sounds. Was this just wishful thinking on my part or do the band use 'real' Mellotron samples. (I'm thinking particularly of the intro to dinosaur) ? 3. If you were marooned on a desert island and could only salvage one track by Crimson what would it be ? (any period or just your era allowed.) ** Adrian replies... 1. Personally I enjoy those inside glimpses at the making of a record and would love to see Krimson do something of that nature. I'm not certain the material exists. 2. The intro to "Dinosaur" is played both live and on record by yours truly using a synthesizer patch I wrote for the Roland GR-1 guitar synthe. Robert played mellotron in other places on Thrak. There are no mellotron samples used in our live performances. 3. Probably "Dinosaur". It represents many of the things I like about the band. ******* Adrian Belew answers questions from ET readers ******* From: dumela at nicom dot com (tj) I didn't get to ask you everything I wanted when we met at the Warner Theatre post show in 1995 (see question #3) so here goes: 1. Your use of the hand drill has caused numerous exclamation points in gig reviews in ET. Did this come about because you were looking for a certain sound or did you try the drill and discovered it sounded right? What methods do you use for such discoveries? 2. You often touch on the themes of eviromentalism and animal protection in the lyrics that you write. Please tell us why you share these with us in your art? (I'm happy you do.) 3. I still await the day that you and KC get to hang in the Washington DC studios of National Public Radio. Were you aware that you have many fans at NPR and inside other US media outlets? Is there any chance that KC could politely exploit these possible venues? (You deserve the attention.) "Huff and I puff and I blew my life down" - my lyric contribution of the day with a non-smoker theme dumela at nicom dot com tjm4 at cdc dot gov tj mathews ** Adrian replies... 1. "When I Say Stop...Continue" is an improvised piece from the Vrooom record. When we were recording it I noticed an electric screwdriver perched on top of my rack. So I played it. 2. Because of my concern for what we're doing to our planet and its' inhabitants (including us) and what type of world our children will inherit. Some songs seem proper ground for a global message. Pollution, the poisioning of our enviroment, and the systematic destruction of so much of our natural world never ceases to perplex and annoy me. Animal themes have become a recurring motif not only because of my fascination with certain animals but also because of my proclivity to make animal guitar sounds. If you have a guitar sound which is similar to the sound a rhinoceros emits, you might logically want to write a song about a rhinoceros. Well, maybe not logically. ------------------------------ End of Elephant-Talk Digest #357 ********************************