The Silence Between The Notes
March 2004, Gittare & Bass (Germany)
translated by dv8 at gmx dot net
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' last work did definitely show his handwriting. No wonder that the prospect of a new solo-album by guitarist, songwriter and sound-painter John Frusciante carried high expectations. And indeed Shadows Collide With People is the best solo work of the New Yorker [yes, it says "New Yorker" in the article the translator] so far. It will not only thrill guitarists, but should also be successful from a commercial point of view.
It has to be admitted: They were partially straining these solo-productions by Mr. Frusciante. And at a first glance it doesn't seem to be any different this time around. Shadows Collide With People appears to be confusing because of the abundance of detail and the number of (weird) sounds, yet on the other hand it is so wonderfully simple and clearly defined as none of his other works. And at a certain point one realizes that this album grows with each listening and that it won't loosen its grip on you.
Those who have listened between the lines should also have realized by now the significance the former replacement-musician for the Peppers has gained. And there's more than that: Though he's working on a new studio album with his band, he's already set a deadline for his upcoming solo work next year. Apart from that Frusciante has just written the soundtrack for Vincent Gallo's film Brown Bunny, been on stage at the revival of the legendary Temple of the Dog and has also contributed to Ziggy Marley's last album Dragonfly. Those knowing that this man does also paint can imagine the creative potential in this artist. A potential which he's now able to deal with and to finally make the most of. Knowing about Frusciante's past with its addictions and worries one understands what the 34 year old means when saying: "Today I appreciate life so much that I can hardly sleep at night."
Most of the songs were written on your guitar in hotel rooms during the last Chili Peppers tour. Your album, however, convinces with a multitude of sounds and atmospheres. How do you colour these hotel sketches? How do you work?
Normally I have the sound of a song in my head while writing. In the studio it is a matter of playing with the synthesizers, mellotron or whatever is around in order to find something that comes close to my original idea. On the other hand I experiment with the recordings. The demos have all been recorded on a simple 8-track-recording machine. But I've toyed with everything that was there. It was a very childish process since I don't have a clue about it. It was fun and I've recorded everything until I had something to support my idea of a song. It was an unproblematic, simple and pleasant process. My friend Josh Klingloffer has helped me as well.
Is there an underlying concept to this album?
No, not really. There was the aim to overcome one's limits concerning songwriting and sounds on this album. Or concerning the instrumentation. For example, I wanted a lot of acoustic and electric elements and a lot of electronics coupled with warm and human emotions so that in the end one would get a satisfying balance and something that one could call "organic rock". I wanted to create something with an unusual instrumentation and sounds, something you could say about that no one has so far delivered anything like this. I also wanted to record the entire album on tape to make it really "real".
I think the album is a lot clearer and more accessible as To Record Only Water For Ten Days. Is this increase of clarity an image for your recovery?
I don't know. Maybe? I don't think so. I'm glad you like the album. I don't need to be cured from anything these days. I feel very well and I am glad to be myself and healthy. I also don't consider music to be something healing for me, but quite pragmatically as the thing I do. And if my music gets clearer, I'm getting clearer as well.
I also like the fact that all tracks have been written from the songwriter's point of view and not from a guitarist's.
Right. I consider myself as a musician and not as a guitarist. It is more important to me to be a songwriter and I don't really care which instrument I use to do so. Much more important are the ideas behind it. Even if I were never allowed to play guitar again as long as I have ideas and as long as I can realize them on other instruments - I'd still be happy. OK, the guitar is the instrument I can play best, it's also the simplest tool for me when it comes to writing songs. But a song which is written on the guitar, is in my eyes not better or cooler as a song I've written on the piano. This goes, by the way, for a lot of songs on this album. So: What counts for me is rather the music in the head than the guitar in the hand.
