Paul Barker Interview
Published November 20, 2003
PB - I do too, absolutely.
EO - The populist aspect of it strikes me as a bit disingenuous. "We are grungier, dirtier, smellier, less well-educated, and on more drugs than you. Therefore, we are cooler." I link it almost to the Roseanne appeal: where she is appealing to the lowest common denominator. The actress is a very intelligent woman; but her persona is this slothful, unkempt troll with hideous grammer. She doesn't need anymore of "them doughnuts."
PB - I had no idea. I always thought that it was a standard situation comedy, but with fat people in it.
EO - Anti-intellectualism is dangerous. Not everyone has to be an intellectual, but don't play dumber than you are.
PB - When I first heard of this thing called "grunge," I thought, "Oh, they're trying to be dirty. I wonder if they have ever heard of 'grebo.'" Al and I spent a year in London in 1986, and that was two years after the grebo thing peaked, but there were these people there who just did not bathe. It was like a religion for them.
Anyway, back to my point. You know that these fat fucks at the major labels hate rap and metal and grunge. They hate this stuff, but they can't ignore the fact that it makes millions of dollars so they gobble it up; but there is cynicism inherent in it and that cynicism leads to maximum exploitation. Maximum exploitation burns out everything.
- Paul Barker Interview
- Published: November 20, 2003
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- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Interviews
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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I was fascinated by this interview. I don't know why we don't hear this perspective more often. Are most bands not this aware of their situation, or is it just a rule that most people don't talk about it? Regardless, this is really enlightening for those of us who like to follow the business side of things.
thanks guys, he was a lot of fun to speak with
My parents were a little apprehensive when I wanted to buy an album called "The Land of Rape and Honey" but they knew better than to try and stop me from listening to an album that I wanted to hear.
Eric, you are my hero!!!
Holy crap... just think... here I am in a dorm room in 1992-93, listening to "Hellfudge" and "Jesus Built My Hot Rod" over and over again, and-- lucky you-- there you are talking on the record to Paul! Freaking! Barker! Lard! Ministry! Pailhead!
What an insightful interview, too. Some of the credit of course goes to PB for being on the ball, but a good interviewer makes everything come together.
I found it interesting that they took John Zazula on as their manager. That kind of helps explain their disappearance to me. By reputation, Johnny Z talks a great game, and genuinely loves the artists he works with, but his touch has been career poison since the early 90's.
Like Tom I was impressed by the Paul's levelheadedness about both business and the creative process. How right was he about grunge, jeez?
thanks Johno - I was a huge fan too, so it was a lot of fun
I was fascinated by this interview. I don't know why we don't hear this perspective more often. Are most bands not this aware of their situation, or is it just a rule that most people don't talk about it? Regardless, this is really enlightening for those of us who like to follow the business side of things. Yes, Craig, that's true.
Thanks Jerry, glad you found it interesting!
THERE HAS BEEN FIGHTING IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE FIGHTING WILL EVER STOP,SO LETS MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST FREE OF ALL FUTURE FIGHTING AND NUKE THE ENTIRE REGION OFF THE FACE OF THE PLANET.
I'm about to pass out after a long night, but I definitely will read this later. I'm impressed that you got this interview, Olsen. Keep talking to some of those 90s alternative stars -- I'm sure they have a lot to say about today's industry.
No man with a good car needs to be justified. (And Jesus built my hotrod).
That is all.
Paul Barker has a posse.
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That was fascinating. I love hearing stuff like this from these guys just outside of the mainstream, especially when they do actually wind up with a small success in it. Unlike many pop stars, they seem to have very level heads about what the whole music industry is really about. And dammit, I love Ministry.