EO - From what I've read, that's how the Stones work. How do you guys handle the lyrics?
PB - Really, the Stones? As far as Ministry is concerned, Al writes the lyrics. I find it difficult to sing other people's lyrics, and I'm sure that Al does as well. He will ask me to come up with some ideas sometimes. He'll come up with a topic and ask me about it and I'll try to come up with something. I think it's mainly for contrast, to see what syntax I would use to get the idea across. If nothing else, mine make his seem much better. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth, and other times it just comes to you like a gift.
EO - Why have all of these various entities like the Revolting Cocks, and Ministry, and PTP?
PB - When Al is singing and we go to write some Ministry music, the focus of that group is very, very narrow. We are going to make the harshest music that we can. We worked on that fucking record for 15 months and we threw out a ton of material. Not that that material wasn't necessarily hard enough, but we didn't complete it and make it fit into the very narrow band-width that we want the Ministry music to sound like. Over the course of a year, we don't only write the kind of music that Ministry records.
EO - Thank God.
PB - Exactly. That's part of why the other projects exist: we don't want to just be percieved as some weird death-metal group. Death-metal bands are the most extreme like that: either it's death-metal, or it's speed-metal, or it's shit. We grew up listening to a lot of different music, and styles change and you change, and maybe you like something that you didn't like before, or you stop liking something that you liked before. To me it's all a valid part of your personal musical history and musical growth. But anyway, the main difference between the projects is the vocalist.
Lard is Al, me, Jeff Ward on drums and Jello Biafra on vocals. Pailhead was Al, Bill Rieflin on drums, and me on guitar and vocals. Currently Chris Connelly is the singer of the Revolting Cocks. Lead Into Gold is primarily my own thing. Acid Horse was Al, Chris and I with Cabaret Voltaire. Actually Acid Horse was PTP and Cabaret Voltaire because PTP was Al and Chris and me.
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
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.
2 - Craig Lyndall
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.
3 - Eric Olsen
thanks guys, he was a lot of fun to speak with
4 - Craig Lyndall
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.
5 - Johno
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?
6 - Eric Olsen
thanks Johno - I was a huge fan too, so it was a lot of fun
7 - jerry
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.
8 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Jerry, glad you found it interesting!
9 - EX NAVY
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.
10 - Bob A. Booey
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.
11 - Gary H
Paul Barker has a posse.