Bill's PurpleCrayon Blog
Bill's PurpleCrayon Blog features riffs galore about advertising, marketing, the Arts and just about anything else that happens to be on my mind at the moment.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
SIXTY MINUTES WITH WORLD-CLASS DRUMMER BILL BRUFORD
My interviews with drummer extraordinaire Bill Bruford were among the first, and still remain among my favorites – not necessarily because of what he said per se. Rather, because of how he said it. He was intense and serious. My impression of Bill at that time was that he was cynical, somewhat bitter. Perhaps some would say angry. Of course, his demeanor could have been an affectation for my benefit. Or that could have been his natural personality. I don't know. But he seemed to have obvious disdain for my project (writing a book about progressive rock) and for the music industry in general. But, at all times, he was extremely articulate and thoughtful. I appreciated his candor.
This is Part One of my first interview with Mr. Bruford. It was conducted on November 14, 1992. I called him at his home in England and spoke for about an hour.
Please keep in mind that I only caught a moment in time with this man and we’re looking back on it some 13 years later. The ‘80s King Crimson was nearly 10 years past. The ‘90s King Crimson was still just a gleam in Robert’s eye. It was an in-between time for Crims. In addition, Yes had just toured behind their Union album and Bruford was part of that tour. After the tour, Yes continued on, but Bruford opted not to be part of it. All of those circumstances became questions for me to ask him.
What I got was Bill Bruford extemporaneously venting what I saw as frustrations with the music industry, but also professing his love for jazz. Perhaps, he was also a little hurt because, at that time, Fripp had not asked him to be in the ‘90s Crimson. And, as you'll see toward the end of my inteview, he seemed to be extremely proud of his work with the Crims.
What is he like today? I don't know. Chances are, since my interviews, Bill has mellowed with age and is a happier guy. One can only hope so.
Feel free to circulate this interview as you see fit, quoting from it liberally. I only ask that you include the following attribution when you do so: © 1992, 2006 Bill Murphy. Thanks!
By the way, this is an excerpt of my interview with Mr. B. The whole Part One can be found on Darren Lock's superb ProjeKction site. (It's subscriber-based. So you'll have to log in and create a name. But once you're in...wow. The site is jam-packed with info.)
BM: Hi, is this Bill?
BB: Yeah.
BM: I appreciate you taking some time this evening for me.
BB: That’s all right. I forgot what we’re talking about, Bill. Remind me again.
BM: This is a book I’m putting together on progressive rock, art rock, classical rock, what-have-you and –
BB: Oh, God. Good luck to ya.
BM: [laughs] Yeah. It’s quite a big topic, I must say. But you seem to play a large role in it, though, so that’s why I’m giving you a call.
BB: What can I do for you?
BM: Well, I have a pretty good question to start with: I’ve heard that King Crimson is reforming and that Yes is still together, but a notable exception is that you’re not in either one. Why is that?
BB: [laughs] Well, because I would rather, if I could, look forward than look back if possible.
BM: Uh-huh.
BB: I can only look back insofar as it affords me financially the wherewithal to look forward.
BM: I see.
BB: When I grew up, of course, record companies had some interest in encouraging the future. They invested some of their profits in what we call research and development, investment for new music. Now, of course, they don’t do that. They just operate on the back catalog side, you know, turning what they have into ever increasing profits.
BM: Uh-huh.
BB: That would be Yes and King Crimson and so forth, without breaking any new territory. So it’s up to the musicians to provide the future however they can. So inasmuch as you will ever find me associating with anything from the past, it is only to get money to finance the future.
BM: Ahhh. It seems kind of strange that you cast your lot with Robert Fripp at other times before but you turned him down this time. I guess that’s –
BB: Well, well you’re jumping lots of guns.
BM: [laughs] What do you mean?
BB: First of all, the last gig…I still consider I’m in King Crimson.
BM: Really?
BB: The last gig I had was in 1984 and I’m still waiting for the phone to ring.
BM: Oh.
BB: I consider it most unlikely that the phone will ring because I’m quite sure Robert will have some other band in mind.
BM: Hmm.
BB: So you’re all going far too fast.
BM: Ahh. I just assumed…well, I was talking with Tony Arnold last month and I guess he said that Tony Levin and Adrian Belew were back with this new incarnation –
BB: Yeah, well you see, you have to understand that Robert and I are probably not the most compatible people.
BM: Oh, really?
BB: And Robert likes to control things the way they are and that’s fine. So it’s really better that if I have any idea of how music should go that I should form my own band and work in what I perceive to be a better field, a field that’s more suitable for me.
BM: Hmm.
BB: So that’s what I do and I’m now more in the so-called jazz department.
BM: Yup. And let’s start with that. Tell me about Earthworks. Your last album (All Heaven Broke Loose) came out in 1991. Do you plan to put out another one shortly?
BB: Yeah, hopefully so. It’s – what can I tell you about Earthworks? – it’s different from rock.
BM: Yeah.
BB: There are lots of things that are different about jazz from rock, not the least of which is the music. But lots of other ancillary things, too: The purpose of the music and why the musicians do it and the fact that you’re not going to make a living at it, obviously, because it’s called jazz and the fact that you make large portions of it up as you go along, and that it’s not just perceived as an entertainment and all kinds of other things.
BM: Right.
BB: So it’s quite different. And there are lots of things about it that I like and lots that are disadvantageous. But nonetheless it’s where I feel I can express what it is that I want to do on a musical instrument. And, therefore, people like me were squeezed out of rock into what you would call the peripheral musics around it, be it classical music or art music or some sort of experimental music or jazz – these are all the musics from which rock gets its material – but at times it includes musicians from those peripheral musics, when it’s feeling generous and when the economy is…when the dollar is strong and when the economy is big.
BM: Sure. I can see that.
BB: But in a recession those people get squeezed out, of course, because there’s not enough money to pay for them. All this has to do with finance. Practically everything you know about music has to do with money.
BM: I’m finding that out. Especially when it’s called progressive rock these days. Many bands have had to start their own labels and distribute their music themselves, independently, because major labels don’t want anything to do with it.
BB: Almost anything, anything whatsoever to do with music has to do with money – be it the church’s support of, you know, Beethoven or Jimi Hendrix or anything else. It’s all to do with money. What you hear is the result of somebody being paid or not being paid.
BM: Well, tell me about Earthworks. You’ve made three albums so far. Do you have a favorite of those three? Or are they all just –
BB: What you hear is a work in progress, Earthworks. It continues. Yes, I do, but if you ask any musician what his favorite album is and he’ll say his last album.
BM: And is that what you would say in this case, too?
BB: It’s what I would say in this case, too. Yes. It’s the loosest of the three, which I like, myself, personally. The best seller was the first one. But that, again, had nothing to do with the music on the record. That had everything to do with the number of people trying to sell it.
BM: [laughs] You sound like you have a very pragmatic view of the music business.
BB: Well, I assure you I do. And, of course, you would too if you were trying to live in it.
BM: Yeah. [laughs]
BB: If you were trying to live in it you better understand that you’d have to have a very pragmatic view, immediately. Otherwise, you won’t last more than ten minutes.
BM: [laughs]
BB: So my favorite album, I think, is All Heaven Broke Loose. But that’s because the band is beginning to find its voice and, you know, it’s like a long, slow process. It’s a bit like maturing wine or something. It takes a while. And, of course, everything that people want these days has to be done in five minutes or else it’s no good.
BM: Sure. I understand. It has to sell big or forget it.
BB: You either sell big like Madonna or Genesis or you don’t exist. That’s the way things currently are. But, nonetheless, people like me, of course, refuse to go away. So we form bands like Earthworks and watch them slowly grow better, which is lovely.
BM: Well, it kind of amazes –
BB: Sort of like gardening.
BM: [laughs] Yeah. A long, slow methodical process, eh?
BB: Yeah.
BM: Well, it amazes me that you say people like you get squeezed out and all that because you’re considered, from what I understand, to be one of the best drummers in the world. You know, why would somebody of your stature be squeezed out of the business?
BB: [sharply] You don’t understand?
BM: [laughs] Because you like to play music that doesn’t make a quick buck, is that it?
BB: Of course, yes. Yes, I mean, being one of the best drummers in the world – whether I am or not has nothing to do with anything. That has to do with being voted so by other drummers. They don’t pay for anything.
- End Excerpt -
You can read the rest of my interview with Bill Bruford on Darren's site.
In Part Two, I asked Bill more specific questions about his work with King Crimson and his working relationship with Robert Fripp. As you might expect, his answers were nothing less than fascinating.
Keep Purple!
Bill
My interviews with drummer extraordinaire Bill Bruford were among the first, and still remain among my favorites – not necessarily because of what he said per se. Rather, because of how he said it. He was intense and serious. My impression of Bill at that time was that he was cynical, somewhat bitter. Perhaps some would say angry. Of course, his demeanor could have been an affectation for my benefit. Or that could have been his natural personality. I don't know. But he seemed to have obvious disdain for my project (writing a book about progressive rock) and for the music industry in general. But, at all times, he was extremely articulate and thoughtful. I appreciated his candor.
This is Part One of my first interview with Mr. Bruford. It was conducted on November 14, 1992. I called him at his home in England and spoke for about an hour.
Please keep in mind that I only caught a moment in time with this man and we’re looking back on it some 13 years later. The ‘80s King Crimson was nearly 10 years past. The ‘90s King Crimson was still just a gleam in Robert’s eye. It was an in-between time for Crims. In addition, Yes had just toured behind their Union album and Bruford was part of that tour. After the tour, Yes continued on, but Bruford opted not to be part of it. All of those circumstances became questions for me to ask him.
What I got was Bill Bruford extemporaneously venting what I saw as frustrations with the music industry, but also professing his love for jazz. Perhaps, he was also a little hurt because, at that time, Fripp had not asked him to be in the ‘90s Crimson. And, as you'll see toward the end of my inteview, he seemed to be extremely proud of his work with the Crims.
What is he like today? I don't know. Chances are, since my interviews, Bill has mellowed with age and is a happier guy. One can only hope so.
Feel free to circulate this interview as you see fit, quoting from it liberally. I only ask that you include the following attribution when you do so: © 1992, 2006 Bill Murphy. Thanks!
By the way, this is an excerpt of my interview with Mr. B. The whole Part One can be found on Darren Lock's superb ProjeKction site. (It's subscriber-based. So you'll have to log in and create a name. But once you're in...wow. The site is jam-packed with info.)
BM: Hi, is this Bill?
BB: Yeah.
BM: I appreciate you taking some time this evening for me.
BB: That’s all right. I forgot what we’re talking about, Bill. Remind me again.
BM: This is a book I’m putting together on progressive rock, art rock, classical rock, what-have-you and –
BB: Oh, God. Good luck to ya.
BM: [laughs] Yeah. It’s quite a big topic, I must say. But you seem to play a large role in it, though, so that’s why I’m giving you a call.
BB: What can I do for you?
BM: Well, I have a pretty good question to start with: I’ve heard that King Crimson is reforming and that Yes is still together, but a notable exception is that you’re not in either one. Why is that?
BB: [laughs] Well, because I would rather, if I could, look forward than look back if possible.
BM: Uh-huh.
BB: I can only look back insofar as it affords me financially the wherewithal to look forward.
BM: I see.
BB: When I grew up, of course, record companies had some interest in encouraging the future. They invested some of their profits in what we call research and development, investment for new music. Now, of course, they don’t do that. They just operate on the back catalog side, you know, turning what they have into ever increasing profits.
BM: Uh-huh.
BB: That would be Yes and King Crimson and so forth, without breaking any new territory. So it’s up to the musicians to provide the future however they can. So inasmuch as you will ever find me associating with anything from the past, it is only to get money to finance the future.
BM: Ahhh. It seems kind of strange that you cast your lot with Robert Fripp at other times before but you turned him down this time. I guess that’s –
BB: Well, well you’re jumping lots of guns.
BM: [laughs] What do you mean?
BB: First of all, the last gig…I still consider I’m in King Crimson.
BM: Really?
BB: The last gig I had was in 1984 and I’m still waiting for the phone to ring.
BM: Oh.
BB: I consider it most unlikely that the phone will ring because I’m quite sure Robert will have some other band in mind.
BM: Hmm.
BB: So you’re all going far too fast.
BM: Ahh. I just assumed…well, I was talking with Tony Arnold last month and I guess he said that Tony Levin and Adrian Belew were back with this new incarnation –
BB: Yeah, well you see, you have to understand that Robert and I are probably not the most compatible people.
BM: Oh, really?
BB: And Robert likes to control things the way they are and that’s fine. So it’s really better that if I have any idea of how music should go that I should form my own band and work in what I perceive to be a better field, a field that’s more suitable for me.
BM: Hmm.
BB: So that’s what I do and I’m now more in the so-called jazz department.
BM: Yup. And let’s start with that. Tell me about Earthworks. Your last album (All Heaven Broke Loose) came out in 1991. Do you plan to put out another one shortly?
BB: Yeah, hopefully so. It’s – what can I tell you about Earthworks? – it’s different from rock.
BM: Yeah.
BB: There are lots of things that are different about jazz from rock, not the least of which is the music. But lots of other ancillary things, too: The purpose of the music and why the musicians do it and the fact that you’re not going to make a living at it, obviously, because it’s called jazz and the fact that you make large portions of it up as you go along, and that it’s not just perceived as an entertainment and all kinds of other things.
BM: Right.
BB: So it’s quite different. And there are lots of things about it that I like and lots that are disadvantageous. But nonetheless it’s where I feel I can express what it is that I want to do on a musical instrument. And, therefore, people like me were squeezed out of rock into what you would call the peripheral musics around it, be it classical music or art music or some sort of experimental music or jazz – these are all the musics from which rock gets its material – but at times it includes musicians from those peripheral musics, when it’s feeling generous and when the economy is…when the dollar is strong and when the economy is big.
BM: Sure. I can see that.
BB: But in a recession those people get squeezed out, of course, because there’s not enough money to pay for them. All this has to do with finance. Practically everything you know about music has to do with money.
BM: I’m finding that out. Especially when it’s called progressive rock these days. Many bands have had to start their own labels and distribute their music themselves, independently, because major labels don’t want anything to do with it.
BB: Almost anything, anything whatsoever to do with music has to do with money – be it the church’s support of, you know, Beethoven or Jimi Hendrix or anything else. It’s all to do with money. What you hear is the result of somebody being paid or not being paid.
BM: Well, tell me about Earthworks. You’ve made three albums so far. Do you have a favorite of those three? Or are they all just –
BB: What you hear is a work in progress, Earthworks. It continues. Yes, I do, but if you ask any musician what his favorite album is and he’ll say his last album.
BM: And is that what you would say in this case, too?
BB: It’s what I would say in this case, too. Yes. It’s the loosest of the three, which I like, myself, personally. The best seller was the first one. But that, again, had nothing to do with the music on the record. That had everything to do with the number of people trying to sell it.
BM: [laughs] You sound like you have a very pragmatic view of the music business.
BB: Well, I assure you I do. And, of course, you would too if you were trying to live in it.
BM: Yeah. [laughs]
BB: If you were trying to live in it you better understand that you’d have to have a very pragmatic view, immediately. Otherwise, you won’t last more than ten minutes.
BM: [laughs]
BB: So my favorite album, I think, is All Heaven Broke Loose. But that’s because the band is beginning to find its voice and, you know, it’s like a long, slow process. It’s a bit like maturing wine or something. It takes a while. And, of course, everything that people want these days has to be done in five minutes or else it’s no good.
BM: Sure. I understand. It has to sell big or forget it.
BB: You either sell big like Madonna or Genesis or you don’t exist. That’s the way things currently are. But, nonetheless, people like me, of course, refuse to go away. So we form bands like Earthworks and watch them slowly grow better, which is lovely.
BM: Well, it kind of amazes –
BB: Sort of like gardening.
BM: [laughs] Yeah. A long, slow methodical process, eh?
BB: Yeah.
BM: Well, it amazes me that you say people like you get squeezed out and all that because you’re considered, from what I understand, to be one of the best drummers in the world. You know, why would somebody of your stature be squeezed out of the business?
BB: [sharply] You don’t understand?
BM: [laughs] Because you like to play music that doesn’t make a quick buck, is that it?
BB: Of course, yes. Yes, I mean, being one of the best drummers in the world – whether I am or not has nothing to do with anything. That has to do with being voted so by other drummers. They don’t pay for anything.
- End Excerpt -
You can read the rest of my interview with Bill Bruford on Darren's site.
In Part Two, I asked Bill more specific questions about his work with King Crimson and his working relationship with Robert Fripp. As you might expect, his answers were nothing less than fascinating.
Keep Purple!
Bill
Thursday, December 15, 2005
THE VAULTS OPEN: INTERVIEWS TO BE SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
I spent years researching progressive rock and talking to the members of King Crimson as well as many other bands. Darren Lock's recent discovery of my efforts (see November 11, 2005 below) has prompted a flood of inquiries and a surge of enthusiasm.
Perhaps the time is right for my book project(s) to be made public.
Please watch this site - as well as Darren's fabulous ProjeKction site - for updates. I have a feeling 2006 is going to be an exciting year for Crimson fans.
Keep Purple!
Back to PurpleCrayonDirect.
I spent years researching progressive rock and talking to the members of King Crimson as well as many other bands. Darren Lock's recent discovery of my efforts (see November 11, 2005 below) has prompted a flood of inquiries and a surge of enthusiasm.
Perhaps the time is right for my book project(s) to be made public.
Please watch this site - as well as Darren's fabulous ProjeKction site - for updates. I have a feeling 2006 is going to be an exciting year for Crimson fans.
Keep Purple!
Back to PurpleCrayonDirect.
OFFICIAL KING CRIMSON SITE PICKS UP NEWS ABOUT MY BOZ BURRELL INTERVIEW
Sid Smith, the author of the first King Crimson biography, posted an entry about me and my interview with King Crimson/Bad Company bassist Boz Burrell on DGMLive, the official repository of all things King Crimson. The entry, as well as the entire site, is worth visiting.
Keep Purple!
Return to PurpleCrayonDirect.
Sid Smith, the author of the first King Crimson biography, posted an entry about me and my interview with King Crimson/Bad Company bassist Boz Burrell on DGMLive, the official repository of all things King Crimson. The entry, as well as the entire site, is worth visiting.
Keep Purple!
Return to PurpleCrayonDirect.
Archives
06/01/2003 - 06/30/2003 07/01/2003 - 07/31/2003 08/01/2003 - 08/31/2003 09/01/2003 - 09/30/2003 10/01/2003 - 10/31/2003 11/01/2003 - 11/30/2003 12/01/2003 - 12/31/2003 01/01/2004 - 01/31/2004 02/01/2004 - 02/29/2004 03/01/2004 - 03/31/2004 04/01/2004 - 04/30/2004 05/01/2004 - 05/31/2004 06/01/2004 - 06/30/2004 07/01/2004 - 07/31/2004 08/01/2004 - 08/31/2004 09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004 10/01/2004 - 10/31/2004 12/01/2004 - 12/31/2004 01/01/2005 - 01/31/2005 02/01/2005 - 02/28/2005 06/01/2005 - 06/30/2005 10/01/2005 - 10/31/2005 11/01/2005 - 11/30/2005 12/01/2005 - 12/31/2005 01/01/2006 - 01/31/2006 02/01/2006 - 02/28/2006 03/01/2006 - 03/31/2006 04/01/2006 - 04/30/2006 05/01/2006 - 05/31/2006
