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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7441 Posts |
 Posted - 09/08/2003 : 05:24:20
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From Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure, a nice interview in French:
http://www.dh.be/dhculture/article.phtml?id=80874
<<Frank Black: «David Bowie m'a permis de payer mes factures...» (08/09/2003)
L'ancien leader des Pixies revient avec un nouvel album enregistré avec ses Catholics à L.A.
BRUXELLES «L'autre jour, je rentre chez moi à Los Angeles et je tombe sur une facture pour mon téléphone portable. Une somme astronomique! Vous n'avez pas idée. Je suis en pleine phase de divorce. Les coups de fil à mon ex, à mon avocat, à ma nouvelle copine. Bref, la tuile... Je ne sais pas comment je vais payer cette facture, lorsque quelques jours plus tard, je reçois un chèque. C'était les droits d'auteurs qui m'étaient versés suite à la reprise de ma chanson Cactus par David Bowie. Il y a des jours comme ça, où on bénit le ciel!»
Il n'a pas changé l'ami Frank Black. Une pointe d'humour, un esprit vif, une lumière qui pétille dans ses yeux lorsqu'on parle de musique et toujours cette difficulté à nouer les deux bouts, ce qui n'entame pourtant pas son moral. «L'essentiel pour moi est de continuer à enregistrer les disques sans le moindre compromis. Ma seule ambition, c'est que mon nouveau CD se vende suffisamment pour me permettre d'en faire un autre. Pour les tournées, je dois aussi consentir à d'énormes sacrifices. On loue une camionnette. C'est moi qui roule et qui porte le matos. Les musiciens, ils font leur job. Je les paye le minimum syndical car ils aiment bien être avec moi et j'essaye de mettre de côté le peu qu'il me reste.»
Le nouvel opus de l'ancien leader des Pixies s'intitule Show me your tears («Montre-moi tes larmes»). Un disque aux refrains incisifs qui baigne davantage qu'auparavant dans des ambiances country/rock à la Neil Young. Une guitare surf par ici, une solide dose de second degré par là (le très réussi Horrible day), des sonorités bien crades partout ailleurs (Jaina blues, The snake, When will happiness find me again?) et aussi une majorité de titres tristes, en écho sans doute à ses récents problèmes conjugaux.
«Je ne sais pas si le disque est aussi sombre que vous le décrivez. Quand on le joue avec mon groupe, il y a beaucoup d'énergie, beaucoup de fun. J'écris de manière instinctive. Il y a sans doute quelques strophes qui renvoient de manière inconsciente à ma situation privée mais je ne m'en rends pas compte. Je n'ai jamais voulu faire de disque autobiographique.»
Depuis 1998, Black enregistre avec son groupe The Catholics en suivant la même recette: un minimum de moyens pour un maximum d'efficacité. «On a installé un studio mobile dans un local assez glauque à Hollywood. Nous étions au second étage. Il y avait de grandes fenêtres. On pouvait absorber toutes les odeurs et la tristesse du quartier. Après quelques répétitions, on a branché le deux-pistes et on s'est mis à jouer. La plupart des chansons que tu entends sur ce CD sont des premières prises. Le son est brut, direct et live. Je ne veux plus enregistrer autrement.»
Frank Black a d'autres raisons de se réjouir. Placebo, qui reprend le morceau des Pixies Where is my mind? en fin de ses concerts en a gravé une version sur un CD à paraître ces prochains jours. De quoi payer ses prochaines factures.
L.L.
© La Dernière Heure 2003>>
Denis |
Edited by - vilainde on 09/08/2003 05:26:42 |
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guy_nolan
= Cult of Ray =
United Kingdom
417 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 07:22:15
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| translation please? any chance? |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7441 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 07:24:03
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Uh... My english sucks. I could try to translate it, but if anyone else wants to do it (Frog?) it'd be better.
Denis |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7441 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 08:05:40
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Alright, here's my laughable attempt at translating this article. Feel free to correct (what's the English translation for 'second degré'?).
<<Frank Black: David Bowie allowed me to pay my bills...
Ex-Pixies leader comes back with a new album recorded in LA with his Catholics.
"The other day, I came back home in L.A. and received the bill for my cell phone. A huge amount! You have no idea. I'm currently divorcing. Phone calls to my ex-wife, to my lawyer, my new girlfriend. Bad news... I didn't know how I would pay this bill, when a couple of days later, I received a check. It was the royalties for the cover of my song Cactus by David Bowie. There are days like this, when you thank God!"
Frank Black hasn't changed. A bit of humor, a sharp spirit, a light that sprinkles in his eyes when you talk about music and this everlasting difficulty to make ends meet, which however doesn't affect his mood. "The most important thing for me is to go on making records without any compromise. My only goal, is that my new CD sells enough to allow me to make another one. When I tour, I also have to make big sacrifices. We rent a van. I drive and carry my own gear. The musicians do their job. I pay them the minimum cause they like playing with me, and I try to put aside what's left."
The new album from the ex-Pixies leader is called Show Me Your Tears. A record full of incisive choruses which has more than before this country/rock mood a la Neil Young. Some surf guitar here, a solid sense of *** second degré*** there (the very well done Horrible Day), dirty [note: that's not exactly the word but I can't find another one] sounds everywhere else (Jaina Blues, The Snake, When Will Happiness Find Me Again?) and also a majority of sad songs, certainly related to his recent matromonial troubles.
"I don't think the record is as dark as you describe it. When we play it with my band, there's a lot of energy, a lot of fun. I write instinctively. There are a couple of verses which inconsciously relate to my private life but I don't realize. I never wanted to make an autobiographical record."
Since 1998, Black records with his band the Catholics using the same technique: minimum gear for maximum efficiency. "We set up a mobile studio in a rather gloomy room in Hollywood. We were on the second flood. There were big windows. We could absorb all the smells and the sadness of the neighborhood. After a couple of rehearsals, we plugged the 2-tracks and we started to play. A majority of the songs you hear on the CD are first takes. The sound is raw, direct and live. I don't want to record another way anymore."
Frank Black has other reasons to rejoice. Placebo, who cover the Pixies track Where Is My Mind? live, recorded a version of the track on a CD to be released the following days. Something more to pay the bills.>>
Denis |
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 08:44:20
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| Thanks for that, Denis. Your English is certainly better than my French! :) |
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Frog in the Sand
-+ Le premiere frog +-
France
2715 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 09:23:38
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Your translation is better than good - better than mine would have been, anyway.
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El Barto
= Song DB Master =
USA
4020 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 09:59:01
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Thanks Denis.
---------
FRANK BLACK SATAN WORKSHIP BLACK MASS |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7441 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 10:26:02
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Right, thanks, but how do you say "second degré" in english?
Denis |
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Carolynanna
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Canada
6556 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 10:28:18
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| second looks good to me but what's degre (sorry we have no accent aigus on my keyboard) just like degree? |
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mereubu
= FB QuizMistress =
USA
2677 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 10:41:23
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Merci, Denis.
I wish David Bowie would pay my phone bill . . . |
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Dave Noisy
Minister of Chaos
Canada
4496 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 11:52:27
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"a la Neil Young"?
Funny, i think this is the first comparrison i've seen to Neil.. |
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Frog in the Sand
-+ Le premiere frog +-
France
2715 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 12:45:12
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quote:
Originally posted by vilainde
Right, thanks, but how do you say "second degré" in english?
In this context, I would simply translate it as "irony".
In a way, the "second degré" is similar to the antiphrasis - "rhetoric use of a word in the opposite sense to its usual one, for humorous or ironic purposes". |
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Carolynanna
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Canada
6556 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 12:46:20
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Well isn't that ironic.
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Edited by - Carolynanna on 09/09/2003 08:23:14 |
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El Barto
= Song DB Master =
USA
4020 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 16:19:35
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Irony, or perhaps sarcasm?
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FRANK BLACK SATAN WORKSHIP BLACK MASS |
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debaser
- FB Fan -
France
121 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2003 : 23:25:31
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Denis, your translation is fine to me.
Thanks for the time you spent on it !!
They tried to give me advice
Down at the record shop
-Frank Black |
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Stuart
- The Clopser -
China
2291 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2003 : 00:16:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave Noisy
"a la Neil Young"?
Funny, i think this is the first comparrison i've seen to Neil..
Unfortunately I read a review before BLD / DW was released saying that Franki was unsuccessfully trying to be Neil Young and Lou Reed..... which is utter bollocks.
Vilainde, cheers for the translation. Je Voudrais une kilo de pomme de terre. That's how good my french is!
Bacon....... Its not fantastic |
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