PHIL: First of all, thanks for sending the CD – a rarity these days. I got a message from a radio show host over here recently who laments that people don’t send him CDs to review any more. From the U.S. to the U.K. $20? What happened to the ‘special relationship’. Feel free to comment, or not.
RICK: The postal rates are insane now. So, what used to travel to Europe when we'd release an album has been whittled down. But we still make sure some get over there, with you being first on the list.
PHIL: Is this a concept album, and why the cigarette theme?
RICK: As for the album title, a friend, Jason Grabski and I were discussing the implosion of the sub going down to the Titanic and I jokingly said, "the only way you'd get me involved with all that stuff is with an underwater cigarette"...he replied, “Oh, you have to design that"...which I did. The rest of the band saw it and said, "we have to do something with that"...which ended up being the album title, cover artwork and the first song on the album.
PHIL: I was really struck by ‘Oblivion Awakes’, such a reflective number. We have spoken in detail about your lyrics in the past. What is the main message you are conveying here.
RICK: The lyrics to "Oblivion Awaits" is about the people left on the Titanic, slowly watching the freezing water get higher and higher and knowing what's in store.
PHIL: Rick Schultz and Shaggy really get to work on ‘Melodic Psychotic’ as the improvisational core of the band is revealed; hard rock with jazz undertones. Another great number with the band in full flow towards the end. Keys player Sam Guinta adds a lot to these songs.
RICK: ‘Melodic Psychotic’ turned out very cool but that's not Sam on the keys, that's Rick Schultz on the wind synth. Sam plays on three cuts: ‘Oblivion Awaits’, ‘One Small Glance’ and ‘You're Not Welcome Back’.
PHIL: “Turning the pages on life’s memories…” I remember like yesterday when your early CDs started dropping through my letterbox at regular intervals. You seem, as many people do as they get older, like you’re looking in on your own life in ‘Looking Back’. Musically, the strident bass and solid drums provide the perfect undertow for your guitar breaks. If you could put the clock back is there anything you would change? Also, I wonder if the songs on the new album are wider commentaries on society as well as personal reflections?
RICK: On ‘Looking Back’, the lyrics are about remembering the days at Euclid Beach. It was an amusement park that we lived near and would go quite often when I was younger. It was also one of my time machines. When I'd go there it was like stepping back into the past as many of the things there were from the 1800's. The park is gone now but it was great when it was here. As for changing anything in the past if I could? There are mistakes everyone makes they wish they didn't, including me, but there is no going back so I don't dwell on that sort of thing. For me, "onwards and upwards". As for comments on society and personal reflection, that's kind of always there somewhere on every album.
PHIL: Talking about looking back, and for the benefit of our readers, I have compiled a small list of artists you have supported, Robin Trower, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blue Oyster Cult (on the same bill!), Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush, Peter Frampton, Dixie Dregs, Allan Holdsworth, Kansas etc. I know we have touched on this before but you do have any particular recollections you would like to share?
RICK: As for the opening spot for some of these, the best of them were Frank Marino, Steve Morse (Dregs & Steve Morse Band), Allan Holdsworth and Captain Beyond. We were treated great by these people. The other bands were all good, never had any problems at all with any of them but, Frank, Steve, Allan and the guys in Captain Beyond were above and beyond.
PHIL: The band sounds chilled on ‘One Small Glance’ compared with what has gone before and the keys provide nice textures; love the guitar break as well. I must ask you about ‘Prisoner of Violence’. The subject matter is obvious as the chilling lyric reveals. I wonder if you could elaborate further on that song?
RICK: As for ‘One Small Glance’, when that was brought into the fold everybody said it sounds like The Beatles, who have always been an influence on me. It wasn't really on purpose, just messing around with the guitar. As for ‘Prisoner of Violence’ the lyrical content could be about any war but this one was about an 8 year old kid in Europe during WWI who knows only war from here on out and ends up killed at the age of ten. I used to read a lot about WWI when I was younger. Had relatives that fought in that war. My great uncle Tom was a championship boxer (bare fist) but got gassed in the war and could not box again when he got back home. He was an old man when I was a young boy.
PHIL: I don’t think I’ve heard the brass and guitar combining as well as I do on ‘Never to be Found’; loved the jazzy strut. Blues progressions are also never far away as on ‘A Little Too Late. And geez, you guys get really heavy on ‘Contortion Drive’; your energy never seems to diminish with time. What keeps you going?
RICK: What keeps us going is the love and passion for the music we're doing. ‘Contortion Drive’ is actually from 1981 when I had the band Neurotic together. The parts that are bluesy in ‘A Little Too Late’ are in 7/8 just so things don't sound normal. ‘Never To Be Found’ is about a guy (Jeff Bush) that was swallowed in a sink hole. Took his bedroom only with his brother and daughter watching TV. They ran to see what all the noise was, opened the door and the bedroom was gone. They could hear him calling for help. His brother jumped in but couldn't find him...when the jazz part enters the song, that's kind of like on the phone when you get "music while you wait" because it took a long time for help to show up but it was still all for nothing, No one could find him.
PHIL: I’d like to ask you about ‘Madness’, especially from a ‘world view’ perspective, especially in lyrics like “sanity’s in the lost and found”, “all that’s normal has been removed” and “there’s no goin’ back” as “the world burns”, or words to that effect. I think I know where you’re going with this, but wouldn’t like to misinterpret, as I know your songs always have great depth and meaning.
RICK: ‘Madness’, lyrically that should speak for itself. I would rather leave that up to the listener to interpret. I see it everywhere though and it's not a good thing. The 12 strings being recorded in that song were recorded differently than I have in the past and I'm glad I did that as you can hear kind of bells going off in the background throughout the song. A happy accident.
PHIL: Some uncomfortable sentiments are expressed in ‘You’re Not Welcome Back’. Could you elucidate on this song a bit more?
RICK: ‘You're Not Welcome Back’ lyrically is about two different gigs. One recent and at the end of the lyrics, one from 1979. The recent one was we were booked at a place and these young girls took over booking, called us and just said "we've booked someone else, so you aren't playing here" (not long after the place ended up closing down for good because of these girls). We had heard some rumours previously that we were way too much for the place, besides our own stuff playing King Crimson, ELP and Frank Marino were just the nails in the coffin for that booking. The 1979 gig that we were asked not to return, Rick Schultz had disappeared when we started playing this gig. We opened with ‘Peter Gunn’ and all of a sudden, I feel this rush of heat run by me. It was Rick Schultz in a jet suit completely engulfed in flames while playing ‘Peter Gunn’. So, the person in charge when we were done playing just said "don't ever come back here".
PHIL: That’s a great story, and reminded me of something that happened with my university band. We were booked as playing numbers by Deep Purple, but that got lost in translation and they thought it was the song’ Deep Purple’. We played a few numbers and were asked to leave; still got paid though! As for my next question, there is lot on this album that not only stimulates but really makes you think. I think it is certainly amongst your strongest and I’d just like to say ‘well done’ for that. Is there anything else you’d like to say?
RICK: Well, so far from just about everyone who has gotten back to me about this album have said similar things. People who've purchased it and radio DJs have called it a masterpiece. Those aren't my words as I would never say that about something we've done. We had a lot of fun making this one and it was hard to do but, the band all agrees, so far, it's our best effort. We have two new songs so far for the next album...always working hard on the next thing. Have a good gig coming up so we've been tightening that up. I hope this gives you most of the info you were looking for.
PHIL: It does, and thanks for taking the time to speak to us.
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