Sven Schlijper from Kindamusic.net is
working on an article on the 33 1/3 series. Here is the except of
his interview with Bill about writing his book on the Stones Exile
on Main St.
1) How did you get into touch with the publishers of the 33
1/3 series? Did you approach them, did they seek you on purpose
for just any title, or this one in specific?
I learned about the series via press articles and I found out my
friend, Joe Pernice was doing one. I contacted Joe’s manager,
another friend of mine, and she gave me the editor’s contact
information. I made a pitch to him (David Barker).
2)- A) How did you go about choosing which album to work on?
I wanted to write about my favorite record, which I think is the
greatest rock & roll record of all time. I was afraid it was
a too-obvious choice, but they went for it. I also found out later
that it is not the favorite Stones record of many people, or not
as many as I had originally thought.
- B) Why this record in specific and not another one? Was there
any discussion or choice for you as to which one to pick?
See above. It was a slam-dunk choice for me. I lay out the case
of why I think this record captures the essence of what makes rock
& roll great, in terms of music primarily, but also in terms
of image and peripheral pop culture.
- C) Like: why is 'Exile' chosen over 'Sticky Fingers' for example,
or 'Let It Bleed'? Personal choice, the canon of greatest records
ever made coming into play?
I think the records from 1968 starting with Beggar’s Banquet,
and running through Exile, is one of the greatest string of recordings
of any artist or band. But for me, the sheer scope of Exile, the
double album as a whole, as well as all the high points contained
within, make it the peak of the Stones’ career. It captures
almost everything important about the band, as well as rock &
roll as a genre up to that point in the history of the music. No
doubt, the band continued to make very good records through the
70s, perhaps not as consistently good until 1978’s Some Girls.
And important variations of rock & roll peeked out as the music
continued to evolve. But really, it was almost as if everything
else, including punk rock, seems in hindsight just slight variations
of some of the things the Stones explored on Exile. There is not
really enormous leaps from Exile to, say, London Calling, I think.
- D) Why The Rolling Stones? Was there a special reason?
They are my favorite band, and have been since I was a little kid.
3 How did you go about writing the book:
- A) Did you plan to write the book as a complete, researched biography
on the single album? There's a fair amount of personal touch in
this book, was that an intention from the start?
Yes, it was my intention to try to convey why I personally feel
this is the greatest rock & roll record. The whole silly exercise
of making such a sweeping qualitative measurement of a piece of
work is by its very essence a personal point of view. But P.O.V.
seems to be an important angle of the 33 1/3 series in general,
so I felt free to take it from that track. I did not intend on merely
researching the making of the record or lay out yet another biography
of any of the particular principal musicians or players. That has
sort of been done. Rather, I wanted to tell you why this record
means so much to me as a musician.
- B) Why did you choose to leave out the mixed reviews on the
record at the time of release?
I did not leave out the fact that there were mixed reviews. In fact,
I spent a pretty good section of the book pointing that out. And
I quote significantly at least one of them – Lenny Kaye’s
Rolling Stone Magazine review at the time of the release. I feel
it is important to point such things out and to compare how looking
at a record in its various contexts can change perspective.
- C) Did you seek input from bandmembers themselves, producers,
management or any endorsement at all from the artists?
Not too much. I interviewed a couple of sidemen like Al Perkins
and Bobby Whitlock. And I interviewed John Van Hamersveld, who designed
the sleeve. I felt like it would take too much time and energy to
even make an attempt to contact the Stones. And there is a wealth
of quotations from them, interviews about the record, that already
exist. I did want to draw more attention to the contributions of
side musicians to the record specifically and to the Stones in general.
It might seem lazy that I did not try to get in touch with the band,
but it really was not the point of the book. Again, it was my own
reaction as a listener in various stages of my life. But I did try
to compare my feelings about the record and its mythology to the
reality as expressed in other books and publications by various
players involved in the making of the record.
All of that said, I would love to talk to any of the Stones about
anything, really, but especially this record. I am not used to interviewing
people and do not really enjoy it. As for endorsement, no, I did
not seek it, but I guess it would be nice to have. It is beside
the point.
- D) How much of your work was being handled by or guided or
controlled the publishers/editor?
Not much. I asked the editor, David Barker, for feedback often.
But he was very laid back about it. He was, however, very helpful
to me, as this was my first book on any subject. He made suggestions
of how I could cut the length down a little bit and also helped
me focus on some of the more interesting points I made.
- E) How did the fact you're a musician yourself influence your
writing and your look on the record?
It is more or less the driving force of the book and the main subtext.
I try to trace my development from being just a really young fan,
through my development as a musician in my teens, to being in a
professional band through my 20s, right to now, as my music has
become less of a business again and more of a passion. I tried to
use my expertise having recorded for over 20 years, to explain some
of the processes in making Exile and comparing it to other methods
and new technologies.
4) What were your hopes for the published book? Will it be about
good sales, about appreciation from the artists, from the fans,
from the music media at large? And were your expectations and hopes
met in the end?
I think my expectations were exceeded. They were rather modest:
to connect with lovers of this record, of the Stones, of the 33
1/3 series, and of my music and share a love of this record with
all of them. No expectations for sales figures.
5) Do you have anything specific or interesting (unique selling
points) things to add, feel free to do so!
Not really. Thanks for the interest. |
