Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx Interviews, is this really what we want in our Music collection?

Rather than derail the Metatronic thread with talk of potential interview DVD's, I've taken the liberty in creating this post.

In effect I agree with Alec’s view regarding a DVD interview, that in essence a disc with John discussing his past work on The Garden, TGS, and IMW is not an essential use of his creative abilities at present, or having his time channeled off into a lengthy retrospective direction, and the obvious window for any such release was to connect with these remasters while they were a hot topic. As Peter also say’s, an interview as a product is a momentary thing, even for the most dedicated amongst us that seek to acquire all aspects of John’s work or his thoughts in many forms, it’s eventually an item that’s destined to become something that’s just ‘to have and to hold’.

Yes, there’s a part of me that wants 99% of the main focus of Johns activity to continue to be on the release of all the promising future Music projects, (but we really should let him have at least 1% of the time off for a few days annual holiday ).
You can’t exactly dance or hum along to John just talking about something on disc, or can you? and I also can’t imagine why it would take a 2X disc set (as was proposed) for each album to be covered, though I am very intrigued as to why, and I’d hate to miss something important, but I’d also rather for any definite release to be a much more compact document than that initially proposed.

’81 to ’85 is a special time for a lot of us with John’s music, whether we grew up with the albums of that time as children, teenagers, adults, or discovered these works for the first time many years later when they had become merely ‘history’. Its forever a magical period where an artist carved out his own individual path and took us on a journey through many seasons, and that two-year gap between albums seemed so painfully long when I was young, and sure, for some of us there were some lows along with the highs, but, John’s pastoral journey and why he took it is something that I’d love to hear about from the older artist now.

There are some pieces scattered about it here and there, but, (and again a plea here), if it were to be treated as an actual artistic multimedia project by the man himself rather than just given a boring ‘talking head’ style get in front of a camera treatment, I really don’t like the idea of ‘an interview’, can’t we have something more in tune with the ambition of Johns work, like a beautifully put together film to enhance our (already proven) enjoyment of that music of so long ago, not unlike a treasure map leading you on a journey to it. There’s still a few more 30th anniversaries to come, if there’s a real will for it then we have time ahead for such thing’s.

I want interview discs in my record collection. I think they are essential in understanding where the artist is/was at the time of recording the album.

Recently I was playing Metamatic & decided to listen to the Metal Beat interview disc to understand the Metamatic album a bit more.

If it wasn't for the interview disc I wouldn't have become aware of the dub influence on Metamatic. I just assumed it was an electronic album & nothing more, but now I hear what a huge influence dub was on Metamatic & I love the album even more because of that.

Interviews in magazines & on-line are ok but I want something that I can archive, so an interview disc on dvd or cd is very important to me.

It's not just about the music.

Seconded - I really like the conversations on Sideways, Hidden Man and Metal Beat - more please! Also, I'm not sure that DVD is a realistic option; it's much easier to listen to these things as audio. Every time I play Metal Beat I discover something that I missed on the previous listen - there's still a sense of discovery regarding some detail etc. and that's quite magical.

I don't really want interview discs in my collection.

But interviews, whether it be with John or Gary, etc, ARE something I'm really interested in, but I would much rather have them as something I can download (of course meaning purchase) and listen to then save, or purchase as a readable document in whatever the format.

Either option would be a fraction of the cost of both manufacturing and buying a CD, and when you've got one of those ever-expanding CD collections, space is always the issue. So for a CD you might play once, then again 5 years later, I'd rather put a music CD in that bit of space.

With digital formats ever on the increase, I think this is the most logical and cost effective solution, for both the artist and the consumer.

I really have to side with Alex on this. Of the interview CDs I've got, I've only ever listened to part of one. And that was a few years ago.

If there was an interview I'd really want, I think I'd rather download it.

For me I would like to see artists use the option of interview CD's they offer a deeper insight regards the project they are working on.

Interesting thing is obviously some like the idea some don't but how many of those who don't like the idea thought it was a great idea when John decided to bring out additional audio interviews initially??

When you are a big fan of an artist you want everything he has created released whether it is in its final form or a work in progress.

Interviews are great with John because he is a brilliant speaker. Moreover, he is very mysterious and not a lot has been written in the past. In general, Metal Beat, My Lost City and the uncovering of the early demos are victories for synth admirers and pioneers.

One day we'll have The Bed soundtrack in all its glory as part of some Anthology. I'm also delighted with the compilations released so far Three Into One, Assembly, Modern Art, Glimmer and the soon to be released Metatronic and Metadelic. They mark a moment in history of synth music.

The more the merrier. We know, like every fan, that whatever is released under the John Foxx name has gone through the quality control of the artist.

Chris

How did that happen? Double post removed!

Chris

I'm not sure the more the merrier is healthy in some respects. Is it a case of quantity over quality? As I said in a previous post, over the last couple of years, for me, with several releases in a short space of time, I have felt that the quality hasn't quite been there.

I'd rather wait a longer time then get a really great album, than have half a dozen average releases come at me in a short space of time.

I think we've come to expect several different releases each year. And I've come to realise I preferred waiting a little longer, odd though it may seem for somebody usually impatient with music.

Now, don't get me wrong, but this is my opinion as a fan and it also comes down to taste, which is purely personal. I really disliked My Secret Life, and to be honest, wished I hadn't bothered with it - so much so that I didn't even buy Mirrorball - it simply held no interest for me whatsoever. In fact, MSL was the last Foxx album I bought.

Since then I've decided to wait for something that I feel genuinely excited about. If The Quiet Man had been a book, I would have got that. But in CD format, I wasn't interested. I will however, be buying Metatronic.

The music of John's that really inspires and moves me, is his electronic/vocal albums with Louis (or now Benge), although I do love other albums such as TCM and CO. But for me, since Sideways, I've found each release to be a bit short-lived in terms of enjoyment. Kind of like "fillers", in the wait for the next chapter of electronrock.

This is where over the last couple of years, John's work has diversified incredibly, and it's bound not to be to everyone's taste. Which is fine. There's no obligation to buy or even like every release - that would just be madness. But, if you genuinely do, then I guess that's great!

I used to buy the releases religiously, without question. But then I've had to stop and think, is this really what I want? Am I actually interested in this, or am I buying it just because?"

...which is where I personally realised I now had to be selective.

And I'll personally get more enjoyment out of what I do decide to get that way. So I won't be buying the John Foxx toilet paper or toothbrush suite (or whatever it was Herbert suggested!!)

Does this make me any less of a fan? Of course not. There will be equally devoted fans out there with just half the back catalogue or even just a couple of albums. That isn't even the question - otherwise I wouldn't have spent so much of my own time lovingly creating such a comprehensive site about the man!

Nor would I be that interested in a work in progress. I'd rather wait for it to be finished! Although if John were to offer snippets of new work-in-progress tracks as previews on MySpace, then that would be interesting.

That's different to the demo or alternative tracks though, which although are often not something you'll play that regularly, they do help complete the picture from a certain album; ie the demo or extended tracks relating to Metamatic.

So, back OT... if John released an interview CDs or downloads for Mirrorball, In Mysterious Ways or My Secret Life, would I get them? No. If he released one for My Lost City or Metatronic, would I get them? Probably, especially if that were in MP3 format over CD, for the reasons stated above.

I think that's a comprehensive and well-stated positon Alex. It is healthy to be selective, and we do all have our own intensely personal opinions on the quality of stuff based on whether or not it appeals to our personal taste.

One question for you regarding NOT getting any interviews that might be made available is - would you therefore still expect to find out or otherwise learn about what John actually has to say in these interviews?

It's an interesting one - I think you are missing out, but I understand your case.
I'm with Mr Ilektrik et al on this one...

For me, again speaking personally, I would be very keen to hear / own / collect / have transcriptions of ANY interviews that John Foxx does and each new piece of media that I find is as exciting as a new release because it adds more colour to the picture and makes the focus clearer.

I've come to realise that for John Foxx, music is just one channel for the expression of a very thought-provoking, intelligent and enlightening philosophy. The artwork he has produced is another, ditto the films, and the words he writes / says are yet another.
All these are pieces of the puzzle, and can't be fully understood in an isolated context.

The interviews etc give a background behind the expression, the circumstances and the inspiration which has helped me personally 'get' more out of the recordings.
The recent material has illuminated and re-shaped albums I've owned for years - there are hundreds of complex links, echoes and threads that tie together or reflect earlier situations and memories. Like crystals, or fractals of shattered light...

I have genuinely never disliked a single release.

My Lost City is a case in point, though, because I have felt and stand by my argument that it is weak as an album and doesn't really deliver anything tangible.
It is unfinished, unrealised and underdeveloped - but we all new that on its release.

What My lost City does do very effectively is fill in a gap and set out the stall for the choral/ambient/pastoral works that followed and give a good indication of what John was REALLY trying to do at the time. For that reason it is fascinating and vital.

I would therefore strongly suggest that you get Mirrorball. I don't consider it one of John Foxx best releases either - but in terms of its collaborative potential and what it represents as a bed of ideas and potential new threads, as well as the expression of a moment it is a beautiful piece and again, I think, vital to the understanding of John Foxx in a contemporary context.

Great thread, thanks for starting it.

I'd buy the toothbrush album cos I want to have everything John Foxx has ever done. In whatever media that comes - that includes interviews.

I'm also perfectly happy with the retrospective releases and the archive material that is being released at the moment.
I am comfortable with the idea that 'the past is the new future' and I don't think its necessary to write and recording new stuff in order to keep moving forward.
ARtsists move into different phases in their career, and there has to be a recognition that its worth staying for a while at where you are at - especially if it's a positon from which you get a good view of all directions - past and future.

Foxx has always looked in ALL directons and moved tangential to whatever is going on.That has never necessarily been 'forwards' in the chronological, linear sense.

There you go, that's my tuppence worth

Mx