| Does a contented life lead to poorer music?
by
StickboyDrum
Posted by StickboyDrum from lab52.cob.rit.edu on November 08, 1999 at 11:24:44:
I am sure someone has posted the URL for this but I will do so again. Kristin did a live in-studio interview and played a few songs for KCRW. Here is the link:
http://play.rbn.com/?livecon/kcrw/demand/mb/mb990920Kristin_Hersh.ra ...I hope the link works, I couldn't cut and paste it so there may be an error somewhere. If that is the case the site is
http://www.liveconcerts.com where she is listed strangely under the K's and not the H's.
My main point of this post is to call attention to where she was mentioning that she is less likely to censor herself when writing songs these days. And I hate to admit this but I think that that change in process may have led to (in my opinion) Sky Motel being a rather mediocre album. Besides Echo and A Cleaner Light the songs seem a great deal less inventive than usual. There seem to be fewer surprises within songs. The structure of the songs seem built on repetition, with some atmospherics serving as change of pace. The guitar-work (normally one of Kristin's most amazing assets) seems run-of-the-mill, routine. I guess I think that the greatest of art always comes from an
excruciating self-censorship, that without it some magic is gone. This was true with PJ
Harvey as well... Too Bring You My Love was pored over, agonized
over... and is brilliant. Is This Desire?, is her latest album which she admitted to spending less time on and it shows in the results...Anyway I hope no-one hates me for this post, I am a die-hard Kristin fan. But I had to express my views on this.
My thoughts
by Kristin Hersh
Posted by Kristin from slip129-37-44-197.il.us.prserv.net on November 09, 1999 at 22:39:25:
Hiya... this is interesting to me; I thought I might have something to add. First of
all, thank you, S.D., for speaking up; that might not have been a very popular opinion.
What I meant when I said that I used to censor the songs is that I was so afraid of what they might say that I made them
rhyme, gave them morals and choruses, etc. I made them more predictable than they wanted to be--LESS inventive. I don't necessarily regret this, it allows strange songs to be more attractive to the average
listener, but I feel more comfortable as a songwriter with a lighter hand.
That said, I'm kind of embarrassed about the two songs you mentioned, especially
"A Cleaner Light". It seems kind of fakey to me. Boring, maybe?
I also don't want you to think that I didn't work hard on "Sky Motel". It was my toughest studio experience yet: a Muses record without the Muses. The songs took a year to
write, refine, rehearse and pre-produce before I even went to New Orleans to begin recording. Maybe you miss the other Muses? I do. I could have used some of their invention and power...
My thoughts (continued)
Posted by Kristin from slip129-37-44-197.il.us.prserv.net on November 09, 1999 at 23:01:18:
Sorry, ran out of room. I thought I was a person who didn't talk much...
This is personal, but I think it's important to say that I am "contented" today because I would rather be compassionate than bitter. My tortured years I spent kicking and screaming at something I live with every day.
1986 was not harder than 1999. Being crazy is not harder than losing a child or watching your friends fall. I'm not even sure it's harder than the everyday
heartbreaks (I won't list them; we all have them).
Above all, maybe you don't need this record. It might not cover your story. But thanks for caring and sharing...man.
Love, Kristin
P.S. You've only had it for a week! Give it a chance...
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