Neal Fallon Of Clutch The Rock N Roll Universe Interview

Just thought I'd let you all know that we now have a brand new interview up online with vocalist/guitarist Neal Fallon of Clutch, which can be accessed at this location :

http://www.rocknrolluniverse.com/rocknr … se_477.htm

A short excerpt from the interview follows below:

RNRU : You've become a very big blues fan in recent years, which has manifested itself in the band's music. What initially drew you towards the blues?

NF :  I always kind of liked it, but never really knew about the great body of work that was out there. I remember hearing...I got this one compilation, Jesus, probably around '91, called 'The Roots Of Robert Johnson'. I think Yazoo put it out. It's a collection of different artists, and ever since I've been researching it and trying to learn how to play guitar somewhat remotely similar to what those guys played. I think the older I get the more cogniscent and appreciative I am of the larger history and context of rock n roll. By the past you can understand the present a lot better. In the blues... I think classic rock bands like we talked about earlier, the blues guys were the ones that they listened to. That's what informed their music, and I'd like to think that's what's happening with us. It's kind of like going to the source for inspiration, as opposed to looking towards your peers. I think there's a lot more to be drawn from the roots.

RNRU :  How important do you feel that it is for a musician to listen to diverse styles of music? Just like you touched upon, a lot of bands just listen to what's popular in order to try and figure out what's going to be a hit, and don't listen to other styles, and that's one reason a good majority sound all the same...

NF :  I think if you do that you're really doing yourself a disservice. If anything the opposite's the case with us. When I go home I don't listen to aggressive hard rock. It doesn't give you a good enough point of reference. If you want to triangulate your position, you have to look towards distant points. Whether it be jazz, country, hip hop or blues...world music for a lack of a better phrase, you're getting a bigger vocabulary. If you're only listening to 5 variations on one theme, then you're kind of running with blinders on.

RNRU : Speaking of the blues Neil, what in your opinion are five blues albums everyone should own?

NF : I would say the Howlin' Wolf double CD, 'Howlin' Wolf/Moanin' In The Moonlight,' that record's awesome and you can hear like six different songs covered by classic rock bands in their original form. One guy that I just got into the past couple of years is Ali Farka Toure. He has a record called 'The Source' which is awesome. He's from West Africa. I would also say...and this isn't an old blues band but a new blues band, and I don't know if you could call them a blues band, but blues in its contemporary form, would be this band from Sweden called Kamchatka. They're more of a rock band, but you can definitely hear the blues in that. Skip James' 'King Of The Delta Blues Singers' and maybe Charlie Patton's 'Father Of The Delta Blues' album.

Also, check out another brand new interview with ex Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'Anno at this location :

http://rocknrolluniverse.com/rocknrolluniverse_476.htm

Enjoy!

Keith (Nightwatcher)

Rock N Roll Universe
www.rocknrolluniverse.com

"Where The Past And The Future Of Rock Collide"