Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

[Carcass]

Spearmint Rhino talks to the post punk pop star for The Quietus

Thanks to Ms D for being the catylyst that got this sorted out. And genuinely... I don't even know why I'm bothering to ask this... we're talking about someone who has been using this message board for a decade, who has done a brilliant piece of writing... if we could keep this thread about that and consign the fucking bullshit somewhere else, I'd appreciate it.

The interview certainly speaks of bipolar guy who is up and down more times than a "bride's nightie" and mainly is reassuring rather than worrying...

[Incandenza]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

I've never heard any Adam Ant. Any recommendations?

[WOM]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Antics In The Forbidden Zone is an easy way in. A 'best of' / retrospective kind of thing. It'll give you a taste, anyway.

[WOM]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Seems there's a very similar one called Stand and Deliver....the very best of... that'll do the job.

[Spearmint Rhino]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

A greatest hits is obviously a perfectly good place to start, but I'd also say that Dirk Wears White Sox and Kings Of The Wild Frontier are essential albums for anyone who's got a serious interest in post-punk/new wave.

[Wyatt Earp]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

You know what? That's a very good piece of writing indeed. Topping and tailing that interview, and reporting the subsequent events, required real sensitivity and skill, I reckon.

I hope the ups outweigh the downs, and that the rewards of doing something meaningful make up for the stresses and anxieties involved. Which they might well. Can't help worrying though.

[WOM]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Indeed. Interesting questions and candid answers. Tough to beat that combination.

[Heliotrope]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Actually, the best place to start would be You Tube for the combination of music and visuals. Their videos are classics in the early days of MTV.

[Wyatt Earp]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Heliotrope wrote:

Actually, the best place to start would be You Tube for the combination of music and visuals. Their videos are classics in the early days of MTV.

Good call.

[Spearmint Rhino]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Why on Earth... wrote:

You know what? That's a very good piece of writing indeed. Topping and tailing that interview, and reporting the subsequent events, required real sensitivity and skill, I reckon.

I hope the ups outweigh the downs, and that the rewards of doing something meaningful make up for the stresses and anxieties involved. Which they might well. Can't help worrying though.

Thanks, WoE. I was in two minds, if you'll pardon the unfortunate expression, regarding adding that stuff at the end (and I'm still a little worried about what the repercussions might be), and to an extent I'm betraying confidences by including it, and also I'm wary of becoming somehow part of the story rather than just an observer... but having weighed it all up, I felt I'd be being dishonest to the readers if I glossed over what happened and gave a completely shiny happy picture of Adam's state of mind.

[Brandenburger Toro]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Great piece.

Two things;

He's a thief, he's a vampire, and he probably don't like me, but that's my fucking view. I mean he pushes the envelope, but I was playing 'Heroes' to somebody, and yeah it's good, but you know he goes 'oooooh', that one note? Eno had already used that on a song he did with Robert Fripp and Brian Eno called 'Swastika Girls'. Own up, say 'I was influenced by…', but no.

Does one point out to a legend like Mr. Ant that the guitar on "Heroes" was played by... Robert Fripp?

And did I correctly imagine a grimace passing over the Rhino's visage as he typed the words "Steve Earle's on the stereo"?

[MsD]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

The writers' favourite song ... written whilst drumming on a biscuit tin

[RobM]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

It was a good piece.

Can't say I'm any great fan of AA's work, find much of it risible to be honest but I do hope that things take a better turn for him and that he finds what he needs to sort his problems out.

If he likes Steve Earle then he's got something going.

[Wyatt Earp]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

What Steve Earle album, do you know?

[Spearmint Rhino]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Toro: Count On It wrote:

Great piece.

Two things;

He's a thief, he's a vampire, and he probably don't like me, but that's my fucking view. I mean he pushes the envelope, but I was playing 'Heroes' to somebody, and yeah it's good, but you know he goes 'oooooh', that one note? Eno had already used that on a song he did with Robert Fripp and Brian Eno called 'Swastika Girls'. Own up, say 'I was influenced by…', but no.

Does one point out to a legend like Mr. Ant that the guitar on "Heroes" was played by... Robert Fripp?

And did I correctly imagine a grimace passing over the Rhino's visage as he typed the words "Steve Earle's on the stereo"?

Well, I've edited down what Adam actually said re. "Heroes", but I think his point was that Bowie had heard "Swastika Girls", and said to Eno (and Fripp), "ere, do that again for me..."

Didn't mind the Earle, really. It gave me a chance to chat about The Wire and break the ice a little. He put on The Velvet Underground And Nico after that, but I had to ask him to switch it off after a while cos I was freaking out about my microphone not picking up his voice.

[Spearmint Rhino]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Why on Earth... wrote:

What Steve Earle album, do you know?

The one with "Down In The Hole" on it, whichever one that is.

[dalliance]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Dog Eat Dog and Kings Of The Wild Frontier are such classics, as fresh today as they were 30 years ago. The sheer energy, the twin drummers, the visuals, even the cover art for the Kings single created such a potent and visceral mix.

[evilC]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

SR -

I couldn't help but read Ant's bits in an accelerated breathless run-on sentence, as if he was totally hyper. Is that how he was? Just from some of the things he was saying he sounds pretty, errr... intense!

Rather gutted I wasn't at Stay Beautiful now, but hey-ho!

[MsD]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

of course he is hyper, he's having a manic episode .. anyway, I just read it through a second time, and found it much funnier. (Funny = good).

God, I love that Joy Division quote, even though I like them and New Order .. it will just upset all the right people.

[Wyatt Earp]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Spearmint Rhino wrote:

The one with "Down In The Hole" on it, whichever one that is.

Washington Square Serenade. The most recent one. Very uneven, but "Oxycontin Blues" is a blinder. Honestly, give it a listen.

[rick derris]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

The one with "Down In The Hole" on it, whichever one that is

washington square serenade

his best album for a few years.

never an Adam ant fan, he was big when I was in the second year. all the spotty tossers liked him

[Wyatt Earp]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Yes. Yes, we did.

[Carcass]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

Adam Ant is the bomb you nincompoop.

[Wyatt Earp]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

I remember going to see (I think) the Fall with my mate Dave in 1980, and before the gig the DJ played "Kings Of The Wild Frontier" over the PA. Neither of us had ever heard anything like it.

Back in the days of yer actual punk, Adam had been a bit of a joke among snotty NME readers like us, as I recall (as I recall with some shame). Not cool. But then to come up with something astonishing like that.

Then of course we got an insight into his attitude to music press (and sixth form git) sneering, in "Prince Charming".

[MsD]

Simon Price Interviews Adam Ant

rick derris wrote:

all the spotty tossers liked him

And girls. Lots and lots and lots of girls, even now.

I never fancied him personally (even though he is fantastically handsome) and went off the music after Kings, but women of a certain age (around 40) still go a bit funny about him, and the lastest belle is, indeed, stunning (and 22 or 23).