Saturday 25 January 2014

Paranoid / Sludeglord Tag Team Interview with Mos Generator's Tony Reed, Part 2

Lonely One Kenobi cover art

Lucas and I continue our Sludgelord/Paranoid Hitsophrenic joint Interviews with the 3rd instalment and what an instalment we have planned for today.

We get to speak to none other than Mos Generator/Stone Axe musical legend – Tony Reed – who has gladly agreed to talk to both of us at Sludgelord and Paranoid Hitsophrenic.

You can read Part 1 on Paranoid blog here. So lets get started with Part 2 with one of my favourite all-time musicians – Tony Reed.

PH - And just to continue along tour lines, is there anything developing stateside?

We have limited time to be able to tour so we generally stay pretty regional in the states and then use what touring time we have to go overseas.

SL - What has been your favourite album that you have ever recorded. As a band member or one that you have produced?

The most insane record I have ever done and the one that took the most out of me is "The Late Great Planet Earth". Mos Generator's second album. It's a 43 minute concept album with no breaks. All of the songs had to written to tie together in musical feel and lyrical theme. It's a very dark and dense album. It's much different from our other albums.

As a producer I would have to say Lille f-65 by Saint Vitus. That record was a blast to make and it lifted my profile as a producer. I got and still get a lot of work from that album.


PH - So Mudhoney played on top of the Space Needle. That’s pretty cool. But what’s the tallest building in Port Orchard and do you think anybody would let you play on top of it?

The tallest building in Port Orchard is about three stories high. It's a pretty sleepy town. We like it that way.

SL - Obviously you are known for a being a top musical producer as well. You have produced for many great bands including some excellent bands from the UK. How did you become involved with music production?

I grew up in a very small town in Washington state and the the closest studio was probably 3 hours away. As a teenager I wanted to make demos of my band so I started experimenting with cassette players, cheap microphones, and cheap P.A. mixers. After I started getting good recordings for my band I started recording other bands around town. Then in 1989 I got a four track recorder and went up from there. I honed my craft on the worst equipment available. I think that has played a major part on my recording style and my fondness for making records in strange places.


PH - I understand you have quite the vinyl collection. Would you care to tell me about the last three albums you got that blew your mind? And is there a white whale record out there you’ve never been able to track down?

The last three that took me years to track down and I finally got were.
VOIVOD "The Outer Limits"
COCTEAU TWINS "Heaven or Las Vegas"
DAVID BOWIE "At the BEEB"

There are three white whales.
BLACK SABBATH "Paranoid" quadraphonic LP.
FREE "Broad Daylight / The worm" Island 7" single.
STONE AXE (1971) "Snakebite / Slave of Fear" 7"

SL - If you only had one choice between being part of a band or musical production as your musical career. What would you choose and the reasons why?

Being in a band is my first choice without a doubt. Making music is a part of my life that I could never give up.


PH - What did you think of the new Black Sabbath record?

I think it was rushed and not enough thought was put into it. I also don't like the rage against the machine drummer. The guy they have been using on tour before and after the making of the album is perfect for sabbath. He's the only drummer they have had since bill that keeps that original sabbath feel.

SL - What are your views of the recent crowdfunding scene where bands and artists ask their fans to invest their money in helping making and releasing their newest album. And would you or Mos Generator ever go down that route?

I think that it's a fine idea. If we were ever to do it that we would have it where you got something for your donation.


PH - You work with a lot of different bands and keep your fingers on the pulse of what’s going on, wouldn’t you say? Who would you label as the next generation of heavy, the bands that are going to charge things forward into a bold new era? Or do those bands even exist right now?

That is something I would never dare to predict. I like what I like and I really have no idea what is cool or what is going to be cool. I can say that I am happy that heavy rock is getting a nice audience and showing growth.

SL - You have worked with lot of great independent record labels over your career. Ripple Music and Lay Bare Recordings being two of them. What is the difference between working with a major label to an independent label?

Actually I have never worked with a major label but what I do like about independent labels is that they are releasing music because they love it, not because it's going to make them a lot of money. The owners of many labels I have been on have become good friends and that's always nice to have.

Written by Lucas and Steve

We want to thank Tony Reed for taking the time out to talk to both of us at Sludgelord and Paranoid Hitsophrenic. Was a real honor for both of us to do this interview.

Check out Tony and his great bands from links below.

Mos Generator


Stone Axe


HeavyHeadSuperStore