Hello,
My name is Raúl Julián, from the web-based magazine Muzikalia.com
Thanks very much for taking the time for this interview.
Why “Blurry Blue Mountain” as a title for the record?
HG: ITS HOW THE GIANT MOUNTAIN APPEARS WHEN WAKING UP .. OR FALLING TO SLEEP
Through the 14 songs, with some exceptions, we get the feeling that this new Giant Sand record is less furious, with even some pretty melodic moments. Is Howe Gelb a calmer, more peaceful person?
HG: YES. TWICE EACH DAY. LIKE A BROKEN CLOCK.
I also find a certain diversity in styles between songs in the record. So why is that?
HG: THE ‘WHY’ IS ‘WHAT’ WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS.
Do you think “Blurry Blue Mountain” may be one of Giant Sand’s more approachable records?
HG: IT SEEMS TO APPEAL TO PEOPLE OVER 39, SO BE CAREFUL. YOU MIGHT HAVE TO APPROACH IT FROM BEHIND.
What can we find on this record that wasn’t in any of the previous Giant Sand’s album?
HG: THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ONLY THE SOUND OF THE MUSIC CAN DESCRIBE. EACH RECORD DESCRIBES ITS OWN INDEPENDENCE FROM THE REST.
What special appearances can we find in “Blurry Blue Mountain”?
HG: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE WORLD FULLY AWAKE.
Will there be a spanish tour? How would you plan it and what will we see on stage?
HG: THERE IS ALWAYS A SPANISH TOUR AND YOU WILL PROBABLY SEE US ALL BLURRED ON STAGE.
Last time we saw Giant Sand in Spain you were doing Johnny Cash’s San Quentin. How was the experience like, a tour performing another artist’s songs? Have you somehow rediscovered Johhny Cash’s record after performing it?
HG: CASH IS NOT JUST ANOTHER ARTIST, HE’S AN ENGINEER WHO BUILT HIS OWN RAILROAD FOR US ALL TO TRAVEL ON. IT WAS A SEVERE PLEASURE TO RIDE THAT LINE AND SPEND SOME TIME. SOME SAY CASH IS KING, BUT I THINK HE’S ALWAYS JUST BEEN THE CONDUCTOR OF HIS OWN TRACKS.
I recall being struck at how you even mimicked some of Cash’s moves… Did you really get into character, classic actor style?
HG: I WAS JUST ACTING LIKE I KNEW THE SONGS WELL… AND WEARING BLACK WAS HALF WAY THERE.
Why did you pick this particular record? Did you consider any other option?
HG: ‘STICKY FINGERS’ BY THE STONES, AND ‘LIVE AT TOWN HALL’ BY THELONIOUS MONK.
The song “Raid the rail”, from the record, seems almost like a homage to Johnny Cash…
HG: THANKS .. AND I WROTE IN ON A TRAIN TOO… IN DENMARK.
What do you think of the american music scene as of today? How has the music industry evolved since you started, 25 years ago? What do you miss the most from the old times and what do you think is better now?
HG: THE MUSIC SCENE HERE GOT STUCK IN 1972. IT CAN’T GET OUT OF THE 70s. IT WAS MOVING ALONG GOING IN A HORRIBLE DIRECTION IN THE 80s AND THEN TURNED BACK AROUND IN THE 90s TO THE EARLY 70s. AND STAYED THERE.
WHAT I MISS MOST ABOUT THE OLD TIMES IS BEING YOUNGER
AND THE LOVELINESS OF HAVING NO CELL PHONES OR INTERNET.
THERE WAS A WONDERFUL AMOUNT OF SPACE TO FILL UP WITH PEYOTE. `
We could see you in the audience at Primavera Sound in Barcelona. How was the experience? What were your favorite concerts?
HG: IT WAS FUN NOT HAVING TO WORK AT A FESTIVAL. I ENJOYED SCOUT NIBLETT VERY MUCH, WILCO AND THE PIXIES TOO.
Your collaboration with Raimundo Amador in Howe Gelb & A Band of Gypsies is still fresh in our memory. How did the experience enrich you? Has that experience influenced in any way this new record?
HG: I PLAYED THIS RECORD FOR RAIMUNDO, AND HE WAS VERY KIND ABOUT IT. THE THING I LOVE MOST ABOUT HIM AND THE GYPSIES IS HOW ENCOURAGING THEY ARE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE ALL IN THE MIDDLE OF PLAYING A SONG. THEY WILL HOLLER OUT WHEN THEY LOVE A LICK SOMEONE PLAYED ON GUITAR OR SANG. THAT IS AN AMAZING WAY TO PLAY MUSIC. INSTANT REACTION FROM THE PEOPLE YOU TRUST THE SONG MOST WITH. THEN RAIMUNDO PLAYED ME HIS RECORD AND IT BLEW ME AWAY. HE IS THE MAESTRO . CAPABLE OF MORE NOTES THEN MOST HUMANS CAN HANDLE, BUT STILL SO SOULFUL… AND ALWAYS WITH A SMILE.
It would seem that all in all you’re in permanent contact with our country. So, how is your relationship with Spain?
HG: I THINK ITS IN MY BLOOD. THERE IS TALK OF SOMEONE IN MY FAMILY BACKGROUND, BUT ITS SO MYSTERIOUS, NO ONE HAS THE DETAILS. WHEN I GO TO SLEEP IN TUCSON, I WAKE UP IN CORDOBA. AND WHEN I FINALLY GO TO SLEEP THERE, I OPEN MY EYES HERE IN ARIZONA. I THINK DALI WOULD APPROVE.
Thank you very much again!
HG: DE NADA
howe
Raúl Julián.