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8. Interviews/Rob Rock

"Rage Of Creation" Interview with Rob Rock - Underground Empire (2001)



지난 2001년에 독일 매체 "UNDERGROUND EMPIRE the ONLINE EMPIRE"와 이루어진 인터뷰이며, 구글 번역기를 통해 영어로 번역하였습니다. 롭의 커리어 전반적인 부분에 대해 인터뷰가 진행되었으며, 특히 당시 발매된 롭의 첫번째 솔로앨범 "Rage Of Creation"에 대해 집중적으로 대화가 이루어졌습니다.







          




If you are looking for the classic metal singers, it will not be long until you get the name Rob Rock! He has done justice to these preludes with his first solo album "Rage Of Creation": after all, the man with the monster voice has released the best melodic disc of last year.





M.A.R.S. Was the start of your career. How did it happen that you were the only Nobody with three stars to compete?


As far as I know, Tommy Aldridge, and Rudy Sarzo, along with Craig Goldie, had been trying to make a band for almost two years, but they could not find a singer. Eventually Tony MacAlpine came, for Craig Goldie and Tony brought me into the game: I was then for almost three years with a band called VICE on the east coast. We played many cover songs and some own numbers and gave almost 300 shows a year. Tony had seen us one day, so the contact came.

Unfortunately, this one M.A.R.S. album "Project Driver" remained as Rudy and Tommy got an offer from David Coverdale that they could not lean on: he offered them a lot of money to play the '87 tour of WHITESNAKE and the following album To be recorded. It was a clever career step from both, and I do not blame them for leaving, but I am convinced that M.A.R.S. The breakthrough.


Your next recording was the first IMPELLITTERI Mini-LP. Would you have thought that you would be working with Chris Impellitteri for more than ten years?


Chris was the guitarist of my East Coast VICE for about a year. He left us and went to L.A. to try it on his own. About six months later I received the audition from M.A.R.S. And also went to Los Angeles. As M.A.R.S. Chris chopped for a singer to record his mini-LP. I was, however, a member of JOSHUA at this time and the Impellitteri-Mini was just a favor I did to an old friend. So we wrote songs together and I sang for him. But the Mini-LP was merely a means to get Chris to contract. This finally worked: he signed a deal with RELATIVITY and they formed the line-up with Chris and Graham Bonnet, the "Stand In Line".

The IMPELLITTERI cast broke as Graham Bonnet went out and Pat Torpey to MR. BIG. So we came back together in 1991, when Chris had just finished a deal in Japan and was looking for a new band.

Now Chris and I have separated, since he did not agree that I made a metal album. He had suspected that I would only record ballads and saw "Rage Of Creation" a strong competition with his own material. So I am concentrating on my solo career and Chris is working on »Stand In Line II«, a reunionary album with Graham Bonnet.


During your time with JOSHUA you also sang the debut album of ANGELICA.


This was a 6-hour job; A favor I did Ken Tamplin: I knew Ken by JOSHUA and he produced the ANGELICA record. In the studio it turned out that her singer simply could not make the record decently. So Ken called me and asked me to jump in. So I was only a tool to realize the record.


Your next step was DRIVER, the undervalued melodic band of all time.


The origin of DRIVER is to be found at JOSHUA: We were in Germany for about 6 months in Germany to record »Intense Defense« and during this time the band climate was getting worse and worse. When we returned to L.A. I wanted to have nothing to do with JOSHUA. When I explained my exit, bassist Emil Lech-Brando and keyboardist Greg Schultz joined me. At the same time, I discovered Roy Z., who was then only 18 years old. Finally, "Butch" came to Carlson, who had already played with JAG PANZER and SAHARA and had tried his luck with Joe Holmes and TERIFF, and DRIVER were complete. We wrote about 30 songs and recorded a 5-song tape to send to labels. At the time, we tried everything to get a deal: in 1989, we played around L.A. dizzy and then moved to New York for a year to get all clubs to the excess. We had almost got a deal with EASTWEST, but when they came to concrete negotiations, they told us that they were only interested in green grass. I just could not believe it: I had the best band I ever played with and nobody wanted to sign us up! Frustrated, then, each of us went his way. DRIVER became a victim of the changes in the music business, a victim of the grunge wave.


Have you never considered publishing the DRIVER tape together with some unpublished pieces?


I wanted to do that, but our manager at that time had paid the shots, so he had the rights. He always refused to release the recordings. I do not know why he does not want to return the money he invested back then. Unfortunately my hands are tied in this respect.


Before you re-entered IMPELLITTERI, you played the "Nasty Reputation" album of Axel Rudi Pell.


This was another studio job: I was driving up and down the east coast with DRIVER, and we had just come to the conclusion that we would not make it. I was already planning to get back to IMPELLITTERI, and I was looking for a way to return to L.A. The solution came in the form of a German manager, whom I knew well. He told me Axel would like me to be a singer for his second album. I think we made a good album, and I also got along with Axel.



We have talked about the past 15 years. There were certainly times for you, which you had to get through.


It is always hard to make a dream come true, but it's only partial: I could live as a full-time musician, but it was always associated with great renunciations. The most frustrating time was when we were driving with DRIVER against insurmountable walls. However, I never thought of giving up, though in the last few years I owed it to Japan that there was always a little food on the table. Still, I am grateful that I could make so many records, and I feel that I can now reach my summit and move with my soloplates.



You played live at the beginning of your career, but the focus was on studio work. How was this change for you?


The three tours with IMPELLITTERI in Japan were my only Liveshows in the nineties. This meant a big change since I love to perform. I do not like the conditions on the road, because it is difficult to stay healthy, but when you are on the stage everything is forgotten. Therefore, with my solo project, I want to be able to go on tour after an album. Therefore, I will not be dependent on individual musicians: If the musicians with whom I have worked in the studio are not available, I will play on stage with others. I want to build my solo career on great songs, but not on certain musicians.


And now you were finally back on tour!


Yes, the tour with Axel Rudi Pell was great! It was impossible to come up with the people who had "Rage Of Creation": Roy Z. and Jake E. Lee were in the studio and "Butch" Carlson was also busy. Therefore, I had my touring band, which I put together in Florida.


In addition to your solo project, you also sing at WARRIOR.


This was revealed during the recording of "Rage Of Creation": Joe Floyd, the leader of WARRIOR, worked as an engineer on my album. Joe later asked me if I would work on the new WARRIOR disc. I agreed, since Joe became a good friend and I always loved the first WARRIOR album "Fighting For The Earth".


"Rage Of Creation" is almost the rebirth of DRIVER: The core of DRIVER plays with you and you have reworked old DRIVER songs.


"Rage Of Creation" is for me the album that DRIVER never did. The old DRIVER demos were at the beginning of my vision of my solo project with which I was able to convince Roy Z. The most important thing about "Rage Of Creation" was a complete creative freedom. At IMPELLITTERI the songs were always written around the guitar to push a guitar hero. DRIVER has always been the focus of the song, and we have continued it with »Rage Of Creation«. I am planning another album with Roy Z. and we will definitely revive some old DRIVER songs


The instrumentalint of "Rage Of Creation" bears the ambiguous title of "In The Beginning": On the one hand, it points to your faith and on the other it marks the beginning of a new era to you.


Correct! When the piece was finished, it shouted within me a vision as the spirit floats above the water in the first verse from the Bible during the creation of the earth. > In The Beginning <was simply the perfect title.


How is it that ROCKHARD freelancer Chris Leibundgut got his own Thanks list on "Rage Of Creation" made available?


Chris has contributed a lot to the album: He has raised the idea of ​​covering the ABBA song Eagle and has made contact with Jake E. Lee. He also played bass throughout the pre-production of the album. Therefore it was only fair that he could tax his own Thanks.


How is it, really, when one's whole musical life is surrounded by exceptional musicians?


I do not know how it happened. I was lucky, because I could not wish for a better company. I believe the years in the clubs have prepared me for it: I was never afraid to show what I can do. I was, for example, a huge fan of Ozzy's early recordings, and suddenly I stood at the M.A.R.S. Audition, facing two musicians who had been involved: Rudy and Tommy. Still, I was not intimidated by these stars and have been pooping at the singing until the fall.


Normally there are egoproblems when Exemmnusiker meet, right?


This can certainly not be avoided. There were some incidents with Chris Impellitteri on tour, but that was only because Chris always want to give his best. I see that great guitarists must have a big ego. But I believe that it belongs to my personality to get along well with other people. When I understand why someone reacts in a certain way, I do not begin to fight with him. I always try to be a help rather than an obstacle.


You lived almost everywhere in America and now you live in Florida. Where did you feel most comfortable?


My family is from Massachussets and I grew up there. I had to go where the music led me. So I lived in Los Angeles and New York for many years. Meanwhile, my family moved to Florida. When I joined IMPELLITTERI it was clear that we would have practically only Japan releases. So I followed my family and also went to Florida.


While for many bands the homepage is only an unpleasant duty exercise your website is very comprehensive and informative.


I owe this to my wife Susannah: She is Web Mistress and she brings lots of great ideas. As a musician, I could never make the homepage as it does it: it looks from the outside on the thing and always moves into the position of the user.


I found the section "Vocal Tips" particularly interesting: There you give insider tips to other singers. Many professional singers, on the other hand, do not want to share their secrets with others.


This was also an idea of ​​my wife and I like to tell some tricks and tricks. However, I must admit that it is difficult for me to find good subjects and describe them in their own words. I am self-taught and sing purely instinctively. I only had ten singing lessons at JOSHUA times.


I've always wanted to know if Rob Rock is your real name! It would be the perfect artist name for a rock singer.


It's actually my real name. I grew up in the middle of a whole herd of "Rocks". My career has already been put into the cradle.


You have never made a secret of your faith, but, unlike most of the other Christians in Metal, you have never tried to mission other people.


When I am with other people, I am simply Rob Rock and not a missionary, but they can recognize my faith in my actions. For me, my faith is something very precious and personal, and I would never try to impose on someone, because I always respect the freedom of the other. And I do not want to misuse my faith as a gimmick or marketing tool. If someone personally wants to talk to me about my faith, then I do, but I do not feel called to preach about it.

I am Baptist and my faith is shaped by three things: first, it is daily prayer and reading in the Bible. If I can start my day with it, then I know it will be a good and stress-free day. The third thing is meeting with other believers. I know that most Christians in Germany believe that a believer needs a priest, for example, to confess his sins. I do not need a priest to speak to God; I'll do it all by myself.

I grew up in a Christian family so that faith was always part of my life. However, when I went out to the world with 16 or 17 years to sing in the rock clubs, I did not think about it for a long time. Only later did I realize that one could very well be a rock musician and a believing man at the same time.

Other people take drugs or go to wild sex parties to find joy. I find them in my personal conversations with God.


Let us now come to Karl Marx and his statement "Religion is the drug of the people"? Is religion your drug?


No, because religion means to me that people live by a rigid set of rules. For me it is very intimate: I only need my personal relationship with God and no rules. I can do anything I want and my conscience is my guideline. If my conscience is pure before God, it does not interest me whether somewhere is written something.


Tobt in Rob Rock a "Rage Of Creation"? A power that forces him to be creative.


I think so! I feel an urge that always drives me forward and now I want to break out of all the constraints that existed during my career and make an album completely my way.


And he did it very well!


http://www.robrock.com/

rob@robrock.com



Preparation, Interview & Editing : Stefan Glas




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