A COMMUNIQUE FROM MICHAEL DES BARRES

ROCK AND ROLL IS NOT AN ENERGY DRINK. IT IS NOT A CHARISMATIC POLITICIAN OR AN ICE ROAD TRUCKER OR AN ALLIGATOR KILLER OR A KARDASHIAN. IT IS NOT A CAR SALESMAN OR A CARPENTER FROM NAZARETH.

SO,WHAT IS IT? WHAT WAS DAVE GROHL TALKING ABOUT AT THE GRAMMY'S LAST YEAR AS HE TRIED TO MAKE SENSE OF THE "ROCK" CATEGORIES..WE ALL REMEMBER JETHRO TULL'S TRIUMPHANT VICTORY WITH GROANS OF DISMAY FROM SOME YEARS AGO...THIS BEGAN A SLIDE INTO THE DINOSAUR ABYSS.A 3 CHORD GRAVEYARD. AN ELECTRIC POWER OUTAGE FROM WHICH WE HAVE NEVER RECOVERED.

IS ROCK AND ROLL LITTLE WAYNE OR LITTLE RICHARD? JUSTIN BIEBER OR MUDDY WATERS? LED ZEPPELIN OR GOOD CHARLOTTE? KATY PERRY OR CHRISSIE HYNDE?
THE ANSWER IS OF COURSE IN THE EARS,SOULS AND HIPS OF THE BEHOLDER.
THE BLUES BEGAN IN THE PLANTATION FIELDS OF THE SOUTH.GOSPEL HYMNS TO JESUS AND FORGIVENESS TRANSFORMED INTO A BATTERED, SEARS AND ROEBUCK, SIX STRING GUITAR.. WHICH WOULD THEN BECOME THE SYMBOL OF A CULTURAL REVOLUTION NEVER SEEN BEFORE OR SINCE...THOSE CARNAL TALES OF LUST AND LONGING.REVENGE AND REDEMPTION.OF GOD AND THE DEVIL FIGHTING FOR ROBERT JOHNSON'S SOUL,....THAT'S AN AWFUL LONG WAY FROM THERE TO HERE.
THIS PASSIONATE MUSIC WAS ADOPTED BY SKINNY ,WHITE,WORKING CLASS BOYS AND GIRLS IN THE1960'S WHO DRESSED LIKE OSCAR WILDE AND PLAYED SLIDE GUITAR LIKE ELMORE JAMES.THE STRANGEST HYBRID IN MUSIC HISTORY.
ELVIS PRESLEY APPEARED ,AND WITH SAM PHILLIPS'S BRILLIANCE INTRODUCED "COLORED MUSIC" TO A WHITE AUDIENCE.LITTLE RICHARD'S SCREAM,CHUCK BERRY'S INCOMPARABLE, AMERICANA POETRY. ALL INFUSED WITH CARNAL UNDULATIONS OF A SEXED UP GENERATION CREATED WHAT WE ARE DICUSSING.ROCK AND FUCKING ROLL. THAT'S WHAT IT IS. A SYNONYM FOR...FUCKING.

THIS MUSIC CHANGED EVERYTHING.MEN SUDDENLY HAD BANGS.BOYS AND GIRLS SMOKED HASHISH AND GRASS DROPPED ACID,EXPERIMENTED WITH EACH OTHER ,READ ARTHUR RIMBAUD,LORD BYRON,ALDOUS HUXLEY.KRISHNAMURTI AND WILLIAM BURROUGHS,HENRY MILLER.YOU GET THE PICTURE .THE PICTURE HAD A NEW FRAME..WE WERE WATCHING A NEW MOVIE.WHOSE ONLY SPECIAL EFFECT WAS GUITAR,BASS AND DRUMS.

THAT,MY FRIENDS IS ROCK AND ROLL.

SO,NOW LET US CARESS,EMBRACE AND THRUST OURSELVES BACK IN TO THE GROOVE.LET'S MOVE TO THE UNPROCESSED,UNALTERED,SPONTANEITY OF AUTHENTICITY.

NO LIPSYNCHING,NO AUTO TUNING,NO CLICK TRACKS,LOOPS,SAMPLES.NO ROBOTIC,GEORGE ORWELL ANESTHETISING,TECHNOLOGICAL CHICANERY.
WHERE ARE THE GUTTERSNIPES,THE WHIPPERSNAPPERS? SNAPPING AT THE HEELS OF THOSE COMATOSE PLAGIARISTS WHO DROP ECSTASY AND DISAPPEAR IN A TRANCE OF SURRENDER TO THE TRIBE OF A LOST,TRANQUILLISED GENERATION.HIGH ON COMIC BOOKS AND CHEETOS,SNOOKIE AND SPIDERMAN.
I AM NOT ADVOCATING SOME NECROPHILIAC RETURN TO EMBRACE THE CORPSE OF THE PAST.I'M ADVOCATING MAKING AN ALBUM WITH NO OVERDUBS,NO TRICKERY,.I'M ADVOCATING A BUNCH OF GUYS AND GIRLS STANDING IN A ROOM WITH JUDICIOUSLY PLACED MICS COUNTING OFF A SONG THEY HAVE PLAYED IN SWEATY,HOT NIGHTCLUBS LIKE THERE LIVES DEPENDED ON IT.WHICH,OF COURSE THEY DO.

FOR THE RECORD (VINYL IF POSSIBLE) I ADORE ARCADE FIRE,JACK WHITE,THE ALABAMA SHAKES,THE BLACK KEYS.ABSOLUTELY.

THE MICHAEL DES BARRES BAND RECORDED OUR ALBUM " CARNABY STREET" IN 7 DAYS. MIXED IN 3 DAYS.NO OVERDUBS..ONE OR TWO TAKES, TOPS.IN THE MOMENT IN YOUR FACE,EXPLOSIVE,EXISTENTIAL AND ROCKING.
YOU WILL LOVE IT.ALMOST AS MUCH AS I DO....DROP THAT NEEDLE...

If you have not done so already, check out Michael's Gonzo Artist Page