Today, Nick welcomes a long time friend and ridiculously talented musician — as well as one of the biggest influences in punk music — John Doe. John is the founder of the legendary band X as well as an actor, having held roles in movies like Road House and Boogie Nights, and TV shows such as Roswell.
John comes on the show today to share his experiences and thoughts on recording X’s latest album Alphabetland as well as working with legends Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, his South American tour with Pearl Jam, his work with The Knitters and The Flesheaters, and the two critically acclaimed books he co-authored: first-person accounts of the burgeoning LA punk scene of the 1980s.
Tune in for a great conversation with a man with a heart of gold, the best of humans, John Doe.
Key Takeaways
[:20] A big thank you! Nick takes a minute to thank all of the Radical Podcast subscribers and invites other listeners to subscribe and rate.
[2:40] Nick welcomes John and asks him how his Texas quarantine is unfolding before diving into questions about how the local scene has been affected by the pandemic.
[9:59] On recording the latest X album, Alphabetland, John talks about the differences in the creative input from all of the band members as well as keeping his own ego in check and developing a stronger feeling of unity. He also touches on the wisdom gained with age as it relates to keeping relationships running smoothly.
[14:48] John shares his thoughts on the often-challenging process of recording an album and offers up his personal advice for maintaining your creative integrity in the face of third-party [i.e. record executives] pressures.
[19:30] The influences that led John down the musical path began with the folk music he was given as a child but really blossomed into a calling with the more psychedelic sounds of The Doors, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and so on. He talks about his move to the West Coast, having had enough of Baltimore and the sh*tty weather and attitude on the East Coast.
[25:00] A loving classical music household — though his parents weren’t fond of Rock and Roll — is something that John is very grateful for, having known a lot of people for whom that wasn’t the case.
[26:50] John talks about his relationship with his producer the legendary Ray Manzarek and though he doesn’t remember their very first meeting, he recounts a nervous rehearsal and the first $10K that X got to make a record “Ma! We made it!”
[32:40] John talks about his other, more recent, The Doors connection with Robby Krieger playing on X’s latest album as well as the funny anecdote that led to his contribution.
[33:52] On touring with Pearl Jam in sold-out stadiums — John offers that the Pearl Jam bubble might be the best way to see South America! He shares a few anecdotes from his crazy time there.
[36:24] Solo or live? John is of the mind that whatever you’re not currently doing is the one thing you think you’d like! But he does open up on the fears he has to manage around the thought of X having played its last concert.
[39:50] Acting is jokingly a little more mercenary for John — How much do I get paid? He talks about how he got into playing his many roles and how rewarding it is in a quieter kind of way.
[46:00] Publishing is weird! John talks about co-authoring his two books despite not being a raconteur as well as releasing the books around the time the LA Punk Rock scene was having its NPR wine and cheese moment which led to successful sales.
[51:49] John shares his current musical interests.
[53:40] Nick thanks John Doe for coming on the podcast and sharing so much of his story.
Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to rate us and subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts and tune in next week.
Find out more about today’s guest, John Doe
Find out more about your host, Nick Terzo
Mentioned in this episode:
People:
Projects:
Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk
More Fun in the New World: The Unmaking and Legacy of L.A. Punk
