John Linnell MSN Interview
The Monkey
as several people have asked me for a copy, I'm assuming otherwise. In
that case, I should have posted this as soon as the chat was over. I'm
sorry! It's not much of an interview, but here goes:
* * * * * [all is sic . . . John's typos have been left intact, for
your pleasure] * * * * *
DishDiva says: Welcome to MSN Live! This afternoon we are pleased to
welcome John Linnell to MSN for the first time!
DishDiva says: John, welcome. It's great to have you here!
John: Welcome everybody!
DishDiva says: Let's get started with your great questions!
PlaintiveCroissant in Onstage1 asks: I've recently picked up an
accordion and was curious, Mr. Linnell, how long did it take for you
to adapt from the keyboard to the new instrument?
John: Well, I play the piano accordion, so the only hard part was
learning how to push the bellows in and out. That took some practice.
Also I never worried much about the buttons under the left hand.
NighttimePanda in Onstage1 asks: Any chance you will be heading into
the studio any time soon?
John: Well, we're busy cooking up lots of new material.John F. has a
really great song called "I can tell" or something like that. I've got
a few that I like. I've been singing into the vocoder a bunch lately.
John: rying to sound like the Four Seasons. Minus Frankie Valli. I've
got a vocoder song that kind of cops a 60's group called "The Free
Design"
forg0 in Onstage1 asks: Hi John. Were there any points during the
filming of Gigantic where you were uncomfortable or didn't think you
were working the way you normally would?
John: We had no clear idea of how the film was going to wind up, so it
was a real leap of faith the whole way.
John: Obviously we were a little self conscious but we didn't want AJ
to make a film about how self conscious we were.
Spackow in Onstage1 asks: Are there any B-sides and/or never released
songs that will see the light of day anytime soon?
John: I wish there were. We've pretty much cleaned out the attic of
all the really decent-to-okay stuff. So if there's anything left it's
probably pretty unlistenable.
????ite in Onstage1 asks: Why did you decide to do a documentary?
John: Someone else was going to do all the work. It was a calculated
risk, I suppose. We're pretty happy with how it ended up.
therealleia in Onstage1 asks: I loved your work for the Ben Folds Five
video "Battle of Who Could Care Less" Is there any chance you'll be
producing more music videos?
John: Well, as much as I like to take credit for the work of others, I
must admit that it was my partner Mr. Flansburgh who did that one. He
hasn't made any videos for a while but I suspect he may make more in
the future.
Coleyfan in Onstage1 asks: What are your guilty pleasures? Movies,
music, TV Shows you are kind of embarassed to admit you like?
John: This is an interesting and compicated topic that some friends of
mine have been heatedly discussing recently. Is it a guilty pleasure
if it's "so bad it's good" or must you be TRULY ASHAMED of yourself?
DishDiva says: Definitely truly ashamed.
John: Can't touch that one. Sorry.
drworm05871 in Onstage1 asks: John, do you prefer touring or studio
work, and are there any songs you particularly enjoy playing live, or
have played so many times you're sick of them?
John: Let me answer that in the form of a Limerick. There once was a
man from Hull with a hole in the top of his skull
John: it started to rain
John: which dampened his brain
John: til he only liked Jethro Tull
Pentlandy in Onstage1 asks: In celebration of your 20 yr anniversary
you've been playing lots of different and special shows. What are we
to expect in the near future?
John: We have a book coming out in the fall called "Bed Bed Bed" which
will include a CD with four bedtime-appropriate songs including the
title track, which is a mellowed out version of the song from 'NO!"
sung by Moldy Peaches member Kimya Dawson.
John: The rest of the songs are new and the lyrics are all beautifully
and hauntingly illustrated by Marcel Dzama. It's really going to be
cool.
_Vedder in Onstage1 asks: You have pioneered a sub cultural genre
known as 'geeky cool.' What in your eyes does that mean exactly?
John: Not for me to say. I've never felt like John and I were part of
any subculture. Not that were completely un-selfaware but we don't
look at ourselves or our work in that way.
camel534 in Onstage1 asks: What was your inspiration for doing the
collection of tracks on the Apollo 8 beginning with 'Fingertips'?
John: Fingertips was loosely based on a dream someone told me set to
the soundtrack of one of those late night TV commercials for a
collection of songs in which they only play a few seconds of the
chorus of each song.
John: There's usually titles scrolling up the screen and some blurry
image in the background, like a yule log.
camel534 in Onstage1 asks: In all your years as musicians, what is the
most important thing you have learned?
John: Oh I don't know. I've got no single major piece of advice. But I
have a question for you as well: what is the problem with people who
drive Ford Explorers?
John: You'd think having enough money to drive one would make you
happy, not seething with hostility.
DishDiva says: John, it was a pleasure having you here as our guest on
MSN Live.
John: Thanks. It was a pleasure typing to everyone.
DishDiva says: Thanks for chatting with your fans from around the
world.
DishDiva says: Catch "
DishDiva says: Gigantic!
John: I really want an answer to the Ford Explorer question.
DishDiva says: Thanks, John.
The Monkey
The Demonic Kangaroo
without express written permission from msn, otherwise I would have posted
it immediatly. And, as promised it is posted here:
http://chat.msn.com/msnlive_feature.msnw?id=artist/tmbg
-Mike
"The Monkey" <lady...@hotmail.com> wrote
Diluted Evil
>
Ford Explorer air conditioners pump out not recycled air like a normal vehicle;
but, rather, filtered hatred and fake angst. This is why so many Explorer
drivers delight in Coldplay's music.
I have NO idea if I just used that semi-colon right.
~Heidi
"You GO there, girlfriend." ~John Linnell
RIP Rattyland v. Q.0
Robert Hutchinson
> Ford Explorer air conditioners pump out not recycled air like a normal vehicle;
> but, rather, filtered hatred and fake angst. This is why so many Explorer
> drivers delight in Coldplay's music.
>
> I have NO idea if I just used that semi-colon right.
Does that mean you want to know?
--
Robert Hutchinson | "Aww, I HATE being the human shield."
|
| -- Quait Fat, _Dynasty Memory_ Part 9,
| Brian Clevinger, nuklearpower.com
AstralBee
news:bd3325$o7v5r$1...@ID-55088.news.dfncis.de...
>
> At the end of the interview they said that no part of it may be reprinted
> without express written permission from msn, otherwise I would have posted
> it immediatly.
Unfortunately you decided to share this knowledge with the group less than
one hour before the chat was due to begin, which kind of excludes anyone who
doesnt visit the newgroup every 10 minutes.
>Monkey posted on 22 June 2003 at 02:52
>The Demonic Kangaroo posted on 22 June 2003 03:08
Thank you, Monkey, for giving the good people what the good people ask for.
The MSN link only produces a blank screen for me.
Dar
Ramso
> Unfortunately you decided to share this knowledge with the group less than
> one hour before the chat was due to begin, which kind of excludes anyone
who
> doesnt visit the newgroup every 10 minutes.
...It was in the TMBG newsletter the night before...
AstralBee
"Ramso" <re...@genesee.edu> wrote in message
news:2TlJa.90010$zm1....@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
>
>
> ...It was in the TMBG newsletter the night before...
Thats a good point, well put.... except numerous people on here, including
myself, have mysteriously dropped off the mailing list and cant get back on
it.
Dar
AstralBee
Good point, well put....
except that quite a few of us have mysteriously dropped off the mailing
list, and cant seem to get back on it, despite repeated requests.
Dar