|
Rick Ramirez and Paul Frank Interview
(BRUZER)
Few debut albums can match the album put out by Bruzer. Guitarist/composer Rick Ramirez and singer/songwriter Paul Frank make up the nucleus of Bruzer.
We chatted with the talented duo recently about Bruzer's entry into the crazy world of rock 'n' roll.
Q: Your album cover has a late fifties, early sixties look to it. Whose idea was that?
Rick: We were tryin' to come up with a concept for Bruzer, and that's why we're in the boxing ring.
Paul: Actually we were tryin' to come up with a Raging Bull era, even earlier than that.
Q: You start the album with a real rocker, then you get softer. Why didn't you continue in the hard rock vein?
Rick: Because we want to crossover, hopefully do some AM, not really just top 40. The next side of the album just hits you over the head.
Paul: We wanted to put a little more variety into it.
Q: Paul, you played the last date at Fillmore East with John Lennon. How did that work? You weren't in John's groups were you?
Paul: I toured with Frank Zappa and The Mothers at the time. He played with Frank Zappa, Yoko Ono, and they all sat in together. I just had the pleasure of being on the same stage as all of them.
Q: Did you get the chance to talk to John?
Paul: Yeah, it was the biggest thing in my life. It was the first time I was ever "star struck," you know what I mean? Meeting an actual Beatle - it was a real thrill for me.
Q: One record company executive has stated that the biggest problem in the music business today is the taping of albums off radio stations when they are being previewed or featured. Supposedly thousands of record sales are lost when this is done. Do you see it as a major problem?
Rick: It hurts everybody in the business. It hurts new bands, it hurts big acts.
Paul: The disc jockeys shouldn't announce they're going to play the whole album. They should just go into it, and play it. By taping off the radio, they're not gonna get the quality of sound you get from the record.
Q: Johnny Carson has said that "people who are in the creative end of entertainment are not normal by most standards." He goes on and says walking on stage and baring your soul to a bunch of strangers isn't a normal thing to do. Do you agree? Is he talking about you guys?
Paul: He's definitely not a normal person.
Rick: He could be talking about anybody. He could be talking about himself. What's great about being an artist is you can get out there and if people relate to what you're saying, that's one of the best feelings you can feel in this business. It's better than getting money, in a sense, because people are feeling your expressions and that's what music is all about.
© Gary James All Rights Reserved
|
