Hence the song title Not The End Of The World? "Precisely" NIGHT CRAWLING is supposed to be about David Bowie "It's really a memory. We used to run into each other a lot in New York, circa 1970s. We talked about working together, but nothing came of it. I'm very sorry we didn't work harder.. We just didn't have the right combination of ideas to develop things. There was too much partying and this is the result" You have partied a lot in your life. "A lot" You were a savage fella in those years.. How do you look back on that? "As a waste of time. When I stopped partying, I made much more progress as a musician. Everything got better and I was much happier. You waste a lot of time when you are on drugs. We looked up some old articles about you, in OOR and elsewhere "Did what you read make you happy?" Well, the music industry was completely different back then "Interesting! That's a very pro clear way of formulating." While rock & roll today is very corporate -organized and corporate-oh well
Indeed. At that time you were pushing the limits. In the late seventies I saw you play a song in Rotterdam called Jack The Ripper At The Moulin Rouge. I don't think you can make another song like that. You were very provocative. It appealed to the imagination that you set the boundaries sincerely. “That's a very diplomatic way to put it. Did you feel you were being provocative? "Sometimes yes, sometimes no." How do you want to be remembered? As a provocative or constructive person? LAST I SAW the documentary on Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. It discusses the important role you played in the development of that song into the classic which it is now. How do you look back on that? "I've always had a lot of respect for Leonard. He really had a lot of depth as a songwriter. So I was very lucky to have that song to cover." I noticed that your version came back in Shrek. What did you think when you saw that? "I was shocked. If you write or contribute a song about an atmosphere or a sensibility and someone adds visuals to it, you get a whole different idea of what the song is about" Weird how things work out. That you end up in this family film with your performance partly because it became so immensely famous 'It was simply the power of Leonard Cohen's text. Just about your lyrics in the title song Mercy. It seems that you are describing the war in Ukraine, right now. You sing: "Colder, colder, colder/Lives matter/Wolves make themselves there/They're gonna buy more guns/Snow and mud. All that's happening now "Yes, that's what it's about." Don't you find it scary that you can write something like that and it becomes reality in some way? "Well, I'm glad I wrote it in time. The moment wasn't over when I got it
That's why I think Mercy is a spiritual album. Because in this day and age we get to see and experience so many horrible things, and have to deal with that. That' for me is the mood of this album "Yes, I agree." A GENERAL question about the past. What are you most proud of? "That always calls for a conclusion on my part about what I have achieved. There is nothing that justifies a conclusion. It is not yet past, The first Velvet Underground record seems to be about being young forever. When I listen to it, I think wow, this is what it is to be twenty. That record is not dated. How is that for you "Yes, about the same. It was very important to us to make something that was somewhat uncomfortable and always would be. It never got vague, It was always very important to make things clear. The record always received welcome criticism everywhere. " So here we are, talking about something 55 years old. "Yes. Not bad." I asked what you are most proud of. Could that record be it? "Yes, I think so" Do you still listen to it? "No not anymore I really like your 1970s solo records. We had another discussion here about which one is the best. "I can't help you with that." I would say Paris 1919 or Slow Dazzle. There's a battle in my head between those two, but you may have another candidate. "No. I agree with you. Coincidentally two of my favorites too. Mainly Slow Dazzle:" Yes. With hot number Guts. How many times have I had that in my head. Guts, guts, got no guts "Haha;"
