The sheer volume of guitar tracks on this disc is pretty amazing, yet it doesn't seem excessive. How do you approach crafting something as heavily orchestrated guitar-wise as the music on this record?
I don't really know how to answer that question, other than to state: What sounded good to me sounded good, and what didn't, I didn't use. Because this is the first time I've had lyrical input, my reliance upon guitar itself was less than it has been in the past. I usually lean toward playing an instrument as my "voice." But on this one, since I', saying what I really mean, as opposed to having to play what i mean, I had to approach it in a different way.
Were some of the tones on this record the result of using computer plug-ins?
Yeah, we used a lot of plug-ins, but I couldn't tell you specifically what; I'm not that gear-oriented. I also used a Bogner head, a couple of Marshall [JCM] 800's, and a [JCM] 900. There's a guy who used to be with Matchless who now makes Overbuilt amplifiers; I used those quite a bit. There are also a lot of direct-into-the-board sounds--plugging into old stomphoxes and going directly into the board.
It's hard to remember. Some of the gear belonged to Meredith Brooks, some of it belonged to Jon Brion, and some of it belonged to Rich Costey. As far as my own gear goes, I'm essentially Paul Reed Smith, Marshall [JCM] 900, BOSS pedals on the floor, and a [Dunlp] Cry Baby.
Is that your "live" setup, too?
Yeah. That's exactly what I use on the road.
What are some of the other guitars you used? There are a lot of acoustics on this record.
Yeah. Those are Martins. There was also a Guild and a Gretsch, though I wouldn't be able to tell you what kind. I used a couple of old vintage Strats, a Jaguar, and there might've been a Les Paul. There was a Danelectro baritone. I have close to 35 guitars lying around the studio.
In the first press release announcing this record, [RHCP drummer] Chad Smith is credited as playing on the Velvet Underground cover, "Venus in Furs." Is that right?
On the original version of the record, Chad played on all of the songs. But because of the fact that songs went through the changes they did, the original drum tracks didn't fit in with where the music went sonically. And the fact of the matter is, because Chad and I played the songs together live and we ended up using a lot of programming later, they were'nt necessarily in perfect time. So I needed to readdress some of the things with a click.
When he was part of this project, is that when it was called Spread?
Well, Spread is the imprint under which this project is going to come out. It was never officially Spread, but yeah.
I remember an MTV report in 1998 which indicated that Spread's original concept was to have you playing alongside female musicians.
That's something I toyed with, and it's not necessarily out of the question.
You recently played on Perry Farrell's solo record, Song Yet to Be Sung [Virgin]. How was that different from a Jane's Addiction experience for you?
It took a lot less time. It was actually very comfortable and good. It was just like going over to a friend's house to play music. It was nice to be able to contribute to something of his that I had no prior emotional connection to. So, in a weird way, it was very liberating and feeing, because I didn't have anything to do with writing those songs, I just contributed to them. It's kind of like the way I used to describe the early days of being in the Chili Peppers, which was like being in a cover band with the actual guys.
Did you ever formally address why you left the Chili Peppers after the One Hot Minute tour?
At this stage, that's a sensitive issue to get into. Let's just say that there were major differences of opinions.
Musically?
Personally. Lifestyle-oriented.
In almost any band, you take one person out and put somebody else in their place, the end result is bound to sound different. Did you ever feel any animosity from the Chili Peppers' fan-base that was established during the BloodSugar era?
Yeah. I mean, it was weird because some of the fans would express dissatisfaction. What was weird to me is that if anybody was unhappy with my participation in that band, what they're actually saying is that they were dissatisfied with the choices made by remaining band members, because obviously I didn't hire myself. Take it up with Flea and Anthony and Chad.
What would the Peppers have done if you didn't record with them? The band might've fallen apart. It's like those "fans" are ungrateful.
At the same time, there's the whole "purist" vibe. But what are we talking about? Those guys have had nine guitar players! I don't know. I never really knew what to say to that. I've always respected the opinions of listeners, but at the same time, I've never let it steer my ship.
What's great is that you and the Peppers are obviously still close. Flea has played on several tour dates, and Chad's earlier envolvement with this project...
Oh, yeah. I mean, the thing is we just went through a time when it got really sticky and we were all kind of going different directions. I had this record... I don't wanna get into exactly the issue was, but I'm sure you can use your imagination and pretty much come to that conclusion. We were done touring behind the record, Flea and I had just finished the Jane's [Relapse] tour, and I was going back to this project. It was just time to move on.
Right after the Red Hot Chili Peppers, there were plenty of projects you were involved with that the average rock guitar player might not have been able to pull off. Can we talk about some of those?
Sure. I'd love to hear what they were [laughs]!
One example would be your involvement with the world's first taste of new Guns N' Roses-your solo on "Oh My God" from the End of Days soundtrack [Geffen].
The truth is, I wish there was an interesting story, but it was honestly like just doing a session. Axl and I had been trying to play for years, and it never worked out for one reason or another. He just called me and it happened to be a good time, so it worker out. But I jsut kinda went down there and I spent maybe an hour and a half in the studio, played some stuff, and went home.
Did you ever consider being a part of the version of GN'R Axl was putting together?
No, only because I already had my hands in my new book and this record and the possibility of a Jane's reunion. I didn't wanna bite off more than I could chew. And honestly, I love him as a person and I love his music, but I don't know if it's necessarily suited for me personally.
You're also all over Marilyn Manson's Mechanical Animals [Interscope]. How does somebody like that approach you?
Well, those guys have been friends of mine for years--ever since Smells Like Children [Interscope] came out. We were all hanging out a lot when they were making that record, so that was the natural thing.
I feel very fortunate to have played with some of my favorite artists. And at the same time, I haven't tried to keep myself in the niche of being just "a guitar player," because I've done a lot of writing for magazines. Us, Bikini, Raygun...
Can we talk about your book, Don't Try This At Home [Regan Books]?
Sure. The book is a yearlong documentation of the life that took place in my home, divided into 12 chapters. Each chapter's a month, so it goes from June to June, and Neil Strauss [a New York Times music editor] and I wrote the text. Each month is also documented with pictures--taken in the photo booth in my house--from every visitor that came into the house during the course of that year.
Did you ever intend the book to in any way complement Trust No One?
The intention wasn't to, but it ended up complementing it, mainly because the book was put together and compiled the same time that the majority of the record was done. So the feelings that went into both were the same. And a lot of the book's content is more "literally" oriented, in terms of what was going in my life at the time. The lyrical content of the record is very "metaphorically" oriented, I think. I use colorful metaphors and so forth th describe whatever kind of neuroses that I'm challeneged with, and faced with on a daily basis, or was at that time. And the book is basically the stories of why I'm whining the way I am.
Did you ever imagine yourself being this involved and in-demand as a guitarist and artist in your own right?
I guess I'm not seeing myself as "in-demand," so... But did I ever imagine it? No. I didn't really try to imagine much [laughs]. To try and foretell the future is not gonna help me with anything that I gotta deal with in the moment. I guess I'm grateful that I'm doing all the things I'm doing, but I've also spent a lot of time doing pretty much nothing. So it's taken a lot of work to get to this place. I don't think that I imagined anything coming together at once like it is. It's pretty overwhelming.
