BLACKBERRY SMOKE (Richard Turner)-Interview from the past (2005)

 This is a long gone interview with BLACKBERRY SMOKE from 2005 . I heard about BS at an online webstore. Maybe it was CD baby. I bought the album and wrote a review at the Metal Invader webzine. By the time they found out,they send a thank you email and we arrange an online (email) interview. The webzine is long gone (actually works the last few years under new management). I decided to repost the interview (i manged to retrieve from my old archives) mostly because it is among the first ones in European press. Long before Classic Rock discover the hype of Southern rock, a webzine in Greece, carried the confederacy flag of Southern rock and i hope you like what you ll read. A promising band at their first steps. Thank you Mr.Turner and co for all the good music and vibes.

There Is no smoke without fire

BLACBERRY SMOKE are one of these bands ,that they need all the luck they can get. They are from the South, playing hard kicking ass southern hard rock, and have released a cd that has been reviewed In METAL INVADER and came as a surprise In the dry land of last years production. They got the music and the attitude, but how far can you go, when you are not In the hype. Hopefully too far as long as people like us like good music and looking for It and bands like BLACKBERRY SMOKE producing It. They found some to to be more accurate Mr.Richard Turner, the bass player, to explain us a few things, about what it likes to play southern rock In 2005.A man of his words speaks freely, about the difficulties of being a musician and what racism, means or not for a Southern. Enjoy a true musician and as It seems a fine man also (as long as you don’t mess with his wife)

Hi Rich

At last I found some time for the questions

First of all a few words about the band, a short bio, when did you start the band, where and why?

We were resurrected from the burnt ashes of alt-country band BUFFALO NICKEL of Universal Records fame…Guitarist-Charlie Starr, brothers Drummer-Brit Turner and Bassist-Richard Turner reformed as a trio for a short period, adding a second guitarist Paul Jackson to form what is now known around the world as BLACBERRY SMOKE. Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2002 and named by none other than Chris Robinson of the BLACK CROWES/NEW EARTH MUD fame

I guess for anyone listening to the cd the influences are obvious, but what about those who don’t know you, who you will describe as influence and how?

We are very influenced by local legends the ALLMAN BROTHERS, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION, as well as some west coast bands such as LITTLE FEAT and the EAGLES. We are very proud of a fella from Waycross, Georgia by the name of Gram Parsons. And who can forget “the Band”? What a great volume of work.

You are releasing a self financed album, how did you choose this option and not using a company?

Having been signed to a number of labels over the years, we came to decide, “Who needs ‘em?” Promises broken, bills blown WAY out of proportion…you’ve heard the horror stories.

Having toured with SKYNYRD,or just open a few concerts for them, how did you get the gig? What is the feeling to play before the living legends of Southern rock?

I was listening to the radio in my car and heard the SKYNYRD show announcement for Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, and I called our agent Craig Newman of A.P.A in Los Angeles, and just out of curiosity asked if he could get us on the show. He called their agent and initially all was good, then the promoter refused us on the bill, so SKYNYRD ,out of consideration, offered us a show in Dallas, Texas. Several other shows came and went and we all got along great, and the rest is history.

All in all, the feeling of standing in front of about 20,000 people is awesome.

On your album you choose to cover a song from another underrated southern/hard rock band, GEORGIA SATELLITES, why?

Well you can’t deny it’s great music, and we like to associate ourselves with great music, so it’s very natural that we would cover a lesser known artist, and speaking of the SATELLITES, I hung out with guitarist Rick Richards last night and invited him to come play on our new record we’re currently working on.

Tell us a little about your album producer, did he bring the experience from JACKAL, did he interfere with the songs?

Jesse Dupree offered us his studio for REAL CHEAP and we accepted and you can hear the lack of funding in the recording, but hell, it was a lot of fun and a great experience and we to this day play shows together and he actually lives about 2 miles from me, so we remain close friends.

You include a few live recordings, I assuming right that it was financial reasons that didn’t let you do proper recordings of these songs in the studio?

I’m going to come clean about this for the first time ever…as you are probably well aware, lot’s of bands fake the audience, or DUB it in…Peter Frampton, is the biggest example. Shooter Jennings' latest record has a canned audience on at least one track. The crowd you are hearing on our record, is from the 1970’s off the ZZTOP live record! You can actually hear someone yelling “ZZTOP!” in the audience if you listen real closely.

Your songs are always about the troubled side of life. Are BLACKBERRY SMOKE a bunch of street kids with heavy southern accent, or the warm hearted guys, South used to be famous for?

A little of both I suppose, we’re not strangers to the occasional bar-fight and were actually attacked between sets on one show a few years ago, but that’s rock and roll! Our philosophy is, we’re all here to have a good time, but if you lay a hand on our women, you will get your teeth kicked in. Pretty simple really.

Playing southern rock in our days is probably the most unfashionable thing you could ever imagine. Why you didn’t prefer some sleaze rock direction or a country direction as both would sell probably more?

Bucking the system is why I was put on earth it seems. Following the trend is suicide, usually, because by the time the trend reveals itself, it’s already over. Plus we were never really hip on wearing makeup and the like. And breaking into country is like robbing a bank, Nashville is filled to the top with the very finest unemployed musicians in the world and if they don’t fit a very particular format, they get ignored.

Who is responsible for the photo and the artwork. Let me guess from your email address you work at some kind of design office , so it has to be you?

You are very correct!

What is the reaction to the album till now?

We steadily sell out of records on tour, and our website is working very well to get the cd into a lot of international hands, like yours.

Are there any plans for a second album, and better promotion?

We are working on the second record right now, as we have some time off. Bradford Todd (Faith Evans #2 Billboard debut) and Sean Groves (SEVEN DUST/COLLECTIVE SOUL) will produce and engineer, and a good handful of talent will be on hand to lend piano, etc. (Joey Huffman of MATCHBOX20/SOUL ASYLUM/WILD CHERRY and Keith Richards, etc.). Rick Richards of the GEORGIA SATELLITES may join in for some guitar ripping as well.

Your sound is guitar oriented, is there any possibility to mix it with some piano or keyboards in the future, to get that honky tonk sound a lot of southern bands use?

When we can afford it! Well actually we are adding a little dobro, more piano/hammond as I already stated and perhaps a bit of banjo and pedal steel.

As a young band you may have heard of DRIVE BY TRUCKERS, MY MORNING JACKET, KINGS OF LEON, get praised by the magazines as the future of southern rock. On the other hand bands like you and the ALLIGATOR STEW, RAGING SLAB, seem to be forgotten, how do you feel about it?

I keep a list of all the people I’m going to punch in the mouth for giving praise to crap.

Do you think the success of bands like NASVILLE PUSSY could give some help to bands like yours?

We have done several shows with NASVILLE PUSSY and will continue to do so, as soon as Blaine and Rhyder get their guitars replaced, (they were just stolen at the Atlanta Airport upon return from France last week!)

How did you felt reading a review good one, for your album in a webzine in Greece?

We add it to the pile of other great reviews we get from overseas…it seems that the road is paved for us to come over to Europe, etc. and deliver the goods. We are always truly thrilled to get a review period.

Your wildest dream as a musician?

Four women in the bed at once…uh…that’s no longer a dream…so it has to be the ability to not worry about financing and to support my family and see the world doing what I LOVE to do.

Any plans for touring outside US?

Absolutely. We’d really like to get on a USO tour, or support some huge assed band like U2 or the Stones, etc.

Southern people are accused a lot of time for conservatism, and racism, gives us your opinion on that ?

Racism exists everywhere…for instance you cannot say the “N” word in Toronto Canada without getting in a fight with a white person… this I have actually witnessed. But it’s a free-for-all to insult the Pakistani man for coming into Canada and taking a job from a Canadian. To continue to single out the South as racist is just plain ridiculous. And as far as conservatism goes, I was taught to turn the light off when I left the room and that was to conserve electricity. That is how I define conservatism. I am a pro-life, pro-family, white-boy and realize that it’s the differences in all of us that make the world a truly wonderful place and I do not believe that I am ‘right’ and the other guy is ‘wrong’, I just do what is right for me and let the other guy do what is right for him. We all have our politics, but to think our own beliefs are the best or to impose them on others is to disregard the differences that make life worth living. Now if the other guy thinks touching my wife in an inappropriate manner is ‘right’, then we have a problem.

Thanks for your time and I hope the next album will give us a chance to speak in person

Stelios

Thanks for the opportunity and we look forward to meeting you!

Richard Turner

Blackberry Smoke

 Van Zant- "Always look up"

In our days of infidelity,selfishness and "atheism' a band, or to be more accurate, two Southern men who honor their pants decided to release a Christian country/Southern rock album. Despite the laughter and the teasing of the left wing fascists around the world, Johnny VZ singer of legendary LYNYRD SKYNYRD and Donnie VZ singer of 38 SPECIAL put their faith on their sleeve and delivered a heartful, uplifting album. If you can't stand the original and true positivity that real faith in God and human, Christianity means, skip the rest of the review and stuck at the devil's nonsense Black Metal music, egocentric  pop, rap,trap,or even worse, islamic and other hate loving religions, inspired albums by a variety of artists out there. 

 

The VZ brothers with a sound that owes more to 38 SPECIAL and their AOR inclined Southern Rock honor also their Southern SKYNYRD roots at the lengthy and epic "Jesus Christ' are singing for the love of believing and praying to the Lord, the higher power who spreads love all around. Most of the spiritual people will  connect with the deeper meanings of the album, even if they're not Cristians or definitely don't visualize the higher power as God/Jesus. But VZ wont bother, they pray and sing about love, humility, solidarity, the core issues of Christianity and they touch your deeper feelings, even if you are an infidel, except if you re deaf. Musical , the album is a nice AOR/Southern rock with country touches album ,that has echoes of 38 SPECIAL,LYNYRD SKYNYRD, MOLLY HATCHET plus some FM country and it's an interesting counterbalance to the Christian metal of STRYPER and BARREN CROSS. Songs like "Stand Up","Warrior" "Praying", "Its up to you" and 'Holy moment' combine the strength and positivity of the Gospels with the power of guitar driven Southern rock. 

 

Highly recommended to uplift yourself during hard times ,when music needs to serve a bigger purpose.

7.5

 

Addicted To You {Lyric Video} | WHEN RIVERS MEET

 

 This song is all about that undeniable pull, the kind of love or passion you just can’t shake. Hope you enjoy it.

Let us know what you think in the comments, and thanks for listening.

«Τα αγόρια του Νίκελ» Colson Whitehead (Ικαρος) 

 Μοντέρνα Αμερικάνικη λογοτεχνία από έναν μαύρο συγγραφέα με άποψη. Ο CW χρησιμοποιεί την ιστορία ενός εφήβου που από μια «κακιά» στιγμή, από μια άτυχη επιλογή, οδηγείται αντί για τα θερινά μαθήματα λογοτεχνίας του τοπικού κολεγίου σε μια πολιτεία του Νότου, στο αναμορφωτήριο/σχολείο Νίκελ. Η ιστορία ξεκινά και τελειώνει με μία αναδρομή, στο χθες με τα μάτια του σήμερα. Με απλή γραμμική αφηγηματική γραφή, ο Whithead μας εισάγει στην ζωή του μικρού Έλγουντ, τα όνειρα και την ωρίμανση του, καθώς με την είσοδο του στην εφηβεία ο αγώνας ενάντια στον φυλετικό διαχωρισμό γίνεται βίωμα στη γενιά του. Συμπαραστάτης του και σιωπηλή φωνή του παρελθόντος του φόβου και των φυλετικών διακρίσεων η γιαγιά του. Προστάτης άγγελος και ταυτόχρονα δεσμοφύλακας, ενός αγοριού, που βλέπει την επερχόμενη είσοδο του στο κολέγιο, σαν άνεμο ελευθερίας και οδό διαφυγής από το οικογενειακό περιβάλλον. Ένα αγόρι, πρόθυμο, συντεταγμένο, με αγάπη στα κόμικ, τη ζωή αλλά και στην αρχή της συνειδητοποίησης με άρμα ένα άλμπουμ με ηχογραφημένες ομιλίες του Μ.Λουθερ Κινγκ, που πυρπολούν την καρδιά του και ατσαλώνουν την θέληση του για ένα καλύτερο κόσμο.

Ένα τυχαίο γεγονός, θα τον οδηγήσει στο αναμορφωτήριο Νικελ. Εκεί που ο νόμος είναι λευκοί και μαύροι επιτηρητές ,επόπτες και ενώ επιφανειακά θυμίζει μια ήπια εκδοχή αναμορφωτηρίου, περισσότερο ένα σχολείο με συνοδεία εργασιών στις εγκαταστάσεις του σχολείου, κτήματα, τυπογραφείο κτλπ, στην πραγματικότητα, είναι μια συμπυκνωμένη μικρογραφία της διαφθοράς των σωφρονιστικών μηχανισμών των Η.Π.Α. Η αποθήκη του είναι χώρος ξυλοδαρμών όταν οι επιτηρητές, αποφασίσουν απείθεια ή σεξουαλικής κακοποίησης. Οι κλίκες ανάμεσα στους τροφίμους και ο διαχωρισμός ανάμεσα στα μικρά και τα μεγαλύτερα παιδιά, είναι όλα στο ίδιο χρώμα, γκρίζο. Αυτό που προκύπτει από το ανακάτεμα των μαύρων και λευκών τροφίμων, που η τύχη τους είναι κοινή, όταν δεν ακούσουν/υπακούσουν τη φωνή του επόπτη –Κυρίου. Ο Έλγουντ προσαρμόζεται, με τα λόγια του Μ.Λ.Κινγκ να αντηχούν στα αυτιά του. «Ρίξτε μας στη φυλακή και θα σας αγαπάμε πάλι»» Η αγάπη είναι το όπλο του, αλλά οι σφαίρες φαίνεται να είναι χωρίς μολύβι. Μαζί με τον φίλο του Τέρνερ, βιώνουν ένα κόσμο, που η ηθική αναδιαμορφώνεται από τους επόπτες, με την χρήση τους για εργασίες εκτός αναμορφωτηρίου και την πώληση των προμηθειών σε «καλούς» καταστηματάρχες. Βία, καταπίεση αλλά και μικρές σχολικές ιστορίες σε έναν τόπο ξεχασμένο από Θεό και ανθρώπους. Μια μικρή Αμερική, που το Κράτος με τη μορφή των εποπτών αν και διαχωρίζει λευκά και μαύρα αγόρια, τρομοκρατεί εξίσου όλες τις ομάδες, με γνώμονα την διατήρηση της ηρεμίας και της εξουσίας, κρύβοντας την υπέρβαση της εξουσίας, με νυκτερινές επιδρομές και για σοβαρές περιπτώσεις εξαφανίσεις των «ταραχοποιών

Είναι η φλόγα των 60ς ,της γενιάς του αγώνα κατά των φυλετικών διακρίσεων, που καίει στην καρδία του Έλγουντ, μαζί με την ελπίδα να εκτίσει την ποινή του και να επιστρέψει στον κανονικό κόσμο. Είναι όμως και οι ισορροπίες στο Νίκελ, που δεν επιτρέπουν πάντα να γίνει αυτό που ελπίζει. Η παράνοια της φυλετικής διάκρισης που ο Whithead σχολιάζει εύστοχα μέσα από το βιβλίο του, όσο και της κρατικής βίας απέναντι στις ασθενέστερες τάξεις φαίνεται στον Μεξικανό τρόφιμο, που είναι πολύ λευκός για τους μαύρους και πολύ μελαμψός για τους λευκούς. Τα κλειδιά κρατιούνται σε δερμάτινες ζώνες με βαριές αγκράφες, που λύνονται μόνο για να κακοποιήσουν κάποιοι εκ των φυλάκων νεαρά αγόρια, με τα ουρλιαχτά να χάνονται στον θόρυβο μεγάλων επαγγελματικών ανεμιστήρων. Ο Έλγουντ χρησιμοποιεί σαν άλλος Κινγκ, την μόρφωση και την ευφυΐα του για να δώσει ένα χτύπημα στο σαθρό σύστημα του Νικελ, με ευκαιρεία μια επίσκεψη επιθεωρητών της πολιτείας. Ένα υπολογισμένο χτύπημα, με τα ίδια τα μέσα που σου δίνει το σύστημα .όπως όμως και στις ΗΠΑ του 2021, το σύστημα έχει τις δικες του οδούς διαφυγής και παράκαμψης, που θα τον οδηγήσουν στην τιμωρία και την απόδραση. Στο σήμερα, ένας αλλαγμένος Έλγουντ, μαζί με άλλους επιζώντες «αποφοίτους» θα μας γυρίσει στο παλιό σχολείο και τους δεσμώτες του, δίνοντας ένα οριστικό τέλος σε μια ιστορία, που αναπαράγεται από τη δεκαετία του 1920 ως σήμερα, με ζοφερές παραλλαγές.

Η παθογένεια των ΗΠΑ και το υπόβαθρο των φυλετικών διακρίσεων, μαζί με τον στρουθοκαμηλισμό στο πραγματικό πρόβλημα, τις κοινωνικές και φυλετικές ανισότητες και την ασυδοσία του κράτους, γίνονται θέματα σχολιασμού από τον Colson Whithead μέσα από το Νίκελ. Ἐνα μυθιστόρημα για την δεκαετία του 60, επίκαιρο όσο ποτέ στην δεκαετία του 2020 , που τέμνει βαθιά την Αμερικάνικη κοινωνία και το σύστημα εφαρμογής απονομής της δικαιοσύνης και τις παθογένειες του, δίνοντας την απάντηση γιατί τίποτα δεν άλλαξε. Γιατί δεν αρκεί ένας Ἐλγουντ να γκρεμίσει ένα σαθρό οικοδόμημα, που βασίζεται στην βία ,την ασυδοσία και τη διαφθορά, με συμμέτοχους όλων των χρωμάτων ,που τους ενώνει η στολή και η εξουσία.

ΛΛιτό δυναμικό και άγριο το ¨Τα αγόρια του Νικελ» είναι ένα μυθιστόρημα, δυνατό σαν γροθιά στο στομάχι. Φλογα που φωτίζει το αέναο σκοτάδι της εξουσίας που δεν κοιτά φυλές και χρώμα, αλλά εξουσιαστές και εξουσιαζόμενους. Διαβάζεται απνευστί και συζητιέται για μέρες.

 Kiko Loureiro-  "Theory of mind"

Freed from his MEGADETH obligations, Loureiro releases his new sixth solo album , just to remind us how versatile and volatile a guitar player is. From speed metal anthems, to more fusion  compositions he nails the licks and brings some new tricks,when he infuses latin and flamenco fingering to the compositions. 

 

The album has a main concept of the exploration of human cognition and also the use of AI as an inspiration and driving force in modern society, as Lureiro says " As I wrote and composed, I kept coming back to the question: What happens when machines learn to understand us on an emotional level? When do we teach them to interpret our mental states? Does it make them more human, or does it reveal more about what it means to be human ourselves? Should I let AI start making all the music, what about me, how can I express myself?"  At the musical level his influences are all over the place along with his tenure at MEGADETH that inspired the solid, heavy and bombastic rhythm section thanks to some well known friends from the ANGRA past, bassist Felipe Andreoli and drummer Bruno Valverde,. at most of the songs.

 

 

The sound and 'voice" of early Tony Macalpine at his classical influences check "The barefoot queen" where also his ANGRA past shines and 90s melodic shredding in the way Vinnie Moore used to do at "Mind rise' are everywhere. The musicality of Michael Schenker meets the aggression of Kirk Hammet and Dave Mustaine and the result is a modern instrumental album that combines metal, latin and fusion with no compromises. Loureiro is not afraid to experiment as in "The other side of fear" where bands like MESHUGGAH come to mind with their complex intensity or just release heavy metal thunder as in  "Lost in seconds". His versatility between fusion, metal and classical shows off at "Talking  dreams" and "Blindfolded' where hte rhythm section sometimes overshadows the frenzy guitar master. 

 

An album for guitar instrumental friends who loved the Varney school of shredders along the MEGADETH years and a nice addition along with Marty Friedman's of melodic latest releases.

7.5
 

 THE HELLACOPTERS -"Overdriver"

Second album since the reunion and the band balances between melodic , guitar driven, Honky tonk twelve bar rock n roll,  70s based Hard rock and the fuzzy garage sound most of us loved them for. KISS and SKYNYRD have their place in their guitar sound and song structure as have the female 60s bands like RONETTES with the big, haunting choruses. 

 The band is as always on top form offering a friendly to the ear, and the listener melodic hard rock , polished and yet edgy from the opener "Token apologies" to "Do you feel normal". If you're looking for their Detroit influenced days, their sound might disappoint you besides songs like "Wrong face on". A lot of hardcore fans of THE HELLACOPTERS compare their new album with Andersson's previous band IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC. I don't blame them but on the other hand ,Nicke is the main man behind both bands and his love of the 60s garage music incorporates also the more melodic 60s aspect that he ifuses to the early 70s KISS songwriting. The result is a number of high powered , short songs like "Don't let me bring you down", "I don't wanna be just a memory", "Doomsday dreams" that deliver a more hard rocking punch in an era of prefabricated plastic rock and pop music, with intensity at the melodic part. 

 

 

Its up to you to dig it or not, but the real COPTERS fan will find something to appeal to him and the band is at the left side of their music range.

7.5

 

Drinkin' with The Devil - David Vincent (Morbid Angel) with Danny B. Harvey (Headcat)

 

 Video of the Outlaw Country single by DAVID VINCENT, the legendary voice of the genre defining extreme metall whose unapologetic rebel approach has been a force in the music world since the mid 1980’s when he founded and was lead singer for Morbid Angel. DANNY B. HARVEY is the rockabilly legend who started the rockabilly/hardrock band HEADCAT with LEMMY KILMISTER & SLIM JIM PHANTOM in 1999.

Featuring: David Vincent (Vocals & Guitar) Danny B. Harvey (Guitar), Chris Barnes (Upright Bass), Tom Lewis (Drums) and J.W. Wade (Steel Guitar). Official Cast/Crew: Laren Grey (Actor) and Nic Brown (Filmmaker).

Produced by Gene Freeman (Machine)

Available on limited-edition 7" vinyl: from Chicken Ranch Records
https://store.chickenranchrecords.com...

Video filmed, directed, edited and produced by: Joshua Allan Vargas / Co-prodcer: Jvstin Whitney

Filmed at: J. Lorraine Ghost Town in Manor, TX

Music Produced and Engineered by Gene "Machine" Freeman at Machine Shop Studio in Dripping Springs, TX.

GHS Strings: https://amzn.to/4jIyR1N
Dunlop Picks & Strings: https://amzn.to/3CwmTHE
MXR Pedals: https://amzn.to/4jASAQP

"Drinkin; with the Devil" : composed by Danny B, Harvey & David Vincent ASCAP

#countrymusic #outlawcountry #heaveymetal #morbid #tending