Hugh Cornwell - There's Life Beyond the Stranglers

"Music is reversible, time is not," as a song by the Electric Light Orchestra put it when played backwards. The hands of the clock can't turn back, and certainly not for Hugh Cornwell: fans of the Stranglers hoping for a return to the original band sooner or later can put that idea to rest. Hugh, rightly so, has spent almost 30 years now building an enviable solo career that has given him great satisfaction and given his fans unforgettable records and songs. Not to mention his forays into literature, theatre and film. "Monster", the new effort from the nearly seventy-year-old English gentleman, has just come out, blending his electric and acoustic sides in an interesting way. And it's plenty provocative. Here's what Hugh Cornwell had to say to OndaRock readers. Enjoy the read.

So, dear Hugh, musically speaking, what differences do you find between "Totem & Taboo" and "Monster"?

Well, they were created in different ways, I mean, for "Totem" we rehearsed the songs before going into the studio and it was a genuine live recording, the three of us: me, bass and drums recorded live with a few extra things added. "Monster", on the other hand, was created in a studio without other musicians, so it was quite a different situation to record in. But what's interesting is that playing "Monster" live is very exciting for me because it immediately becomes something real, whereas in the studio it's virtual, you know what I mean?

Of course, in the studio you overdub and things like that, while live it's different...

Yes, but I don't just mean overdubs, I mean we recreate the "Monster" record on stage without leaving anything out, it's all exactly as it should be! When I recorded "Monster", I wanted it to be very simple so it would be easy to recreate. It has similarities with "Totem & Taboo" because it's very simple, and I did that deliberately, but it's different in the sense that these aren't live performances, but studio recordings.

Maybe "Hooverdam" was more elaborate in that sense?

Oh, "Hooverdam" was much more elaborate, there was a lot more recording going on, even though it was only on sixteen tracks, there was more going on in the process.

In "Monster" you tackle both heroes and "villains". Do you judge them in some way in the lyrics, or do you take a neutral view of them?

No, I try not to be judgmental, the lyrics try to be empathetic towards them... when I say ⟦Q1⟧edibly interesting lives! Very interesting people, whether they were good or bad, fascinating and interesting people who achieved things regardless. So they're famous for a reason, whereas now, in today's society, we find people who want to be famous for nothing! They haven't done anything, and so you end up with people who are famous just because... they're famous! For no reason at all! So I realized that what I've done is a commentary on today's society for some reason... I mean: why do people want to be famous? I don't understand it, maybe it's because they find it hard to have an identity in today's world, to build their own identity on their own, so they believe that if they're famous they'll have an identity as individuals!

Yes, it's pretty superficial...

Yes, but it's funny, isn't it? That's how things stand today!

Sure, besides Andy Warhol, because that was something different back then...

Yes, yes, exactly! I think you've got it.

Sad but true, but also funny, you're right.

Yes, funny, humorous. I always see the funny side of things, even when it comes to Mussolini!

Tell us something about "Restoration", the acoustic rearrangement of some Stranglers classics, included as a bonus on the Monster record...

The idea came from the record label, Sony. They liked "Monster", but they said: "Let's try to get the interest of the Stranglers fans, maybe they're not interested in your music alone! Let's hook them with something from the Stranglers". They knew that every two years I do acoustic tours, and they asked me: "Why don't you record an acoustic album?". I'd never done that before - I've recorded acoustic shows, but I'd never gone into the studio to record an acoustic album. I liked the idea, and I chose songs that I think work really well with acoustic guitar and a few other extra bits. I wanted it to sound very dark, you know, like Johnny Cash's records or things like that, and that also influenced the choice of songs, since I picked songs where I sing in a baritone register rather than using high notes. Yes, I'm very happy with it, and you know what? It almost took longer to record "Restoration" than the "Monster" album.

Yes, something like Johnny Cash's American Recordings, actually...

Yes, it takes quite a while... the fewer things you have to put on the record, the more careful you have to be about how they sound.

Exactly, especially acoustically. And what's it like working with a big label like Sony in this strange digital age?

It's fantastic, they're great people, very forward-thinking, with great ideas: they come from indie labels, so they have an independent mindset. They love what I do, so I'm in a very fortunate position right now, since they have an interest in what I do. It makes me very happy.

Are you working on any extra-musical projects at the moment?

I'm working on a few extra projects, not necessarily musical ones: projects tied to a book and projects tied to a film. But these things move even more slowly than music, you know? Making a film progresses very, very slowly. You make progress, but very slowly. It's the same with books: everything is very slow. But they're active projects, and when something's ready, I'll make an announcement!

Is there anything you miss, and anything you don't miss, about your days with the Stranglers?

I don't miss having to be careful when you're in a band because you're in a political situation. So I don't miss the politics - I can do whatever I want now, it's my show and I love that. So I don't miss anything, really: the people I play live with, the bassist, the drummer and the whole crew... we're like a little family, you know? It's really nice, we're very close, we're happy with each other, we enjoy each other's company. We're like a little gang, and it's a really nice, positive situation, and you can see the results in the shows: the audience loves them, our fans say we've never sounded this good.

Can you send a final message and greeting to Hugh Cornwell's Italian fans?

Yes! I'm very unhappy about not being able to come and play in Italy. It's one of my favourite countries, I have loads of Italian friends, I love being in Italy, and so I'm very sad at the thought of not being able to come and play there. I hope there'll be an opportunity soon to come and play in cities like Bologna or Milan, Rome... all those lovely places! I can't wait, it will happen, but I don't know when. I mean, my profile is higher now with "Monster" and Sony, so maybe more people will be interested in organising things and bringing me there! I hope it happens sooner rather than later.

Ride the wave of great music

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