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Raul Malo


A Conversation with Raul Malo (continued)

PM: And along those lines, I think it's great how in this world of seemingly endless techno entertainment and obsessions of all kinds, that a really good singer will still stop a lot of people in their tracks. They go, "Oh! Listen to that! That dude can really sing!"

[laughter]

RM: Well, thank you, man. Sometimes people bring their kids out to the shows, because obviously we get a lot of the middle-age types, and the 30, 40, and 50-somethings, we get a lot of that. And I think sometimes they bring their kids out just so that the kids can see some people playing instruments.

[laughter]

PM: And it's not like our fathers would have done the "See, now, that's singing." It's not like that. It's just like, "See, that's a band."

RM: "Honey, look, they're playing guitars up there. There's like instruments, there's these guys singing and making the music." It's just funny, I look out into the audience and see them there, and I just can't help but wonder, it's like they bring them around like people go to Amish farms, it's like, "What are they doing there? They're making butter the old way."

PM: Covered wagons.

RM: Yeah. It's kind of like that sometimes, it's like, "Ooh, what are they doing? Oh, they're playing saxophone, ooh-hoo. Look at that, kids."

PM: Yeah, it makes you wonder if some boomerang effect is up the road a piece, some reaction to...

RM: I think so, man. I really do. I'll tell you, I'm looking at it in my kids and their friends. The other day I walked by--my older son plays drums, and the other two play guitar and piano and they kind of just jam a little bit and sing, whatever. They had a buddy over, and man, they were playing to Led Zeppelin. All of a sudden they busted out into Led Zeppelin. These kids are like 11, 12 years old.

PM: Wow.

RM: And I thought, okay, I'm glad that this still has an appeal for them, because that's how I was when I was 11 years old, I wanted to play Led Zeppelin, I wanted to play the Beatles, I wanted to sit in there and play guitar.

PM: Absolutely.

RM: I'll tell you where I draw the line at my house. I don't care what the kids listen to, they can listen to whatever they want. I don't police that, because to me that does no good. But when they ask me if I think it's good, I'll tell them. And I don't like everything they listen to, but that's okay, it's their lives. But I do not let them play Guitar Hero in my house. 

PM: Ah, that's an interesting line. [laughs]

RM: I'm like, no. If you're going to spend four hours playing that shit, you're going to spend four hours playing guitar and learning to play that song for real.

PM: Wow.

RM: I mean, they'll sit there, and they're going to play that shit for four hours, and they're playing "Spirit in the Sky." Well, it's like in four hours, I could teach you to play "Spirit in the Sky."

PM: Yeah. "I'll teach you 'Smoke on the Water' in 30 minutes. Come on, let's go."

RM: Yeah, in 30 minutes, exactly. "Put that shit down. Here's a guitar. Here's a real guitar, not a stupid button thing."

PM: Oh, that's funny.

RM: So I don't let them do that. And that's the one thing where they say, "But Dad, but Dad, all our friends"--I said, "I don't care. You guys can play video games. But playing a video game of a rock band?" It's like, "No. What's next? Oh, here's a video game of being a couch potato."

PM: Yeah, right. Here's a video game of being a person.

RM: Here's a video game of vacuuming the house. No, vacuum the house.

[laughter]

RM: I draw the line there. And I know I'm going to get shit for it, because my God, those things have sold millions and millions of copies and all that. But I swear, I don't let it in my house. I don't.

PM: It would be one thing if it made kids want to go play guitar. "Wow, that was so much fun, I think I'm going to go get a Fender Squire."

RM: Yeah, it doesn't.

PM: It doesn't.

RM: This buddy of mine said, "It kind of teaches you." And I said, "No, it doesn't. It doesn't teach you a damn thing, because I've played it. And it doesn't teach you anything about playing music.

PM: No, you just have buttons, I think.

RM: Yeah, you got to make sure you're not color blind and that you have fingers. I mean, shit, Django Reinhardt wouldn't have been able to play it. You know?

PM: Ah, that's funny. Well, it's been a gas talking to you.

RM: [laughs]

PM: And I really, really love this record.

RM: Thank you, Frank, man, I appreciate you. I'm glad you dig it. I'm proud of this record, too. A lot of work went into it, so I feel good about it. The label is fantastic. And I think we're going to have a pretty good year.

PM: So do I. Yeah, I wish you all the best, Raul. Hope to see you on the road really soon.

"They're making butter the old way."

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