Al Jourgensen of Ministry Rants about ‘Rantology’, His New Release, Tour and Free CD Contest
June Caldwell
October 10, 2005
I had a chance to get some firsthand rants from the man who arguably single-handedly invented industrial music and is still going strong.
June: What inspired you to do this new cd?
Al: Actually,Sanctuary approached me…they were: “Al, it’s been 25 years, time for an anthology.” I’d already done “Greatest Fits” for Warners in 1999, so with Rantology I wanted to present something a little more interesting than just another compilation
June: What did you like best about doing it?
Al: Being able to go into trax and “fix” all the spots that have been bugging me over the years. Remixing some of the trax to my liking and getting a better production value.
June: What did you hate about it?
Al: Having to venture down memory lane. Going into some of those trax brought back a lot of memories, and also, I hate looking backwards. I like to keep moving forward. My best songs are yet to be written.
June: How did you choose what tracks to include to represent your growth over 25 years?
Al: I had some constraints be/c Sanctuary limited the number of tax to be licensed from Warner Brothers, so it was a bit of math trying to get the Ministry catalog represented effectively.
June: If you could add three tracks that were left out, what would they be?
Al: Thieves. Just 1 Fix 12” and Reload.
June: Did you ever think you would be going strong for so long?
Al: I never set out with a long-term game plan in mind. I set out wanting to create good music, so the fact I’ve been around for 25 years let’s me know I’m a cockroach, you can’t get rid of me.
June: How has industrial music changed since you started?
Al: Industrial music is a label the industry placed on Ministry. It’s the genre we’re lumped into. It wasn’t my idea. Music is music to me. There are two kinds-good and shit. Hopefully Ministry is in the good category.
June: How do you compare yourself to NIN?
Al: I don’t. In fact, I don’t compare myself with anyone, nor should anyone else.
June: You are very active in politics – what would most like to say to George W?
Al: Get out of Iraq.
June:Do certain political climates cultivate certain types of music trends, and if so, how does the political climate of today shape the music that is emerging?
Al: I can only speak for myself. For me, the Bush Administration(s) are my muse. It makes me angry. I write angry songs because I’m sick and tired of the arrogance of the right-wing and I’m not going to shut up until changes take place in this country. I know I cannot be the only artist out there who’s pissed off, so I’ll bet the crap that’s going on right now in America is pissing off other artists, and they are hopefully writing about it too.
June: I write for a London based site (artrocker.com) and US based sites (undergroundmine.com, californiachronicle.com) – how do you compare European and US audiences?
Al: European and US Ministry audiences are pretty much the same – they are rowdy and like a good party, which is where I come in.
June: What type of music do you love now that you never thought you would like 25 years ago?
Al: Opera – I grew up listening to country, so it’s been quite a transition.
June: What about the music scene has caused the change from “Don’t trust anyone over 30” to “partying with gramps in the pit”?
Al: Baby boomers grew up. Hey, old people even have sex! Whoo Hoo!
June: How does living in Texas compare with living in California?
Al: It’s kind of culturally vapid where we live, but the trade-off is that it’s peaceful and geologically interesting.
June: Are you a dog person or a cat person and why?
Al: I am an animal person. I love all animals. I have two dogs, four cats, two cockatiels and a tank full of fish. The more people I meet, the more I love and appreciate my critters.
June: Thanks Al!
Reprinted with permission from www.undergroundmine.com.
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