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INTERVJU - AXEL RUDI PELL
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Tyske gitarristen AXEL RUDI PELL är aktuell med ett nytt album bestående av enbart coverlåtar ”Diamonds Unlocked” (se tidigare recension). Därför ringer Axel upp en eftermiddag i oktober för att prata lite om nya plattan, turnerande och annat smått och gott..
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First off, I was wondering if there will be any touring for this album?
- No, there won’t be any touring at all for this album. There is just no time, right now I am doing interviews for the album and I have to concentrate on the DVD which will be out early next year and then songs for the next studio album. But for the next album we will tour definitely.
Tell us a bit more about the DVD…Is it live recordings?
- Yes, it will be a double DVD, the first one is the complete live show, that we did at this years Rock Hard Festival in Germany and the second DVD will be a collection of rare clips. Clips that I shot myself and that other people shot, amateur stuff, but it will be cool for the fans to watch. There are for instance 2 songs recorded at Sweden Rock, some from the Graspop festival and some older stuff from 2004.
Let’s talk a bit about the album “Diamonds Unlocked” and why you chose some of the songs. For instance the KISS song “Love Gun”, how did that come about and why did you make the changes you did in it?
- I don’t know, laughs Axel. The KISS song, we used to play live for 2 or 3 years and it was already a part of our acoustic set. When the KISS unplugged record came out, I think it was in the middle of the nineties, I was wondering why they didn’t include that track on there. I think it has a great melody to make a ballad out of and I was surprised that they didn’t, you know. And at rehearsal I said, hey, why don’t we play this as an acoustic version, they others said “are you sure”. But I said yeah, let’s try it and it worked great! Then we did it live and the fans were amazed by it, so then the decision to include it on the cover album was easy!
The artists that you chose to cover on the album, are they all your favourite artists?
-Oh no,no. For instance I was never a big U2 fan, but I liked this song, so for me it’s all about the songs, you know. I hear a great melody and I think I have to record it because it is a great song. I was never really into Chris Rea either, and I was never a real Michael Bolton fan. That song is from a really cool rock record he made in the eighties, and I thought it’s a really great track.
That makes sense, for instance I’ve always really liked the song “In the Air Tonight” but I have a problem with Phil Collins voice, so your version is much, much better!
- Oh thank you!, I will tell that to Johnny (Gioeli) too! We arranged it a bit different, I think it’s a really cool song.
About your singers, you have used some great American singers.. Is that a conscious move, is there no one good enough in Germany, or what’s the reason?
Axel laughs.- I was really proud when I found Johnny. And now this lineup has been together for 10 years. I always dreamt of having a singer like Johnny, he’s perfect in my opinion, one of the top five singers in hard rock music. You know I tried to get German musicians, German singers for my project when I started, but the demos just weren’t good enough. They were missing something, you know? But in America, I don’t know, maybe it’s in the air, but the voices are so great.
Let’s talk about music! Not about your old heroes, but today’s music. What are you into, what do you buy when you buy cd’s?
- I wouldn’t buy any nu metal bands..Let’s see, what are the last 3 or 4 albums I bought? The Heaven and Hell album, the live one, but I got that free from my record company. I bought Ken Hensley “Blood On The Highway”, let’s see what else, some Rainbow bootlegs haha, the Paul Stanley album, Deep Purple live, those are the last ones I bought.
Speaking of buying albums, what are your feelings on downloading music?
- There is a good thing and a bad thing about it. The good thing is you can put small snippets (like I did on my homepage from the new album) like a minute or something for people to listen to and see if they like this kind of music. Like a sample. That’s a good idea.
But on the other side, it’s very bad. For instance, for the “Diamonds Unlocked” record, I think 4 or 6 weeks before it was in the store, you could download the entire album on the internet! I looked at it myself and one song was downloaded 366 times, I was quite shocked. So that’s the bad thing about it. So I don’t know what’s better..
I don’t think it’s a good idea to put out an entire album for streaming, maybe I’m too old fashioned, I like to hold the record in my hand, look at the whole package etc.
Inspiration… What inspires you after all these years to continue to release albums and tour?
- The love for music! Most definitely, the fun of it. If I was bored with it or hated it, I wouldn’t make albums or tour or do anything, you know. Maybe get another job. This is the thing that is in my heart and blood, I have to do this! It is so much fun..
What is your favourite out of studio work and performing live?
-Both! I can’t say that I prefer one, because live you get the energy from the audience. But in the studio you can see a song growing, when everything comes together. First the drums, the rhythm guitars and then the vocals and you say wow, this is a cool track, you know. So I love both sides..
What lies in the long term future for Axel Rudi Pell?
- Hmm, I don’t know, maybe record another 20 albums, Axel laughs. I am old now, but then I will be very old. But to continue doing this for as long as I can.
And with that, we thank Axel for his time and wish him good luck with his future musical endeavours.
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