The two sides
of T-Bone
By Cort Fernald
CM the Emerald
Most people only take notice of the
Superstar level of popular music — the MTV
"Boy" Stings and the Duran Bowie Bowies.
But, if you look closely, there's a number of
levels of popular performers, from lowly
local garage bands to successful and
creative recording artists, who are making
excellent music.
T-Bone Burnett, while a giant step beyond
a garage band, is one of those successful
and creative recording artists who hasn't
reached the glitter and become today's
haircut.
The EMU Cultural Forum will be presen
ting Burnett in what's billed as an intimate
solo performance in the EMU Ballroom, Fri
day, May 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 for
students, $6 for the general public.
Portland's Billy Rancher, also performing
solo, will open the show.
Burnett, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, has
played with the likes of Doug Sahm (Sir
Douglas Quintet), Delbert McClinton and
the legendary Stardust Cowboy. However, it
was as a member of Bob Dylan's Rolling
Thunder Revue, that Burnett came to
widespread attention.
Burnett's solo recording career began in
1980 and the release of "Truth Decay." His
1982 effort "Trap Door" garnered the album
of the year award from Village Voice and
Time. Burnett's latest LP "Proof Through the
Night" is receiving extensive airplay on the
alternative radio stations. The attention is
deserved — Burnett has an amazing corp of
studio musicians on the LP, including Ry
Cooder, Mick Ronson and Pete Townshend.
Not only has Burnett's recordings gained
critical acclaim, so has his producing.
Burnett has produced Leo Kottke's recent
LP “Time Step" and Los Lobos Grammy
winning EP "And a Time to Dance."
The Emerald interviewed Burnett in Los
Angeles as he rested from a cross-country
tour as Elvis Costello's support act. Burnett
was eager to talk about many things, from
how he writes a song to working with
Costello and Townshend.
Emerald: How are you playing these solo
performances — as solo acoustic or solo
electric guitar?
T-Bone Burnett: I've got three dates up
North and I think I'm going to do them
straight. . .solo acoustic. Elvis Costello and I
just did a tour together like that. We actually
did a set at the end of the show together as
The Coward Brothers. Henry and Howard
Coward.
> .-- ----
Emerald: How long have you known
Costello?
Burnett: We just met. We've been mutual
fans for some time.
Emerald: Your material is very thought
provoking. The cut I like the best on your
latest LP is "The Sixties."
Burnett: That's been a real controversial
one.
Emerald: How come?
Burnett: I think a song like that is suppos
ed to be controversial.
Emerald: There's talk that it's about the
Kennedys, Robert Kennedy's son.
Burnett: That's some of what set it off (the
writing of the song), when Robert Ken
nedy's son got arrested again for heroin.
The whole situation where all the hope of
the 1%0s is embodied in all the trouble the
(Kennedy) family has had in the 1980s. . .I
mean that song is really about the 1980s.
Emerald: The residue of the 1960s going in
to the 1980s. We can't escape the past.
Burnett: No, you can't. It's interesting
what part of a movement gets incorporated
into the society. There were so many good
things about the 1960s. We've just kept the
superficial parts of the 1960s.
Emerald: The fashions and not the ideas.
Burnett: Exactly.
Emerald: There used to be concern for the
individual and the society as a whole, but
everyone became "me" oriented in the
1970s.
Burnett: Yeah, very complacent.
Emerald: So are you trying to shake up the
complacency?
Burnett: I'm just trying to put my point of
view out. I'm not quite sure what affect a
singer can have.
Emerald: Popular music has become the
literature for the 1980s.
Burnett: Yeah, I think it is that way. I think
there is something you can do. I'm not quite
sure what. I think it's dangerous to begin to
think you can actually persuade people. I
think it's an area one has to be careful of.
My primary concern is to make good music
and make it so there is something in it that
can provoke thought.
Emerald: You've recorded with a number
of heavyweights — like Ry Cooder, Ronson
and Townshend. What's your association
with Townshend?
Burnett: We met a few years ago. I think
he's another guy who's concerned about
the same things we've been talking about.
He's a really wonderful guy. In fact the
whole area of show business I'm in, I find
the people very thoughtful and (hesitates)
loving.
Emerald: You're not in the glitter part of
show business.
Burnett: Yeah, Elvis and I were talking on
the road and I was saying that I was going to
put together a new band called The
Stereotypes. It seems such an obvious
name, I can't believe no one has used it yet.
I was saying how odd it is with the
stereotypical rock'n'roll star — If your hair is
right, and your jeans are tight, it's going to
be alright — the sex and drugs and
rock'n'roll and stuff. Everyone that I know
doesn't do all that, doesn't take drugs. Elvis
said, 'If you were in a heavy metal band you
might not be saying that.'
Emerald: You're in a more creative area.
Burnett: Yeah, I'm in an end of the
business where people are thinking about
things. They're (heavy metal bands) great
and funny, but they're not really thinking so
much about life and what not.
Emerald: I've got to ask you this...how
did you get the name T-Bone? Is it a
nickname or did your mother name you
that?
Burnett: It's a nickname I got from the
^Jfr=====:
/ 14
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros, rec ords
neighborhood kids, when I was five. It just
sort of came about. I've been trying to ditch
it.
Emerald: You shouldn't, it's a classic. It
works well with Burnett. Burnett's an old
rock'n'roll name.
Burnett: Yeah, Chester Burnett, johnny
Burnett, Dorsey Burnett.
Emerald: You're not related?
Burnett: (laughs) No, we're just good
friends, as they say in Hollywood. We pro
bably are, they come from Tennessee and
my family comes from Tennessee. Probably
related back a few generations.
Emerald: You were talking about
stereotypic rock'n'rollers a moment ago —
you're a Christian and sometimes when
rock'n'rollers become Christian they put
their Christianity heavily into their music.
This tends to alienate some of their au
dience. You're subtle about your Christiani
ty — is that a conscious effort?
Burnett: Not so much. Hopefully these
songs are inspired, art is supposed to be in
spired. I look at it more like I'm given these
songs and my job is to do them justice. I'm
not terribly conscious of it while I'm writing.
Emerald: How do you write a song?
Burnett: I just wrote a song called “What
the Missile Sees." I was in Chicago, in a
hotel, and when channel 7 went off the air
one of the cable networks came through on
that channel only it wasn't decoded so the
picture kept flashing back and forth bet
ween positive and negative and the sound
was all garbled. There was a James Bond
movie on. The last one with Sean Connery.
It was real interesting to watch because it
was so surreal. One of the early shots was of
two cruise missiles about ten feet over the
ground tracking some target. The point of
view kept reversing to what the missile was
actually seeing as it goes across the coun
tryside. And I thought, 'that's a great idea
for a song, because the missile can see
anything.' It was seeing kids in a
playground, a woman hanging out her
wash, and two men having a fight. I mean
that to me is an inspiration, because it puts
every situation right on the razor's edge.
You can say the missile sees two people
making love. You can say the missile sees
two people shooting each other.
Emerald: Good juxtaposition.
Burnett: It just puts people right on the
edge of: 'OK, this is the last thing your
doing.'
Emerald: Have you ever had any weird oc
currences while on tour?
Burnett: (laughs) Every night, I think, is a
really strange event. My shows aren't real
serious. I try to make it enjoyable.
Emerald: Thanks for the interview T-Bone.
Burnett: Sure, man. Adios.
“I want Tonie Nathan for County
Commissioner because we need an
intelligent, competent woman on
the board of commissioners.”
Lois L. Donis
President Cascade Chapter
American Business Womens Association
TONIE NATHAN
For County Commissioner
Paid lor by the Committee to elect Tonie Nathan lor County Commissioner, Jell
Motsinger, Chairman
P.O. Box 10152, Eugene, OR 97440 344-0038
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