Chris Robinson Interview
Select Magazine
August, 1996
 

Q. Although you yourself are now based in Los Angeles, the band met up
in Atlanta to record the album. Why?

C. Well, i wish there was a really romantic story to go along with
it, but i jut don't think anyone else wanted to come out to LA. When we
made our last record. we were out here. The earthquake actually happened
during that time, and everyone from Atlanta, i made them all come out
here. So this time they were all like, 'Alright fucker, this time there's
no earthquake, just a lot of good barbecue. '

Q. You apparently rented a house, moved the band in. christened the place
Chateau de la Crowe and recorded the whole album there. Must have been
a bit mad.

C. The people who owned it are Dutch. They live in Holland, spend a
couple of years there, then come back to the States. And a couple of
months into our time there i'm looking around, and it was like a really
big happy frat house. If these people had come home in the middle of
that, they would have fuckin' dropped dead.

Q. If you enjoyed Atlanta, will you check out the Olympics?

C. Fuck, no! Everyone i know in Atlanta is getting the fuck out for
that, it's going to be a zoo! Alot of people think they're going to make
a lot of money, which is funny. 'You gonna make enough money to
retire, like in two weeks? 'That's impossible.

Q. You're fond of playing secret gigs under names like Thunderbolt
Grease Slapper. Where do you come by such finery?

C. There's a cartoon out here on cable called Tom Slick. He's a
racer, and the theme song goes 'Tom Slick, Tom Slick, in the Thunderbolt
Grease Slapper he'll be on your tail. 'That's the nameof his car, but
it's a pretty good name for a band. It was either that or
Pheno-Barbitol Omelette, but we thought the drug reference would just
go over people's heads.

Q. You've become a weed leader. Does the fact that people bang on about
that, rather than the music ever piss you off?

C. Yeah, but no. I don't mean this in a defensive way - i don't get bent
out of shape any more - but i don't care if weed is legal. But right
now in the States they're gonna a have a conference to discuss
drug-testing musicians! Get the fuck out of here! It's like someone
should have drug tested Edgar Allen Poe, the miserable prick! The most
depressed, alcoholic, syphilitic weirdo in the world, but he left us all
those stories. Thelonius Monk, get out of the the recording
session, you're a junky! Jerry Garcia, please leave the stage! Bob
Dylan, do not stay up for weeks on end during the '60's writing the
best lyrics ever! It's ludicrous!

Q. Finally, what's the deal with the beard?

C. I think this beard has grown me! The beard came first! I just can't
seem to get around to shaving. But you know the saddest thing? I put on
baseball cap, and all of a sudden i know how to fix cars! I see old
pictures when we used to be a lot more dandy and i'm like 'Goddamn, who
are those fucking teenagers? 'But that's a lot of miles ago buddy.