10 Questions

Back with another installment of "10 Questions" to ring in February! Hope you enjoyed the Best of 2009 post as much as I did, too. (Been questing for albums you may not have heard in the interim?)

Right, well, let's on with it shall we? I've been excited about this one for a long time and-now that the time's here, I'm somewhat baffled at how to begin. Allow me to state this: in the years I've been communicating with this man I've known him to be every bit the gentleman; he's done me favors from afar (as one particular reader in France can attest), answered virtually everything I've thrown at him; tipped me wise to bands I should know or releases I should be aware of; been a part of some of my favorite music for a (very) long time and all the while treated me with respect. He's a guy I root for and revel in the fact he's living his personal dream as an international gadfly. Always involved and engaging. Oh, and he plays a mean guitar. (Drums, too!)

Readers, we're tremendously honored today by the presence of...



Ricky! Founder member of the Brian Jonestown Massacre; member of The Imajinary Friends and Mellow Drunk; plays & produces The Black Ryder; sidekick of Steve Kilbey, of the Church; sometime member of The Koolaid Electric Company; and has appeared on more albums than we probably have space for. He gets around. We're all better for it.

It seems fitting that -as the Brian Jonestown Massacre are set to launch a massive tour of points all over the globe this month, we ply him for answers to our survey. Here he is:

In ten words-or less, define "psychedelic music."

"music made by people who took the drugs for you"

2. What is the most psychedelic instrument, why?

the raagini electronic tambura machine,
it just drones on and on and...



3. Favorite psychedelic album of all time? (What makes it your favorite?)

Piper at The Gates Of Dawn



[It's playful stream of conscious nature, Syd cracked on to songwriting style that became hugely influencial.]

4. What legendary lost recording or unfindable bootleg would you most like to have?

I THINK I HAVE EVERYTHING ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

5. What song or album that wouldn't fall into the classic "psych" definition is, nevertheless, psychedelic to you?


"154" by WIRE its like the sgt pepper of post-punk




6. What band or album do you think has been overlooked in this genre?


It seems to me that at this point it has all come to the surface. everyone seems to know everything about everything these days...



7. Assemble a psychedelic "Supergroup" of current musicians for us:



Anton Newcombe
Dan Allaire
Frankie Teardrop
Matt Hollywood
Collin Hegna
Rob Campanella
Joel Gion
and myself



8. You're in a discussion with your great-great-great grandfather, through time travel; what song of you've played on are you going to play for him from your catalog as an example of what you do?

"Hollywood Ending" from the "David Neil" album by Steve Kilbey and myself (currently unreleased)

and "Raining Pleasure - THE TRIFFIDS & FRIENDS LIVE in SYDNEY 2008" DVD
and then BJM - Evergreen and Wisdom
some Mellow Drunk and Wild Swans

and a record by a Perth band called The Morning Night I just produced


9. Top Ten Psychedelic Songs?

1. See Emily Play - The Pink Floyd
2. Defecting Grey - The Pretty Things
3. Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles
4. 200 Light Years From Home - The Rolling Stones
5. Ogden's Nut gone flake - The Small Faces
6. The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke) - Hawkwind
7. The Real Thing - Russell Morris
9. The Cooks of Cake and Kindness - The Californians
10. Are You Experienced - The Jimi Hendrix Experience






10. Turn the tables, if you'd like, and ask me a question.


Ricky: Have you heard the new Luke Haines record???

-valis: 21st Century ? Thanks to you I have! I even played the title track on a power pop show I sit in on occasionally, back in early January of this year. Interesting album, as you'd expect from an Auteur.



Thank YOU Ricky! Safe journeys friend, and sun aplenty!