Interview with John Craven, November 1993.

The man is a legend in these parts. This year's CD re-release of his 1979 Craven Angel album is already breaking records at Clustcwyr, and this Christmas, John Craven brings out his first new album in nine and a half years. Evan Paris sniffs out the details.

EP - Hiya, John.
JC - You alright?
EP - Not so bad. Yourself?
JC - Aye... What can I do you for?
EP - Let's start with the new album.
JC - It's crap.
EP - Er... right.
JC - Bloody awful. I shouldn't say that... I need the money... um. Forget that... it's great. It's crap.
EP - It's called Cuntyphile.
JC - There's a skull and cross bones in there. Connie's management made them put in a skull and crossbones. Scared of words.
EP - Mm. Yeah... It's a collaboration, isn't it? You and Connie Lyndhurst.
JC - That's right. It's being publicised mainly by Connie's management. By rights I souldn't be talking to you.
EP - Oh.
JC - They're very strict on that sort of thing. Anyway... the album is... a lot of crap, innuendo laden songs. Smut really. Real sub- Ivor Biggun shite. That's the type of people her pubicity are aiming at. Very popular they reckon. Yah... Novelty record.
EP - Right...
JC - Tacky attempt at regaining some popularity for a sagging ex-addict porn-star.
EP - What's your involvment then?
JC - All too much. Wrote most of it. Played most of it. Someone had to. It's a Mannon thing. Gyuh.
EP - So you don't like it?
JC - There's a time and a place for this sort of thing, and it's in Carry On Immanuel.
EP - Yikes.
JC - That's a nice noise, Ev. No, seriously. I dunno what I was thinking. I was bewitched... It's a relationship thing.
EP - A-huh. Course, you've parted company now, haven't you?
JC - That's right. This is very much a posthumous release. I'd rather it weren't going out, but it is, and so I just feel duty bound to warn you all that it's crap.
EP - So what're you doing with your life now?
JC - I'm back here, Ev.
EP - The Clustcwyr flat.
JC - A-huh. The Clustcwyr flat, readers.
EP - Bit of a come-down from that barn, innit?
JC - Alright, Ev, don't rub it in. I stuck it out as long as I could, but even I have scruples. I mean that record came out of that. Stuck with it as long as I could, but you've got to draw the line somewhere.
EP - I heard she threw you out.
JC - Well that was a management thing. Ministry of Truth. Even I'm not quite sure what went on... It was an odd set up.
EP - What way?
JC - Her management. Her PR team. She's not getting the work she used to, so what they say goes. Dunno. Should probably not talk about it. Don't want to fuck her career up. She can do that herself. Or they can.
EP - So what you doing musically? If anything.
JC - Well I need money now. Tell you what, that Craven Angel CD was well timed. I'm as popular as I've ever been, if not more. All them students... Owe it all to Nirvana. All us old new-wavers get to make a few bob again. Cheers, Kurt.
EP - You gigging?
JC - Ahuh. I'm Wales's very own Thurston Moore. Only better, of course.
EP - Of course.
JC - I've been re-visiting all my old haunts. It's great.
EP - So what's next on the cards?
JC - They're bringing out Death of the Craven Angel on CD sometime this next year, then hopefully the old stuff'll get done too.
EP - A-huh.
JC - Yeah. I'm really enjoying myself.
EP - Let's discuss some of your old albums then.
JC - Ok.
EP - Craven Angel's been out a couple of months now on CD, so let's start there.
JC - Nice little album. Been into that a lot more recently. I always get it confused with the other one... the second one... yeah. I'm pretty happy with it. Scrubs up well too, eh?
EP - It's a nice little record, sure.
JC - Shiny.
EP - Tis now.
JC - I was always a bit wary about some of the songier numbers... you know, Brain Dead and what have you... but I've got quite into them recently. Dunno if that's a Connie influence. God, I hope not.
EP - Hah. They are close to poodle-rocking, some of them...
JC - Hey!
EP - Well they are.
JC - They are a bit, but most of it's alright. That's the Hillage influence you're seeing there.
EP - Yeah. All that slick guitar business.
JC - Well I got to show off, yeah. I reckon the kid's'd love the first album given that, don't you?
EP - It is a lot grungier.
JC - That's "Craven A". "Craven A".
EP - Always preferred Craven A to Craven Angel.
JC - You're in a minority.
EP - I usually am.  Does verge on the novelty side though... I mean some of the songs on Craven A don't look out of place alongside Cuntyphile... Tijuana Bluegrass Nightmare for instance.
JC - Hey! Take that back!
EP - Well don't you agree?
JC - I suppose so. Really. If you're gonna be like that. Maybe the kids are better off with Craven Angel.
EP - What about Death Bitch Queen?
JC - Nobody likes Death Bitch Queen.
EP - Apart from me.
JC - Apart from you. I think Clustcwyr'll leave that till last.
EP - So Craven A is your raw, rough around the edges, I suppose we could say "grungy" record...
JC - A-huh.
EP - And Death Bitch Queen was your arty-farty over-produced follow-up...
JC - I think that's a bit strong... It was too experimental for the punk fans though, yeah... Go on...
EP - Then you went all bleaghry with your strumaphonic concept album...
JC - West Coast Resort... Yes. I'd forgotten I even made that. That was alright really... in a strummy Peter Hammill sort of way.
EP - Yees. Then we get Craven Angel.
JC - Which was my proto-goth-punk-metal-thingy um...
EP - Something along those lines, yeah.
JC - Followed swiftly by the sequel... Death of the Craven Angel... which wasn't as good... shit, I shouldn't say that, if it's being re-released, eh?
EP - Probably not, but it was inevitable really.
JC - It's still good. Just not "as good".
EP - Well covered.
JC - Yeah. No. Really. It's ok. Just a bit... Hillage-y.
EP - Mm. Songs to Scream At. That was good.
JC - I don't remember recording that at all, you know...
EP - Really?
JC - I was completely out of it by that time.
EP - It's got some good moments.
JC - You've got those lovely people from Cyfeb to thank for that.
EP - Ahuh.
JC - Yeah. Well I presume you have. Could've been anyone. Plah...
EP - And that was nearly ten years ago.
JC - Yes it was.
EP - What did you do since then?
JC - Oh... for the readers?
EP - A-huh.
JC - (to the tape recorder): - I did lots of nasty drugs, had a breakdown, went to a drying out clinic, met an attractive page three model, and moved into her massive barn-conversion in North Wales, where I lived a life of luxuary.
EP - Is there a moral to that story?
JC - Do heroin, I think...
EP - Yeah. Funny old world.
JC - Course, you should add that I'm now living in a dust filled bedsit, paying my rent through re-issues of my old records.
EP - You just did.
JC - Ooh. It's just like independent radio.
EP - Yeah. I guess I should play a crap record then.
JC - Here... let me get you Cuntyphile.
EP - No ta.
JC - Wise words, children...
EP - Will you stop directly addressing the reader!
JC - Hey... you've got to move with the times, Ev. Your transcripts are old hat these days.
EP - Huh.
JC - You're just pissed off cos Paul Morley ripped off your gimmick, with more success.
EP - We're just a pair of geniuses in our own fields, eclipsed by less original um...
JC - It's alright, Ev... so long as we know the truth... And the reader knows the truth... Hey, reader...
EP - Hey reader... We're talking to a tape-recorder.
JC - It's what I do for a living. Dunno about you.
EP - Well I don't do it for a living.
JC - Well I don't really, either... On stage more than I record. Write more than I record. Just talking through my arse really.
EP - Nothing new.
JC - Right.
EP - Shall we go down the pub, I'm fed up of this now.
JC - Aye, alright then. Goodbye, readers.
EP - Goodbye, readers.
JC - You can turn tha...

"C*ntyphile" by John Craven and Connie Lyndhurst is released on 5th December, on LP and CD.
John Craven's "Craven Angel" CD is also in the shops.