Interview with John Craven, August 1994.

Everybody round here loves him. Well... loves him or hates him. Mostly hates him. But he certainly has a cult following. Last month the CD reissue of his 1981 album "Death of the Craven Angel" was happily received, and in October, John Craven releases the third and final installment of the Craven Angel trilogy. Evan met up with the dark wizard of nasty at the Cwmann Tavern.

EP - Craven Angel 3 eh? How'd that come about?
JC - I'm popular again. And so is Steve [Hillage]. It was a natural move.
EP - Oh yeah? So has a third installment always been planned.
JC - Nah. It's not really a continuation of the story anyway. Not in any real sense. It's very metaphysical I think.
EP - You think?
JC - Yeah, well that's Steve and his mates for you.
EP - They're a bit...
JC - ...spaced out. Man.
EP - I hear Robert Fripp's involved.
JC - Only a little bit. He probably doesn't realise. Between you and me I think they're all stoned to buggery. It's a very trance-y album. Bit of a diversion for me... Stylistically, like.
EP - A-huh. Cos everybody's been enjoying your thang recently. They all dig your post grunge noisefesting.
JC - Eloquently put, Ev. But yeah. So obviously I can't deliver them a record full of that now, can I? Nah. This is... well Hillage and his mates... their influence comes through.
EP - Your last album nearly put everyone off of course.
JC - Sure. It was crap. Though it wasn't my album exactly. It was a colaboration. And I did try to warn people.
EP - Well I guess it worked.
JC - Guess people read your column, Ev.
EP - Guess they do.
JC - Who'd've thought it?
EP - Well indeed.
JC - So anyway... I was all set for doing a proper record, and I thought... well I thought I can't be arsed doing all this on my own. I mean it's the CD age now... I can't just knock off half an hour anymore.
EP - Hmm?
JC - Half an hour... CD's are meant to last a good forty minutes nowadays. C'mon, Ev, keep with it.
EP - Sorry.
JC - So I thought... I'll get Steve in on it. Well Steve's all acid'd up. He's really it now.
EP - Yeah.
JC - Not entirely sure they noticed they were recording an album to be honest. If they're not on pot they're all E'd up: wild-eyed and wavy.
JC waves his arms about, pint glass and all.
EP - So are you much of a raver then?
JC - Ha! Not me, mate. Been there. Done that. Canterbury was enough for me.
EP - Yeah, you lived at Canterbury for a bit.
JC - That's right. Yeah. Hung out at the Wyatt place, but it was post Wyatt. The Soft Machine lot had already buggered off really. Still. It was quite a place even so.
EP - Did you play with anyone famous then?
JC - Not so much in Canterbury, but while I were living there I played with Pink Floyd.
EP - Get away.
JC - No. Seriously. I've told you this before.
EP - What? The Rick Wright thing?
JC - Yeah.
EP - I thought that was a joke.
JC - No. Deadly serious. I probably shouldn't talk about it really.
EP - No, but you will. You played... what...
JC - Rick Wright used to pay me to play his keyboards. I'd play them round the back, and he'd mime on stage.
EP - Serious?
JC - Yeah.
EP - Didn't anyone catch on?
JC - Well I worked as a roady see, so I was meant to be back there messing about with stuff.
EP - But didn't they realise you were playing the songs?
JC - Nah. Everyone was stoned.
EP - When was this?
JC - Early doors... about the time they put out Apples and Oranges.
EP - '67?
JC - Sounds right.
EP - So were you on the records.
JC - Nah. Don't think so. Nah. Just the gigs.
EP - Ahuh.
JC - But I got the sack after about a month.
EP - Oh?
JC - Yeah. I think Roger was catching on or something.
EP - I see.
JC - Yeah.
EP -So what were they like, Pink Floyd?
JC - Fuckers. All fuckers. Even Syd was a fucker. Though he was more bareable than the rest of them. Cos he talked a more entertaining variety of bollocks than the rest of them. No I couldn't stand Pink Floyd. Wankers.
EP - I see.
JC - Posh lads, see. There were a lot of that, though it weren't really so bad in Canterbury. You'd think Canterbury'd be awash with toffs, but they were all doing the hippy thing, and... there were... there were a lot of trying to embrace the worker. And me being the token northerner, I was... well, the worker. To them. Never done a fucking day's work in my life, o' course. But that's stereotyping for you.
EP - Yeah.
JC - I'm an idle bastard.
EP - We've never really talked much about your musical heritage in these interviews.
JC - No.
EP - What were you up to before Canterbury?
JC - Before Canterbury, I were in London. I did the clubs in London. Mainly as a sort of session guitarist really. I'd fill in if I were needed. I could improvise um... really good. Ha. So I was handy at that. I found my niche.
EP - Play with anyone famous there?
JC - I did a gig with John Mayall once. Bluesbreakers. I did bits and bobs here and there. Probably a few names in the long run. I can't really remember that much to be honest.
EP - No?
JC - Nah. That's drink for you. I went down London when I was 15. Rock hadn't even started then. I was doing Lonnie Donnegan stuff at jazz clubs. I thought, I've got to get out of home. Got to get out of Leeds. Leeds is a real hell hole. Nasty place, and nowhere to play back then. I thought, there must be somewhere down London I can get paid for strumming this stuff.
EP - And was there?
JC - Er... Eventually. Took a while. And now here I am today. What're you having?
EP - Oh. I'll have um... Same again.
JC - Rightoh. (to tape:)  Back in a mo. (to EP:) They don't want owt do they?
EP - No. They can go without today.
JC - Ahuh.

***

JC - There you go.
EP - Ta. So tell us a bit more about the new record.
JC - Well... it's called Return of the Craven Angel, and it's the third and final installment of the Craven Angel trilogy. Which means it's got Craven Angel in the title, really. It's a record about death. Mainly. Yeah. Not so much a literal tale of the antics of the Craven Angel so much as... as a more... um... metaphysical um... yeah. About death.
EP - Any good?
JC - It's a bit trance-y, but I kind of got into that. Yeah, I like it. It's got some good moments. Some great guitar stuff. Just cos it reads like an Orb album... you know... there's plenty of guitar solos and what have you. Loads... like a heavy metal concert or something... well. Fripp, see. And HIllage. And me. What more could you ask for?
EP - I see one of the tracks is called Bob Holness.
JC - Two tracks, innit?
EP - Is it?
JC - Mm. Think so. Might be wrong. One track blends very much into the next... Well, he's death, in't he? Well Skeletor at least. From He-Man. Look at him.
EP - Erm... right. So what's the future hold. After the album?
JC - Dunno. Never plan too far ahead. I'll just keep playing round here for a bit, till people get fed up and tie me to a sheep like last time.
EP - Right.
JC - Yeah.
EP - No more plans to work with Hillage, or Cyfeb even?
JC - Nah. They've got their hands full at the mo anyway, Cyfeb. Have you heard the new album they're bringing out?
EP - No. You?
JC - Mm.
EP - Nice?
JC - Er.. yeah. Yes. It's... well... progressive in a way. In an angst-ridden kind of way. Well you know... punk-prog... The cycle is complete. That sort of thing.
EP - Er. Right. I look forward to it. Do I?
JC - Yeah. It's good.
EP - Ok. And I look forward to your next album?
JC - Oh yes. Yes.
EP - Right. Jolly good.
JC - Is that it then?
EP - Ahuh.
JC - Night, kids.

"Return of the Craven Angel" is out in October.