Drummer JOHN MACALUSO Talks About New Solo Album

Sea of Tranquility recently conducted an interview with drummer John Macaluso (ARK, TNT, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, STARBREAKER). A couple of excerpts follow:

Sea of Tranquility: You've played on around 200 CDs so far. How do you think [your new solo album] "The Radio Waves Goodbye" differs from your past work?

John: The sound and production is all my work and I had full control to do it the way I wanted to do it. Usually when you record an album, you record your drum tracks and wait four months until a CD shows up in your mailbox and usually is mixed like shit. This has happened to me on too many occasions from YNGWIE to TNT and I was not going to let it happen here. I started to get really picky with production and mixes after this kept happening to me and records like STARBREAKER and ARK's "Burn the Sun" are examples of how I really sound in the studio. Being a studio drummer, you don't always have control, but I really wanted this solo album to sound like the drums are right in the room with you and make the sound heavy but crystal clear. I think I did it here. I love the sound of the whole record.

Sea of Tranquility: Did you write all the lyrics or were the singers allowed to make some contributions?

John: No, actually I wrote them all and in the beginning I was debating on whether to collaborate or write them myself. James LaBrie of DREAM THEATER opened my eyes when I asked him if he wanted to help with the lyrics for the song he was going to sing and he responded by saying, "John, it's your story, it's your solo album." He hit it right on the head. It wouldn't have felt right having other people write lyrics on the record. I sat for months and wrote while driving the car, on the beach, in bed, on the plane, everywhere, and one day, I was shocked because the lyrics were done. I am very proud of the lyrics on the album. They are equal if not better than the drumming. What do some of the lyrics address? The lyrics address the time I was at while writing them and it was a crazy time but an end was in sight, so they are desperate but soothing as well. They deal with religion, the occult, spirits, happiness, sadness, desperation, emptiness, drugs, peace, and giving and relationships. All rolled into one. They might sound sometimes way out, but they are very realistic when you go deep in to them.

Sea of Tranquility: What was it like producing your own album?

John: Everyone was such a pro that it was actually fun, but there was a bit of stress in that it was taking too long because, I am such a freak with getting it right, so that was stressful. I knew it was going to be different so there was no pressure to try to get a particular sound and try to get the song to sound like anyone else, it was just do your thing, you are here because you kick ass. Everybody had a blast and had a great attitude and it sounds that way.

Sea of Tranquility: What drummers do you like best nowadays?

John: My favorite is still Terry Bozzio. I also love Phil Collins and can't wait to see him on tour again with GENESIS this year. I dig Danny Carey from TOOL for the guys of today and the MESHUGGAH drummer is cool. Danny Carey has a special thing, and so does the band TOOL, the mess with your head on and off the album, with a thing called patience. They play with your mind by repeating and repeating a part until it is almost too mush and then they let you down, "Brilliant." He and the band have a thing, which is not easy to have.

Read the entire interview at www.seaoftranquility.org.