INTERVIEW WITH DAVE MUSTAINE: 'Cryptic Writings', recording in Buenos Aires, and the future
Dave Mustaine discusses his love for the Buenos Aires audience and announces plans to record a live album in the city. He details why he considers 'Cryptic Writings' his best album (a mix of past, present, and future), explains the choice of producer Dann Huff, and the recording process in Nashville. He addresses composition, musicianship, and the relationship with the current Megadeth lineup.
Date
December 1, 1997
Media
El Musiquero (AR)
Interviewer
Claudio Kleiman
Interviewees
Claudio Kleiman
Tell me where you are and what you are doing.
Dave Mustaine
“I'm at home in Arizona, we are in the middle of the tour, but I came home for a week. The tour is going very well, and we can't wait to get to Buenos Aires. When people ask me, 'So, Dave, how's the tour going?', I tell them, 'Pretty well', and they say, 'What's your favorite city to play?', I tell them 'Buenos Aires', then they say, 'What???', and I, 'Because it's the best fuckin' city in the world for Megadeth' (laughs).”
Claudio Kleiman
Yes, the audience loves you here.
Dave Mustaine
“And we love them.”
Claudio Kleiman
I guess you know that you are going to play here in a festival with Whitesnake and Queensrÿche.
Dave Mustaine
“Yes, I heard that Whitesnake is headlining, but in my last interview I said that it would be much better if Megadeth played last, that Whitesnake should switch places with us.”
Claudio Kleiman
And how do you feel about playing with those groups?
Dave Mustaine
“I feel sorry for them (laughs).”
Claudio Kleiman
Is this the first time you play with them?
Dave Mustaine
“We played previously with Queensrÿche at Rock in Rio, they played before and it was difficult to play after them, because they tore up everything in Rio, their show was very good. I don't know what the final order of the festival will be there, but I know that no one on that bill is going to be more exciting playing for the fans in Buenos Aires than Megadeth.”
Claudio Kleiman
Yes, I think that with Whitesnake's more melodic orientation today, the fact that they play after you may be a bit anticlimactic.
Dave Mustaine
“I think it's going to be more like (in Spanish) 'muerte' (death) (laughs).”
Claudio Kleiman
I would like you to talk a little about the last album, 'Cryptic Writings', how do you see it, in terms of the group's discography, and your career?
Dave Mustaine
“I think our career right now is at its peak, it keeps getting better and better. And I'll tell you something: I think this time, we are going to be recording live at the concert. I have been saying for a long time that I would like to record live in Buenos Aires, and I think it is going to happen this time. Dann Huff, our record producer, is supposed to travel there with us.”
Claudio Kleiman
So you are planning a live album soon?
Dave Mustaine
“Soon. We want to record this concert in Buenos Aires, and I'm pretty sure the live album will come out shortly after.”
Claudio Kleiman
That would be great. I think it will be the first time that an international band releases a live album recorded in Buenos Aires.
Dave Mustaine
“I hope so. I think that would be nice.”
Claudio Kleiman
How do you see 'Cryptic Writings' compared to the group's previous albums?
Dave Mustaine
“I think this is our best album, because it has some pieces a little bit in the style of 'Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?', some that are reminiscent of 'Countdown to Extinction', and some that show where we want to go in the future. I think it's really 'cool', because it's heavy, and it has some truly melodic songs.”
Claudio Kleiman
I don't know if you agree, but I think the new album is a bit like a summary of your career, because there are tracks that are reminiscent of the first period, and others that are more melodic in the style of the last two albums.
Dave Mustaine
“Exactly, it's amazing. That's how I feel.”
Claudio Kleiman
Was that a conscious decision to do that?
Dave Mustaine
“Yes, that's what we wanted to do, we wanted to make it have a 'feel' like the best of the past, the best of the present, and the best of the future.”
Claudio Kleiman
At first, it would seem like a strange choice for you to have recorded in Nashville, why was that?
Dave Mustaine
“Well, because that's where Dann Huff lives, and if Dann had lived in Asia, we would have gone there to do this, he's too good.”
Claudio Kleiman
Why did you choose him? I understand he is primarily a session musician and country music producer.
Dave Mustaine
“Well, he used to be in a great rock band (Giant). And one of the greatest producers of all time is John 'Mutt' Lange, and Dann has done a lot of records with Mutt, so he knows many of his tricks.”
Claudio Kleiman
Did you feel affected in any way by the fact that you were recording in Nashville?
Dave Mustaine
“No, I think recording in Nashville was an opportunity to record a fabulous album in a really quiet area, where no one bothered us, and we weren't affected by other bands coming there and we did what we wanted to do. And I think we did a very good job.”
Claudio Kleiman
I think there is also more tonal variety, in terms of the sounds you used, than on other Megadeth albums.
Dave Mustaine
“Yes, that's correct, we tried to use different tones on everything. We took much longer to record this one than any of the other albums, and one thing that is quite crazy, is that we had almost five studios working at once.”
Claudio Kleiman
How was that?
Dave Mustaine
“Well, one studio was doing vocals, another studio was doing guitar overdubs, another studio was doing mixes, another studio was doing strings and symphonic arrangements... it was a crazy thing, always working.”
Claudio Kleiman
Which songs have strings?
Dave Mustaine
“'Trust' and 'Use the Man'.”
Claudio Kleiman
Since you mentioned those tracks, both have tempo changes, and unusual sections, such as the appearance of the acoustic on 'Trust'. Do you like to have parts that are musically complex in your songs?
Dave Mustaine
“We like to have challenges in everything, we want to be sure that we do the best we can do.”
Claudio Kleiman
Does the fact that it took you two years to release this album have to do with the pressure to make an ever-better album, to surpass the band's previous works?
Dave Mustaine
“No, what happened was that we had to change 'management', and it took us a long time to find a new one, so it was unfortunate, but it was something we needed to do. When we finished last time (the previous album) it was a suffering, because the manager we had was simply terrible, and now we have a really good manager, and I think people will be able to understand that.”
Claudio Kleiman
Do you feel a lot of pressure every time you have to make an album?
Dave Mustaine
“No, we feel great.”
Claudio Kleiman
How long did it take you to make the album?
Dave Mustaine
“Ahhh... (thinks) it took almost as long to do the mixing as the recording itself.”
Claudio Kleiman
The musical climate now is very different from the late '80s and early '90s, when there was a strong metal movement. You are one of the few bands from that period that continues to play this music. Is it more difficult now to be a metal band?
Dave Mustaine
“Well, I think the reason we still continue to play is because we attract girls, you know? Most people get scared of heavy music and retire; we don't, we love playing heavy stuff.”
Claudio Kleiman
You have also diversified the composition. Is the process different when you compose alone or with one of the band members?
Dave Mustaine
“It's more or less the same; we really enjoy... simply being able to play, we love to play, and when it comes to composing in the studio, it's like being live in concert, we never forget that the fans are the ones who have made the whole playing thing really fun for us. And when we get into the studio, we have fun. Because we know that in a short time we will be able to play in front of the fans again.”
Claudio Kleiman
So the composition starts from jams in the studio?
Dave Mustaine
“Correct.”
Claudio Kleiman
And when you compose alone, do you start from a riff?
Dave Mustaine
“Sometimes it starts with a riff, yes.”
Marcelo Roascio
And other times?
Dave Mustaine
“Sometimes we start from a small written piece, sometimes we invent the whole song.”
Marcelo Roascio
There are some great riffs on this album.
Dave Mustaine
“Thank you very much.”
Marcelo Roascio
The riff at the end of 'Vortex' sounds a bit like progressive rock, it seems to be in an irregular meter.
Dave Mustaine
“You liked that one, huh?!”
Marcelo Roascio
Yes.
Dave Mustaine
“That riff almost killed me (laughs).”
Marcelo Roascio
Why?
Dave Mustaine
“It's hard to play!”
Marcelo Roascio
It sounds almost like something that could be on a King Crimson album, although with a heavier sound. I was wondering if you like progressive rock.
Dave Mustaine
“Well, I'm not really a big fan of King Crimson, but I like progressive rock, yes.”
Marcelo Roascio
Like what, for example?
Dave Mustaine
“I like Rush, I love Led Zeppelin, there are a lot of things that really excite me, when people know how to play. Currently, there aren't many bands out there that I really respect in terms of their ability to play, because more people who know how to play don't, and more people who don't know how to play get away with it. Because there are so many bands out there, and they suck! Do you know what I mean?”
Marcelo Roascio
Yes, musicality is not in fashion.
Dave Mustaine
“Yes, absolutely correct.”
Marcelo Roascio
There is also great guitar work on the new album. I would like to know how you divide the guitar parts between you and Marty Friedman.
Dave Mustaine
“That has been difficult. We look for who is the best, which is always me (laughs), no, I was joking. We try to find who plays the best part for that song, and then, as soon as we know, that person does their part. But sometimes it is difficult to decide, because we both want to play so much that...”
Marcelo Roascio
Is there no division such as you mainly doing the rhythm parts and Marty the solos, or vice versa?
Dave Mustaine
“No, I don't always do the main guitar solos. Marty and I, it's like we both choose. Sometimes there is a part that both of us really like a lot, and one of us has to say, 'no, you do it man, it's all good'.”
Marcelo Roascio
What are some of the songs on the new album where the solos are yours?
Dave Mustaine
“Let's see, 'She-wolf', 'The Disintegrators', 'Sin' has a solo, 'A Secret Place' has a solo... I can't remember any more.”
Marcelo Roascio
Since you mentioned 'Sin', that track has different guitar solos, with different sounds. Are they you and Marty?
Dave Mustaine
“Yes, we are doing like a duel.”
Marcelo Roascio
On the other hand, in 'A Secret Place' there is great mixing work, with different guitars entering and leaving. Did you work a lot on that?
Dave Mustaine
“Yes, that was a very difficult song, it was hell to do that!”
Marcelo Roascio
How many guitar tracks did you use?
Dave Mustaine
“Oh god, I don't remember. A lot.”
Marcelo Roascio
'FFF' would also seem to have a lot of guitars.
Dave Mustaine
“Yes, there are a lot, aren't there?”
Marcelo Roascio
Do you remember how many?
Dave Mustaine
“I think there are only four.”
Marcelo Roascio
Can you tell me which ones you consider the best Megadeth albums, and why?
Dave Mustaine
“I think 'Peace Sells...' is great, I think 'Countdown to Extinction' is great, I think 'Cryptic Writings' is great. And I really like 'Youthanasia', because it is so melodic... It is really difficult to say which album is my favorite. What is your favorite Megadeth album?”
Marcelo Roascio
I like the ones from the last period more, 'Countdown to Extinction' and 'Youthanasia', the ones more oriented towards the song.
Dave Mustaine
“Cool.”
Marcelo Roascio
Many of your lyrics have a science-fiction theme, where you paint a very dark, mechanized and robotic future. Do you really see the future as dark as you portray it in your lyrics?
Dave Mustaine
“Well, to begin with, we would have to ask ourselves if we are going to be able to have a future. Look what is happening in the news, every day someone is killing someone, there is some kind of terrorism, politicians are terrible, there is some earthquake, disasters, fuckin' everything. It's just crazy. And I think we need to understand each other and learn to live together, as much as possible.”
Marcelo Roascio
There are also lyrics that refer to the drug experience. In a song like 'Use the Man' are you using your own experience as a basis for writing it?
Dave Mustaine
“No, that one in particular is about another person, who died.”
Marcelo Roascio
Do you think the drug problems are behind you?
Dave Mustaine
“Yes, I think so.”
Marcelo Roascio
What is in the future for Megadeth?
Dave Mustaine
“We have big tour plans. We are going to Japan, then we are doing South America, then we are going to the United States again, and then we have to get together to compose another album.”
Marcelo Roascio
Although there were several lineup changes in Megadeth at the beginning, you have been with this lineup for almost eight years now. Would you say this is the definitive Megadeth lineup?
Dave Mustaine
“Yes, without a doubt I would say this is the definitive Megadeth lineup.”
Marcelo Roascio
How do you feel working with them, do you think the lineup is improving over time?
Dave Mustaine
“I think it's wonderful working with them, it's great. Those guys are fabulous, they play well, and sometimes it's like they have an unbearable smell (laughs), but they play really well.”
Marcelo Roascio
Does it bother you that Marty Friedman does solo projects?
Dave Mustaine
“No.”
Marcelo Roascio
And do you like the albums?
Dave Mustaine
“I don't listen to them.”
Marcelo Roascio
What is your current relationship with the members of Metallica?
Dave Mustaine
“Really good. You have time for one more question.”
Marcelo Roascio
Okay, any message you want to send to your Argentine fans.
Dave Mustaine
“What does (singing, in Spanish) 'Megadeth, Megadeth, aguante Megadeth' mean?”
Claudio Kleiman
(I try to explain what it means)
Dave Mustaine
“Well, that's what I want to say, we simply love Buenos Aires: (in Spanish) ¡aguante Megadeth! ¡aguante Buenos Aires!”