Intimate Concert with Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera at Shank Hall

The pathfinding guitarist is looking forward to coming to Milwaukee, 51 years after his last show here.

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Music Features

When Phil Manzanera visits Shank Hall on May 19, for an 8 p.m. program, it promises to be something special. In support of his recent memoir, and its companion CD, (Revolución to Roxy), “An Evening of Words and Music With Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera” puts him in a small room to meet people, tell stories, and perform.

Now in his fifth decade as a professional musician, he is best known as the guitarist for Roxy Music. His side projects including Quiet Sun, and the legendary 801, complements a long list of collaborations and production work (Brian Eno, Steve Winwood, David Gilmour, John Cale, Godley and Creme, Nico, John Wetton).

He also produced seminal albums for Spanish-speaking artists Draco Rosa, Enrique Bunbury, Héoes del Silencio Aterciopelados, Paralamas and Fito Paez.

This unique hybrid show finds Manzanera discussing Revolución to Roxy, as well as performing. Growing up during the Cuban revolution, being influenced by the culture and music, all dovetailed into a music career and lifelong journey.

The Shepherd Express was able to connect with Manzanera, for a relaxed conversation, while still at home in England.

Memories of Milwaukee?

Well, I looked online and the last time in Milwaukee was with Roxy Music in 1975, and it was at a time, when we supported Frank Zappa, at the Mecca Auditorium. It was at that concert, I went with Eddie Jobson (the keyboard player) to knock on Frank Zappa’s door, and ask if he could join his band. Zappa said to come back the next day, and I’ll give you “The Black Page,” and if you can pass it, we’ll see. He passed.

This is a tradition to ask, but important. What is your favorite color? And, if you could be a tree, what tree would you be?

Blue. It’s my favorite color, it gets into my retinas, everything I have is blue … maybe because I was brought up with a lot of blue skies in South America. I’ve just got this thing about blue. And I would be a redwood tree because they are just amazing, or a cedar of Lebanon.

When did you realize that Brian Eno was unlike anyone you had ever worked with?

The first day, I went to the audition to join the band (Roxy Music), and I thought these were all really interesting people and would like to join … I failed the audition but that’s another story. We got along immediately, go to concerts, and we had an affinity because we liked gear, tape recorders and sound.

When you did the BBC sessions in 1972, for the first time, did you think the band had arrived?

It was a thrill, an honor, the people, one of the most popular DJ’s was John Peel and it was like a badge of honor just to be on his show, to have any accreditation from him. We felt like maybe we’re doing something interesting.

How much of your guitar work is carefully planned out vs. an instinctive experimentation? You’ll play some very elegant lines, and then, go completely unhinged?

I would say unhinged first. The producer would try and control me, I would always fight back. I just wanted to be a musician, to be free. Having listened to free jazz, listened to Miles Davis, all the experimentation …I  thought you express yourself to be free. When you’re in a band, eventually you have to serve the song.

The producer we had, Chris Thomas, because he worked with George Martin, the Beatles … okay we better learn the craft, as well as part playing. Like George Harrison would play the exact same part, and the guys would say let’s refine it more, just one more (take), do one more…I understand that method, but basically I just want to be play.

How did being a producer help you creatively as a musician?

By observing other people’s talents … some people just have magic in them, that’s not something you can learn. It’s not the technical stuff I would be impressed by. It was this extra little bit of magic, the fairy dust they would sprinkle on something, maybe they way they recorded. They used analogue tape, which is what I started out with as a producer … some people, the microphone liked, the tape liked, maybe it was the frequencies.

How did growing up in places like Cuba and South America affect your musical ear?

Most guitarists in Britain like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, they heard Bill Haley, blues albums, they learned from that. I’m Cuban. It’s a totally different trajectory. My Mom started teaching me Cuban folk songs, stuff from Buena Vista Social Club. My sense of groove was influenced by Latino things. At the same time, I was listening to what was coming out of England on the BBC World Service.

I begged my parents to send me to boarding school in England, and arrived there, in September 1966, aged 9. The Beatles appeared, the Stones, the Kinks, Jimi Hendrix came over, Pink Floyd was starting, so all that came into my sphere—the Doors, Grateful Dead, it was just a great time for music.

The 801 project is revered. Was it ahead of its time, or the short life of the band?

Absolutely, it was an experiment. Bill and Ian MacCormack …s ix weeks, people who loved technique and didn’t like technique, let’s do some songs and music, just put it together and see what happens. It was an experiment and luckily, we recorded one of the three concerts. The quality of the musicians was incredible. Simon Phillips, on drums, was only 18 at the time. It’s worth buying the album just to hear the drums. I mean the guy gives master classes in drums now.

Next year, we’re going to come out with a deluxe version of the album, we found the soundcheck. It’s the same songs but the leads are different. We also just put to bed a new remix of the Quiet Sun album  and also did a new album…50 years later. That should be out by Christmas. I think people are going to be surprised.

You backed up David Gilmour on the 2006 “On An Island” tour. What made your musical relationship work?

Well, I met him, when I was 15 to ask him what you had to do to become a professional musician. He was a friend of my brother. I met him the week he joined Pink Floyd. He literally left our lunch and went to Abbey Road to start recording A Saucerful of Secrets, the first album he was on, and Syd (Barrett) was on it. We’ve known each other a long time. He’s actually my neighbor here, out in the country.

Was there ever a time you wanted to walk away from music?

No. I’ll tell you why, it’s good for my health. I’ve worked it out that I want to spend my whole life just learning and being surprised by music. Luckily, I chose something that’s good for you, the brain, feeds the neurons … I find when I’m down, playing music really helps and what I do hopefully has some resonance, and helps people get through life.

What guitar tone are you most proud of creating?

The guitar effect on the song, “Amazona.” No one has emulated it, check it out. I got a guitar version of Eno’s VCS-3 synthesizer, had these modules worked up, and it only worked on that song. That was the only time, never been able to reproduce it.

What still excites you musically?

The blank page—I don’t think, I just play. I might record something different 15 times, working in your own time. You try to create surprises that you couldn’t have thought of…patterns, clusters of stuff, pick them out, and do it again. That’s fun. It’s almost like meditation. There’s also times I’ll do 15 takes and want to kill myself, and you go make a cup of tea. Right, can you just edit it down.

If you could give your 25-year old self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Just keep doing what you’re doing and don’t think of it as a career. Play music, enjoy music, meet people, have musical conversations. Just keep on, don’t get brought down by the system or the industry.

As for a legacy, 50 years on, the only people that I hope will listen to my work are my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren …s o they know, I left a little history of what I did,  the music, that’s all I can hope for…I leave it up to chance.

I’m looking forward to coming to Milwaukee, 51 years later. It’s very low-key, and people chat about things that have resonance for them, during the book signings. It’s a fun evening. It’s at a point where I like doing small things, having done all the big places like arenas, Madison Square Garden. It’s actually nice to see people and not some heads under a spotlight.

(Thank you to Bill Haines for arranging the interview)