Best known as the guitarist/vocalist for the iconic, yet indescribable Butthole Surfers, Paul Leary is also a prolific producer, and a comet of a solo artist, seemingly passing by Earth every 30 years. Since his debut solo album, The History Of Days in 1991, he’s produced a whooping 70+ records, from the likes of the Meat Puppets, Daniel Johnston, Sublime, and of course, his own music with Butthole Surfers and Cocky Bitches. His cosmic revolution closes its loop this month with the release of his sophomore solo album, Born Stupid, out on the newly rebooted Shimmy Disc imprint.
The record is everything that should be expected from Leary’s music: unique and free. Title track opener Born Stupid is a beautifully warped country anthem for people feeling out of step in our mad world. (Warning: you might be hypnotized into listening to it on repeat.) He then challenges the listener to drop its guard and fully step into his twisted universe, full of oddball sounds and characters, but always delivered with an impeccable sense of rhythm and melody. Equal part artsy and tongue in cheek dark humor, it plays like a psychedelic trip through a carnival that will leave you longing for another ticket.
What have you been listening to the most lately?
A lot of the big band era music. GLEN MILLER, DUKE ELLINGTON, stuff like that. It’s fun to listen to. I don’t know about specific records, I don’t have them. I listen to them on Spotify mostly. Although I do have a Glen Miller Greatest Hits CD that I keep in my car, it’s probably my favorite.
Is Spotify, streaming music, your main listening habit these days?
That, and Radioooo (Note: Check it out!). They stopped providing it for free and they charge a subscription now but I’m forking over money for it.
Are you trying to dig for new music, or more going back to the classics?
I’m not up to date on newly released stuff at all. I have no idea who’s hot right now. I kinda kept up through the 90’s and then I dropped out. I’m more going about going back to the classics. That’s what I like about Spotify, you can build playlists to your particular mood at the moment.
What would you say is the record that you’ve listened to the most in your life?
Wow. That would be a toss up between quite a few records, actually. Entertainment! by GANG OF FOUR. Abbey Road by The BEATLES. Their Satanic Majesties Request by The ROLLING STONES. MARTY ROBBINS’ Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. I don’t know which one of those. At one point in my life, I probably worn out a few copies of RADIO BIRDMAN’s Radios Appear.
If we dig a little into these, what did they mean to you? What struck you and what gets you going back to those?
Abbey Road brings back that feeling of when their music was so fresh. They were so innovative. Now, it’s just classic and standard but back in the days, when they were first coming out with the albums, it was always a matter of looking forward to the next one and being totally amazed, and Abbey Road just really capped it off. It was a magical time. Maybe young people have magical experiences with modern music but I would be kind of surprised if they did.
Radio Birdman was an old Punk Rock band from Australia, back in the 70’s. They have a song called Aloha Steve And Danno, which is about Hawaii 5-0, which I can’t listen to enough. I’ve never seen them and I don’t know if they have other albums but I wore out a few copies of that vinyl, back in the days. Their electric guitars were just shocking.
Is there anything specific that catches your attention when you listen to music? Guitars or vocals or anything else that will reel you in every time?
There’s so many different aspects to music and when a song is a great song, there’s no rule as to what it is about it that makes it great. When I think about the song Something by The Beatles, it’s that incredible bridge after the first verse, and the strings and everything else, you know? When I listen to The Rolling Stones, I’m always amazed at the bass guitar and percussion instruments. There’s no one thing in particular that I said I’m going for.
Can you think of other great, perfect songs and tell me a bit about to what you think makes them so special?
Sympathy For The Devil is one of them. Gang of Four, I’m always stunned when I listen to To Hell With Poverty.
You know, Marty Robbins is such a classic. You start by listening to El Paso and then go all the way to his next song about El Paso, which is called El Paso City. It’s always really fun to hear a storyteller in a song, but it doesn’t always have to be about a story.
What are some of your favorite lyrics? Either a song, or a line and even just the general body of work of a lyricist?
I catch myself going to lyrics.com to look up lyrics and songs and the ones I look up the most would probably be The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald (GORDON LIGHTFOOT). The other one would be Vincent by DON MCLEAN. It’s just powerful poetry. Music is a great medium to deliver poetry. Sometimes the poetry isn’t important, and sometimes the poetry is everything, and those two songs, it’s everything. Music is such a cool, abstract form of art that you could express yourself without any words at all.
Do you remember the first time music ever had an impact on you?
Oh, sure. My parents bought me a record, and I think one of the first songs I listened to was The Streets Of Laredo by JIM REEVES. But my first real profound experience with music was probably watching the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, as I little kid. Cowboy songs made me want to pick up a guitar and I thought my parents had to buy me a $5 toy guitar from Mexico. I played it so that’s when they bought me a real guitar. Then I saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show and I had to talk them into buying me an electric guitar. I saw girls chasing them down the street and I wanted in on this action!
How did your your musical tastes evolve after that, as you were growing up? What were your milestones of discoveries that opened a new world to you?
The Beatles was a multi-year phase of my life. After that, I discovered CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL and GRAND FUNK RAILROAD. Then after that, I don’t think I was really moved by a whole lot until Punk Rock hit.
What was your gateway into Punk Rock?
I saw The SEX PISTOLS performed in San Antonio. I can’t remember what year that was, might have been 78 or something like that, but that pretty much got me hooked. That was a really fun show.
What are some of the other most memorable shows that you’ve seen in your life?
GANG OF FOUR was probably the best show I ever saw. That was on election night 1980. The night Ronald Reagan was elected. That was singularly the best concert I ever saw. Just amazing. I still remember it like yesterday. We lost Andrew Gill this last year. His guitar playing hit me hard. Then the way they use lighting, they used footlights to where they shined upwards on their faces so that their shadows were coming up from below. It was so simple and just so effective. Those guys played great.
Also Creedence Clearwater Revival, that was the second concert I ever went to in 1972. My first concert was Grand Funk Railroad. I get kicked out of both of those concerts by the police for acting rowdy.
What was the ambience like at those shows? Was it same type of energy that you found in Punk Rock in later years?
Well, good ol’ Rock music makes people want to move and that kind of culminated in the late 70’s, and early 80’s, with slam dancing and all of that. I was never really much into slam dancing, I tried to avoid the pit. Last time I was in a pit, I ended up unconscious on the floor. There’s just something nice about the energy. I’m not really sure how to answer that, because a lot of that comes across on the records too. I just love the songs and the music and the attitude. I guess when you go to see those shows live, which really kicks everybody into high gear, and that adds a whole new dimension to things.
What’s the one band that you’ve toured with that and impressed you the most? That got you really excited to watch them every night?
Probably CIBO MATTO. We toured with them several years ago, back when Sean Lennon was still in the band. I love their records and that was one band that I would make sure to watch every night. Usually I don’t watch the opening bands, but Cibo Matto was just wonderful. I really miss them.
Is there any bands that you’ve always wanted to see, but never got a chance to catch them?
ZZ TOP. I really regret not seeing them. Although I’ve hung out with Billy Gibbons a few times. He’s like my guitar hero of all times, I like to say. I had my opportunities and I really can’t explain why I never saw them.
Remember their Tres Hombres album? You opened up the album and you had a picture of Mexican food? Well, that picture was taken at Leo’s Mexican restaurant in Houston. Several years ago, we were on tour in Houston, and after soundcheck, I went to eat the plate where that picture was taken. They had ZZ Top all over the walls and in the jukebox and I ate my enchilada plate. As I was leaving, in walks Billy Gibbons! I almost passed out on the floor. I kind of stood there with my jaw hanging on the floor while he sat down with a friend and I went over to him and apologize, “I’m sorry Mr. Gibbons but could I get an autograph?” He was very gracious about it, and as he’s signing an autograph for me, the owner of Leo’s came out asking ME for my autograph, for one of the cooks in his kitchen and so I got to sign an autograph in front of Billy Gibbons! Everybody loves Billy Gibbons. He’s really approachable and really fun to listen to.
Is there any classic or universally acclaimed artists that you missed out on when they first came out and discovered way later?
This is gonna be embarrassing, but I’m struggling to think of one. It seems like everybody I love, I’ve loved from the beginning. I’m sure there’s something. When I was in college, my roommate listened to The DOORS all the time, and that was a band that I had never listened to. I took an appreciation to them so that’s probably one band that I started liking after the fact. But then after college was over again, I went back to not liking them again!
Do you have any unpopular music opinion that you’d like to defend? Something that you truly love but can hardly find anyone to agree with you?
It might be WHITEHOUSE or SURGICAL PENIS KLINIK, or SPK? It takes some special sense of taste to like bands like that. Some of that music is just punishing and sometimes, I like to be punished! A particular song would be Whitehouse, Why You Never Became A Dancer. I kind that’s probably one of the greatest all time songs with one of the greatest videos. You may not want to listen it over and over but everyone gets a kick out of it once. But it’s one that I live to listen to over and over. The video is so creepy.
I could also say, I remember going to a dance in high school and trying to play DJ and making them listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival. I loved that Cosmos Factory album and people were telling me to take it off. They didn’t like it and I was dumbfounded.
What band or artist do you believe has achieved the most perfect discography?
That would have to be the ROLLING STONES. Oh my gosh! That’s such a long career and every record is great, although I’m not sure if I ever listened to the last couple of records, but you know, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, that’s 30 years of powerful records. Exile On Main Street would probably be at the top of my bill, but the older stuff is great. Even stuff after that…Beast Of Burden, what a great song! Brown Sugar. They’re the perfect Rock band. After them, probably AC/DC.
Interesting. Even considering the mid 80’s material? I mean, it’s not bad but I almost never find myself putting on Blow Up Your Video and all of that.
Yeah, you’re right about that. My first taste of them was in high school. We had a radio station in San Antonio, where I grew up and this radio station would play that song Dirty Deeds over and over and over. Sometimes literally, like ten times in a row. It’s just never got old. Then the guy was dead, and they found someone that sounded just like him.
Is there any up and coming artists you would like to recommend?
There’s a band I produced a couple of years ago called KASH’D OUT. Really good. I actually gave two of their records to my wife, as a Christmas present.
My latest album production is going to be coming out sometime later in the spring, and that’s a band called SPRAY ALLEN. I’m really excited about that one, I’m hoping that one does really well. It’s got Eric Wilson from SUBLIME in that band, which is how I got connected into that. A superbe band that was really fun to work with and super talented. Be on the lookout for them.
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