… Frank Zappa .. The Bee Gees … CAN … Prog / Kraut / Space – LOTS!!! I was living in the city Berlin, that was home to all of those bands (except two probably – Kraftwerk, Düsseldorf and CAN, Köln). I saw them all in their hours of birth!!  I think all in all the days of innovation stopped after the early 1980s – popular music had come to the point of total destruction .. after bands like Einstürzende  Neubauten there was just one way left .. back …during those days I got my final inspiration kicks … Rip, Rig & Panic, PIL .. as soon as some of those names appeared on the radio they vanished from my playlist … I really should add that this “original truth” I experienced again when I saw the Pretty Things some 3 years ago open air in Hamburg .. a festival .. all other appearing bands made me suffer the boring old fart blues .. very very sad to see this .. then The Pretty

Things came on stage and blew it all away .. the decades since they started .. the depression of today .. it was just plain truth to the point .. yes it is possible – PLUS – speaking of concerts .. all in all 4 concerts inspired me forever – Osibisa, The Pirates, The Pretty Things … AND .. June Carter and Johnny Cash(!!!) this concert was leading directly to my “Back To The Basics” release .. went home ‘n started writing the title track…!

MM: I saw Carlene Carter in Wimbledon, must be 30 years ago.

LL: Two more musicians I just have to mention when it comes to inspiration …

1) Link Wray, inspired me since I discovered him in the 70s, funny - his best albums are “home recording” albums!! Link, his family and his own studio in a wooden cabin .. late 60s / early 70s .. intense!!! .. burns!! … he is the only Rock ’n’ Roller to become more intense with the years .. listening to his recordings when he was 70-something makes any young punk sound very lame …

2) Scott Walker – from a sunny 13 year old pop boy to an very difficult to swallow avant-gardist .. THAT SHOWED ME THE WAY …. I discovered him in the 1990s and I am addicted ever since ……….!!!

I think one has to stay out of the “money makes the world go round” circus .. all the bands and musicians that somehow have to deal with this aspect become sad parodies of themselves .. one or the other way .. good example is Ray Davies .. when he made a comeback with new solo releases some years ago .. new songs .. no nostalgia it was with class!! .. when he did this “lets play the hits again with friends this time” project recently, it had a real taste of disgust...

MM: Which rather brings us to now. By the latter days of M&E, you were taking a new journey with “Back To The Basics” (M&E 473 – January 1999), as you’ve just mentioned, more favouring the one man and his acoustic guitar style, so I suppose the work you are doing with your good lady now, under the banner of Pan Meta Georgia, is no real surprise. I find it very ‘human’ music, nicely crafted songs recorded with artful simplicity. How happy are you with the project and where do you see your great musical adventure going next?

LL: … simply put – this is  a dream come true … the many faces of this adventure can’t be described. At the momentary point of my journey, where I found me, my guitar and my songs .. and now I found a woman to share that … and yes it all started with *Back to the Basics*, which started with a June Carter and Johnny Cash concert!! .. we are working on a program – 14 songs except one (which is an old Finnish folk song), all her compositions. I’ll join composing later. We’ll start recording a CD next year, then we’ll go looking for gigs .. and then .. well lets see .. it’s all possible now!!! It’s all a wonderful way to keep on ..  a new start .. a needed inspiration etc etc etc … could go on forever ……….. by the way – “Back to the Basics” was nothing but the return to the place I started from in 1984 – my first release was the tape “Take The Trash” .. pure Johnny Cash-ish Country trash .. the title track from that tape is “I wanna be a No.1 Country Star” .. 

MM: I guess we’ve both been on quite a fascinating voyage, and the adventure most certainly continues. I’m heading for fatherhood at the age of 54 and Lord Litter is about to become a grandparent! Many congratulations on that. So, tell us the story of how a holiday in Ecuador lead to this happening and how do you feel about bouncing a baby on your knee again after all these years?

LL: My son wanted to have one last wild holiday before life would get “serious”, so he thought let’s go very far away .. travelled to Ecuador .. met a girl on the beach (true!!!) .. they  could not communicate .. he knew no Spanish .. she only very limited English .. they fell in love . he got ill (south America fever – really!!) had to spend a week in her

Jörg's music was not universally popular... ;-)

bed being looked after with extreme fever .. they decided to get married .. he came back to Berlin, arranged everything .. she came over they married … and that was that .. sounds very easy was a VERY rocky road but it was exactly this way .. almost unbelievable   .. about the baby bouncing .. I really don’t know .. everybody knows I am not a baby freak .. so ask me later ( I LOVE children .. but babies.. mhh??) – but – I still think it was TOTALLY COOL how it all happened ………….!! I wish you both a REAL adventure!! .. parents, who have REAL life experience are DIFFERENT parents … I thought about that often .. how it would feel becoming a parent now … well you’ll see!! .. have fun!!!

MM: I never really ‘got’ the concept of family until I was traced by my birth mother in 2008, that was my epiphany. I recall that you weren’t directly involved in your son Jerry’s upbringing, so it must be quite wonderful now to be able to have more of an involvement with a grandchild (and you’ll be the coolest grandad ever!), I know I’m really looking forward to bonding with Twizzle and finding out who she will grow up to be. Then there’s mothers too, maybe age makes you appreciate them a bit more. Mine, Mrs. Magic Senior, the one whose mad answerphone messages graced "Zoen Nostalgia", lives in an annexe on our house these days, I understand your mum is going to need a lot more care since her accident too. Sam and I naturally wish you all the very best with that and we hope she is doing well. It’s rather like a coming together of generations for us both, isn’t it? How have all these events affected your life philosophy? 

LL: Lets put it this way – the concept of a family is THE ONE concept that I TOTALLY support these days – the concept of a “human society” totally failed in the last 20 years – today it’s the age of “digital robber knights”, everywhere you go – yes my mother has Parkinson's, if it wasn’t for the family and me “they” would’ve robbed her completely. So the family is my “Country” these days – it all came together at a very logical point of my life – so “all is good” these days, even though I think it’s the worst time I ever experienced – I feel like I'm living IN some of my favourite movies .. “Escape from New York” – “Soylent Green” – “Mad Max” .. to name a few … here in the middle of Berlin it’s like a 3D version of all these movies in one reality … I guess all BIG cities are this way today …  but I once knew a very peaceful, inspiring city with lotsa artists, friendly people, colourful people from other countries etc .. today … well .. check crowd scenes from “Soylent Green” or/and “Escape from New York” … you’ll get the idea… Don’t get me wrong – again – I just LOVE living today .. I never thought that I would live in my own future .. but .. THEY are still on the way to destroy planet earth ……….

MM: I don't think a lot of us would argue with that! Thanks for a fascinating natter, I'm sure M&E fans everywhere will enjoy the read. Hope to be seeing something of you next time you tread these shores.

LL: Hey – many thanks for letting me express all this .. made me think about many things, which is always very healthy … and here are the links ……….

Litter website – http://www.LordLitter.de

Litter radioshows for listening/download - https://archive.org

alternative searchmachine - http://www.duckduckgo.com 

I don’t watch TV, I don’t “google” .. I am no number I am a free man!

… send me flowers .. no MP3s ...

Vive La Difference!!!

Lord Litter