John Croslin Interview
(Done for this website, March 2000. All copyright laws apply.)
thereivers.net: Do you encounter many people that remember The Reivers?
John: Quite a few. More than I would expect.
thereivers.net: What were some of the musical influences on the Reivers? And on yourself?
John: Led Zeppelin. Beatles. REM. Fleetwood Mac.
thereivers.net: What were some of the names considered besides “Reivers” when you had to make the name change from “Zeitgeist”?
John: I think we were considering “Anvil Chorus.” We actually considered “the Spin Doctors” but decided not to because there was a band called “Doctor’s Mob” in Austin at the time.
thereivers.net: What was your favorite Reivers gig(s)? What was the worst?
John: SXSW at the Ritz, about 86 or so. Some of our best and worst were in Chicago.
thereivers.net: Any good road stories?
John: There was a time when some highway patrolmen in Pennsylvania made us sing them a song to prove we were in a band.
thereivers.net: I’ve heard that there was going to be a Reivers Greatest Hits album that you were putting together at one time- whatever happened to it and what were the songs on it going to be?
John: I don’t remember the song list. Danny Beard was getting it together and it fizzled for some reason.
thereivers.net: What are your views on tape trading of live shows and the like by fans?
John: It doesn’t bother me except that I bet there are some embarrassing things out there that I don’t want to think about.
thereivers.net: How do you like producing compared to being in a band?
John: I’ve always liked being in the studio. The process of making records fascinates me. I’m more comfortable doing that than I was being in a band. In the studio you can do something over if you screw it up ( a specialty of mine.) I had a great time in the Reivers, though. In a way I know that nothing could live up to the fun we had, so I think in some respects that keeps me from trying to start another band.
thereivers.net: Do you generally stay within a certain range of styles when choosing musical projects?
John: I’ve done a lot of different styles. It keeps things interesting.
thereivers.net: You’re identified by many as being closely tied to “the Austin sound” (maybe I should say “an Austin sound”, since it has so many). How do you like San Fransisco and its music scene? Is your move there permanent ?
John: I’m enjoying it here, but I don’t know much about the music scene yet [John ended up moving back to Austin in 2001]. The bands that I’ve really liked that I’ve seen so far are Beulah and For Stars.
thereivers.net: And, what would be your top 10 favorite albums- your “desert island discs”?
John:
-The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper
-The Beatles: Revolver
-Wire: Pink Flag
-Fleetwood Mac: Rumors
-The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
-The Staple Singers: Gospel Greats
-David Bowie: Ziggy Stardust
-Pavement: Slanted and Enchanted
-Guided By Voices: Bee Thousand
-Guided By Voices: Alien Lanes
