Chris Isaak Paints Shadows and Light Into His Songs

San Jose Mercury News
Published: Tuesday, December 8, 1998
By Yoshi Kato

Listening TO Chris Isaak's shadowy music, you might get the impression he's a melancholy, tear-in-your-beer romantic. But talk to Isaak, and you can get the sense that he is a gregarious and funny free spirit.

Upon discovering the convivial side of Isaak, one shocked fan was so disillusioned that she threatened the San Francisco-based singer-songwriter with bodily harm.

He says, "This French girl came up to me and said, `You're not what you appear to be. On your records you're supposed to be sad, but in real life, you're this happy guy having fun with his friends. It's all a pose.' Then she threatened to shoot me the next time she saw me.

"I guess she saw me smiling and saying hi to people. But in reality I was going through one of the worst periods of my life," Isaak continues by phone from a Denver tour stop.

Both aspects genuine

The truth is, Isaak never has tried to conceal his personality. Both aspects of it appear genuine. His music really does seem to come from a place deep. After a heart-wrenching breakup with a girlfriend, Isaak couldn't help but pour his despondency into the 1995 album "Forever Blue." Conversely, on stage he often surprises new fans with his jocular playfulness and his ability to rock the house.

"There are two responses I get from people when we play live," he says. "Sometimes they'll say that they were surprised we played as much rock 'n' roll. The other thing is they say they didn't think we would have as much fun, like partying and joking around. But we're not a philosophy group; we're a rock 'n' roll band."

Isaak considers his latest album, "Speak of the Devil," his most rock-oriented record to date. Yes, the album has its share of dark moments, and the Stockton-born musician isn't about to challenge the Beastie Boys as pop party kings. But songs such as "Walk Slow" and the title track do feature robust guitars and moments when Isaak sings with an unrestrained passion.

After releasing the acoustic-based "Baja Sessions" album in 1996, Isaak says he was wanted to do a record with more energy and grander arrangements. For previous albums, most of his songs were written at home on his acoustic guitar. For "Speak of the Devil," about half the tunes were fashioned in the studio, with Isaac playing electric guitar and his three-piece backing band using amps.

The 42-year-old Isaak also wanted the album to reflect a greater sense of experimentation. Every Friday he would ask the band to bring various unconventional instruments to the studio.

"They would bring down an Autoharp or piece of pipe to hit. It could be anything," he says. "A lot of it I just put down on tape. Then I would find out if the sound might fit on a particular song. At the end of the song `Speak of the Devil,' there's the sound of a Silvertone amp being kicked. The old springs in the amp are shaking, and it sounds like thunder."

Despite a more raw feel on the new album, Isaak and longtime producing partner Erik Jacobsen didn't jettison their usually meticulous manner of recording. "Speak of the Devil" was a year in the making.

No live concert album

Isaak, who achieved mainstream success in 1991 with his hit single "Wicked Game," continues to resist suggestions that he make a live concert album. He feels his songs require the type of craftsmanship and subtle fine-tuning that can be achieved only in a studio environment. Regarding his as heart-on-the-sleeve songs, Isaak doesn't feel he's being overly revealing.

"I like to write in the first person," he says. "It never has been embarrassing to me to say, `I love you' or `This is how I feel' in a song. I just naturally feel that people aren't interested in looking at me and my life. They're interested in seeing if a song is real enough that, when they try it on, it fits. Like I listen to Hank Williams' songs: I don't listen and say, `Is this what happened to Hank?' (It works if I feel) it's about my life. Then it's important."

In live shows, Isaak goes out of his way to please fans. He says he usually can tell after performing a handful of songs what type of music a particular audience is in the mood to hear. He then tailors the rest of the show to suit those expectations. Sometimes he'll emphasize his quieter material. At other times he'll step up the tempo. He credits his almost telepathic relationship with his band for the ability to abruptly and seamlessly shift gears during a concert.

Drummer Kenney Dale Johnson and bassist Rowland Salley have been a part of his group for 14 years. Guitarist Hershel Yatovitz replaced original guitarist James Calvin Wilsey about five years ago.

Isaak's desire to bond with the audience doesn't stop when the house lights go up, either. After his last song, he runs out to the theater lobby to sign autographs and to chat with fans.

"Sometimes people tell me that people won't think of me as a star if I do that," says Isaak. "They see you up close, and they realize that you're just a guy. But it's more pleasant when you're both on the same level and you're just talking, rather then having them screaming or being all excited. The only bad thing is, because I sing so much, I can't talk loud or have long conversations. I have to save my voice for the next show."

Isaak acts as well

Isaak also gets to rest his singing voice whenever he puts on his acting shoes. He started appearing in small roles about 10 years ago. He has appeared in "Married to the Mob," "The Silence of the Lambs" and "That Thing You Do." He will play a Southern sheriff in the upcoming independent film "Shepherd," which stars Amy Irving and Tom Arnold.

How does Isaak balance his music and film careers? "Most people take time off. I don't," he says. "If I don't have a gig, I'm in the studio recording, or I'm making a film. If I'm not doing any of those things, I'm doing publicity for a film or for a record. The only thing I can say I consistently do (outside of music or film) is, when I'm back in San Francisco and I'm writing songs or working on a recording, I go to the ocean every day and I surf. That keeps it all balanced, controlled."

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