Q: Whom or what do you consider to have been the most important influences on your musical development?
SH: I have no idea. Okay � it wasn�t Rimsky-Korsakov. Or Palestrina. I think I�m on safe ground there.
Q: Well, whose work do you most admire, then?
SH: I don�t think music is a matter for admiration. Especially when you belong to the greatest musical entity of all history � I mean, who can compete with The Anachronisms? So I admire our work.
If you meant to ask who do I like to listen to apart from The Anachronisms, I�d say the Marginals, Oscar Peterson, Jackie McLean, Etta James, and the Stanley Brothers.
If you want to know about particular songs, I especially like �007� by Desmond Dekker and �Rank Strangers� by the Stanley Brothers. Speaking as an important poet, I believe the lyrics of these two songs are unique in popular music in qualifying as poetry. The arrangements are deeply heavy as well. And speaking of heaviness, �Part-time Love� by Luther Allison is pretty cool, especially as he rises above the conventional oh-baby-you-hurt-me-so-bad lyrics which the title would lead you to expect.
Q: What was your relationship with the Marginals?
SH: Relationship? What do you mean relationship? You think they were like my cousins or something? Relationship shmelationship.
Q: Turning to your literary work, what do you think of the argument that your poetry is simply warmed-over Wallace Stevens?
SH: What argument? Did Stevens write exclusively in French? Was Stevens able to discipline himself enough to use the verse forms I do? No, he wasn�t. Stevens� work pales in comparison.
Q: Why do you write exclusively in French?
SH: You�ve got to write in some language. What you got against French?
Q: But you write songs in English and poetry in French. Why the difference?
SH: As long as they�re written in some language I don�t see what your problem is. You know, some people might think that producing great art in two languages might merit a little praise, rather than this badgering about why I do it. Next you�ll be asking whether I write in longhand or type.
Q: Well?
SH: I tattoo my lyrics and poetry on the finest medieval palimpsests using a needle filled with the blood of pregnant ferrets.
Q: What does the future hold for Sid Herpes and The Anachronisms?
SH: What am I, a psychic? I don�t even know what I�m going to have for lunch. Creating great music isn�t like your job, eh? We don�t go in to the great musicians� office every day and punch a clock and churn out 6.5 bars per hour for eight hours. Great art is a great adventure. It is a great exploration of the unknown areas of the human experience. You can�t predict the unknown, or is that idea too difficult for you to grasp?
Q: No, and let me thank you and your fellow Anachronisms for taking us along on your great adventure.
SH: Yeah, right. You�re on the adventure. You�re taking the incalculable risks of the great artist. Yeah, sure. What you�re doing is sitting in your rec room thinking �I wonder why he writes poetry in French.� Don�t make me laugh.
Q: Thank you, then, for telling us about your great adventure.
SH: That�s almost OK.