Ministry: Interview with Al Jourgensen

You’ve always been known for using samples, especially with Presidents by the name of Bush, but this time around you’re not only inserting samples into a context, but you’re actually manipulating the sample—

No, George came down and jammed with us, man. It was a highly secretive project—we had secret servicemen all over the garage, Paul Raven and I were writing and George was on vocals —that was all him dude. (laughs)

What spurred that on? Deliberately manipulating the sample?

Well, that was the least favorite part of doing this record. Going through his speeches—hundreds and hundreds of hours of this Karl Rove-Machiavellian spin, pulling the puppet strings on the nine-volt battery in the back of Bush’s head or whatever.

It was just fucking tedious, so we wanted to spice things up a bit. Instead of waiting for him to say something stupid, let’s just give George a little help, a little push in the right direction. ’Cause you know he would say it anyway, eventually. I just didn’t want to sit through all that.

The intense anger of the two records suggest that there’s something that can be done regarding this country’s current politics—you’re certainly not lying down on the issue.

I wish more of the Democrats and America’s left would also take a cue from that. Way to go Russ Feingold. At least just try to slap them on the wrist without being a complete pussy. Anything man, I’ll take anything I can get out of the left.

There’s a lot of criticism there, but there’s only a few, vague answers. Give me your quick take on fixing the country’s problems.

It’s not so much fixing the country, or deposing the Bush- tyrant regime. Are you telling me that Hillary and Bill aren’t equally as evil and in bed with the same people?

Basically, the entire system’s broken. These candidates, from either side of the aisle, are bought and paid for. People don’t have a vested interest in their own future anymore, because a vote doesn’t really count until we start getting some candidates that aren’t getting bought out by special interest groups. And this goes for every government, this isn’t just America. The whole democratic system is broken and it’s been hijacked.

It’s nothing but money.

It’s all about the money, everything from wars to politics, it’s all about the money. And how much is too much? I mean, how much profit do you need, Exxon, before you have to start throwing that back into social programs that help improve a society and help them continue to buy your product instead of this slash-and-burn policy of greed, greed, greed is good, make as much money as you can and fuck everyone else.

And when you think the government is spending almost a billion dollars every eight hours.

And for what? 250 million dollar toilet seats from Bechtel and Halliburton and for what? This is what people are dying for?

You’ve been quoted, before this record came out, as saying you were only going to put out two more Ministry records and then become a history professor.

Actually, you know, I would love to be a history professor, but it’s almost the same kind of career, really, running a record label (13th Planet). It’s still about shared information and some kind of educational process is involved, I hope. So I’ve pretty much got to stick to running this label because I certainly do plan on retiring Ministry when the Bush administration is over and riding off into the sunset hand in hand with Georgie. (laughs)

That’s pretty much the plan. I have one more Ministry record left, I have one more Revolting Cocks record after this one left, and I have one more Lard left and then I’m finally gonna take the time to do my much long talked about country project, Buck Satan, and that’s when pretty much you’re going to seriously watch me ride off into the sunset.

I remember finding a bootleg of you doing an acoustic Grateful Dead cover a long time ago.

Yeah, at the Neil Young Bridge Benefit concert for muscular dystrophy. That was a hoot to play. Country’s just fun to do, man. Old school country—none of this achy-breaky-dicky-licky shit or whatever. Big and rich, whatever these bands are, (laughs)

That’s not country. I’m talking about Patsy Cline, Furlin Husky, Hank Sr. and Buck Owens, that kind of shit. That’s the kind of stuff we’ll be doing and that’s gonna be a joy and a great way to exit the fucking grand stage.

The Masterbatour, featuring Ministry and the Revolting Cocks, will be swinging by B.B. King’s in NYC on June 14 and House Of Blues in Atlantic City on June 17. Rio Grande Blood and Cocked And Loaded are available now. For more information, check out ministrymusic.org.