"Summoned by the Muse, I expected the worst." Gregory Corso - 1975

WHY MELTDOWN? OR WHY PERFECTION SUX
With the news John was releasing another project before his next studio album, I was delighted. Acquiring new music is always a special event for me (and for you as well I am sure) While waiting for Meltdown to be released I was surfing about on TTP around and found Taylor's musings.

Reading this I immediately developed a severe appreciation for the music solely based on its conception and intent -- without even hearing a note. There he was fresh out the fish bowl of London, arriving in Laurel Canyon on Lookout Mountain in his little hub of a recording studio -- all of his equipment and new toys sitting before him -- a pioneer on a new voyage of discovery, a kid in a candy store, the mad scientist knee deep in a new experiment.

John's essay was very inspiring. It reminded me of when my brother came home with a massive load of electronics from Music Stop and locked himself in a room until he had it all figured and was making recordings. SANS roadie, SANS engineer, SOLO. He would be down in the basement for hours upon hours, forgetting to eat, forgetting everything except the task at hand. He wasn't even really writing songs either, just making noise......he made the floorboards dance. I could not wait for this CD to be mine. To listen -- to love it.

My next discovery was the lyrics. I printed them out at work and studied them on the ferry on my way home that day. These lyrics I was reading were striking -- poetic. You could easily see they were personal and necessary.........per usual. It is an unusual sensation to know and love the words to songs you have never before heard. I cannot choose a particular favorite, though I am particularly fond of the lyrics of 21st Century Teenager and Meltdown.

"Putting feelings into spieling has not been my speciality."

Literally, I was on the edge of my seat from the minute I ordered Meltdown until the minute it arrived. Meltdown? Why not?

MISTER J
There I was, finally listening to Meltdown. Putting music with words I had grown to love so well. I was alone with my headphones -- lyric sheet and the essay before me. What occurred inside of me is indescribable.

All I kept thinking was -- how lucky are we to be fortunate enough to have this talented artist -- share this diverse, vulnerable music with us. GOD DAMN.

One of the things I have always loved about Duran Duran is they always produced unique music, never doing the same thing twice. This remains true for John as a solo artist. FAGAOL and Meltdown are no way comparable aside from the artist name and emotion.

I was blown away. There is no other way to say it. It was rough and fun and funky and inspiring. In my minds eye, I could see him huddled in this room surrounded with his music garb -- we should all count our lucky stars he likes us all enough to share it with us. For, he found himself nervous of his "noise sessions" only allowing a few close friends have a listen. I have nothing but love and respect for Meltdown.

SOUL FIRE
I have noted many different opinions on Meltdown in the recent past. And as a few wise souls said to me, "Some people get it, some people don't." I GET IT !! DO YOU??

I do have favorites that I jam to in my own space. I cannot resist the reggae groove of Soul Fire, nor can I resist the harmonious gushiness on Sometimes.

FAT BOY'S GONE boasts my favorite line that John sings (meaning the way he sings it)

"Cause livin' ain't easy you get a lot of monkey."

Meltdown leaves me asking two questions:

1- Why didn't he release it sooner?

2- What else does he have hidden away?

In many ways the music is ahead of its time and foreshadowed what John was capable of as a solo artist.

SEE US HUMMING SEE US ALIVE
It is hard to believe that Feelings Are Good And Other Lies is almost a classic. Here we are in 1999, the last few months of the 20th century and as a solo artist John Taylor has five recordings to his credit with no end in sight. Life as a solo artist has proved him successful -- but who would doubt that in a man who puts 250% of himself in his artistic ventures. His Artists Dance Card is exceptional -- an independent recording career, live TERRORISTEN shows all over the place, a budding acting career and a world full of other possibilities.

And here we sit, waiting in wonder, for another taste of what is John Taylor. Lucky us. Living sure ain't easy sometimes but it sure is grand.

"How lucky we are to have windows." Allen Ginsberg - 1984

Nicole D. Myers
October 1999