Rare bird

The The's Matt Johnson gets Nakedself

by Bob Gulla

Since emerging in 1979 as part of Britain's fertile post-punk underground scene, The The's Matt Johnson has taken pains to stay out of the public eye. In the 20 years he's been a recording artist, he's only released five full-length albums and has toured almost as infrequently. Now, with a new album on the horizon, Johnson brings The The to Providence in a rare tune-up concert. It will be the first major national act booked at the city's new Metropolis venue and, considering Johnson's blue-moon tours, it promises to be worth the while.  

Matt Johnson came to prominence when 4AD released his first single back in 1979, the prophetically titled "Controversial Subject." Two years later, he issued his first album for the same label, called Burning Blue Soul under his own name. (It would become one of the first albums to use drum loops and sampling.) Soon after, Johnson, working now as The The, released the impressive "Cold Spell Ahead," a song which would later be recast as "Uncertain Smile" and make considerable impact in the pop underground on both sides of the Atlantic.

An admitted perfectionist, Johnson waited another three years before hitting the studio again. In 1983, he finally issued Soul Mining, a universally acclaimed work of melodic pop with shark-sharp teeth. The lengthy time frame made it clear that Johnson preferred building his recordings brick by brick, erecting musical edifices that took time, contemplation, and patience. For his fans, waiting three years or more for each release, with little hope of extensive touring to make up for his absence. "Primarily," Johnson explains from his apartment in New York City. "I've always seen myself first as a songwriter, then a producer, then a singer, then a guitarist, and lastly as a performer. I do enjoy being onstage, especially when I feel focused and fit and healthy. I live a fairly reclusive life, so I tend to disappear between releases. I feel there's too much music out there as it stands; that's why I get lost between records."

Three years after his debut, following a lengthy illness, Johnson released Infected, also to wide acclaim. This time he targeted his barbs on the cultural and economic malaise of Britain and, because of that, the record soared in the UK and went platinum here. On its heels, Johnson assembled a stellar, touring version of The The, featuring former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist James Eller (Julian Cope), and drummer David Palmer (ABC). The tour proved to be a revelation for Johnson. Until that time, the band had been a loose rotation of honorary satellites all revolving around planet Johnson, with members including Sinéad O'Connor, Neneh Cherry, Marc Almond, Jim Thirlwell, and Jools Holland.

With a firm lineup, Johnson put the finishing touches on Mind Bomb, another collection of strident -- but this time discordant -- diatribes. Touring followed. The same group came together a full four years later to record Dusk, a brilliant but considerably more subtle work still marked by Johnson's corrosive cynicism. In 1995 Johnson put on a big, ten-gallon hat to paid homage to one of his dearest musical heroes, Hank Williams, on Hanky Panky, a cover album of the icon's material. Though completely unexpected and a little misguided, the project made a perverse sense, considering Johnson and Williams share a similarly dark view of the world.  

Now, 16 years (and five albums) after signing with Epic Records, Johnson has made a break. "[Epic] asked me if I could make this record more commercial, maybe make some singles," says Johnson, "but I liked it as it was." At the same time a new label expressed interest and Johnson decided to take advantage, signing with Nothing Records, in alliance with another like-minded dark horse, label boss Trent Reznor. The union has already harvested significant fruit in the form of Nakedself, Johnson's first album of original material since 1993's Dusk. It's a lean, mean monster of a record, combining the two elements which now serve as the hallmarks of Johnson's career: a maverick's flair for originality and an uncompromising -- but accessible -- commercial viability.

Recorded in New York City, Nakedself came to fruition at Harold Dessau Studios. "I've tinkered in a room there for five years," says Johnson. "It's a wonderful place, with old worn out rooms. It used to be a machine cutters factory, and now it has a lot of old Chinese tube equipment from a dismembered radio station in Shanghai. Pretty beaten up analog stuff. We surrounding ourselves with interesting equipment, and just left an old tape machine running. We ended up with reels and reels of material."

Many of the songs on Nakedself feel less calculated and more visceral than Johnson's past work, with songs like "saltwater," "boilingpoint," and "dieselbreeze" powered by the gritty guitars of Johnson and former Iggy Pop bandmate Eric Schermerhorn. "We really jammed these tracks out," Johnson admits, adding that "saltwater," the last song on the album, started out as a 19-minute jam session. "I had been using keyboards and harmonica for years and I was just tired of finding places for them. Besides, I always wanted a two-guitar band."

Joined by Dallas drummer Earl Harvin, most recently with MC900 Ft. Jesus, and bass player Spencer Campbell from Nashville (Kenny Rogers), Johnson prides himself in the organic force of "Nakedself," both musically and lyrically. Ultimately, "Nakedself" is as potent a recording as Johnson has ever made, as he continues to carve a deeper, more meaningful niche for himself as modern rock's most eloquent and insightful artist. "When I was younger I had a few people I could look up to who stuck to their self-beliefs and followed their instincts," he explains. "I want people to be able to look at me the very same way."

The The will perform on Sunday, November 28 at Metropolis (172 Pine Street, Providence).