Al Jourgensen(Ministry) interview

1991..(?)
thanks bigkatmanning!

[@Stevie.C]

With Sympathy is one of the best electro pop albums of that genre. Great catchy songs. It's still one of my faves. He should just embrace it for what it is. So his style evolved and he moved on. It's still a great synth pop record.

[@stickymeat88]

brother, "twitch" and all the singles inbetween that and "land of rape and honey" is just pure gold. even the singles before "with sympathy" are amazing. im falling is a great track.

[@Deathshuck]

He doesn't embrace it because, as he himself has said, didn't feel he even recorded that album, because it was a product of pressure from the record company to make a commercial sounding record. They're catchy songs yes, but it's by design, not because there was any kind of passion behind making it. It's very formulaic synth pop and not the music he wanted to do.

[@senateguard33]

19? Lol. Al was 25 when With Sympathy was released. He knew what he was doing.

[@wilhelmshultz2738]

i think he was more saying "when i was 19 i thought record labels were the key to success but all they did was bullshit me when i finally got one"

[@frozenintears]

I don't consider it a part of my catalog? Bullchit!!! Al you wrote all the lyrics and music on "With Sympathy". Great record btw, but you need to stop pretending and actually try to be proud of that work.

[@epictetus9221]

You think he's pretending?

[@ego6342]

@@epictetus9221 he is. He's now said in an interview that he accepts the record in his catalog since it shaped his music career. So he now acknowledges it and knows there are fans of the album that aren't even fans of his industrial music, like myself. Which is cool. He even released a cut song awhile back from that era. And if he really hated that era, why would he keep a bunch of unreleased New Wave songs when he claimed he hates that genre? A lot of old tapes/recordings such as demos sometimes go missing with bands that are just 10-20 years old. It's pretty common, especially with bands from the 80s. So he kept it which says something.

[@epictetus9221]

@@ego6342 Thank you for taking the time. I learned something.

[@anthonymoroneygodzil]

With Sympathy is actually pretty great

[@ericportillo8277]

Exactly how bill hicks described being on a tv show.."bill, we like you cuz you're edgy, but when you come on could you not be that way?"

[@elektroshop3388]

Sorry Al, that album is fucking amazing lol!

[@GAMAGE3]

I dont why he is so embarresed by With Sympathy. It's a really good album.

[@AORCrazy]

He's bullshiting, he's like a tuff guy and he says that some pricks in record label made him do the record With Sympathy?? What kind of crap is that? There is evidence here on KZbin that he played LIVE all of his material from With Sympathy album which is great, so why did he did that? Because he disliked it? Who made him play live?

[@whaleswelsh]

I agree. THough very different.. I loved hearing it, when I use to go out more often, to the clubs

[@RiddleMeThisShorts]

Very interesting and surprising to hear that about 'With Sympathy'.

[@ferngullyful]

i just saw a recent vid of him. O....M....G.....wanted to cry. Getting old blows so hard and that's all there is to it.

[@trollfinger]

It was last year. I was at their last ever gig here in Dublin. Was a great show. But they will be missed.

[@COwens]

While I'm sure there's some truth in what Al's saying, if you search KZbin you'll see Ministry playing some of the songs from With Sympathy. And Al looks pretty into it.

[@aztecmayanamerican]

Agreed :) Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@ELFanatic]

agreed with everything you say about twist. That's just perfect. I love all of his later stuff too but Twist is perfection. I agree with what you said about With Sympathy too. I pretty much agree with everything you said.

[@vivaldireal1741]

He wasn’t talking about Twitch

[@spookykidx1]

what sunglasses r those i want a pair like those do any of you know what there called

[@crazzzynut]

@mashinkle ...He is Cuban.

[@crazzyross]

120 minutes. There are exactly 120 comments.

[@kemicon]

Just discovered "Same old Madness". I love early Ministry so if Al had nothing to do with it I'd like to know who did. WS and Twitch are my two favorite albums by these guys although in my wild youth I was into Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste. I will keep an eye out for the two you mentioned.

[@sethmatthews7394]

he did write same old madness. but that was before with sympathy. The wax trax singles from 81-84 are awesome, and i don't think al is ashamed of those particular tracks

[@aztecmayanamerican]

well, its not that it was terrible, its just not the type of music he wanted to make, and he was forced to do it, thats all. I truly believe that deep inside he doesnt think it was that bad, lol, it just wasnt his style. thanks for your comment and thanks for watching!

[@AgedTeen]

@psychodeathmonkey It's so damn true, man! I'm only 30, but I can definitely make a difference between the moshpits I've been into before 2000/2003 or something like that and the new ones! At the beginning I thought it was strange to relate mp3s, Ipods and stuff to that, but it really looks like these younger guys are watching live shows as they were in front of a fuckin' monitor! Maybe I still see good audiences in more underground shows of genres that stayed the same like thrash or hc punk!

[@aztecmayanamerican]

haha..I must agree with you. That is true now that I think about it! Thanks for your comment!

[@rivethead1982]

Well said AL. It's pretty neat how some good music icons reveal the truth about record labels.

[@point-bl4nk]

Yes , With Symptathy is a good album.... the point is, it wasn't _his_ album. He didnt' want to make it. Producers get in the way, the label gets in the way... Happens all the time with debuts. Watch Rick Beato's "almost famous" youtube video.

[@teddy1066]

Al Jourgensen = Legend

[@adrianaguilar6347]

I wondered what is the name of the glasses Al is wearing, or the place to get them

[@heavymetalrybakina]

Hang on, so he's telling us the record company is at fault for him starting off with a pop album?

[@neurobits]

You didn't catch he's like a "victimized" jerk? Talking about "dominated woman" while taking fans as tour ornaments? Still like his music, he doesn't needs to be the way I imagine a cleaver guy has to be.

[@Buddy713]

o yeah. its not to late to see al. like I said hes only doing select shows, not all of them. but he will do most big ones im assuming. but i dont care i no ill be going to see him with revCo one last time.

[@benrosier9078]

Just because someone understands the way the music industry works and can explain it well on camera doesn't mean your band is worth a fuck

[@PatrickIngham21]

Yes ive got the Vinyl version, some of it is cheesy but hey it was 1983! i still think overall its a good album :)

[@Buddy713]

yeah the one thing tho. ministry is done. and RevCo was, but then all realaced a statmen on thier web site that said " this last revCo albume is the best one hes ever done, and he was going to pass the band on but he said he thinks hes going to stick around a while longer" and he is even doing the revCo tour, not all the shows tho.

[@thebarbaryghostsf]

Honestly With Sympathy is hit and miss. Revenge and Effigy are both classics, but most of the album is pretty cheesy and dated. However the earlier singles and especially the entirety of Twitch are fantastic. Twitch will always be my favorite Ministry LP hands down! They managed to capture that Belgian EBM sound, but give it even more balls.

[@wwgt]

Well said .. oops im late for the new justice beavers cd release party featuring " usher " BARF

[@nicholasvladd7149]

If you had to label what music genre Ministry was, it would be Industrial Metal, Ministry was more focused on the Industrial scene, "With Sympathy" was just a phase. So what if their debut album was Synth Pop, but that was before Al Jourgensen got introduced to the Industrial music, anyways I personally like "With Sympathy" I think it's a great album...

[@aztecmayanamerican]

Really? Interesting. So its not to late to see Al live right? I mean, it wont be Ministry, but RevCo is awesome too. Anyways, thanks for sharing and thanks for watching.

[@gloppyplop7511]

N.W.O.

[@jwatson626]

Yeah, wild blonde hair and the same striped shirt . . . I was thinking the same thing.

[@deathdestructo754]

What Al is saying reminds me of my wife and my past girlfriends. They all liked my crazy style, attitude, bad boy, and how I dressed, then when we got together and we're more serious all they wanted to do was change me into someone else. Why not like me for who I am, like before? No I need to change this and do that. How about shut up and suck it. That's what I always say, doesn't work though lol

[@laxiton]

@jacobladders Actually I meant that I might put the songs that are the same style, or let's say "character" (not necessarily same type of sounds (industrial/metal/ etc)) together because sometimes it just sounds more as a whole. Then again honestly it would annoy me that it comes over as that's the only style of music I make. so I admit there's a paradox :-) But lot of things in life are grey, not black or white.

[@laxiton]

@jacobladders Yeah online discussions tend to heat up :-) My opinion 4 what it's worth: Making tunes myself, a mix of industrial, metal, ambient..I find myself switching betwn styles, daily, doing absolutely only what I want @ same time. Now, if I would have the chance to release an album I would probably put the songs of same style/character together anyway, it just sounds better that way + if it's popular it makes you keep da keep the job n continue what I like or even influence evolution.

[@PatrickIngham21]

Ok thats fair enough but to this day he dismisses that album and refuses to re-release it on cd which is a great shame as its a top album!

[@Eliskoopa]

With Sympathy is a good album, I wonder if Al was being honest here, saying it's not "his" album...

[@crizzy71]

Twist .... do maybe mean Twitch???

[@bigdsears]

what happend to ministry? they used to be the shit. I remember i saw the butthole surfers here in austin about 12 years ago, and this guy came on stage and rocked a little too. it was awesome!

[@TVstudio]

Yeah but everything after that is good.

[@noizyme]

@ferngullyful At least now he has the old, curmudgeon attitude to go along with his age. I miss u, Uncle Al.

[@nirb8]

Al can deny it as much as he wants. I'm not buying it. With Sympathy is a great album, and I love it as much as I love Psalm 69. What's wrong with being eclectic?

[@laxiton]

@jacobladdersAbout Metallica, like some of the old riffs but don't like the voice of Hetfield. Ministry and the lot just had this kind of "angry but you can kiss my ass from hell" ring to it :-) Metallica was too clean to my liking but I'm sure lots would disagree. Oh well, whatever floats their boat :-)

[@laxiton]

@TeaBagger5000 True, whatever the aim of a company, whether it's to make money to promote music they believe in or to fund their lives, it's all about the same in the end. One would need a New World Order to change that ;-)

[@ELFanatic]

I like nin but not nearly as much as ministry

[@oklapi]

lol

[@hahaureadmyname]

NIN>Ministry

[@thetriumphofthethrill2457]

Edgy and articulate. Man, those were the days.

[@Silks]

Al definitely wrote at least half of With Sympathy (since he was playing half of those songs live before ever recording WS). You can argue the producers watered down the sound of those songs compared to the live performances, and kept certain early songs off the record (like Overkill, America, Same Old Madness, etc), but he's full of it to say he's on that album in name only. The Ministry keyboardist at the time said Al seemed happy and excited during the making of WS.

[@passedtense436]

He is disingenuous regarding his participation in the first album. I can only guess why. Maybe he's ashamed?

[@Caffeine_Club]

He's only fooling himself. Running around with his faux British accent, you know he was surfing that new wave sound, and should embrace it. Everybody goes through phases, that was one of his.

[@ninebutterflies]

i agree that With Sympathy is nothing to be ashamed of -- for what it is (dark, new-wavey pop), it's one of the best albums out there!

[@xx_blasphemer_xx8148]

I always find Al fascinating in interviews, he tells it how it is and its very refreshing and enlightening. Things are never what they seem behind the scenes.

[@jtsmithok]

I’m a huge fan but Al is an unreliable narrator. Half of what he says is bullshit. If you read his book the forward is all about how he doesn’t want recognition and just wants to be the jimmy page to Robert Plant. Total bullshit, Al loves the spotlight and having a platform. It made me question the entire autobiography to the point I consider a good part of it as fiction.

[@MetalHeadJagger]

With sympathy is a legendary album.... but al Jourgensen doesnt really acknowledges the album at in his catalog because it was everything ge didn't want ministry to sound like

[@thebarbaryghostsf]

Absolutely agree. Overkill sounds like early Ministry trying to emulate The Damned and other similar Deathrock from the time.

[@zonic26]

Self titled, there is no self titled Ministry album, this was Psalm 69 coming out

[@cybermartyr87]

Al's more aggressive side is the best, because he is free from record labels telling what to write. That's not Al, that's just some random new wave band. I liked "With Sympathy" but its nowhere near as good as "The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste".

[@MsReyes5]

lol i remember that! it had a hand with black nail polish and some flowers..red roses right? that was soo long ago! i agree with you..i'm a Ministry fan..regardless..

[@MissLoofah]

He loved that stuff back then...he just changed his mind about it cuz the drug abuse fucked with his mind...its impressive to see that his willpower still helped him succeed in the brutal industrial stuff though...Al Jourgensen for President -- 2020!!!!!

[@aztecmayanamerican]

I totally agree. I used to always think that it was a bad album, but I guess thats because I was so used to hearing the "new" Ministry. It's not that its bad, it's just not the type of music he wanted to play. I too was impressed with this interview when I first saw it, he really shows how intelligent he is..or can be. lol. Ever seen a more recent Al interview...not so great. lol. But anyway, thanks for your comment and thanks for watching!

[@ULYSSES-31]

Al's newer solo stuff is more like his old melodic pop songs, he was always a popstar at heart.

[@yoe91]

sorry, a bit off topic but he sounds like Chris Barnes (Cannibal Corpse), I take it that's the midwest Chicago area accent ? I know Barnes is from Buffalo NY, but it seems people from there don't sound anything like the typical proper New York accent.

[@iTiger987]

@79hyperwave Try asking someone at the concert next time you go. I dont know about that.

[@lolliwag]

With Sympathy is a brilliant album but it wasn't what Jourgensen wanted for his career so he revolted against it and evolved into the diversified musical artist he is and has been since With Sympathy. Great interview...he's so eloquent and confident in himself and he also seems quite sober and non drug induced which is always awesome...lol.

[@myaturney]

hahahaha with sympathy is pretty bad.i love him anyway.everyone who has made music has made gay music.period.

[@aztecmayanamerican]

whoa! didnt notice that before, considering its only off by one letter. Good eye! lol

[@redshaftedflicker]

I'm not a Ministry fan but that's not the point. I enjoy his no bullshit approach.

[@loganshotrod4x464]

The thing about you that attracted people to you in the first place is the same thing that they try to beat out of you later; are all human relationships based on this?

[@oscardelarosapineda]

I like their first record I listen to it all the time

[@Volumesofdoom]

Here is a clip of Al on the Donahue Show in 1983 around the time of the his first record. watch?v=OEWL3Y6Kpzo

[@lolliwag]

you're welcome...Al's almost 50 so he's tired and ready to relax for the next decade or so. It's totally normal for a rock star to pack it in around his age. the ones that keep going are just feeding the insatiable money machine they built. That must be tedious and boring not to mention the catalyst to creating mediocre product so I'm glad AJ's packing it in now before that brand of lameness takes over.

[@bigdsears]

It's a shame to see such an innovative rocker fade... I'll have to toast him next time on the Jukebox when I go out and play all Ministry.. it's fun to play Ministry and hokey bars where the old folks look at you like you're crazy!

[@industrialnyleon]

al is fucking goood...

[@bigdsears]

hells yeah, let's all play ministry or butthole surfers on the jukebox at country bars around the nation!

[@Silks]

And before that album, him playing with Special Affect, and playing Ministry songs around the same time that didn't sound like With Sympathy. I'm sure part of his enthusiasm was the huge oppurtunity he had been given at the time. *shrugs*

[@derekdavis864]

I just saw Ministry's 2015 New Year's Eve show in Chicago at the Concord Music Hall, and they had two large Nazi eagle banners hung at either end of the stage, with the Ministry insignia in place of the swastika. What kind of asshole must Al Jourgensen be to do something like that? What kind of statement is he trying to make? And why would the management at the Concord Music Hall be stupid enough to allow him to get away with it? Derek Davis Chicago

[@gamerversesteve]

I wonder how many videos you've copy pasted this comment on, I count two so far....

[@burnsrobe]

Sincerely, Derek Davis Professional Ministry Critic Chicago

[@itz_Max_yall]

Lighten up

[@waynetoscano7000]

well obviously he's not a Nazi sympathizer because he's Cuban. maybe he did it to make fun of Nazism instead of embracing it. he also said that if he were making music in the 30's and 40's that he would've sung about berating George Bush's grandfather because well obviously he was a Bush and because he banked with the Nazis

[@michaelteale2683]

For fucks sake..what wrong with people like you eh?Always piss moaning about something..?get a life/why so fucking, full on super serious all the time?nazi insignia=bollox. CHEMICHAEL.M.ALIEN.T.EELS SNIDE SQUALLISS?5/4/666?

[@cheesyG87]

it's hard to find minstry interviews thanks for the upload

[@ottotitslinger8106]

His speaking voice kind of sounds like Henry Rollins

[@giantsfan8872]

Similar to the whole pantera thing

[@laxiton]

qwq45 and jacobladders are really funny

[@TheKillerD]

Is that Martin Atkins next to him?

[@everything.is.random]

looooool

[@scidriver]

This was the band that did a 180.

[@oklapi]

Too bland and polished

[@michaelteale2683]

killer?

[@perraultfl]

Interesting interview. Ministry Rocks, even if Al Jerginson dosent want to claim "Jesus built my hotrod." :)

[@phantomrider78]

He was referring to the first Ministry Album "With Sympathy", not Jesus built my hotrod.

[@shatchett0]

I'm with this guy. Looking back, I'm glad that my bad decisions aren't on tape.