MInistry's Al Jourgensen Book Interview 2013

Ministry: The Lost Gospels According To Al Jourgensen is an outrageous rock memoir and Al is one of the most honest people to interview. Here we talk about the end of Ministry, Mike Scaccia, the new album, stories from the book and his plans for a college lecture tour next year.

[@twilightsymphony1371]

I love Al.He always knows what to say,when to say it,and how to say it.Ministry's favorite band,and Al's my favorite rock star. \m/

[@Fancymanofthedeep]

I liked how she lost interest when he started going on about how he hated playing live. I hated that part in the book.

[@bitchlips]

I hated when he said the band started playing Stigmata and he just would leave and go to the bar. Too bad it’s one of your best songs

[@DrummingKid78]

fantastic read!

[@Digitalspectrumvideoweddings]

Al, never sober.

[@TheArchangel68]

But in a way I kind of feel a little bad for Al and the others involved who pioneered that hard industrial metal sound that was so cutting edge all those yrs ago. Fucking EVERYBODY in the world ripped off what they were doing, so what do you do? Where do you go after that? That's why I have a tendency to cut Ministry a good bit of slack about the sound they've cultivated now. At least they still have opinions, an attitude, and are still carrying a message.

[@Fancymanofthedeep]

To be blunt I got major creep vibes from Al's wife. Something about her didn't sit right with me.

[@bitchlips]

Well they r divorced now

[@Fancymanofthedeep]

atheists*. Overall the book is cool in it's own right and it is filled with funny and disturbing stories. But I was disapointed i Al's venom towards past members. Long live the book club (people who've read the book will know what I mean).

[@TheArchangel68]

I agree with you on this completely. Al Spends a lot of the book tearing down the contributions of everyone else and taking personal shots at them, especially Barker. He'd like everyone to believe that he did everything and the other guys were just there to play the notes. If Paul's position in the band is what he claims them why was his always the only other name in the official Ministry lineup? And why was he always in the promo photos with Al? Yep. Jourgensen is trying to rewrite history.

[@Fancymanofthedeep]

Fun book but it was also a smear job on Paul Barker, and Chris Connelly

[@raincityblues7094]

It honestly pissed me off that the book was filled with typos too. I mean, if I'm spending that much money on a hard cover book, they could at least get a high schooler to proof read it after school.

[@apestasguey]

fan since twitch

[@leavinghope1970]

Uncle Al Rules!

[@TheArchangel68]

I didn't even know they'd had a court battle. This is news to me. I'll have to look into this story. So it was Al who went after Paul in court? Interesting. Apparently Jourgensen lost.

[@ouzer]

It's a shame because Ministry was at its best when Barker was in the band (and Connelly made great contributions of The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste). Never trust a junkie.

[@Fancymanofthedeep]

Chris did a lot for Revco. Plus his vocals are cool on Cannibal Song. Also I don't buy Al's claim that he would just remove 50-80% of Paul and Bill's work. I think that's his ego talking. Al owes a lot to the Book Club.

[@bitchlips]

Hm he sounds quite hammered here.

[@raincityblues7094]

I love me some Ministry, but if there is one thing that I get from reading the book is that you have to take everything in it with a grain of salt. When a guy starts talking about alien encounters like they are fact, you have to wonder about the validity of the other claims. Every story has two sides, and it is obvious that this guy wasn't the easiest to get along with at times. Not to mention that he is often contradicted by others in the book interviews.

[@TheArchangel68]

Yes! I feel the exact same way. When Filth Pig first came out I didn't like it. I guess I was so used to The Mind/Psalm, etc. It was so different. But I love the record now. I think it's fantastic. I like Dark Side a lot, too. The song Step is great! Al hates those albums. But, I agree with you. The early records are fucking great all the way!!

[@Misanola]

Exactly! Al is pure, unhinged ego. There is no Ministry or RevCo without Paul, Chris and Bill.

[@813lynch]

Misanola why is it that Ministry & RevCo are still making music...without the book club ?

[@respobabs]

Ministry and RevCo carry on in name only. Meanwhile, the rest of the musicians are still making music as The Cocks in the case of RevCo and other bands. KMFDM is a similar situation. Ministry is touring now, and I considered seeing Al play for old time's sake, but the music really is pure shit now and can't bring myself to do it. Too bad as they were really leading a path ca 1990.

[@royalzaheer7]

ministry use to be cool in the early 80's i do not know what happened to Al

[@TheArchangel68]

Hahahaha! Funny. Well, he was been able to work with pretty much whoever he chose for most of his career, either engineers, musicians, whatever. Look at that 1990 live lineup. Amazing! You've got people from Skinny Puppy, PIL/Killing Joke, Dead Kennedys, etc. Bottom line is I think each of the recent CDs have a couple good songs each but cannot touch the old-style Ministry records. Not that I'd like a retread of anything again and again, but I'm simply talking about overall quality of songs.

[@respobabs]

The scene as a whole is way different now, but Ministry definitely went to pot in the late 90s.

[@Wscate]

Paul wasn't a pert of ith Sympathy and had little to do with Twitch, so Ministry really is Al and for the people that cry because Ministry dost sound like they did in 82 just need to grow up and get a life. The Beatles didn't sound the same from meet the Beatles to Abby Road. Grow up artists grow and like all kinds of stuff.

[@respobabs]

Yeah but the Beatles' sound evolved from basic rock n roll to psychedelia and stronger songwriting. Ministry on the other hand went from new wave and avant-garde psychedelic electronic to braindead thrash garbage not worth a nickel.

[@TheArchangel68]

Yep, Al's grudge against Paul is that he said Paul was pilfering money for years, had taken out a life insurance policy on him, and had Connelly waiting in the wings to take his place in Ministry. But the records don't lie! If you listen to the old stuff they are consistently solid, then from the post-Barker records each one has a couple good tunes and a lot of recycled crap set to thrash riffs. Al's Stepdad Ed Jourgensen said Al feels guilty that people like what he does so much. That's telling

[@petradichavich]

Paul Barker did much of the grunt writing work and composition along with whatever band members were around, guitar riffs here, drum parts there, all thrown together and assembled by Paul and then Al walks in after weeks of work and gives his opinion to carry on or scrap. then he lays vocals. thats how ministry used to write songs at least from Filth pig through Houses of the Mole, which Paul didn't contribute to. Mostly Mike Scaccia and Rey Washam kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaacimlthr6Bn9k

[@TheRealKILLERD]

I read Chris Connelly's book first and he does not paint a pretty picture of Al. I think that's what pissed him off. I personally believe that Paul, Chris and Bill didn't have a plan on getting rid of AL and if Al was in complete control of the band like he said he was why didn't he kick them out?

[@petradichavich]

he's the Trump of his own reality. I was there I know who did the work and who wrote the majority of the material. at least from '95 till '04

[@respobabs]

Thank you for your comment. I wasn't there, but I see that you were, and what you write confirms why Ministry for more than a decade now has sounded braindead and is unlistenable to many former fans including me. Since the split with Paul Barker many moons ago, he seems to me basically just to be living in his own reality as you have suggested, and his music immediately became so generic and uninteresting. In your opinion, how much did the situation with the drugs hold back the music and the band as a whole, and do you have any idea why Al has spent so much time bashing others during the last 15 years rather than doing something more productive? It seems like pretty much everyone else from that circle has gone on to do interesting things, and with all his name recognition, Al could be doing that too, but instead he keeps churning out shit albums and trash-talking almost everyone else in music. It's a shame to me because I looked up to him as an artist when I was getting started.

[@josevillarreal9920]

That's his shittiest work. Mind is A Terrible Thing To Taste put him on the map. Everything after that is posturing.

[@jestermindcrime1773]

k but every single book by a 'rock star;' is all made up drunkin shit anyways,,,It;s at least better than the scattered work of shitfiction the crue tried to pull off,, and lol fail horribly, shit even Manson couldn't remember all his lies ,,,,so least Al is drunkin honest

[@petradichavich]

@@jestermindcrime1773 No it's greatly exaggerated stories and his long law suit against anybody that had a chance to take money from him through royalties of the music. he took away my royalties for my song contributions.

[@edwardbenes5015]

fun chat

[@gangurobitch]

Al is now claiming that his recent thrash metal abortions are his best because he got to work with his friends on them. Which is funny, because I remember reading an 1989 interview with him where he was babbling about how "The Land of Rape and Honey" was so much better than "Twitch" because he got to make it with his friends on it instead of a hired producer.

[@petermoes1668]

Great book, but his wife (2nd) gave me the creeps. Strange he gave all that much responsibility to here bandwise...

[@libertarianjury]

Al is right about the studio, he's a genius when it comes to rock and roll. I gotta admit that. jury rights revolution. google it.

[@KenDWebber]

Big Ministry fan since the Land of Rape and Honey through Last Tangle in Paris but did not like the person I found in this book, only because I'm very opposite Al in almost every aspect. That being said... LOVED the book, the adventure, the journey, and the spirit of Al, especially after Angelina pulled him back from death. Hoping he will carry on in music or whatever project he tackles!

[@SweetSweetWaldo]

Poor Al, he's post toasties. His brain is fried!

[@gangurobitch]

Al has actually come out now and said that he has no appreciation whatsoever for his fans (but he does appreciate their money). I have a feeling he's going to regret that once his career as a "writer" crashes and burns.

[@Fancymanofthedeep]

Ironically my comment is filled with typos, but nonetheless I'm not the one publishing a major book to be released.

[@josevillarreal9920]

Its Amazing how many people think that the Albums after and before A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste are good. Its the only Ministry album worth listening to. Everything after that is just another take of that album.

[@libertarianjury]

Wow. Cool. Gotta get it. Vote small-L libertarian. Stop the wars.

[@TheStonebill]

Just finished reading Al's autobiography. Highly recommended reading

[@slumdogjay]

Great read. I couldn’t put it down.

[@rubyred7713]

HE SAID THAT BECAUSE THE BOOK CLUB WAS MIND CONTROLLING HIM!!!!

[@that-matt-guy]

Best damn book I ever read.

[@rubyred7713]

Are you IMPLYING that Al is LYING?! How dare you?!

[@josephwichman1702]

The Aliens were a nice touch.

[@zevalastarrcain]

Ministry is not a Band, Ministry is Al. It never was anything but AL. The whole "band Thing was a touring entity.

[@respobabs]

Not according to all the liner notes that credited Paul Barker as Ministry.

[@AdamSteinzOfficial]

Nice job Kimberly! I Love Uncle Al.

[@Fancymanofthedeep]

Also it pissed me off in the book when Al's wife implied that atheist weren't spirtual. I'm an atheist and I know many other ones that believe in things greater themselves. Next the book was filled with typos. Also Al's wife came off as Yoko. Bring back BARKER. If the book was truly honest Barker would have been asked for his perspective.

[@Dmnapache]

Al's the Best!

[@gangurobitch]

By his own account, Chris Connelly wrote that book mostly because Al and his new wife started accusing Paul Barker of being some kind of evil mastermind. Well, that and Al decided to release old Revolting Cocks albums on Rykodisc and failed to pay a dime in royalties to anyone but himself.

[@calabiyou]

just bought it

[@gangurobitch]

I think Al honestly would have preferred to have ended Ministry with "The Last Sucker", yet his attempts to start new bands didn't produce great returns and shaking down Paul Barker for money in court didn't work, either.

[@gangurobitch]

Al's book was unintentionally hilarious. He could not have made it more apparent that he's still carrying a torch for Paul Barker if he tried.

[@DJMTRAXXX]

Awesome interview!! I love brotha Al!!😎🎶🎶🎶

[@DJMTRAXXX]

Awesome interview!! I love you Al!!😎🎶🎶🎶