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BW&BK's Mitch Lafon spoke to Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali recently about a number of topics including the band's latest album, Rehab. The Q&A is as follows:

Mitch Lafon: Tell me about making the new album - (the writing process, the concept, the vision, the why, etc)
Banali: "The writing process for Rehab was very straightforward in a roundabout way. Initially Kevin (DuBrow - vocals) wrote on his own as well as writing two songs with Alex Grossi, 'Free' and 'Strange Daze'. Kevin also wrote with Michael Lardie, 'South Of Heaven' and 'Beggars And Thieves'. I in turn had been writing songs with guitarist Neil Citron which included 'Blind Faith', 'Old Habits Die Hard', 'In Harms Way' and 'Don't Think', as well as 'Wired To The Moon' which will only be available on the international release version. Later Kevin enlisted the services of the mighty Glenn Hughes to lend a hand with lyrics and melodies mostly on some of the songs that Neil (Citron) and I had written the music for 'Blind Faith', 'Old Habits Die Hard', 'In Harms Way'. There was really no particular concept or mind set as to the material that would be written, it was really just a case of writing songs that we all enjoyed listening to and playing. We were not trying to make a particular type of record, but we certainly dug deep into the music of the bands that influenced us individually and that inspiration came largely from British groups from the late 60's and 70's, Free, Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin, The Who, etc."

Mitch Lafon: Why is it important for QR to make new music - after all you could tour/ survive as being a nostalgia act and playing nothing but the hits/ back catalog...
Banali: "What still keeps Quiet Riot interesting for both Kevin and I is to write new music, to play new music and to add that to our existing live play list, otherwise it just becomes a routine. New material breathers new life into Quiet Riot which we hope will also filter to the audience. So far we have included three Rehab songs into our live set: 'Free', 'South Of Heaven' and 'Old Habits Die Hard'. We may add a fourth Rehab song to the set by year's end."

Mitch Lafon: The sound of the album is unlike anything qr has really done before very early rock / 70's - was that a conscious decision, did that just come out and did you on-purpose try to avoid the big hair 80's sound.
Banali: "While there is nothing wrong with the 80's "sound" that we were instrumental in commercially pioneering that style with the success of Metal Health in 1983, there is a lot more to Quiet Riot than the music from that era. We weren't trying to avoid it, but we've done enough of that and really just wanted to write and record music that appealed to us with the hope that it would also appeal to the audience that is still interested in Quiet Riot."

Mitch Lafon: The touring band consists of Chuck Wright and Alex Rossi - why were they not on the album and what did Neil Citron and Tony Franklin bring to the table.... would you hesitate to use them again?
Banali: "At the end of the 2005 touring year, and knowing that both Alex and Chuck's contract were up, Kevin and I were at a crossroads of how to proceed. We both knew that we wanted to record a new record, but I still had to be the architect of it's mechanics. There were issues with both Alex and Chuck during the 2005 touring cycle that needed to be sorted out and it was going to take time to do so. This had the side effect of giving us the freedom and opportunity to record Rehab with the best musicians available to us since there was no Quiet Riot band in the traditional sense beyond Kevin and me.

I had already participated on sessions as the drummer for a future solo release for Neil Citron, and since we were friends and already writing together, this seemed like a logical way to go as far as the guitarist for the sessions. Neil is one of the best guitarists that I've ever worked with. He is so versatile that he can pull from influences that span not just various styles, but separated by musical decades. There is nothing that I can ask of Neil musically on the guitar that he can't perform and get the right sound which is as important as the notes and execution themselves. Add to this that Neil is also the best engineer that I've ever worked with. No down side!

I then recommended to Kevin that we use Tony Franklin to record the bass tracks. Tony is my favorite bass player. To me Tony is to "rock" bass players what Jaco Pastorios is to "jazz" bass players. Tony brings so much to the table musically that it is rare when he doesn't play exactly what the song calls for, he is simply that talented. As a person you would be hard pressed to find a nicer individual. I love Tony.

Both Neil and Tony gave Kevin and me the opportunity to musically not have our creative hands tied or have to settle for ideas or performances that were either not right or less than the songs called for. They understood the song writing and they enhanced the songs by their performances and professionalism. Would I ever record with Tony and Neil? Anytime, anywhere!"


Mitch Lafon: The reviews of the new album have been very good - are you surprised?
Banali: "Frankly, yes. I think the song-writing, performances and recordings on Rehab are the best we've accomplished in decades. Having said that, Quiet Riot has been a critical punching bag for so long that while we knew we had accomplished what we set out with Rehab, we didn't know what the collective critical verdict would be. It's been a very pleasant and appreciated surprise."

Mitch Lafon: Does the band plan on staying a "current recording artist" or was this the last hurrah? by that I mean - do you plan to continue making new music or was this it and now back to the nostalgia circuit?
Banali: "I can't predict the future, but I can certainly say that as long as there is Quiet Riot, Kevin and I will strive to continue creating new music that we would likely record sooner or later. We can stay as we are and continue to tour as long as fans are still interested in us, but that is not our sole motivation. Our motivation is to continue to create music if it is possible."

Mitch Lafon: How is it working with Kevin after all these years?
Banali: "Kevin and I have had a friendship that spans over half of our lives. We've had our ups and downs, but the friendship has survived the good, the bad and the indifference. I understand Kevin and I don't judge Kevin. Everyone has to live their lives they way that they choose to, everyone should. The foundation of our friendship is based on the strength of "live and let live" because without that you have nothing. Kevin and I also share the love of the music that was created by British bands when we were growing up even though we didn't know each other then. That is a common bond that makes for great conversation, great laughs and Rehab is the product of this relationship. On a musical level, Kevin is still one of the strongest rock vocalists in the business."

Mitch Lafon: The band has had a revolving door of musicians - do you think this will continue? what has QR not be able to keep a stable line-up over the years say like Cheap Trick or Aerosmith?
Banali: "I don't know what the future holds for Quiet Riot, so I can't say. I can say that both Alex and Chuck are once again with us as of the middle of 2006 and we have plans to continue as we are for the touring year of 2007. No band is immune to personnel changes. Although Cheap Trick and Aerosmith are bands with the same personnel as they started with, that was not always the case for either of those bands."

Mitch Lafon: What's the cycle going to be with this album.... tour for X time? then what?
Banali: "Our tour plans really don't' change from year to year other than what dates, tours, etc., may be available to us. While we will of course tour to promote Rehab by adding material from the new CD to our live set, it's business as usual. We plan to tour as much as we can in 2007 and hopefully expand our visibility in the international marketplace as well, but there is no time limit to how much or how little we will tour. Will we record a new CD in the future? Likely, but when is another matter altogether."

Mitch Lafon: Any other QR product in the pipeline? such as a live album or DVD? greatest hits, box set, etc?
Banali: "Not at present. While we would like to record something live with the current lineup, there are no plans in the works for such a project. As far as "greatest hits" releases, that is what Sony seems to do on a regular regurgitation basis."

Mitch Lafon: You're a talented drummer - you could easily find a gig somewhere else or be a high priced studio musician - why is it important to be in QR - what does the band mean to you?
Banali: "I was fortunate enough to be the drummer when it all commercially started for Quiet Riot, which makes me the recognizable drummer in Quiet Riot as well as being a part of what made the band then the success that it was regardless of what the criticism has been of Quiet Riot post the success of Metal Health. I have spent half of my musical life as the drummer for the band through the good times and the not so good times. I have a vast personal and musical investment in the group. That alone is worth pursuing."

Mitch Lafon: You're not just 'the drummer' in QR - you also handle all the business - why is that? How is that? Does it cause conflict? Is it important for you to be hands on?
Banali: "We've had outside management in the past that has yielded both positive and negative results. The difference is that having me as the manager of Quiet Riot makes sense because who else is more familiar with the needs of the band as a whole or the individuals than a person who is also a musician in the group. Outside managers will often-times make decisions that make musicians uncomfortable because the manager sits in his office and is not out there in the trenches dealing with all the day to day nonsense that is part of the music business and may be a direct result of those management decisions. I also keep a open line of communication with the band where most managers only tell you what they think you should know even if it's your career on the line. I'm involved in every aspect of the business of Quiet Riot and I take it very seriously. Having said that, it's not management by decree, it was because I was asked to perform that function. I have also made it known that if at anytime Quiet Riot would prefer to have management outside of the band perform all the functions that I perform, I would have no issues with it as long as I have equal approval of the choice as one of the two principal members."

Mitch Lafon: Tell me about working with Glenn Hughes... it was quite a coup to have him on your album... what does he mean to you as an artist? what makes him so unique/special?
Banali: "I had previously worked with Glenn on the Hughes/Thrall record which was released in 1982 prior to the release of Metal Health. I am a fan of Glenn's since I first heard him in the English group Trapeze in the 70's. I never thought then that I would have the opportunity to work with Glenn but I'm grateful for that opportunity at that time. Vocally there is nothing that Glenn can't sing in his own inimitable way. He's everything that makes singers like Al Greene and Stevie Wonder so incredible, yet Glenn takes it further by adding to his soulful roots a hard rock and blues spin that makes this the most original vocal hybrid in music. His talent is boundless. He's also a monster bass player which is at times overlooked. Kevin and Glenn have become fast friends and it was this friendship that brought Glenn to the Rehab musical table."


Mitch Lafon: Talk to me about how you approached the drumming on the new album - some got a Led Zep feel to it, some captures the who and others are straight bone crushing rock....
Banali: "I really only try to play what I feel the songs call for. The songs are what is important to me, the sum of the whole rather than just the drums. I think I would be a more popular drummer if I approached drumming from a drums are more important than the song perspective, but that is not the type of drummer I am. I think that if you have a great song and you play hopefully the best drum part for each song, the song benefits first and maybe as an afterthought the listener would then appreciate the drum parts and the performance. I pride myself in building a drumming foundation for the rest of the musicians to build on while at the same time not sacrificing my own personality and style. I also approach the drums a little different than a lot of drummers. I try to play drum parts that are melodic rhythmically as phrases rather than just only being the time keeper. On Rehab I went back to recording the way I always preferred to with no click track which relies heavily on the "feel" of the track while keeping it steady. I am more about the drum sound and the vibe of the track."

Mitch Lafon: What's the future of QR? Or what would you like to future to be? An album every couple of years, touring in between, etc?
Banali: "I really don't know. Right now I'm enjoying the moment and the general positive acceptance of Rehab. Life is funny, one minute you are just cruising through it and it's all wonderful, and then sometimes when you least expected, something goes wrong. I just deal with it."

For more on Frankie Banali, visit his website here: www.frankie-banali.com.