The Mr. T Experience

Something to believe in

by John O'Neill

A dozen years ago a Berkeley/East Bay-area band took the name of a relatively popular TV celebrity, plugged in, and started whacking out sloppy punk rock that smirked just as hard as it rocked while trashing politics, pop-culture, and the music scene in general. And somewhere along the long line that spawned eight albums, three EPs, various personnel changes, and a couple of near break-ups, the Mr. T Experience have become one of the finest pop outfits to emerge on the scene in 25 years.

Loaded with ditties about relationships, heartache, break-up, make-up, self-doubt, and self-flagellation Revenge Is Sweet, and So Are You (their latest, on Lookout!) delivers guitarist/vocalist Dr. Frank's observations over a healthy dollop of sound that though loud, energetic, and brash is melodic to the point of toe-tapping, singalong brilliance. Simply put, MTX offer up perfect pop songs that you can't seem to shake once they catch hold of you.

"There's nothing like a good pop song, even if it's not played that well," relates Frank who's calling from a Pennsylvania truck stop as the group work their way east to hook-up with tourmates Reel Big Fish (both bands hit the Palladium this Saturday). "I have a traditional approach to songwriting. With the current atmosphere of music, it makes my approach [seem] kind of revisionist."

A listen to Revenge Is Sweet bares this out. Much of the material is written in a verse, chorus, verse style. But while the approach is simple, the music isn't. The Ramones influence is prominent as it is with any punk band, but under the surface are glimmers of sources as diverse as the Everly Brothers, Dion, the Beach Boys, and Rodgers and Hammerstein as well as nods to both country and bluegrass. Loaded with hooks-galore and outstanding harmonies, the real strength in Dr. Frank's songwriting comes from his sardonic, incisive, and, underneath the rampant humor, sometimes brutal truths.

"People are a little thrown by music that tends to be sarcastic and sincere at the same time," he says. "I work real hard on getting that to work. It's really hard to latch on to something in your consciousness, which is what a good pop song does. It doesn't seem to miss the young kids, they really seem to get it right away. Older people tend to take awhile for it to sink in, if it ever does."

While MTX's music may not be Rimbaud's, every song on Revenge Is Sweet contain those insightful gems that guys like Elvis Costello and Paul Westerberg flog themselves to produce.

"A lot of people assume that I've been doing this so long that [songwriting] comes easily to me, but there isn't one aspect that isn't a horrendous struggle," he confides. "I worked harder than ever on this album. I have this postpartum depression with the finished product, and I regret the past with some of the slipshod stuff I've allowed to be recorded. I always try to set an impossible goal and meet it. Sometimes you stumble, but that's part of it."

As for his propensity to write about love, especially love gone bad?

"Instinctively everyone knows about unrequited love and break-ups, they've been in that position. Also, I think, the situation of desperately wanting something you can't have is a symbol for the way life is. It's the most resonant thing to focus on."

The Mister T Experience now find themselves on the brink of larger-scale success with tours in front of more mainstream crowds and even a little airplay on MTV ("a good-will gesture, which is more than I ever expected") for two of their videos. Not bad for a band who were on the verge of going belly-up four years ago before finally solidifying their current form as a trio.

"We were broken up when our first record came out (Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion in 1986), so it's a matter of perspective as to how broken up you are," Frank quips. "Up till this line-up, we'd always had one foot in being a band and one we weren't sure where. What would pull things from the wreckage is I'd have these songs that would force me to pull things together, 'cause it would be awful if I didn't.

"I just try as hard as I can. There are others who have gotten further in less time [including East Bay alums Green Day], but if I hadn't languished so long in obscurity, I wouldn't have had the time to make the mistakes and figure out what I wanted to do. I thought I'd win the `moral victory' and that no one would ever know us. Now I don't have a day job!"

The Mr. T Experience, Reel Big Fish, and Pilfers play at 7 p.m. on March 7 at the Palladium. Tickets are $14. Call 797-9696.