THE RATT GANG (TRG): You are also a writer. You write books. Your lyrics are generally dark, and I know you are very careful about selecting words. But songs like "I Want A Woman" and "Dance," which you sang during the previous tour, are kind of light lyrically. How do you feel about singing those lyrics.

Jizzy Pearl (JP): Well, we tried putting "I Want A Woman" into the (current) set, and like you just said it did seem a little out of place with perhaps the rougher edged ones we would like to present to the audience. I mean, it's a good song. They are all good songs, but as far as what you want to give to the audience, it's important to have continuity. So, some of the songs, those lighter songs, I think, go by the wayside and some of the heavier ones sound better. I mean that's just my preference anyway, you know. I like heavier stuff. Yeah, I like that.

TRG: Has your life style or way of feeling or thinking changed since you joined RATT?

JP: OK... my drinking escalated. No, I'm just kidding. (Laughs) I came into this band filling pretty big shoes, so, it's important for me to sing the songs as well as I can. There're a lot of people that, of course, are judging. So, I'm just trying to do my best, you know. I'm just trying to sing the songs. If they like what I'm doing, great. If they don't like it, there's nothing I can do. That's about it.

TRG: When you are in different bands, your audiences must be different, from band to band.

JP: Well, no...

TRG: Not so much?

JP: No. I was in L.A. GUNS for a while and did a record with them. Of course I was in LOVE/HATE for a lot of records, and, I don't know, the audience is the same, you know. Rock N' Roll with heavy guitars... so in that respect, they are similar, but... time goes on and sometimes people fall by the wayside. For me, it's just exciting to be able to sing every day and that's what I enjoy. So it's great to be able to do that. Most people maybe don't like their jobs, you know. They don't like it. They go to work every day saying "Oh, I hate this job." Me, I enjoy it every single day, so I'm really excited about that.

TRG: Do you work out every day? (Laughs)

JP: Only my left hand. (Laughs)

TRG: Well, to hold the microphone, right? (Laughs)

JP: Yeah. To hold the microphone. (Laughs)

TRG: Good. (Laughs) About the melodies, I think they are close to the record versions. Are you consciously singing like that?

JP: Well, of course, like I said before there're people that are going to judge every performance. Not that I am perfect by any means, but you know I'm trying to stay as true as I can to the songs and... yeah, I don't know for the love of change... all of this lawsuit stuff is... it's really none of my business and I'm trying stay out of it. So, let other people bash. I will drink beer and play music. That's what I want to do.

TRG: I think you are writing new material constantly...

JP: Mm..., well...

TRG: How are you doing it? How many songs do you think you have almost completed?

JP: I have a lot of songs that I've written myself. Stuff that I had kind of before I joined the band, and Warren and I have played around a little bit. But because of the nature of the lawsuit and the way it works, new material really can't be presented yet. I wish it could be, because I really have some good stuff. But like I said, it's just a weird time and there's a whole lot of mudslinging going on. So, basically, in regards to new material and a live record, which I'd also like to do, we just kind of have to wait until the dirt settles a little bit. But hopefully people will realize that and hang with us. Oh, how about the "*Iron Chef"? (Laughs) (*Iron Chef= TV programm about cooking originally came from Japan.)

TRG: Do you like the program? (Laughs)

JP: Oh, hell, yes. We (my wife, Josie, and I) watch it every week. We do. Fukui-san! We watch the show all the time.

TRG: Do you watch it in Japanese with English subtitles?

JP: They dub it into English. It's dumb sometimes, but it's really good. ... ... ... They should dub with better voices and you should probably say something. (Laughs)

TRG: (Laughs) Anyway, about the direction of the new songs, how would you describe it?

JP: How would I describe it... I don't know...

TRG: Are you conscious about the tradition of RATT?

JP: You know, the thing is, speaking for myself... I am... There's a middle ground between classic, traditional and... Since I'm not like a great guitar player, you know, I am not as good as John or Warren, so I cannot do any of the licks and all sorts of stuff. So for me, I just play songs, real easy. I just do the best I can. I think... if RATT is going to continue on, they need to recognize that they have to get into the new millennium. I don't know what that means... certainly not you have to turn into BON JOVI or turn into N'SYNC or whatever, but I don't know. She (Josie) would want us turn into N'SYNC (Laughs) but I really don't know.

As far as the songwriting is concerned, this's always been true that the best songs always make the record and sometimes the songs you least expect are the ones that people like more. So, trying to write a RATT song..., I mean I can't write a RATT song. I've been in RATT for a little bit of time. I can only write songs that I think are good and that I hope people will like. I wish I could astound you with guitar licks, but it will never happen. (Laughs) ...

Oh, hey, do you know my wife is going to be on a show on NBC? Do you know all about that? She's going to be the co-host of the show on NBC called "Celebrity Challenge." You'll probably be able to see it in Japan. She's gonna be a big star. It's airing next year, February. Josie Pearl. She's gonna be a big star, I'm telling you. We are the next Pamela and Tommy. Like it or not. (Laughs)

TRG: Be very careful about cameras! (Laughs)

JP: Yeah, yeah. Photographers will jump at us. I've gotta start a porno video. (Laughs)

TRG:Have you been to Japan?

JP: No, I haven't...

TRG: What kind of images do you have about Japan?

JP: Well...

TRG: Besides "Iron Chef." (Laughs)

JP: Well, I always wanted to go, but I was on Sony with my old group, LOVE/HATE, and for some reason, they never sent us there. I wish they would have. What are my impressions? I don't know... I heard Big Macs cost 30 bucks. (Laughs) I would really like to go there. I've been really excited to go over there, and (to Josie, who was present at this interview) to go to the love motel.

TRG: Could you describe each member of the band?

JP: Of RATT?

TRG: Yes.

JP: Well..., let me see. Warren... asshole. Rob, asshole. No! (Laughs) Describe... mm... It's weird. When we are off the road, I'm married obviously, so I don't really hang out with those guys, because we are married. We're not going out to the Rainbow, we are not going out to a party, because we've done that, you know what I mean. It's just kind of odd to do that, so I stay home and do my thing. And when I go out with these guys, when we are on the road, we are living on the bus, in a small compartment. It's kind of like being in a boot camp in the army. Everyone depends on one another. If somebody has a problem, we are like (in concerned tone) "Oh, what's wrong?" Because you have to work together as a team on stage, if one person isn't in the right mind to play, then everybody suffers. So we are all very much interested in being together when we are on the road. But when we are off the road, you know, we don't hang out socially, really. I will see someone in the bar and say "Hey, Bob, how are you doing?" and "Good." But I like to keep to myself and watch "Iron Chef." (Laughs)

TRG: You are going to stay in RATT and you are going to come to Japan with RATT, right?

JP: Well, you know that Stephen screwed up the whole thing that we were supposed to go... I hope that we can rebuild the burnt bridge. Of course, that had nothing to do with me, but I really wanna go there. It's a shame as there is such a large audience, I guess... I don't know but I think there's a large audience over there that would really like to see the band and maybe hear songs, RATT songs, maybe they couldn't or wouldn't do before, because they've got a guy in the band who can actually hit those high notes, which is cool. I would really like to do that.

--Thank you, Jizzy!!!

(This interview was taken on September 7, 2005)