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TIME AND SPONTANEITY: LEADER OF COBRA VERDE DEFIES ROCK 'N' ROLL MYTHS In frustration, they might get buried in a Jack Daniel's bottle. They might wreck cars. They might try shock therapy. "The image of guys stewing in the dark room, scratching some lyrics down on the paper, just seems so dimwitted," said Cobra Verde main man John Petkovic. "Rock 'n' roll is a spontaneous art form. The idea of someone stewing over words seems to be an attempt to put on the creative hat. If you ain't got it, you ain't got it." Maybe the stewing artists of the world should distract themselves more. Petkovic, for example, writes a weekly entertainment column for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, hosts a weekly news program on the Balkans for a National Public Radio affiliate and writes Scamcity 2000: A Journal of American Anti-Culture and a Guide to Millennial Panic online. During any lulls, he fills his head with images of German expressionist art, ideas for possible records ("I've been thinking of doing an album of Black Sabbath songs, done entirely with synthesiz-ers"), films (Cobra Verde is named after a Werner Herzog movie) and whatever else his dragnet of a brain snares along the way. After the dissolution of his critically lauded, underground '80s band, Death of Samantha, Petkovic shelved his budding musical career for five years. He became an aide to exiled Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and developed more serious ideas about mixing vintage synthesizers, guitars and a driving backbeat. He re-emerged in 1994 with Cobra Verde and a debut album, Viva la Muerte. The record didn't reach heavy rotation but did make many critics' lists. Rolling Stone called it "one of the year's best releases." Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices enlisted the Cobra Verde band to play as Guided by Voices for the 1997 album Mag Earwhig! "I never wanted to become a full-time member of GBV," Petkovic said. "We did a show in Columbus, the last show of the tour, that I thought was atrocious. It was an explosion with a clean break -- which is what I'd rather have." The most recent outpouring of his skull's contents came in vinyl and digital form. The singer-guitarist and his band -- Dave Hill on bass; Mark Klein, drums; Chas Smith, synthesizer and theremin; and Frank Vazzano, guitar -- released their fourth album, Nightlife, late last year. Ralph Carney, who has played with Tom Waits and Oranj Symphonette, contributed sleazy saxophone, clarinet and trombone. (Co-producer and musician Don Depew left the band before the album came out.) Nightlife has received only positive reviews. "People seem to be surprised by it," Petkovic said. "People have this mythic notion of rock as being this more authentic music; electronic music is supposed to be this cold, impersonal music. But, you know, we didn't record anything live. Everything was done with overdubs, and everything was assembled. "A lot of times I get, 'Man, this sounds like a rock record, but it sounds like you spent a lot of time on it.' Guess what? People can spend a lot of time on rock records. Maybe the people who are into rock are people who have a nostalgia for the myths behind rock -- you know, a band going in there and laying its heart on the line. They sell short the production techniques that make great rock records." A great rock record for Petkovic involves not only spontaneity (or the image of spontaneity) and the meticulous arranging of guitars or synthesiz-ers but also aesthetics. The glam-rock cover of his latest disc was shot by Mick Rock, who also has photographed covers for Iggy Pop and the Stooges (Raw Power), Queen (Queen II), Lou Reed (Transformer) and other musicians and bands. (By the way, that's the daughter of guitarist Mick Ronson sprawled in the back of the limo, holding the strategically placed champagne bottle.) "Rock 'n' roll exists between the pres-entation of false image and artifice and real sweat," Petkovic said. "That Raw Power record and Transformer record -- you don't know if the covers are posed or if they're real." v Cobra Verde represents a ship of souls holding day jobs, with Petkovic at the helm. Having Cleveland as a base puts the band within striking distance of the whole country on weeklong jaunts. "We're getting a really good response," the captain said. "I don't know if it's really good or if it's just something people want to laugh at. But that's irrelevant. We're having fun. vv "And none of the guys are into this indie-rock, wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve way of doing things. They just want to go over the top with it."
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