From the February 8th, 1990 issue of Rolling Stone , page 21:
New Faces: Crispin Glover
by Jeffrey Ressner
Moments later Glover emerges, wearing a dapper black suit. Best known for his manic portrayals
of Michael J. Fox's nerdy dad in Back to the Future and a speed freak in River's
Edge , he's eager to discuss his latest project, an album called The Big Problem Does
Not = the Solution. The Solution = Let It Be.
Glover wants it known upfront that he doesn't harbor dreams of rock stardom. "There are these
actors who come out with albums, and I find them really embarrassing," he says. But if Glover
fears his new album will be compared to recordings by Bruce Willis or Don Johnson, he needn't
worry.
The Big Problem begins with a melodramatic overture, then moves on to readings from
Glover's book Rat Catching , a cover of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for
Walkin'" and a rap about masturbation.
The album was conceived in 1987, when Glover met Billy Mumy, the former child star who
appeared in the Sixties TV series Lost in Space . Mumy had formed the novelty duo
Barnes and Barnes, garnering a cult hit with the song "Fish Heads." Over the next two years,
Glover worked closely with Barnes and Barnes, often clashing with them over the album's
concept and material. "They kept saying that we had to have a Top Forty single," Glover says
with a long sigh.
Glover now hopes people will start paying attention to other facets of his personality. "I
was trying to put out an image of craziness, weirdness," he says. "Artistically, that stuff
is fun. But it's hard to maintain something that isn't totally real, and all I really want
now is not to worry about what kind of image I'm putting forth. I kind of want to let it be."
I'll be out in a minute," yells actor Crispin Glover, who's
taking a quick shower in his Hollywood apartment. Designed in Grand Guignol style,
the place is filled with antique furniture, red velvet drapes and the strangest knick-knacks
this side of Bates Motel. Among the artifacts on display are a boxed set of dolls' eyes, a
stuffed bird, mannequin heads and a bottle containing the preserved corpses of three baby mice.
