Will Oldham on Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Overwrought, overwritten, and overanalyzed, musician and author Licht's (Sound Art: Beyond Music Between Categories) 400-page Q&A with musician and actor Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy) is proof that "just because you can doesn't mean you should." Conceived as an opportunity for Oldham to answer questions about his past work in a single volume so he wouldn't be bothered with them in future interviews, Licht's untethered, rambling discussion allows Oldham to dwell at length on whatever strikes his fancy, making for a humorless, plodding, solipsistic slog that will test the endurance of even the most devoted fan. Licht probes him on song lyrics, album covers, and the merits of working with a litany of musicians on each album, and while these and other topics are to be expected, Licht all too often lets the conversation get away from him. To wit: in the midst of a discussion about one of Oldham's first tours, Licht asks, "Did you go camping as a kid?" This predilection for distraction and pretension makes for a wearying read. Fans will likely appreciate Oldham's thoughts on the hazards of songwriting in the first person, performing covers (like R. Kelly's "The World's Greatest") and being covered (Johnny Cash covered Oldham's "I See a Darkness"), and Licht's meticulous discography of Oldham's output under various guises, but casual listeners would be better served by donning headphones and hitting play. Illus. (Sept.)