The Other Famous Penn

People magazine is not used to being turned down when it offers to profile a new, unknown recording artist with a debut album that hasn’t gotten much attention. And certainly Michael Penn’s sales could have benefited from some press exposure when his “March” album slipped into stores late last summer with little fanfare. But his answer, at the time at least, was a definite no.

Since the album was nowhere on the charts, Penn believes “there was no reason on earth why People wanted to do something unless it had nothing to do with music.”

He suggested the real reason for the interview might have been his relations with his older brothers, the reclusive actors Sean and Christopher Penn.

Michael Penn, 29, wanted to put the profile on hold until there was a story hook for journalists that was even bigger than that story hook.

Now it looks as though there is one: “March,” the rising hit album, has produced “No Myth,” the rising hit single that has managed the exceedingly rare quadruple-play feat of simultaneously climbing four significant charts: alternative rock, adult contemporary, album rock and, yes, Top 40.

“I’m shocked,” Penn says. “It’s great. It means I get to do another record. That’s the most exciting thing. There was no way I could have predicted anything on this record being a hit. Especially when you think of the songs that are hits and you just kinda scratch your head.”

No one has to scratch too long or hard to figure out why “No Myth” is catching on: Its hooks are infectious in a way that some compare to the Beatles or Crowded House, even if Penn’s folky writing style on this and especially other songs tends toward a fairly surreal succession of romantic symbols, Dylan-style. Critics seem to like it too; Rolling Stone, among others, has raved with a 3 1/2-star review.

Now he can get ready to greet People at last--though not without some remaining fear and trepidation.

As far as the family connection goes, “I was really paranoid about it, and I still am really paranoid about it. I have a real sort of nausea when I think of show-biz families. I don’t know if that would really entice somebody to listen to a record. It certainly wouldn’t entice me to pick something up if it was some actor’s relative.”

Penn picked up a guitar at the age of 10 and had learned basic guitar, drums, bass and “pathetic keyboard” by the time he joined up with the group Doll Congress in 1981. The band split in ’86 after a strong run on the local circuit, and Penn began working on new material with Patrick Warren, the band’s keyboard player, resulting in a more simple, stripped-down sound.

After signing with RCA, he faced the question of how to present himself to the media waiting to exploit the family ties.

“That was a real debate for me--whether to change my name, which I felt was a lie, or to make up a band name, which I also felt was a lie. So I just felt the best way to deal with that was to be honest about it, and make sure that the label didn’t make it an issue, and just sort of brave the shrapnel.”