I'm in Orlando right now. last minute excursion for the holidays to hang with Little Tree and some Avatar friends. Biggest Avatar course in history yet again. every course is the biggest one. over 180 new Avatars at once. Awesome.

Just received this email from JB, my new awesome image guy. about the new CD NIC.

Hey Fishy,
First, let me apologize for taking so long to get back to you about the specific feedback that you requested on the album.

I think you said it best in our session last week, you start with that fluid instrumental, then Somebody Killed the DJ has an 80's vibe, then you have songs like I wanna Know Ya, Tomorrow, Come On, and Revolution In Me has it's roots in more 70's rock, Caetano is it's own thing, then the next few songs each have their own distinct elements, then you have that instrumental on track 11, then Softening-which is awesome, but stands as something different from the rest, then you go in another direction with Bored, then you take 40 seconds to get into If Your Baby Could, which sounds like a lullaby, then Nothing is Cohesive which illustrates the point exactly.

Now, it's all very cool, mind you. I like the music a lot. It's just that you keep people guessing throughout, which in and of itself isn't a terrible thing, but it doesn't portray one very consistent point of view and direction. And when you're making a first impression, that's what people need. As an example, if you look at Songs About Jane from Maroon 5, every song on that album stays true to one sound and direction. And they won a grammy for it.

How are you feeling about all this now?


O.k. since he asked, here's my answer to JB. I LIKE that the CD goes in a lot of different directions. I don't like songs about Jane from maroon 5 because every song HAS THE SAME STYLE. That's how I feel as a music listener. I like albums to offer lots of different sounds and textures and styles like pink Floyd’s the wall or the Beatles white album. That's the shit I love more than anything else. I would hate to think that I'm my own worst enemy. The truth is that I am a rock star wannabe at best. haven't broken big yet, so maybe old JB has a point. He certainly isn't the only one who has told me this. then he mentions making a first impression and I'm thinking shit man this is the third transcendence album, and its my sixth in total as a recording artist. So its not exactly a first impression. As an artist I have to be free to explore the art as fully and completely and expressively and wildly as I want to. I just have to. but at the same time, I hear him. on this next CD I'm going to do my best to keep the style one cohesive one. keep it all sounding the same. I'm really going to try for once to do that. we’ll see how that goes. I appreciate the feedback a lot.

Last screening: Biography of the Louisiana senator Huey long. interesting: “it is said that great men aren't necessarily good men, but they can do good things.” I think we’re going to prove that one wrong eventually.
Great men can be good men.

Current spin: HOssein alizadeh, Neynava. Beautiful Persian taar music with flute.