I am pretty sure that the title of the new CD we are working on will be Nothing is Cohesive. It is the best thing I have ever been a part of musically so far in my life. most of that is owed to the other guys in the band. Both father Bloopy and Vancouver are young prodigies, if not full on geniuses in the making. G2 says it has not impressed him in the least, which is a good sign. He never likes our albums until they are finished, mixed, and mastered. And then he loves them. In a strange way it is the most personal and intimate album I have ever written, which is hard to say because so were all the others. But there is something about this one, like sleep with you, that is so raw and pure and from our guts. So without fear or concern for others. It makes you feel so vulnerable to stay open like this. it has been a real test of me. I am not used to it. you find yourself always wanting to hide in something, because the openness is painful sometimes. But I am testing this new way of being. I am feeling a joy and a unification with my art, with my gut, that I have never before felt. But it is accompanied by a fear that is so strong in me that I have not slept a good nights sleep in almost half a year. This morning I was awake by 6:03 in the morning and had been out almost all night as it was. Slept no more than two hours. My mind never turns off. I am truly happy. But I am completely exhausted and do not remember ever working so hard. Just need to get to that next level. And then I will be able to relax a little.
If you go crazy, do you know it?
There was this moment in the film where Eric Clapton spoke about leaving the yardbirds because “they wanted to have hits.” He then went and joined this unknown band, John mayall’s blues breakers of course. Their whole focus was not to have hits, but just purely musical. But he left the very popular Yardbirds because he felt like he had to stay to true to his mission; he felt as though he was on a mission to perform and perfect and promote pure and true blues music. Because the music touched him so much. He was filled with arrogance and passion he says. And that enabled him to move from band to band following his muse and his passion for his inner voice. Never worrying about “having hits.” But rather just obsessed with this calling he felt inside towards his music. Our industry needs more of that now. not much left of that. well actually that is not true.
There is plenty of it. but the very large monopolistic corporate mentality that now dominates the business doesn’t even allow it to seep into the mainstream. So no one even knows its there. It’s underground. This passion. its still there. Some of the best albums in our history are being made right under our noses. Most people just don't know it. Having hits has become the dominant theme, rather than a nice bonus if you happened to create something that you were really proud of. How many times do I hear friends and other musicians around say stuff like, “You know they had to bring in other writers to help write their songs on that new album, just to make sure they got some hits.... and then they’ll be like hey man you have to do whatever you have to do to make it man. Or hey man they're on MTV so they must be doing something right....” what a bunch of sell out idiots. So that's the Holy Grail now? Rather than making your next masterpiece. Everyone in the music business talks about success now and hits. Rather than music. It’s a strange time to be a musician. Whatever. Eric told it best. “I was young and foolish enough to feel as though I was on some sort of a very real mission in my life. To perfect this music.” That's what I'm talking about.
Last screening: school of rock with jack black. Of course. The movie rawked!!!
