Progress getting ready for blast-off, Bucky. Happy Thanksgiving. Still time to pre-order and save a few dollars. Bill Cosby and the porcelain god.
RCWe’re meeting tonight (Monday) because tomorrow is mastering day, right?
JCHTomorrow is mastering day. So, unless Ed tells me my mixes sound crap, then we’re shipping on time.
But something funny happened: all that bullshit I go on about regarding ‘composing’ turned out to be true (laughs). You actually can get good at this job if you work at it.
RCCongratulations! This is big!
JCHYou mean because I almost never finish these things on time?
RCOf course not. Keep it positive, brother! Let’s get ready for blast-off, Bucky!
JCHOK, well I’m bringing it up, because I get how frustrating it has been for fans. For you.
RCDude, you gotta let that go. Everyone gets how hard it is to make these records, even under the best of circumstances. This is the highest number of pre-orders I’ve seen since I started helping out and I think it’s because the music turned out so good. Don’t you think so?
JCHOK, I’ll admit it: I finally think I’ve gotten the hang of how to do this job. Whereas in the past I was like most guys–counting on a bunch of ideas I already had banked. And if I got stuck? The results were sometimes a hodgepodge. I was initially less than jazzed doing this record because I thought the well was mostly empty.
RCThen why do it?
JCHThe moolah, dude (laughs). No, seriously, I mean the concept was always there. But I didn’t have the music to go with it. And since I didn’t have a lot of fabulous ideas in me back pocket I figured it would be just a slog. But something funny happened: all that bullshit I go on about regarding ‘composing’ turned out to be true (laughs). You actually can get good at this job if you work at it.
RCSo you did it. And maybe it’s just ‘gravity’, as you like to say, but it’s my favorite ‘epic’ piece. All the stuff about structure really makes sense to me. It’s a great composition. I’m not much on classical music, but I hear it like that. Most of the time now when I hear ‘prog’ I just hear a lot of shredding. I think you finally took it to that new level.
JCHSee when we started doing these (cough) ‘chats’ I gave you such a hard time. I thought it was such a quantum load of bollocks trying to think up shit to gas on about.
RCYou’re a natural at gassing on, son.
JCHYou obviously had a keen eye for talent, Rog. (laughs). But now that we’ve been doing it so long it’s like hearing my parents go at it all the time. I expect an argument. I can’t even talk with you for sixty seconds without bickering. (laughs) I honestly don’t know how to be nice to you anymore, Rog. Shit. I need a vacation.
RCYou need a vacation. But let’s just say ‘Thank You’ to everyone who pre-ordered and ‘Happy Holidays’ to everyone else…
JCHAnd get the hell out of here.
RCRight. There is more I want to ask you about the record but it will have to wait until next time. For now, Progress is scheduled to ship this Thanksgiving day. And you can still pre-order and save a few bucks.
JCHWell, technically, shipments actually start mailing on Saturday, but if you compare to the SIX MONTH DELAY on the last record? Who’s counting! (laughs).
RCDetails. Details. I understand there’s a minor wingding planned?
JCHYou know it. Thanksgiving is for family. But this one’s strictly for the public drunkenness and indecency. What was it Bill Cosby used to say?, “You owe this to yourself. You’ve worked hard all week!”
RCOr in your case, all year. Give my regards to the porcelain god. And thanks for the new record.
