I decided I wanted to include at least a few new songs within Nice Cuts. The idea for Detroit came about after a trip back there this spring to do some shows. I was just dumbstruck by how awful the place felt. The fact is that it hadn’t really changed all that much; it’s just that all the recent press which labels Detroit as the poster-child for the economic melt-down finally got to me. I started seeing the city as it really is;  a tragedy of almost epic proportions. And then I thought of (of all places) Russia.

I have visited Russia several times over the years. Before during and after ‘the collapse’. They market a lot of amber there which is quite a metaphor; something very beautiful, but frozen in the past–and kinda delicate. That was Russia. The people were intensely proud, but it seemed as though they were oblivious to the fact that they were living in the past. All their ‘might’ was based on previous glories. People […]

This is the official video for the second single from Beautiful Sounds. It’s a tender love song. Or at least as ‘tender’ as I get these days. 😉

What’s It All About, Mr. Natural?
Again, asking about the whole ‘plot’ thing? OK.

The song is about written to a hesitant lover–something I know a bit about. After one reaches a certain age and ‘been around the block’ a few times, one is naturally reticent to believe in happy ever afters. But most of the people I’ve met want to believe in that stuff. The song is about how we may have to actually talk ourselves into making that leap, even though it’s what we want.

The whole business with the airplanes came to me as fitting all the honking and push/pull at the beginning of the song. I spent many years running from one airport to another, always in a rush and the quick cuts seemed as if they’d be built into the song from the […]

The voting for selections on the next record “Nice Cuts” is complete. Thanks to everyone who voted. I dunno if it’s right to call it a ‘greatest hits’ record, but that seems to be the common term of art, so for those of you not clued in? It’s a ‘Greatest Hits!’ record. Actually, if it didn’t sound so bloody pretentious, I’d have called it a ‘Retrospective’. But to do that I’d have to hang with the kind of people who refer to movies as ‘the cinema’.

And the winnahs are:

You Are Loved (Positive) 6:00
Why Don’t You Come In? (Positive) 4:08
On My Way Home (Positive) 2:51
Paul’s Story (Positive) 5:56
What A Wonderful World (Superpower) 4:44
Shy (Superpower) 3:39
Hey Johnny! (Superpower)  2:55
Open Your Eyes (Part II)  (Compartments)  7:30
Too Far (Balance) 3:39
Money (Balance) 3:47
Matters Of The Heart (Balance) 6:25
Teflon (Home) 3:57
Suicide In A Hurry […]

The official (and my first) video from my new album Beautiful Sounds.

What’s It All About, JC?
A few people have had the audacity to ask about the ‘plot’ of the video. Having seen the dawn of MTV (you know… back when they actually played ‘videos’) this puzzles me. Plot? We don’t need to show you no steenkin’ plot. We need chicks wearing only enough clothing to cause a massive yeast infection. And maybe some cars. Or leather jackets. And mousse. Lots o’ mousse.

The storyboard (such as it is) — is concerned with the hypocrisy of the war; as well as various other things in our culture. While the war goes on (the battle footage) one guy just sits and calmly reads his paper; another guy barbecues; and still another dances because, well the beat is pretty groovy. Two guys with guitars play in the background — they’re ‘the band’.

The guy dancing just appreciates the groove. This is like so many […]