Truth is, you make albums, and some of those songs are hits, and some of the greatest hits albums have songs that weren't hits. You have a career, the reason why we're still around 10 years is that we do have successful songs.
I feel like I always have to have a song on my album that people can use in their weddings.
I didn't ever want to make a rap album. I considered it too limiting. Now that's exactly what I've gone and done
If Miles Davis hadn't died it would have been interesting to do an album with him, but there wasn't much else that would have got me into the studio. . . although Herbie Hancock has just been in touch about doing something and that would be an interesting combination.
I'm not too embarrassed to say I'm the definition of the target audience. This is my generation, the one of exalting music in album form.
If I could never put out an album in my life, I could just put out mixtapes. The music got to be out there somehow.
When I choose material for an album all these songs I grew up with pour into my head.
This way, if I did the album myself, and I produced it myself with my own label, it was going to be done the way I wanted to do it. If people like it or don't like it, it doesn't matter; I got something that means something to me.
It would be cool for someone to ask me about some of the structural choices I make with my albums.
The early ELP albums were pioneering in a way.
I think most albums deserve a documentary because [an album] is a visual book. You don't have to read up on it because you can listen and watch the whole story. I would love to see lots of albums [become films. ]
I think you have to drop an album to truly see the effects of your following.
I can't leave the studio until everything is as it should be. And I can't put a record out unless I am completely happy with it. I never want to be at a signing and hear my album playing and think, 'Oh no, I could have done that top note better. '
There are so many bands always doing the same album over and over; I want to evolve, try new things.
I hope that books don't go the way of albums and CD, large format albums, and physical product.
I think from an artist standpoint, you have to put out music that you feel like represents you and things you feel like your crowd wants to hear. And if that drives them to go and download the album or the single, that's what we want.
My whole team, it wasn't about putting the album out, it was about getting off the record company and going independent or going to another label. To the point we were like, 'Listen, just take 'Lasers. ' You can have whatever percentage off the next ten records I do for the rest of my life. I just do not want to be here anymore. '
Albums that remind me of my childhood happiness make me incredibly sad now.
I'd rather come back with a few transcendent memories than an album of snapshots.
I want to do an album with Steven Seagal.