The point about melody and beat and lyric is that they exist to engage you in a very particular way. They want to occupy your attention.

Admirers can be a tremendous force for conservatism.

I hate talking about music, to tell you the truth.

Lyrics are always misleading because they make people think that that's what the music is about.

I've got nothing against records - I've spent my life making them - but they are a kind of historical blip.

If you had a sign above every studio door saying ‘This Studio is a Musical Instrument’ it would make such a different approach to recording.

I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.