Pompeii is an extraordinary place to be because it was preserved exactly as it was. There are many other sites. If you visit any other antiquity-type sites throughout the world, they're very damaged with what's gone on over the centuries since they were abandoned. But this one was just, like, sealed, so you're looking at rock surfaces and the carving of letters and names in the stones looks like it was done yesterday.

I don't like to get too specific about lyrics. It places limitations on them, and spoils the listeners' interpretation.

I mean, I have moments of huge frustration because of my inability to express myself linguistically as clearly as I would like to.

The old ways still apply. You can still send tapes to record companies, and there are record companies, you know, there are one or two of the record companies do declare proudly that they listen to every single one that comes.

I actually learned the guitar with the help of a Pete Seeger instructional record when I was 13 or 14.

Everyone goes to rotten schools when they're kids, don't they?

For me, gradually over the years, you refined your tastes in the way you do things and it becomes maybe less experimental.