I like an element of chaos in music. That feeling is the best thing ever, as long as you don't have too much of it.

Things turn out better by accident sometimes. But you can't organize accidents.

There was mass hysteria in the Chess Recording Studio when I did the "Shapes of Things" solo ... they weren't expecting it, and it was just some weird mist coming from the East out of an amp.

I'm a very emotional person. If I've got something on my mind, that would stop me from giving my best.

Can't stand it. Too many amps, too much volume, it's just flat-out ear assault. Speedy guitars leave me not feeling detached but physically upset. When you think of all the subtleties that were built into the guitar and amps for you to discover they completely cover the whole lot with a rack of effects. The guitar doesn't need that.

If you can make it sound exciting with a joke drum machine, you know you've got something.

As long as there's something original going on, that's all that matters.