I have tons of tunes, maybe 30 tunes that I still think are great, and only because some jerk at a record company didn't think it was great, it's not out there.

I'm not going to limit myself in ways to compose or how I should record. You just do what you can with what you've got at the moment.

I don't have to be a success. I can just try.

In the liner notes, music is fine by itself. It doesn't need any explanation.

Some great experiences I've had and little by little I've come to the realization that everything Frank Zappa told me was the truth, whether I wanted to believe it or not. You know, I was young and naive or in denial. But he really was a special, special human being.

Half the stuff I've written was written when I was half asleep watching the David Letterman show when some boring actress was on talking about herself. I would just mute the TV, look over to the computer and start plugging in notes. Then the next morning you go "Wow, I like this". I'd almost forget what I did, and then it would inspire me to go on and do the next thing. That's what I do. Just kind of follow my own little thing.

Of course the headspace for the young musician is whatever the guy who is paying you says, is right, but that's all.