Maybe you simply criticized someone you hardly knew. You ruined part of their life. For them, part of your life, too.

To me, the message of my songs, of all songs, is "enjoy life." My message as a person who evidently doens't have much more planned is the same. It's the only message I ever thought art had any business having.

But there's a thin line between songwriting and arranging. ... Recording at home enables one to eliminate the demo stage, and the presentation stage in the studio, too. ... And I think it's safe to say that the single very impressive figure to me was Merle Haggard. ... Dylan can do no wrong. ... Glenn Gould was my hero. Glenn Gould was my idol. I loved him. ... I loved Hendrix. I mean, really, really loved him. As if he were one of the great classical composers. And he was. That's how I saw him.

Glenn Gould was my hero. Glenn Gould was my idol. I loved him.

That's my only active wish. I think if I sang like Don Henley, this would be a lot more agreeable business.

Here's a story that I really want to tell about Bo Diddley at the OK corral.

Duncan Aldrich has been my partner in most recording projects, and touring projects, for the past decade.