November

The way the trees change here in the autumn you could be spun dizzy into thinking you were in New England. The contrast between the moist, chilling morning air and the warm colors of the falling leaves is quite strange and the overall sensation is such that you forget all about the glare of summer and how that sun once made it hard to even look at the white sidewalk.

Down here in the studio it gets quite cold this time of year. I have a winter uniform, so to speak, that I put on to come down and work on things. At least I’m not shoveling snow. Still, there is much to do and we’re staying busy doing it. I think the plan is to more or less finish the album by the end of this month and start the administrative process that goes along with it all. Quality control is definitely in full effect. Notes are being exchanged on the various elements of the songs and it becomes tough to separate one’s personal feelings for a particular passage from what is ultimately really working in the tracks. The main feeling, though, is that this is going to be a very satisfying record to me - one I never ever thought I would make. That’s a good thing, I think.

We’re quite delinquent with the naming of things this time around. Historically, we’ve got all that sorted out much earlier than now. Often, track and album titles done well in advance of the actual tracks and albums. Titles to me almost seem like a quaint, self-indulgent relic that mean little in this world of downloadable ever-leaking music. I always looked at them as something to get one interested in listening to the actual music. I’m not so sure that’s relevant anymore or that it should be so.

RYAN

Tonight’s sauce?