I'm writing this installment high abot the clouds both in the sky and in my mind. The flight is one of contentment. Ilene (my trusted asst.) Obie (my trusted engineer) and Chris "Lumpy" Hochsneider are all exhausted but at the same time exhilarated. With the Box set in hand we tend to the last detail trying to get everything right. The pictures the credits and the quotes, the downloads and of course the music truly are complete. This project didnt just come together. It's been a long time in the making and is something I know we're proud to share with you. When I first dreamed this project I hoped it would reflect on the body of work positively. I think wer accomplished this and more. There are 50 songs in all. Some you might recognize others you wont. These are teh clues, the map, and the pieces of the puzzles we thought we had but to tell you the truth werent sure. I told anyone who would listen that our vaults were rich with untapped resources but the truth is I had no idea the amound of material we have held hostage for soooo long. Hell, if we ever went down in this flight I'd have more records than Tupac Shakur. The concept for the art was homage to Elvis' gold suit. We took the pictures and everyone got the joke. Everyone but the Elvis estate. They refused us the right to release the cover and said it would confuse the Elvis fan ... WOW, these people have too much time on their hands. Alas, I know the king's cool with it. I spoke to him ......(no he didnt speak back) I just know. There's a DVD om the package with a lot of personal video taken by teh band and interviews from the studio in NJ as well as Los Angeles. We'll be supporting the release with parties on several continents so keep an eye out for us. There will be ONE gig I can speak of in Atlantic City in mid November. It'll be on the web worldwide and on HDTV in the states.
Now, on the subject of the new record. It's almost done. We have 2-3 days and it'll be in the can. I hope to play tracks from it while supporting the box set. I'm not sure of the title yet but I'm toying with HAVE A NICE DAY. It's a big old rock song. This whole album rocks big. It was recorded in about 5 weeks in total. We split it up between NJ and LA for sake of Richie's and my sanity. John Shenks produced and was killer. Hats off to him and engineer Jeff Rothschild for going above and beyond the call of duty and making this record such a fun experience. Touring plans are in flux as I cant see straight right now. I didnt expect to be so together to tell you the truth. Paul wants to tour next summer. I'm not sure when or where yet. I'll let you know our plans. I had to remind the big guy to make plans but only in pencil. I'm intent on making this record a celebration of 20 years of living. So to the hundred Million friends, fans and family who got us here, THANKS YOU. Here's to the next 20 and 100,000,000 more .... N.J. is only 10,000 feet below me. Hey the clouds are clearing and so is my head...see you soon...real soon
jbj
That bit about "parties on several continents" sounds promising
