Phil X (2020):
1. "It’s funny because I’m a guy sitting in the background going 'why has this been delayed?' If there was a time that people need something new and something to embrace, it’s now. But at the same time, Jon wrote two new songs. We just recorded these new songs a couple months ago and he wanted to include them on this record. Then one thing that goes hand in hand with the release in a mega-band like Bon Jovi is touring and supporting that record, which nobody knows when that’s going to happen. That may explain the delay for two reasons.
I think Jon’s always been a visionary, but I really saw it come together with this record. This record was the first record that I was involved in from the ground up. We were in Nashville last March for 11 days and we laid down all the band tracks. Then Jon picked his favorite ten and those songs were [given] vocals, more guitar, more piano, keys and percussion. We’re all singing backgrounds. It was a really amazing process to be a witness to. The solo in Beautiful Drug is my 16 seconds of danger (laughs) amongst Jon’s vision. He had a lot to say lyrically and he had a lot to exude emotionally. You know how everybody says 'I wish I could be a fly on the wall?' I was a fly on the wall that put down a killer solo (laughs)."
2. "It's a short cool solo."
3. "Jon had it all mapped out. Lyrically and musically, he had something to say. We all got into the studio last year and recorded the bed tracks over a period of 11 days. Then Jon went over his favorites and we finished the songs and shot two videos. There’s a particular solo on one of the songs, Beautiful Drug, that I’m really proud of.
Jon is such a visionary and knows exactly what he’s looking for. I’ve been a session guy for so long that I know the vocal lyric is king, and as a guitar player in the studio it’s my job to bring that to life."
4. "The solo in 'Beautiful Drug' is my 16 seconds of danger amongst Jon's vision."