As a producer one is attempting to be in view of the complete picture and how to make that concept a reality.First I am looking at the goal,envisioning it as complete and finished.Something built to last through fads and temporary popular tastes,a thing with it's own signature to it.And then to go back and break down the steps necessary to accomplish that which is complete and finished.Thus the other artists on the project are only seeing bits and pieces that they have done and not yet the sum of those parts.I only have worked one song at a time,my training from my previous years as a recording artist.You would see if you checked out my catalog the all of the tunes are completely different from eachother.A dangerous and risky move yet the tapestry is weaved with the same silver needle and thread,what painter do you know that paints the same picture again and again?What author writes the same book twice?Well mystery writer John Lescroart kind of does this with his great San Fran Mysteries changing which one of his characters he is focusing on.Not really that he is writing the same thing over and over, the dynamic of each book is very different,compelling in it's own way, yet his silver thread and needle are his very strong characters.He probably could have made a living as a reviewer of San Francisco eateries.I have got to enjoy a project,life is way to short to not get a buzz off of my work and I have always had to do to much work already that I did not enjoy so much,but you have to get dinner on the table Ya know?Sometimes I can pay with a song but not always.As a producer I am who I really am as a human being,to fully lay down my talent and appreciate that of those laboring with me.Being a rock star is such a pretentious and hollow thing.Some are real fun and interesting yet gravity is a cruel mistress indeed.And what is now going up is going to also come down eventually.You have to ride the crest of the wave like a surfer to safely get to shore after a wild ride!I have been to insider parties with salad bowls of coke."No thank you."Still having fun at the party.Meeting interesting friends.Drugs are forbidden at the studio,the thing has got to be done straight.Especially the technical people.It would not due to have them be stoned would it?You must be as sharp as you can be on a recording.It is fun to be sharp like that.Rehearsals are a bit more loose.A campfire going and some good merlot sitting around working up the tune.Maybe some shrimp on the barby!Maybe a young lady sitting on my knee as I am working.And we go over and over one tune.We know it inside and out,everything about it before we even go in to the studio.We have done it everyway.We are ready to do a master recording.