No, because they can't afford food right now.

Exactly. I mean, that's just sort of a good example of the leaner market. In some countries, there's a huge market value, but we can't get there now, so we're not even going to South America at all.

But you're going to China and India, right?

Yes. But we don't expect to make money. It's more like fun and you know, who knows?

How did you pick the four new songs on "40 Licks," since you recorded 28 songs?

Yeah. But not anywhere near as songs are they finished.

Then how did you pick these four?

Because I aimed to do at least two finished ones, but they were going to be different; in other words, different grooves and different kind of songs. Not four fast, you know, medium-tempo fast rock songs, so four completely different things. And that was the main priority. I wasn't interested in doing 28 new things. So that was great that we did other things, but I wanted to put new, finished things on this album. I would have been happy with two, so four is really good. It's nice to have an album that starts at the very beginning and goes to just a few months ago.

Why not a whole new album?

Because I wanted to do this. I thought it was the right moment to do it, and I thought we'd come out with a new album later. And more with Keith:

So are you looking most forward to those smaller venues?

Yeah, we all are, I think, because it keeps us interested too and, of course, one of the most important things is that the band's turned on, you know? We always dread the idea of walking on stage and waiting for it to be over. They wouldn't do it if they felt like that, so there's always this kind of useful enthusiasm that goes on around this time of the tour.

I want to talk a little more about these new songs. You cut 28 and there are only four on "40 Licks." What's going on with the other 24?

Well, we've got them in the can, and in a way I'm going to try to work on them and see if there's an album in there or the beginnings of an album or what. It seems like there's a lot there and it was a very profitable and prolific month in Paris, so I'm not going to just let them sit in the can and forget about them. But at the moment I can't do anything but this. But once this tour gets going, maybe I'll find some time to start working on them.

But you're talking about cutting almost a song a day.

Basically, yes. Surprising, isn't it?

page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6