I knew I was going to do a country album one day. But I was just trying to figure out for the life of me, what we were going to do to make it different, unique.
We got a little waylaid along the way. The whole problem started about 10 years ago with management and legal battles, then still trying to make albums while I was doing all of that.
I love what I do, and I think I've appreciated it more throughout the years, but just to keep on traveling, keep on doing shows, and hopefully making better albums. That's always my goal.
When you get to the 35-year mark in your career, you make albums for your fans to love you more, so they don't forget about you.
With the first album, I wanted to do so many different things, and I was fighting with myself to try and see if I was worthy enough to do it.
Steve Jobs was a real rock star to me. I looked forward to his products like people look forward to albums.
I've never listened to an album once I've finished it. All I hear is what I should've done different. I beat myself up over it.
For anybody who writes, very often, when you finish an album, you are so done with it. You've been listening in minutia, in super-focus.
Well, I think that it is complicated in that the first four albums were all with Universal so they have the rights to that and therefore it is a lot easier for them to do that period.
For many, an album is no longer a considerable feat of an artist but just sounds to be half-listened to while one is halfheartedly engaged in something else.
When I used to put an album out, I knew everyone on the charts. There weren't that many bands. Now, I couldn't even name half the new groups.
You know, I'm a fan of Laurie Anderson. One of my favorite records is 'The Ugly One With the Jewels,' a spoken-word record. It's an extraordinary album.
I grew up with 'best-of' cassettes. My first Smiths record was 'Hatful Of Hollow,' and I had hits albums by Elton John and The Cars.
It's like whether you're in a huge movie or you've just recorded an incredible album you've got to do the next thing, and that's part of being an artist.
Some of my favourite record and album covers and stuff have all been the singer, and they create a character, and they dress up a little bit.
I want to be an all round entertainer, I want to act, make films, make albums, do whatever I can.
Well it has been very exciting and very changing as well. Celebrating the 40th year and having the album out and the Channel 4 documentary and I resigned from Blind Date.
I think it would be nice to sell 15 million albums as a solo artist. I'd have to deal with all the repercussions of that, but that wouldn't be too bad.
I've made a few albums in such an autonomous way; it often has been exhausting. It's almost difficult to enjoy the process when you take on so much.
If you start out trying to achieve a specific thing - like doing stadium shows or going into the studio and doing an album - the end result is what counts.
Rounder Records decided to call the album Move It On Over, much to my chagrin but they knew what they were doing. It took off and to this day I can't figure out why.
