Most of us have some overarching theme that comes through in our worldview, and songwriters often express that in their songs. For much of Adam's career, this was the burden of fame, as Counting Crows released one of the best-selling debut albums of all-time, and in a short period of time, Adam's intimate moments became public - not just in his terrestrial life, but also in his songs.

But that was a long time ago.

Now that the adulation has subsided, Adam has become more guarded in his creative output, which means he won't just pour his heart out in a song and foist it on the public. The last Counting Crows album was all cover songs, which spared him this burden.

This all stems from Adam's revelation that his songs are all about him. He doesn't enter the mind of someone else, and he doesn't write on spec (even that Shrek song delved into his psyche).

When I spoke with Adam yesterday, I was happy to hear him expound on upcoming projects with a newfound passion. With that out of the way, we explored songwriting technique, where he explained that it's the rich, authentic details that matter. Adam mentions real and specific people and places in his songs (Anna, the New Amsterdam), which is what paints their vibrant colors. And yes, Springsteen came up in this conversation.

I'll post the link once we put this together, but wanted to share some of these thoughts while they were still fresh.

As an aside, if you were to put boy parts together to create the perfect specimen that would attract beautiful actresses, you would end up with the 1994-1996 version of Adam. His combination of mystery and talent landed him two Friends stars when the show was the hottest thing on TV, plus Mary Louise Parker, Samantha Mathis, and a few others he remains coy about.

We're leaving together,
But still it's farewell.
And maybe we'll come back
To earth, who can tell?

Wait, what? You're leaving Earth? Heading to Venus?

Yeah, there is something celestial going on here that always intrigued me. So when Greg proposed an interview with lead singer Joey Tempest, I sent him to find out. Turns out it has a lot to do with a certain David Bowie song - you can probably guess which one.

Joey Tempest of Europe interview

Roger is a game individual. Game for anything that will make his music more accessible to the masses. He plays the big theaters, he plays the small theaters, he plays the dinky clubs... it doesn't matter, so long as he's doing what he loves doing best: playing. Even when all members of the band can't get together at the same time, Roger and sometimes his drummer P.H. Naffah, will go do acoustic duos, and when P.H. can't make it, either, Roger will go himself and do an acoustic session at a bookstore somewhere, randomly picked, just on a whim.

There are a couple of key points to remember about Roger should you ever happen across him. He remembers everything. I was a face in the crowd at one of many shows one night, when I threw my black-and-white striped straw hat up on stage (that's what you do at Peacemakers concerts - he wears them and throws them back) and since the hat was so light, it didn't make the distance and landed instead in the area just before the stage where security would not let me re-fetch it. That was maybe 4 years ago.

At this luncheon meeting last Spring, he remembered me. Without prompting, even. He puzzled over it for a few minutes and then nailed where he'd seen me before. Very random. Very disconcerting, given we hadn't really "met" formally before that very day.

The other thing is, he is smart. And for all that smartness, he is also tactful. Most people I've known with that kind of intelligence are socially inept and come off as jerks. Rogert, though he caught every mistake I made (thankfully, there were only two ~ when I misquoted one of his lyrics and got the definition of a word wrong), he corrected me - very gently - both times. Being mildly chastened by Roger Clyne wasn't on my Christmas list, but it was Roger Clyne, so I considered it gift-wrapped.

Some of my takeaways from these conversations:

Roger is a loyal friend, he sticks with those that are important to him like a dog to a bone.

He is always evolving in his musical and lyrical pursuits, continually finding subtle and not-so-subtle ways to impart his message of peace and music, and peace through music in new styles.

Don't mess with his creativity. There is no worse way to alienate a musician than to restrict what he can and can't do with bringing his imaginings to life.

And beyond all, he enjoys being accommodating, even to the point of digging in his photo archives for the one photo of their tipi they had left to send me so I could include it in the "Mexican Moonshine" section of the article. I don't know many rock stars that would do much beyond paying it lip service.

So I heartily raise my cup and say, Play On, Roger Clyne.

Then some dork (me) squawked, "That’s him - it's Jesus!" Someone's head turned, and another, and another, and just like that he was surrounded by adoring fans shoving programs at him for an autograph, squeezing in to get a snapshot. They felt compelled to tell him their stories of how he'd helped through a drug addiction, a divorce, bereavement. High school. How they'd idolized him since they became aware of his existence. Through it all he smiled, posed graciously, accepted and gave hugs, and listened thoughtfully, signing programs, tickets, arms, babies ~ whatever anyone put forth.

Saving the best for last (this is what I still tell myself), after everyone else had gone, he approached me, hugged me, and waited tolerantly for my saga of gratitude, for carrying me when I wasn't strong, for curing me from cancer, for dropping a house on my most hated enemy's sister - whatever it was, he was prepared for it.

What he got was a slack-jawed wreck with a thousand-yard stare. This, I doubt he'd had to deal with in the past. He looked helplessly at my sister ~ my heroine ~ who offered an embarrassed smile. "She has speech dyslexia," she explained. It was the best she could do on the spur of the moment.

It was her, after all, the older, eons more mature sister, who had first introduced me to Jesus Christ Superstar. So really, she's to blame.

This was in 1993, at the front end of the live "A.D. Anniversary Tour" of Jesus Christ Superstar, celebrating the release of the film 20 years earlier. Expected to run for four to five months, the ridiculously successful tour didn't rein in for five years. Quite a feat, if you consider how much havoc was wreaked around the original film release.

The year was 1973. When you think of important events for that year, you might pull to mind Watergate, Vietnam, Roe vs. Wade…. Pffffft. Minor players. The real news that year was Jesus Christ hitting the big screen, belting out rock & roll tunes like he was born to it. Which - in the case of Ted Neeley, the drummer turned rocker who played the name role in that year's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar - is not far from the truth.

To the hard-core religious sector, the movie - Jesus Christ Superstar - was heresy promoting blasphemy! And not just any old blasphemy, but ultimate blasphemy! Picketers carried signs spouting "Jesus is (not just a man)!" and "You have your story twisted!" among others. They yelled at theater-goers, tossed threats of eternal flames in hell and the wrath of God at them. They wouldn't allow their kids to go see the movie, citing "sacrilege!" But the kids went, anyway. In droves. This singing Jesus spoke volumes to the nation's youth in a language and a style they related to, appreciated, and enjoyed. Those who hadn't been raised with any sort of religion were suddenly compelled to pick up a bible and learn more. And in so doing, guess what they discovered?

That the movie told the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ just as it happened. Embellished with music, dancing, and colorful costumes, sure. But it was factual in its sphere of events. And this Jesus, this rock & roll singing figure, brought a humanity to the role. Suddenly, Jesus was approachable, he was a person, not just a character in a book; someone not to be revered so much as to be understood, with whom the regular masses could sympathize. This Jesus, had you lived 2,000 years ago, could have been your friend in the real sense of the word.

Additionally, Judas…. Ah, Judas. The only one who saw the idolization as it built, who knew it was not a good thing and did what he could to warn his friend. In the end, maybe it was Judas *gasp!!* who saved the world. He did, after all, sacrifice himself for sacrificing his best friend, all for the good of civilization. And Jesus Christ Superstar tells this story from his perspective.

August 16, 2013, marks the 40-year anniversary of the release of the movie. Based on a rock opera written by the team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, made into a stage production and eventually immortalized on film, "My lyrics tell the story of Christ the man," said Rice, "just as mixed up and unaware of exactly what he is - as mixed up and unaware as Judas."

This is my Interview with Ted Neeley , who laid it all on the line. He talked about the filming, told secrets, told inside stories, and offered to change my water into wine... for real!

Watch for the theater event to come around your area... seeing this flick on the big screen could be one of the best things you do for yourself this year... or ever.

But here's the thing: songwriters love it when we find our own special meanings in their songs, but like the rest of us, they like to tell their own story about the song as well. "New Song" relates to our specific dreams, but Howard Jones is happy to explain how it relates to his.

We often circle around the "what is this song about" question by approaching it as "what was going on in your life" or "what does the song mean to you." It's through the songwriter's intention that we can often find new meaning in the song while also telling the story of the person who wrote it.

Greg, however, holds very firm in his conviction interpretation will lead to distortion. Is "Still You Turn" me on about a specific person? We'll never know.

But just because interpretations are off the table doesn't mean we can't talk about song creation, so we spent some time on Brain Salad Surgery - how "Karn Evil" et al. were recorded on a stage with concert reproduction in mind; we discussed how album titles and concepts were retrofitted to the songs, and we got into one of my favorite topics: inspiration. Which Greg sums up this way:

"Inspiration really comes from a desire to share or to give."

"I Believe In Father Christmas" becomes one of the more popular songs in the database come December. With meanings off the table we talked about the video, which was shot in the West Bank in 1975 - quite a production 6 years before MTV.

Diverting from songs, Greg closed out the interview by talking about the strangest thing that ever happened to him on stage. This guy spent many shows performing next to a robot armadillo and a knife-wielding keyboard player, but what happened at one show in Italy topped all that.

Greg Lake interview

Ian is a master of artistic integrity with selective compromises. Thick is an entire album with just one song and an accompanying newspaper contained in the packaging. It's a complex, sardonic affair that went to #1 in America despite the derision of critics. (Critical reaction is often misremembered, but a look at the Rock's Backpages archives proves that this album was abhorred by Dave Marsh and the other popular scribes of the era).

The follow-up album explores the possible outcomes of Gerald Bostock, the 8-year-old boy, who as explained in the newspaper, wrote the lyrics to the song. Gerald has embraced social media, and now has his own Facebook page.

In my chat we Ian, we talked about some of these selective compromises he's made to remain a commercially viable working musician. This includes a tidy radio edit of the 46 minute "Thick As A Brick," and further edits to package the song for the digital age so you can get pieces of it on iTunes for $1.29 each. The Pink Floyd take of selling only the entire album is not a battle Ian deems worthy of a fight.

Ian is very forthright when reflecting on his work. He will tell you what's good and bad without hesitation. So it was that we got into a discussion of his attempts to write an outright, commercially viable pop song, which he cops to doing three times in his career. Those songs:

"Teacher"

"Living In The Past"

"Ring Out, Solstice Bells"

With just 1% of his discography targeted to the masses, this leaves a substantial body of work to analyze. Having previously spoken with Ian about "Aqualung," I asked him about his beautiful flute piece "Buree," and also one he mentioned in passing: "Locomotive Breath." As always, his answers were enlightening, with a pleasant degree of humor.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

In 1970, Scott Edwards, after years studying the work of Motown Funk Brother James Jamerson, finds out that Stevie Wonder is looking for a bass player. He's invited to play one show, which gets him the gig.

Scott stayed with Stevie until 1973, when he turned to session work, becoming a top gun in the Los Angeles scene. He played on hits for Hall & Oates, Smokey Robinson, and of course lots of Disco: "I Will Survive," "Bad Girls," "Shake Your Groove Thing," and many other records they blew up that night in Comiskey Park.

His story, for the most part is untold, which is why it was such a pleasure to get an in-depth look at his career and a remarkable history lesson. He speaks in booming tones fitting of a man who fills out the low end, and his recall is fabulous. His method when coming up with basslines in sessions was to hum it in his head and then bring it to his fingers, so once that bit was in his head, he had it forever.

As for Stevie Wonder, it was a pivotal time in his brilliant career. Stevie could call you in to record at any time, which he did to Scott on "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life." It was a time when Stevie had emancipated from Motown and was refining his live act, which was built on the kind of spontaneity the challenged even the best musicians.

Stevie opened for the Rolling Stones in 1972, but his most famous gig might be his Sesame Street appearance where he blasted through 6+ minutes of "Superstition." Thanks to YouTube, over 6 million folks have seen the clip, complete with Scott in the background. Scott explains that you can't pay attention to puppets or children when you're playing with Stevie, since you never know where he's going to veer off. When he takes that turn and you're right with him though, you have something special.

Scott Edwards interview

Bronze Radio Return is a band you've probably heard but never seen. They've got an interesting take on roots rock, and an even interesting-er way to go about writing and recording their stuff. It's very catchy music, which must be why it gets picked up so often for TV spots. I wonder how many cars have been sold as a result of people watching these commercials over and over... and then making the impulse decision to go buy one.

It's also been featured on MTV's "16 and Pregnant," a fact that the band members seem a little less than thrilled with, but hey, it's promo. Let's just hope that after watching that show with that music, kids don't make an impulse decision to go out and... well, never mind.

video for Lincoln MKZ 2013

Bronze Radio Return Interview

There's poetry in The Fixx lead singer Cy Curnin's decision to live off the land - so many of his songs are warning bells: "Red Skies" and "Stand Or Fall" among them. When he goes off the grid, we know that he was pure in his motives.

Some songwriters get a little punchy when you ask them to revisit their hits, but Cy was very agreeable when Dan asked him about songs like "One Thing Leads to Another" and "Saved By Zero." We not only found out what they meant to him when he wrote them, but what they mean to him today. Songs can change meanings just as the moon might look a little more blue today than it did 10 years ago.

This one got going with a discussion about 9/11, which led to Cy's decision to simplify. From there, he explained his career arc through the mileposts of his songs, how the despair of "Red Skies" was offset by the hope of "Saved By Zero," and how MTV made them a video band with an American following.

Near the end of the interview, Cy mentions that he climbed Mount Everest with the drummer for the Stray Cats, and they performed in Nepal. Perhaps if we had another hour we could have heard that story.

Cy Curnin interview

Is is just me, or does Colbie always look uncomfortable in photos?

For some reason, this makes me respect her more. She takes her songwriting seriously, and is constantly working on her craft, collaborating with big name writers most people have never heard of (Toby Gad, Mikal Blue), and learning along the way. I won't be surprised if she pulls a Cathy Dennis and gives up performing to focus on writing for others. That would eliminate the touring and awkward photo shoots, while building up those sweet songwriting credits (she's already written a song with Taylor Swift).

Her father is Ken Caillat, who was a calm wind in the hurricane that was late '70s Fleetwood Mac. As a producer on Rumours, he helped get all that angst on vinyl while the band was barely functional as a unit. We asked about her dad's production style, and also covered some details about her songwriting. She also mentioned her boyfriend and a song that's become special for the couple.

Colbie Caillat interview

Jon has an affinity for talented folks who are out of favor, which helps explain his time with Alex Chilton. He also wrote with the vastly underrated songwriter Don Covay, and produced Wilson Pickett at the end of his career. We also have Jon to thank for the re-emergence of PF Sloan, the man who wrote "Eve of Destruction" on what turned out to be his eve of destruction.

I kept this focused on the transition from journalist to participant, and also got into the infamous rock writers convention of 1973 that he worked on. He revealed that music writer could be an entry point into the business, and cited Patti Smith and Chrissie Hynde as examples.

Interview with Jon Tiven

His most recent accomplishment is a full album release with his My Darling Murder bandmate and vocalist Jared Woosley. And he's currently playing on stage in "the band" with the touring production of Rock of Ages. (He's the guy with the bass in his hand.)

Andy took time to tell me some great insights about being with the Rock of Ages, stuff that the general public never even thinks about, stuff that if no one paid any attention to it, the show would literally come to a standstill. And actually has in the past.

Plus, for revery song on the new album release ("Picking Up the Pieces"), there is a sensational - and mostly real-life - historical story that lays behind it. Fascinating, if very dark, stuff.

So get to know Andy and Rock of Ages, and while you're at it, get to know his personal music... which is a great discovery in and of itself.

Andy Gerold Interview

(And if that isn't enough, here's a little personal info: Andy's new wife is a good friend of mine... it was the day after we attended their wedding that I got engaged...)

Ian wrote the lyrics to those classic Cult songs, and was great about explaining some of them - "Fire Woman," for example. He also talked about his time with the new version of The Doors, which he fronted for a while. This got really sticky when John Densmore sued him, along with Manzarek and Krieger, for performing under the Doors name.

In the end, it's a story about a talented guy who considers himself more complex than the constraints of the "Rock Star" label, and has found a way to elegantly continue doing what he loves, and what makes people happy.

Ian Astbury interview

Link

Songfacts: That's a dumb question?

Shelby: I swear, I think it's the dumbest I've had today, man. (laughs)

Dan is very patient, and he let this play out. I give Shelby credit for challenging him instead of turning on auto-pilot, but the Mark McGwire "I'm not going to talk about the past" was a little much. Still, we appreciate her time and did learn a thing or two about how she ticks.

Shelby Lynne interview

The songs have been around forever, but Roger hasn't been playing them that long: he left Supertramp in 1983 and spent a lot of time raising his kids, but now he's back on the road.

I thought Dan did a great job of finding out how Roger feels about these songs both when he wrote them and today. Roger has plenty of newer music, but he cherishes the hits, as he knows how much they mean to people. His perspective is refreshing: not only does he continue to play his favorite songs, but he does so with feeling.

This was particularly gratifying, as Roger's songs have always been very popular around here. Songfacts was built on the idea that you could find out what's going on in a song like "Breakfast In America" and hear it in a new way.

Roger Hodgson interview

The hits:

"Swing, Swing"

"Dirty Little Secret"

"Move Along"

"It Ends Tonight"

"Gives You Hell"

All-American Rejects are from a little town in Oklahoma. Nick Wheeler, who spoke with Dan, writes the songs with their lead singer Tyson Wheeler. When the band signed with DreamWorks, Nick was 20 and Tyson was 18.

Their 10 year history has followed this path:

1) Teenage heartbreak and confusion, leading to songs like "Swing, Swing"

2) Notoriety and adulation = steady girlfriends for Nick and Tyson (who dated Kim Smith from the 'N Sync "Bye Bye Bye" video). Now they have to make up the drama for songs like "Move Along," which they do, resulting in their biggest hits.

3) They break up with their girlfriends, Tyson freaks out. A few years later they get it together and Rocky-style return to the regimen that worked the first time, which in their case is secluded songwriting sessions. This time, they have real-life pathos to draw from. Results are on their new album, Kids In The Street.

There are a lot of places where this band could have gone off the rails, and Dan did a great job finding out how they kept it together. Nick doesn't write their lyrics, but he sure can articulate his thoughts, which might be why he can keep Tyson focused. In discussing their songs, the story of The All-American Rejects materialized, and it's a story of how a degree of dynamic tension and the right work ethic and keep you on the right path.

All-American Rejects interview

Gary is the son of Jerry Lewis, and one of the amazing things about his story is how he did this outside of the influence of his famous father. Gary hustled his way to a gig at Disneyland, where he was spotted by the producer Snuff Garrett. Working with a young arranger Leon Russell, they put together the Al Kooper-written "This Diamond Ring," and followed it up with 6 more Top-10 hits.

According to Gary, his dad didn't even know he had a band until that first song was released. The celebrity dad thing is great if you're dad is Will Smith, but it can also be a curse if you don't see him very often and feel compelled to succeed outside of his influence.

Another thing I found fascinating was that he got drafted for the Vietnam war and actually went. I realize this was a different era with different values, but can you imagine what would happen these days if the government tried to send Justin Timberlake to Iraq?

Gary was certainly not soldier material, but he didn't try to get out of it, which pretty much killed his career. In the year and change that he was gone (1967-1968), the musical landscape went tectonic and he couldn't react.

Gary struck me as remarkably unaffected and very pleasant. He's a born entertainer and still performing, and he even has a newish single on his website that's pretty darn good.

Interview with Gary Lewis

What I didn't realize about Howard is that he takes a distinctly positive approach to songwriting, which isn't easy to do. Most writers pull their inspiration from pain and conflict, but Howard's chemical makeup means he is generally upbeat, and that comes out in his songs. The genius is how he makes them deep, lasting and meaningful. For instance, "New Song" isn't just cheering us on, but examining the role of fear in our decision making and asking us to overcome the challenges that are unique to each of us.

At one point, Howard explains that in the '80s, journalists didn't talk about his songwriting, since they all asked about his haircut. At which point Dan says... "Speaking of hair, you had pretty puffy hair back then. Do you have any regrets as to hairstyle?"

Howard Jones interview

He helped the Four Seasons keep their momentum in the mid-'60s when they badly needed it to battle The Beatles. Later on, he had forays into Disco with Disco Tex and the Sex-O-lettes, and he did some work with Frank Zappa. Kind of amazing that he can remember anything.

Denny is one of these guys who still talks like he's on a New York street corner in the '60s - genres of music are called "bags," as in "Smash Mouth did my song in a rock bag." He gives quite an elegant defense of Disco music, and talks about his latest do-gooding: The GI Jams project. This is an effort to get American soldiers - past and present - record deals. As an industry veteran, Denny helps navigate these streams.

Interview with Denny Randell

Aaron Gillespie wrote many of the big songs for Underoath, including "It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door" and "Angel Below." He hit us with some song stories and explained how he had to learn hard rock in a hurry when he joined the band - all he could do was rummage through a Christian bookstore and hope for the best.

Like many songwriters, his songs tell his story, and there's a connection to how he left Underoath to go solo.

Aaron Gillespie interview

Really, if your boy comes home and says, "Dad, I'm an Eagle," that's always good news.

My instructions to Dan on this one were, find out what he thinks of "Hotel California," since that song is a mainstay in the Daily Top 10. What we learned is that the audience response to the song takes the edge off the repetition of playing it night after night.

Timothy came in after the song was written, and didn't have much more to say on the topic, but did tell a great story about rehearsing with the band the night of the Grammy Awards. When the Eagles won. For Album of the Year.

We also learned that Timothy is to background vocals what Randy Newman is to movie soundtracks - they guy everybody calls.

Interview with Timothy B. Schmit

In fact, I talked to 3DD lead singer/songwriter, Brad Arnold a couple of years ago, and didn't get the stories I got from Todd... and Brad had some great stories. Todd sort of filled in and gave me a different perspective on things. It was an eye-opener, and made for very entertaining stuff.

Todd Harrell of 3 Doors Down

Henry's big moment was with Wings, where he came up with the guitar solo on "My Love." He was with the band when they did a warm up tour by showing up at universities and playing impromptu shows for college students. He still has fond memories of McCartney, who loves to tell the story of how Henry rewrote that "My Love" solo.

Henry had some lost years, but emerged from his alcoholic abyss and is once again making music that feels like a sitting in an Irish pub with a crock of beef stew and a Guinness (Or in Henry's case - a glass of water. He's the rare Irishman who doesn't drink.)

You've heard his voice in your headphones on those nights you were up listening to Dark Side of the Moon - that's him saying "I don't know, I was really drunk at the time" in "Money."

Henry McCullough interview

It gets a little crazier from there, where a story about a guy named Joe Pizza, and tales from the Who's Next sessions where he was invited to play along with his bandmate Felix Pappalardi, who turned out to be not the Felix they were looking for.

At one point Leslie called out Dan for suggesting he dedicated the song "Theme From an Imaginary Western" to Felix, which came from our Songfacts. I thought we screwed up, but then saw the video where Leslie does indeed dedicate the song to Felix. Rock and Roll!!!

Leslie West of Mountain