We're seriously deliberating on the next record. We'll be in pre-production the next 2 or 3 weeks, which means working out arrangements, tempos, keys, and recording demos that will, hopefully, capture the right feel for all the songs. We've recorded 4 tracks already (bass, drums, some guitar, scratch vocals) and we're shooting 50/50. Two of them we're happy with. Two of them do not have the right feel. Too funky when it should be straight ahead, too heavy when it should be, say, vibey-er...more pensive. While we're hoping to make great progress in Nov./Dec., getting the right "feel", it seems, cannot be rushed. You have to live with a recording a while. Either you love it right away, or you don't and you have to figure out WHY you don't. The absolute worst thing is when a song you're proud of doesn't get effectively communicated, shall we say. Its such a "missed opportunity" type of feeling. The problem I certainly was NOT expecting was too many songs! But, here we go again. My personal preference, as a listener, has always been an 11 song limit on a CD. If all the songs are GREAT, I suppose I can handle 12. Its just too much to digest when you start getting longer than that. Well, ahem, "Good Samaritan" has 13 on it. I broke my own rule. But couldn't part with anything we recorded. And the ones I DID want to cut, I was always outvoted on!! So, for my 2nd record I SWORE I would have no more than 11 songs. Now, including the cover song I picked, I'm up to 13!!! So, I think we'll record them all and just see which ones work and which ones don't. I'm disappointed that I was not able to work up two song ideas I've had. I really wanted those to be on this CD!!! But, who knows. Those songs may never get written. And, besides, that would give me 15 songs and that's going in the wrong direction! I think its time to go with what we have. And its almost time call up some of our fabulous musician friends and say "let's make a record"!!!!!