Plumb

Plumb was a big departure, and a huge proving ground in so many ways. This was my first solo record -- there was all this freedom, all this space, but also this intense pressure to prove myself. I think I finally grew up into my voice and my job.

Touring around this album made me love playing solo. (Although the first gig, opening for Warren Zevon was horrible)

Neither Alain nor I ever wanted to repeat ourselves, and he really took it sonically and arrangement-wise to a new place. Just the string arrangement on "Paris" makes me weep. Not to mention of course, the piano solo on "Inconsolable". Of course there was a battle about whether to include it. It made the song too long to be a single. (As if "Inconsolable " would ever be a single!!) But to me there was no question that the spontaneous combustion and beauty of that ending had to stay.