The thing about music is that it's totally subjective. What I mean by that is that someone can think that Celine Dion is the best thing since sliced bread and someone else can think she's turgid, mind-numbing crap! But in a decent world, both people are allowed their opinions, and at the end of the day, it's all music. BUT, when I read online that a RINGTONE makes it to number one in the UK charts, I HAVE to start to ask questions.

HOW can a cellphone ringtone sell more units than Coldplay? Or Oasis? (by the way, I LOVE the Gallagher brothers new single!). Don't we think that with the amount of unsigned bands out there, playing great music, that the music-buying population would be a little more judicious and discerning than to go out enmass and by a fucking RINGTONE!!!??? Come on people - keep real music alive ... even if it is Celine Dion!!

So what's been going on with me? Well, I have to admit that with a vacation in Hawaii (scuba diving in Maui) starting on Sunday, my concentration levels on work have been somewhat low! It's difficult to be working out if a G# or an E major is the best key for a bridge, when visions of white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue water keep seeping into my mind. But I am getting some stuff done - its been a week of writing ... different people, different projects, but all fun.

We have a great new Doheny tune that is being written by myself, Jon Clayden (our singer) and Jed Leiber (whose dad wrote all the cool Elvis songs - remember Leiber And Stoller?), and we are in his studio tonight working on vocal melody and lyrics. Tomorrow, Mike Clink and I start mixing a couple of tracks from the Camp Freddy record. Now THAT is a milestone. We have been tracking for a year, on and off, so to actually put a couple of songs to bed will be great. We still have a bunch of tracking to get done, but it's that whole light at the end of the tunnel thing. Now that we can see it, we should be inspired to get the rest of the record finished.

I have also been busy doing some music for some TV shows - a main title theme song and some cues for a new reality show coming out soon. More details next time. And the acting continues to flourish. Picked up a role of ... guess what ... a drug dealer (!) in a movie that shoots in July, and have another audition this week, for ... (you guessed it!) another drug dealer part in a different movie. Now what are these casting directors trying to say?

Totally changing track - have all you Mac users started using Tiger OS yet? I have to say that it is perfect! I use Logic 7 and now that Mac owns it, the integration between that software and the new OS is seamless. The G5 in my studio runs both beautifully and I believe I have achieved the ultimate goal of all composers and writers who use computers ... the ability to actually be creative, and not spend most of your time tracking down a crash, or a bug, or figuring out why something won't work!! Thank you, Apple.

I also want to comment (before I duck outta here) about the new NIN album. Trent Reznor has to be one of the most talented people out there. The new record, With Teeth, is the best album to come out in the last three years. No slight to my buddies in Velvet Revolver - it's just that the lyrical content, the emotion, and the production of the Nails record is so amazing. I saw them play a month or so ago in Vegas, and they just rocked. It's not all playing to tape, and samples - they really are an awesome live band. And the record (which could have sounded so sterile, like the last one, The Fragile) just sounds so live and raw. Much respect, Trent.

So thats it from me. Not sure if I said anything of any interest to anyone, but as long as they let me keep typing this stuff, I'm gonna keep rambling. Questions are welcome, and I will be back after my well-deserved vacation. That is, unless the headline reads, "Rock Musician Dies in Bizarre Great White Shark Attack When Musician Tries to Feed Killer Shark a Crushed Up Banana".

Peace.

Billy