A Conversation with Al Anderson (continued)

PM: You much of a reader of books? You go in for that?

AA: No.

PM: Not a thing.

AA: I should.

PM: Yeah. Well, it's just one of those things. It's not for everybody.

AA: I don't assimilate the information well enough.

PM: Your brain doesn't work that way, or--

AA: Yeah, I always read things differently than the teacher, the English teacher.

PM: [laughs]

AA: And he'd prove it by tearing the paragraph apart.

PM: [laughs]

AA: Who knows.

PM: What are you listening to these days?

AA: Sinatra.

PM: Yeah, he's something that always works. I like Tony Bennett, too.

AA: One of those black clubs I played at, the Red Ash, the waitress--and this is a black club--would always put "The Good Life" on, and "Funny" by Joe Hinton. Those just went back to back all night long.

PM: [laughs]

AA: Joe Hinton did the best "Funny" ever.

PM: I like Tony Bennett's "I Want To Be Around (To Pick Up The Pieces)."

AA: "The Best Is Yet To Come." [singing] The best is yet to come... [talking] That's a hard song to sing.

PM: An incredible melody to have written. I don't know who penned that, too, but it's a great song.

So, 14 years today. Are you what you'd call a spiritual person?

AA: Yes. By no means religious.

PM: Right. Not even. In terms of a last question, and what's up ahead, have you ever--you're a lover of real country music. Have you ever cut a stone country record?

AA: Me, myself? No, because I can't sing country.

PM: You can't sing country.

AA: You just can't be from Connecticut. [laughs]

PM: No, I hear you talking.

AA: You can be from Maine.

PM: [laughs] Right. Yeah, I hear that.

AA: I don't have the voice for it. I could if I spent like a whole entire day on a vocal. I mean, I have some of me singing some of my stuff--"Blues About You Baby." [also clipped on the Listen page]

PM: Right. I love that one. It's a swell cut. I don't think I've ever talked to anybody this long for an interview besides Darrell Scott.

AA: He's great, that guy.

PM: Yeah, only guys that I like as much as you two would I talk to this long. Yeah, he's another real soulful character.

AA: I'm making a--I'm back to rock 'n' roll records. I'd like to do some soul music, man, because I never really did that.

PM: Yeah, I'd love to hear you make a soul record. I mean, a rock 'n' roll record is like--it's always good news from you, but I mean, a soul record, that would be the thing.

AA: Do a couple songs with Bekka [Bramlett].

PM: Yeah.

AA: I got an album's worth on her.

PM: What do you mean?

AA: I've cut fifteen songs with her.

PM: Really?

AA: And they're good enough to put out.

PM: With you as the artist and her as backup, you mean?

AA: No. With her singing.

PM: Her singing? Well, jeez, what's that doing in the can?

AA: Leslie, she's got them all. "Fear Of Falling"?

PM: Well, wait a minute, I think I know that.

AA: [singing] That look in your eyes says it all
You're a million miles away
It hasn't been right for too, too long--
[talking] it's real sixties--
[singing] We've run out of things to say
What's the point in growing lonely together
We'd just end up being lonely forever

     It's just a fear of falling
     That keeps us hanging on
     The fear of falling
     Even when the feeling's gone
     Nothing worse than saying goodbye
     Except pretending there's a reason to stay
     As much as it hurts
     It's probably better this way

Anyway, I'm going to put out that record. You just talked me into it.

PM: Al, thanks for everything today. It's just a wonderful way to end our conversation, too.

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