Musical Economy Quotes

Every time we give a musician the advice to give away the music and sell the T-shirt, we're saying, 'Don't make your living in this more elevated way. Instead, reverse this social progress, and choose a more physical way to make a living.' We're sending them to peasanthood, very much like the Maoists have.

I've come to realize ways of making music without being excessive.

The Stones were always exemplary of one of the best of all rock qualities: tightness. They have always been economical, the opposite of ornamental. Having a very clear idea of what they wanted to say they could go into a studio and make it all up on a three minute cut.

I tend to write short, brief snippets - I lean toward the chamber music end as opposed to the symphony end of things.

Why play a chord when you can play one note?

As a songwriter, simplicity - what not to do, what not to play - can be the hardest thing to achieve.

It's cool that our stuff is received as it is, and our stuff is fairly long. But from a songwriter's purview as well as an exercise, I'm trying to write shorter material and find ways to condense ideas.

I'm definitely trying to make longer songs, but if it's short and good, I'm not going to do anything about it.