I’ll never forget Nottingham, even if I don’t pronounce it right. What a wonderful night that was. And all the other nights over here as well. Check the rants for updates on my English adventure.

I’m still having a great time in England. Click on the Rants page for my latest update on my adventures in this Green and Pleasant Land.

Please make sure to check out the Rants page for my updated travelogue of my experience in England, which has so far been smashing good!

Well folks, after 21 years of dreaming about it, I’m going to Engand. I fly out Thursday, June 15th. 21 years I’ve been playing professionally, since Government Cheese started, and I’ve never gotten to England. Italy yes, and that was cool, but the Kinks are from England, the Rolling Stones are from England, the Beatles, the Clash, so much of what made me as a musician, as a songwriter, as a human being. Going there has, in the years of anticipation I’ve stoically endured, taken on monumental, mythical, pilgramage quality in the hothouse of my obsessions. And finally, I’m going. Two and a half weeks I’ll be over there: Liverpool, (Thanks Mark!) multiple Manchester dates (Thanks Paddy!), Nottingham, Leicester, multiple London dates, thanks to the kindness of a reputable booking agent, Bob Paterson, who got involved and thanks to the help of Paul Needham too. Thanks all! The flight’s booked, I’m not packed but I do know where my passport is, I don’t have my Britmail pass yet, but I do have xanax, and I have the good wishes of a lot of good friends, and God bless all of you. I’m going to England. It’s really going to happen. Wish me luck. My biggest fear is being where I can’t get Beth on the phone if I’m lost in a train station or lost in general or just plain need to talk to her because she’s my wife and I love her. I don’t like the idea of being away from Beth and Nathan for that long. But if all goes according to plan, I’ll be having so much fun and making so much music that it’ll all zip by. And by the way, I promise to blog regularly from over there, more than I usually do, so check The Current Rant often while I’m gone.

There is much exciting to tell on the recording front. We’re about 75% done, I daresay on having a new record done. It’ll be my first solo record of new material since “Circus Town” in 2002, four years ago, and judging from what we’ve got recorded so far, it’s going to have been worth the wait. I’m working on it with John Deaderick, who is brilliant, funny as hell, an amazing piano player, and about one of foremost persons I’ve felt particularly lucky and grateful to get to make aquaintace with in the last few years. He plays keys in Daddy and was the Dixie Chicks keyboardist at one time. He was onstage in England with them the night Natalie made her famous spurt of honesty. We’re officially co-producers, John and I, but the truth is he’s doing all the brain work and keen ear work. I do some, but he’s the man.

Four years away has done me some good when it comes to recording this new one, and a lot of the bullshit of the last three years has found its way into the songs, but in a restrained and mature way I don’t think I’ve ever gotten near before. I mean, the songs and the playing are more than cool, it’s special this time. The general consensus has been that my first solo record, “Positively Na Na” is my best. Well, with that as a benchmark, this new one is absolutely the best since “Na Na” and I daresay might trump that old dear record. Go to my myspace websight where Carrie Garcia’s posted one or two things for me. They’re not done, just rough mixes of tunes that might yet be messed around with some more, but there’s enough there to get the song across. So go over there and enjoy. And wish me luck. I go in tomorrow (Sunday) to try and get all my parts I have left to do, guitar and vocal, in one packed day, before I go to England.

As for a release date, there ain’t none and we will sell no wine before it’s time. I’ve got the label and the press arranged and the backing to pay for things to go right but I’m looking for a distributor still. So God willing, I’ll get that duck in a row and we can have a proper release with as much chance of getting heard as my skinny lop-sided brain can figure out how to do. Besides, the record ain’t even done yet and I don’t want to proceed with some of those very bidness steps until it IS. It’s been this long, what’s a while longer? It won’t be that long, rest assurred. And if you dig what I do, it’ll be worth the wait, you’re going to dig this one. This one’s good. OK, I’ll shut up about it already. Working title: “There, I Said It.”

I wish I could rant tonight but I must get some sleep to do well in the studio tomorrow. I apologize for the paucity of rants lately (finding the time has been a problem) but I will rant soon, I promise, and very likely from the fair British Isles. As for now. Signing off. Peace thu music, Bush sucks, pass it on. God bless, TW