Perspective

It's been about a year since I finished my first (and only) solo record, and I've experienced a lot since then. I've done a lot of things, been a lot of places, met a lot of people, heard a lot of music, seen a lot of movies, and breathed a lot of air. Now I'm starting to think about a second record, which to me means that I've started working on it.

I've got one new song that I wrote recently, and several little ideas for others, so I'm definitely at the beginning stages as far as writing is concerned. However, I'm finding myself contemplating a thought that I've experienced many times before, so in some ways I feel like it's not really a beginning stage, but rather a continuation of where I've been into where I am that happens... well, daily.

Instead of calling this thing a thought, it's probably more accurate to call it a perspective, and that perspective is this: when creating or writing music (or any art for that matter), you are a part of a very unique viewpoint in that you will never experience what you are creating from a first-time listener's standpoint. This, simply, is because you are the one who created it, and you experienced every step of the process, no matter how long or short, simple or complicated, exciting or dull. No listener can have that perspective, just as you can not have theirs.

This may seem rather obvious, and maybe even matter-of-fact, but here's what intrigues me about it: what does Paul McCartney think of "Blackbird?" What does Led Zeppelin think of "Stairway to Heaven?" What does Jimi Hendrix think of "Purple Haze?" What does Pink Floyd think of "Dark Side of the Moon?" Mozart? Elvis? James Brown? Louis Armstrong? Kurt Cobain? Miles Davis? John Mayer?

When you create something that influences, moves, and affects so many people (like everyone in the previous paragraph, and many others, have done), do you view it or experience it on anywhere near the level that others do, or is it just "a little song I wrote?" And did any of these influential artists have any clue while they were writing that their creation would have that kind of impact?

I've read a little and watched a little about this subject, and in fact David Gilmore of Pink Floyd addresses it directly in the Classic Albums DVD on "Dark Side of the Moon." In the film, there is of course discussion about how popular and influential the album became (hence being part of the Classic Albums series), and when talking about it, Gilmore admits that he didn't get to experience it fresh, for the first time, in one complete listen-through. He was involved in creating it, so he doesn't know what it's like to hear it for the first time, and it makes me wonder... can he understand fully how much it affects other people?

It's strange to think about and analyze the writing process, wondering if there is any common thread amongst all those who have created largely popular and influential works. I prefer to keep the writing process as natural and organic as possible, but it's one of those things that pops up regularly: "Is this song I'm writing going to move people like 'Blackbird' did/does?" And for that matter: "Is it important that this song moves people like 'Blackbird' did/does?" "Does anyone ever intend while writing to move people to the degree that the final creation does?" I think the answers to those questions are: it will do what it needs to do, not necessarily, and probably not (respectively).

I find quite a bit of solace in the idea that most influential music (or other art) does not start with that as its desired goal. You write because you're compelled to, not because you know you're going to affect the entire world. You might hope that people are into what you're doing, but there's never any way of knowing what will or will not move people, and trying to predict that is a game you can't win. I like the thought of Paul McCartney saying "Yeah, 'Blackbird' was fun to write. I'm glad lots of people like it, but I would've written it even if they didn't."

It can be challenging to write without thinking about whether what you're writing is good or not, but I guess the conclusion here is: #1 write what you feel and are happy with, not what you think others will be happy with -- it's the only way to call the music yours; and #2 stop thinking about what others think and get back to writing.

So I'm going to try and keep that perspective while I embark on writing a second album. I'm going to write whatever comes out, and see if I can't say some things creatively with songs. Maybe some people will like it... maybe not... but that's not the point.