I insist on calling my CDs albums. That is no through back to the old LPs. I use the term because that is exactly what they are! As Ron says, a collection of artworks.

And I put a lot of thought into the contents, the presentation and the order. I know some people think of the album as a bunch of individual songs - but my purpose is to create a package that will be listened to, hopefully over and over.

I also purposely think about the length of each track; is it the correct length for the arrangement? And the length of the overall album - I am convinced that about 45 to 50 minutes is perfect. That is because it is about the attention span of our current listening audience - it is about the length of time for TV shows, for concert sets, etc.

I am once again in fierce agreement with Ron on this subject. Each album, to me - has an overall plan, theme and progression. This is true for me,even in the face of the changing habits of the listening audience. I know that people who buy my new album will download it to their IPODS and select their favorites into playlists - but they will also play the CD sometimes (maybe in the car) and their favorite tracks will evolve.

AND even though I strongly support using the pro studio and audio pros, I understand that some of us can do a good job making their own recordings. Obviously the music/performance is the most important element.

One more thing; if you cannot get the "real" feel of the music in the studio because of the gear or the approach your producer or engineer choose, you are doing it wrong. I am not thrilled about using a click a track - but we sorted out ways to make it work when it was needed.