How’s your health these days?
My main problem has been the hearing thing. About three years ago I had a kind of disaster with my right ear. It just started to go strange; noises in the head, all that business. It was pretty scary stuff. I means I’m unable to stand in front of a drum kit or a bass guitar, and that’s pretty crucial for a lot of musicians. It’s irreparable and I need to avoid aggravating the condition further. My eyes have settled down though I need things very close to look at them properly. I hope I’m not painting too gloomy a picture, ’cause overall, I’m OK.
This album was recorded in the early 90s.Why has it taken so long to come out?
I always had a good relationship with the record company (Sony), but I think at the time they were hoping for something more immediate with a lot of songs they could market as singles. I think that after Jordan: The Comeback they may have thought, “Oh, here comes Paddy with another complicated concept album,” Also the God references in a lot of songs may have scared them.
Were they right to be scared? What’s the “concept” of the album?
I’m not sure there is a concept. I trust the irrational a lot in the things I do. I like to pick up on a thought and run with it. I suppose I was leaning on my notions of gospel music; I like the power of it. Meaning is nice, but searching for clarity of meaning can be an obstacle. The basic pleasure you get from just listening to sounds is equally as important.
Are you a religious man yourself? It’s not uncommon for people who’ve endured medical difficulties like yours to “find God”.
I suspect that our normal way of looking at things, the way our intelligence interprets them, is not the full picture. I’d say I’m an agnostic with a healthy interest in the mystical. I’m an agonistic!