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MUSIC is the universal language. Music is the soundtrack of Love. There is nothing really intellectual about music for it works for us - and through us - emotionally and directly. As the wise mystic/rocker David Lee Roth once said, "You only need to know how to count to four." As I have grown through the experience of life, some of my musical tastes have changed, but for the most part, I still love hearing the same bands I was listening to when I first started driving - Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, AC/DC, etc. It's not that I'm stuck in my ways, it's just that this music still moves me and I'm able to enjoy it even more now. I'm also moving to other music...basically if it does something for me, then I'll listen, regardless of genre, band of style.

Don't Look Back: Orpheus, the legendary musician and poet of Greek myths, trained by Apollo and by his mother, Calliope, one of the Muses. He went to hell to get his girl back, but couldn't hold on to her... Orpheus and Eurydice. 1806. C. G. Kratzenstein

Playing music now is different for me in a couple ways, but for the most part, I am much the same player after the plane crash, just more grateful for the ability to move my fingers and still get to do what I like, albeit in a new way. First, of course, I have to play sitting down, which took some getting used to. In the 80's, our band, Sweet Savage, was very physical and our shows were like atheltic events (except that we were on booze, drugs and who knows what else). In fact, I used to identify myself with my moves as much as my playing, as probably did others. But since I've been playing again, I find that I can still move around quite a bit, while seated on a swivel stool made for drummers, of all things.

As far as my songwriting is concerned, it has more evolved than changed. I have done some solo acoustic gigs in recent years, which lends itself to sitting down anyway, but I still feel the old '70's hard rock vibe - maybe even more now than ever. In the 80's, songs for me we re more about the moment, and now I write with the eternal in mind. Sure, they're still about girls, cars, havin g a good time, playing rock and roll, but they are actually about life, and I can touch on archetypal themes and timeless stories - in a way that is simple and direct...you know, it's only rock and roll but I like it.