Well, It’s Official:

The record is going to be a hit.

Our kids like it.

We went to pick them up Saturday morning, and ended up taking them for a night out behind the Orange Curtain. Erica’s folks live in San Diego, so we always meet at the Irvine Spectrum. Lots of parking, scores of bathrooms, and it’s equidistant between us.

Since they had been away from us for a week, and since we needed a little break ourselves, we had arranged a hotel room in Dana Point for the night. We spent the next 24 hours hanging out at the beach, by the pool, and gawking at the the fast cars and opulent homes that dot the coast between Newport Beach and Dana Point.

During this time, we spun the whole record (with the songs in their various states of completion) a couple of times, and the kids think it’s good. The like Love Brought You Here. Ella calls it, “Her song.” Zion, for some reason, loves Kiss Us Goodbye. There’s nothing quite like listening to freshly recorded vocals, trying to determine if the performance is the right one, with a 2 1/2 year old behind you singing along, in his made-up language.

As for the grownups, it was pretty gratifying to hear it in long form. I know that no one listens to full projects anymore, in sequence, but I do. What can I say? I’m old school. I want there to be an arc, and connecting points. I believe that an album should serve as a musical, historical record of an artist’s given time.

I feel like we’re chasing that down right now. There are dynamics on this record. It’s loud and fun, it’s slow and contemplative. It’s intense at times, yes, but then there are a couple of songs that don’t require you to think at all, merely sing along. I’ve been afraid that someone might criticize us for being schizophrenic, but what can I say… it all came from us.

We’re not crazy, just complicated.

[update]

Sorry, I just had to say this… we were listening to Signal Chain and Ella, who turns 5 next week, goes, “Daddy… what is it that goes all the way down the Signal Chain.” I thought to myself… I love this kid.

It’s a parable, baby. What do you think it means?