G: I know it's early, but how do you feel about the album so far?
M: I think the material is much stronger. We try to keep every album from sounding the same. It's more broad, like the first album was, but it's gonna sound bigger and better. More raw.
G: Do you feel pressure to top the arlier albums?
M:There's a certain amount of pressure-nobody wants to bomb or anything. But we keep progressing and getting better. I'm sure we'll do all right.
G:Is it tougher at the top then when you're first getting started and have nothing to lose?
M: Definetly-the only way you can go from the top is down. The sustaining part of it is pretty tough. You can fall real easy.
G: What the key to staying up there?
M: Giving the public what they want-and being different. And the guys in the group getting along, which we do, luckily. A lot of bands can't say that. They've got a lot of inner conflicts. That's real important, being friends and having four minds that are like one. If I call up Nikki with an idea, he'll go, 'I was just thinking about something like that.'
G: Would you be friend if you weren't in the band and met right now?
M: I would say so, yeah.
G: Anything the guys do that pisses you off?
M: I think we're all guilty of this one. We get real rotted and call each other at four or five in the morning and say, 'listen to this' and play something. 'That's great but I'm sleeping. Leave me alone!' G: You seem to be the most low-key person in the band.
M: It's no secret, I'm older than the rest of the guys. I guess it comes with being an old man (laugh). I like to pretty much kick back and watch. But when I make an appearance I make it. People know I'm there.
G: Is being in this band a 24 hour gig? Can you ever turn it off?
M: Yes and no. After being on the road for nine months to a year you get home and try to relax, but it's always there. You're always thinking about the next song, the next album, the next concert.
G: And you're recognized all the time?
M: Unless I wear baseball caps and sloppy clothes. But it's alot of fun.
G: What goes through your mind before you go onstage?
M: How many women are out there. And trying to do my best.
G: Do you ever get stage fright?
M: The only thing I'm afraid of is getting hit in the head with Jack Daniels bottles. They hurt. Lighters hurt but they're tolerable. Darts are real bad. One caught Tommy's drum tech Clyde in the shoulder. It went all the way into the bone.
G: Pretty frightening.
M: Yeah. But I don't think it's really intentional. It's just enthusiasm.
G: Do you think about playing the songs live as you record them?
M: You always have that in mind, you better be able to play it live. A lot of bands use taped backgrounds, but you can't fool the kids.
G: Now that you have more songs, is it harder to choose the live set?
M: Yeah. There's a couple of songs off each album we'll continue to play, like "Live Wire" and "Home Sweet Home," and a lot off the new album.
G: What as your biggest thrill so far?
M: The last tour, cause the shows were pretty much sold out. It was great.

G: What about disappointments-anything you'd do differently if you could?
M: Everyone makes mistakes, but the ones we made were real minor. Everything went pretty close to the plan. We all worked for it for a long time. It's the right combination that just clicked.
G: What were the biggest surprises about the business?
M: I thought, 'My job is to write songs and go on tour.' Well, it gets more involved than that. I knew it was a business and had to be run like a business, but it's more so than I thought.
G: What words describe you best?
M: Hilarious. Mean. When I get mean, I get mean.
G: What were you like as a kid?
M: I wouldn't say I was the class clown, but certain teachers liked me so I could goof around. If I didn't feel like going to school, I'd ditch.
G: Did you take guitar lessons?
M: No, I picked it up myself.
G: How many guitars do you have now?
M: About 10 or 12, and I'm getting more. I have three main guitars. I don't like to take a lot of guitars on the road cause they get lost or left behind.
G: Which guitarists do you admire most?
M: Jeff Beck is always my favorite, but Edward Van Halen is another guy I admire. With everyone else it's like, 'How fast can I play these scales?' It's like finger exercises. There's no substance or feeling.
G: Is an original idea or approach more important than having talent?
M: Yeah, but I think having talent helps too.
G: What do you think you'd be doing now if you weren't playing guitar?
M: Probably be a mechanic on race cars or drive one. I like fast cars.
G: And fast women? What kind of a woman attracts you?
M: I like all sorts of women.
G: Any examples?
M: Kelly LeBrock, she's my favorite now that Tommy took Heather. Morgan Fairchild. Donna Mills.
G: What feature attracts you first?
M: The butt.
G: What keeps you interested?
M: Challenge, constant challenge all the time. I definitely like to have a woman with a good head on her shoulders. G: Do you ever see yourself settling down?
M: Maybe when I'm like 80.
G: In the future, what do you want for yourself and M�tley Cr�e?
M: It's still a day to day thing, but I hope we continue to make audiences happy.
G: Do you have any acting ambitions?
M: No, I'm not a good actor at all. When I see myself in the videos I just cringe. I don't hate doing them but I feel awkward. I'm not the actor type. But I'd like to be a producer. I watch movies all the time, mostly horror movies.
G: What advice would you give someone starting out in music now?
M: If you want to do it, do it. Don't let anybody tell you not to or get in your way. If you want it bad enough you can have it.