Happy Easter
April 16th, 2006

Hey y'all,
I am trying to assemble the songs for my "best of" album, which hopefully will be out in the Fall if the label and recording gremlins are held at bay.

I know we have had this conversation before, on the discussion board, but I would like to get a sense of what you think should be on it. I am planning on a two record collection of songs, twenty-six songs total. One cd wil be a more rocking, poppier collection, and the other a quieter singer/songwriter folkier collection. There will be some live versions of the songs, and I will be rerecording a few of the songs as well, so the album sounds fresh to people who already own the material.

I DO know the following songs will appear as per my choice....

1) Maria's Beautiful Mess
2) Sweet Mistakes
3) Conversation with a Ghost
4) 3,000 miles
5) The World Ain't Slowin' Down
6) JUkebox on My Grave
7) Take All the Sky You Need
8) Paris in a Day

There will be a few (two or three) new songs on the recording as well... perhaps "Welcome Home to Maine", "Snow in Austin" and others...

I am trying to balance the collection between my best story songs, melodic songs, and the best of the lyrical songs, so people get a clear picture of who I am as a songwriter. Think of your choices as a way to explain what I do to people who are purchasing the music for the first time. In other words, don't just throw out one dimensional choices, like all love songs, or all pop songs, or all folkie stuff...

Thanks again y'all--
hope your easter was a happy one... ella woke up today with a smile on her face as she darted around the house finding colorful plastic eggs with little elmo stickers inside...

Ellis