The record was supposed to be simple.

It ended up not being simple at all. This is like my life.

I first got the idea to put together a really simple, stripped-down, record-it-in-my-underwear-in-my-apartment-in-boston kinda thing. I had a collection of solo songs that were defined, very clear by their lack of drums. That was the only criteria. Otherwise, they went straight into the pile of Dresden Dolls tunes.

The original song list looks something like THIS….this is a scan out of my journal from Friday, June 9, 2006.



This list was put down before I even wrote Guitar Hero and Leeds United.

So a month after I wrote that list you just read, the Dresden Dolls website got an email from a Mr. Ben Folds. It went like this:

From: ben folds
Subject: from ben folds and housekeeping ladies everywhere
Date: July 20, 2006 10:47:40 PM EDT
To: Amanda Palmer

dear amanda and brian,

you've now made two of my favorite records ever.  thank you thank you.  both of you. i'm in tokyo right now, so i'm bowing to you a hundred times like the housekeeping lady just did.