Mark Doyle

For the second album of Andy’s on Nemperor, Arif decided to step back a bit and let the road band have its way, which in retrospect may have been a mistake. The only time Arif got to exhibit any of the arrangement prowess he showed on Resolution was probably on So Faint, where his strings were just amazing. I was there when he conducted the orchestra, and it has to go down as one of the most thrilling scenes I’ve ever witnessed.

We recorded this album at Atlantic’s studio on 61st St, right across the street from The Mayflower Hotel, where we were all staying. It was also where we stayed for the making of Resolution, and where I would stay for the making of David Werner’s Epic album. The Mayflower is gone now, but back in the day it hosted all of the English bands that were in New York. We became friends with Average White Band and their road crew, and we rocked that place til the wee hours every night. They used to put us on our own floor (wise move!)

The band was very tight because Andy had taken a self-help course called the Life Institute (which directly affected a lot of the writing and lyrics on Resolution), and he and his manager insisted that all the rest of the band take the course as well. It was an intensive, 5-day affair similar to est and a lot of other stuff in the seventies, but you came out of it with a renewed spirit and real sense of commitment and self-confidence, so it was a great thing to have a band all do (although each one of us took the course separately). You could definitely feel a strong group spirit when we were on tour and playing the songs, so I think this is what made Arif decide to just let the band be and not tamper with the arrangements that much.