The Making of Flying High

Paul Collins' Beat Releases First New Studio Album in Twelve Years

Flying High, Paul Collins’ 11th album since The Beat, marks an end to a nearly 12-year musical quest and the start of a creative period that will generate several more releases, including more full-length studio albums, a live album, a concert DVD and a surprise that is sure to thrill fans of Collins’ entire body of work. The new 12-track album was recorded in Madrid, Spain over the course of four days.

Flying High is a return to the basics for Collins. The album successfully fuses Collins' undeniable songwriting talents with his unparalleled musicianship. In fact, the bulk of the album was recorded live, with many songs largely completed in the first take. The album’s 12 songs showcase Paul Collins' Beat’s undeniable skill and musical versatility.

Flying High is a mix of up-tempo guitar driven Collins instant classics such as “More Than Yesterday” and “Helen” and more introspective darker tracks such as “Bobby,” “I’m On Fire” and “Flying High.” One of the many highlights is a track entitled, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Shoes,” which Paul describes as “the daughter” of The Beat’s classic anthem “Rock ‘n’ Roll Girl.”

But Flying High would not have flown if not for the knowledge and wisdom Paul gained from his friendships with such legendary rockers as Dee Dee Ramone. He formed an admiration for Dee Dee during his early days touring with The Nerves and soon the two became friends. “Dee Dee and I would often hang out after shows and discuss songwriting and music in general,” enthused Collins. “I was always impressed with his attitude toward writing, stressing the importance of having sincere emotions at the core of every song. That really stuck with me and I was acutely aware of it throughout the many years of writing the songs for Flying High.”

Collins also formed a valuable friendship with rock icon Eddie Money during his days in The Nerves, the quintessential rock band in which Jack Lee and Peter Case joined Collins to create some of the most influential rock and roll music of the genre.

“Eddie took me under his wing when I was just starting out,” explained Collins. “He taught me a lot about the showbiz industry, songwriting, and performing. His advice has been invaluable to everything I have done since.”

“While I was working on Flying High I drew heavily from the knowledge I gained in knowing such professionals,” Collins added. “Jack Lee and Peter Case also had an enormous impact on me as an artist. They are all such great musicians. I think their influence is evident throughout all of my music.”

The years of writing for “Flying High” in secrecy began to near a decade and rumors began swirling. Nobody quite knew what to expect from this long period of creative gestation.

Collins deliberately took his time. “I wanted to give the songs the time they needed to grow and take on a life of their own,” said Collins, who insisted the actual recording sessions for the album be done as quickly as possible in order to maintain each song’s identity. “I didn’t want us to start second guessing the songs. After twelve years, they had progressed to a point where over-producing them would have destroyed their integrity. We just wanted to capture them in their most honest form. I think it was worth the wait. The music speaks for itself and I’m really proud of what we did.”

The results are evident throughout. The songs are sonically robust, the instrumentation and shimmering vocals first rate and the chemistry between Paul and his band apparent. The album has an organic feel reminiscent of Paul's early solo releases, and some of The Beat’s later recordings.

“The album is a story,” added Collins. “Musically, the songs represent the spectrum of emotions we all face in day to day life, so it is really your story as much as it is mine.”

“The songs aren’t overblown or exaggerated. It’s a rock band playing music together with no gimmicks between us and the listener,” concludes Collins. “We wanted to make a great album that was true to us as a band. I think that’s exactly what we did.”

Paul Collins' Beat continues to tour and perform around the world. Paul Collins’ two previous bands The Beat and The Nerves helped inspire what would become the sound of today’s foremost artists from Green Day to Everclear.

Full Track Listing

Rock ‘n’ Roll Shoes - 2:39
Afton Place - 3:25
Will You Be A Woman - 2:10
FDR - 2:45
Helen - 3:13
All Over Town - 2:44
Bobby - 3:27
I’m On Fire - 3:29
More Than Yesterday - 2:53
Silly Love - 4:01
Paco And Juan - 4:40
Flying High - 3:05