Sequel: Making the Album ›
Changes
Wrestlemania.
"Barry! Barry, wait."
The producer turned back and looked at her. Tony realized too late how ridiculous she must look, running through the lobby of the facy hotel in a pair of Tre's ratty old sweatpants and a beater she'd stolen from Mike. But she just didn't care.
"Why did you leave? You could have-"
"What, Tony? I'm not a part of your little circle. And to be honest, I'm not quite sure I'd want to be. I've heard things..."
But his eyes told her quite a different story.
"You could have stayed."
"Don't be stupid, Tony. I'm not like you guys. I'm the fancy, college-educated guy. And we all know how much you people appreciate my help."
"It's not like that." Tony said stubbornly.
"I'm not an idiot. I see how they look at me. I'm the 'system'..."
Barry looked a little sad.
"Barry, no one thinks that."
"I can tell. I'm rich, well-dressed. I carry a cellphone and wear suits and drink martinis with beautiful women, then fuck them and leave them. But Tony, you guys don't know... I clawed my way up from nothing. Everything I have, I earned. And my family, my family's nothing to me..."
He paused, scuffed his shoe against the tile. Tony watched him, brow furrowed.
"Tony... I respect what your band is doing, more than you know. You're keeping the past alive, not allowing them to forget... Maybe that's why I've been killing myself running back and forth... Trying to take care of you and deal with my family all at once..."
Tony was shaken.
"But if... You should take some time to..."
"It's fine." He said impatiently. "I'll deal with it."
Tony sighed.
"You're the best producer we could have asked for. It means more than you know that you care about us. We notice everything you've done for us, and we're grateful. I promise."
Before she could move, he swiftly kissed her on the cheek. When he pulled back, the poised producer was blushing.
"Thank you... And I'm sorry that I'm not the producer you wanted."
Something in his voice cracked, and he looked away. They were far too close. His breathing was ragged, his hands on her hips. Tony looked up into his face. He was so much taller than Billie, so different. He smelt of cologne and studio and soap and a thousand other things that she couldn't name. She wanted to know what he tasted like, but she knew she could never let herself find out. And yet she couldn't seem to make herself move away.
Then his lips were on her's, rough and demanding, their bodies crushed together. It was barely a minute, but it was a minute full of panting and touching and heart-wrenching need. Tony moaned, pulling him close as he kissed his way down her neck.
Suddenly, both of them seemed to realize exactly where they were, and the knowledge horrified them. Barry's eyes were wide and sorrowful, and he vanished out the revolving doors, leaving Tony confused with nothing to do but troop back up to her room.
And try to pretend nothing had happened.
***
Tony reterned to the room to find an all-out brawl in full swing. Tom was standing on the table yelling at Robert, who screamed back as his face turned red. Mike, Billie, Tre and Jay were sitting on the couch with beers, watching the fight with amused smiles.
"What the hell is this? Wrestlemania?" Tony demanded, glaring at them.
"He won't do any Bob Dylan!" Tom yelled, pointed at Robert.
Robert flipped him off. Tony, although exasperated with her bandmates, was secretly thrilled with their arguing. It kept her from having to think about what had happened in the lobby.
"Look, everyone just sit down. We'll handle this like adults... Or reasonably mature seven-year-olds."
Robert and Tom both took seats at the table, glaring at each other. Tony rolled her eyes.
"Now. We have four available spots."
"Four?"
"I don't wanna play 'Too Late For Love'. It's a weak song, and I don't like it. The only reason it's even there is because the pair of you decided it was easy to play."
Neither of them argued. Tony sighed, and fiddled with Barry's notepad. He had listed several songs in the margins, with question marks and stars. Surprised, she read them.
-Slipped Away -> showcase Tony's vocals
-She -> Robert needs to show more flexibility. This song will force him to sing on a different level.
-When I Come Around -> Bass something Tom should play. Shows flexibility.
-Pour Some Sugar On Me -> raucous, fun. Great song. Suits their style. Could play off Tony and Robert's onstage chemistry.
"Shut up." Tony slapped the table. Robert and Tom stopped bickering and looked at her.
"What, Tony? You haven't said anything."
"I've got our songs."
***
An hour and one extremely expensive phone call to Blondie later, the songs were set.
1. We Will Rock You : Queen
2. Photograph : Def Leppard
3. King For A Day : Green Day
4. Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You : Led Zeppelin
5. When I Come Around : Green Day
6. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine : The Killers
7. Miss You In A Heartbeat : Def Leppard
8. Come As You Are : Nirvana
9. Pour Some Sugar On Me : Def Leppard
10. As Tears Go By : the Rolling Stones*
11. Ain't It Fun? : Guns N Roses
12. Tourniquet : Evanescence
13. Love Song : The Cure
14. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap : AC/DC
15. Slipped Away : Avril Lavigne
16. Every Rose Has Its Thorns : Poison
17. Walk This Way : Aerosmith
18. She : Green Day
19. Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
"Are you guys sure about this?" Barry was avoiding Tony's eyes. Robert nodded.
"It's everything we want."
"Alright then. Into the studio."
"Studio?"
"Yep. And get ready for one hell of a time. You guys'll be living on top of each other until this album is finished."
"What about Robert and Tony? Don't they have to perform for the two old guys?" Tre asked. Tony kicked him.
"What'd I say?" He asked, rubbing his shin. Barry ignored him, rustling his papers.
"The Stones are actually touring right now. They'll be coming in about three weeks. Aerosmith, for convenience, will be coming on the same day."
Robert turned slightly green. Barry smiled at him.
"Don't worry. Once you've done it, you'll have a fucking fantastic story to tell."
"What if I throw up on them?"
"Rob, let me say this : It wouldn't be the first time they'd been thrown up on."
Barry vanished out the door, whistling. Tony sighed.
"Living on top of each other, huh?"
"How is that any different from the apartment in Vegas?" Tom sighed.
"Easy. Back there, we had some sort of freedom."
Robert's grim statement was soon forgotten in the wake of the following celebration. But Tony thought about it, later that night in her room.
And she wished she knew if they'd just signed away everything that they'd loved about making music.
The producer turned back and looked at her. Tony realized too late how ridiculous she must look, running through the lobby of the facy hotel in a pair of Tre's ratty old sweatpants and a beater she'd stolen from Mike. But she just didn't care.
"Why did you leave? You could have-"
"What, Tony? I'm not a part of your little circle. And to be honest, I'm not quite sure I'd want to be. I've heard things..."
But his eyes told her quite a different story.
"You could have stayed."
"Don't be stupid, Tony. I'm not like you guys. I'm the fancy, college-educated guy. And we all know how much you people appreciate my help."
"It's not like that." Tony said stubbornly.
"I'm not an idiot. I see how they look at me. I'm the 'system'..."
Barry looked a little sad.
"Barry, no one thinks that."
"I can tell. I'm rich, well-dressed. I carry a cellphone and wear suits and drink martinis with beautiful women, then fuck them and leave them. But Tony, you guys don't know... I clawed my way up from nothing. Everything I have, I earned. And my family, my family's nothing to me..."
He paused, scuffed his shoe against the tile. Tony watched him, brow furrowed.
"Tony... I respect what your band is doing, more than you know. You're keeping the past alive, not allowing them to forget... Maybe that's why I've been killing myself running back and forth... Trying to take care of you and deal with my family all at once..."
Tony was shaken.
"But if... You should take some time to..."
"It's fine." He said impatiently. "I'll deal with it."
Tony sighed.
"You're the best producer we could have asked for. It means more than you know that you care about us. We notice everything you've done for us, and we're grateful. I promise."
Before she could move, he swiftly kissed her on the cheek. When he pulled back, the poised producer was blushing.
"Thank you... And I'm sorry that I'm not the producer you wanted."
Something in his voice cracked, and he looked away. They were far too close. His breathing was ragged, his hands on her hips. Tony looked up into his face. He was so much taller than Billie, so different. He smelt of cologne and studio and soap and a thousand other things that she couldn't name. She wanted to know what he tasted like, but she knew she could never let herself find out. And yet she couldn't seem to make herself move away.
Then his lips were on her's, rough and demanding, their bodies crushed together. It was barely a minute, but it was a minute full of panting and touching and heart-wrenching need. Tony moaned, pulling him close as he kissed his way down her neck.
Suddenly, both of them seemed to realize exactly where they were, and the knowledge horrified them. Barry's eyes were wide and sorrowful, and he vanished out the revolving doors, leaving Tony confused with nothing to do but troop back up to her room.
And try to pretend nothing had happened.
***
Tony reterned to the room to find an all-out brawl in full swing. Tom was standing on the table yelling at Robert, who screamed back as his face turned red. Mike, Billie, Tre and Jay were sitting on the couch with beers, watching the fight with amused smiles.
"What the hell is this? Wrestlemania?" Tony demanded, glaring at them.
"He won't do any Bob Dylan!" Tom yelled, pointed at Robert.
Robert flipped him off. Tony, although exasperated with her bandmates, was secretly thrilled with their arguing. It kept her from having to think about what had happened in the lobby.
"Look, everyone just sit down. We'll handle this like adults... Or reasonably mature seven-year-olds."
Robert and Tom both took seats at the table, glaring at each other. Tony rolled her eyes.
"Now. We have four available spots."
"Four?"
"I don't wanna play 'Too Late For Love'. It's a weak song, and I don't like it. The only reason it's even there is because the pair of you decided it was easy to play."
Neither of them argued. Tony sighed, and fiddled with Barry's notepad. He had listed several songs in the margins, with question marks and stars. Surprised, she read them.
-Slipped Away -> showcase Tony's vocals
-She -> Robert needs to show more flexibility. This song will force him to sing on a different level.
-When I Come Around -> Bass something Tom should play. Shows flexibility.
-Pour Some Sugar On Me -> raucous, fun. Great song. Suits their style. Could play off Tony and Robert's onstage chemistry.
"Shut up." Tony slapped the table. Robert and Tom stopped bickering and looked at her.
"What, Tony? You haven't said anything."
"I've got our songs."
***
An hour and one extremely expensive phone call to Blondie later, the songs were set.
1. We Will Rock You : Queen
2. Photograph : Def Leppard
3. King For A Day : Green Day
4. Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You : Led Zeppelin
5. When I Come Around : Green Day
6. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine : The Killers
7. Miss You In A Heartbeat : Def Leppard
8. Come As You Are : Nirvana
9. Pour Some Sugar On Me : Def Leppard
10. As Tears Go By : the Rolling Stones*
11. Ain't It Fun? : Guns N Roses
12. Tourniquet : Evanescence
13. Love Song : The Cure
14. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap : AC/DC
15. Slipped Away : Avril Lavigne
16. Every Rose Has Its Thorns : Poison
17. Walk This Way : Aerosmith
18. She : Green Day
19. Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
"Are you guys sure about this?" Barry was avoiding Tony's eyes. Robert nodded.
"It's everything we want."
"Alright then. Into the studio."
"Studio?"
"Yep. And get ready for one hell of a time. You guys'll be living on top of each other until this album is finished."
"What about Robert and Tony? Don't they have to perform for the two old guys?" Tre asked. Tony kicked him.
"What'd I say?" He asked, rubbing his shin. Barry ignored him, rustling his papers.
"The Stones are actually touring right now. They'll be coming in about three weeks. Aerosmith, for convenience, will be coming on the same day."
Robert turned slightly green. Barry smiled at him.
"Don't worry. Once you've done it, you'll have a fucking fantastic story to tell."
"What if I throw up on them?"
"Rob, let me say this : It wouldn't be the first time they'd been thrown up on."
Barry vanished out the door, whistling. Tony sighed.
"Living on top of each other, huh?"
"How is that any different from the apartment in Vegas?" Tom sighed.
"Easy. Back there, we had some sort of freedom."
Robert's grim statement was soon forgotten in the wake of the following celebration. But Tony thought about it, later that night in her room.
And she wished she knew if they'd just signed away everything that they'd loved about making music.