I am beginning to wonder if this will be his final album. The time taken is perhaps due to him returning to the studio for guitar overdubs and the fact he indicated he used a new acoustic on 4 tracks maybe says something too. He even recalled the American contingent.
He's always made a point of saying "the right guitar for the right song", but now he's selling so many of his legacy guitars that if he's looking for that sound he won't find it. I genuinely don't think the signs are good.
dmg, I was quite astonished when I read your thoughts about this being the final album. I don't know since when, but for me it was pretty clear (for quite some time now) that it probably will be his last album. The way it comes to shape, almost six years now, to me it was pretty clear that this will be something big (maybe a double album?) to make it great as it would be the last one, and I was really astonished that you kept thinking it could NOT be his last one.
Funnily, the American contigent that you mention came in for the EP if I got it right, and also the talking about buying new guitars changed my mind a bit. The EP seems to be planned later or was not planned during the album recording. So my impression that this would be his last album, slowly fades. Guy (I know) mentioned also that Mark will go on writing songs, and maybe he has recognized that certain electric guitars or not playable for him anymore, maybe he changes to acoustic completely.
The way I think of MK is that he of course could keep in mind that it COULD be his last one. So he sure enough wil try to craft it the best he can, make it a milestone, another one.
LE