Q Why are you releasing a greatest-hits set now?

A It wasn't my call, mate. Universal wanted to put it out because [unintelligible], so I said this is as good a time as any.

Q Did you pick the tunes?

A It's the [expletive] A-sides, mate. [Unintelligible.] It's what it says on the tin. Doesn't take a lot of thinking. Know what I mean?

Q You're playing a few Jam tunes on this tour. Why have you resisted doing that for so many years?

A It's taken quite a long time to get comfortable with them. [Unintelligible.] When I was crawling me way back, I didn't want to do all the [expletive] old stuff. [Unintelligible.] I didn't want to make it on what I used to do. Know what I mean? At the end of the day, I've come to look at those songs as [unintelligible]. They're all my children, I guess. [Laughs.]

Q Why aren't you playing more Jam songs on this tour?

A I was not gonna do a greatest-hits gig, mate. That's pretty [expletive] obvious to anyone.

Q You heard that the Police are reuniting? What about the Jam?

A No [expletive] way, mate. [Unintelligible.] It's disappointing, really, all these people getting back together. It's not gonna be the [expletive] same. What you do at the time is of the time, and that's where it should [expletive] stay.

Q Do you feel like you've been given your due in the US?

A [Unintelligible.] I think in relative terms, yeah, I get enough props here. [Unintelligible.]

Q You've been quoted as saying there are two types of music: good and rubbish. Who do you like?

A Quite a lot, really. The last few years have been really special.Over here, you have Dr. Dog, Midlake, Kings of Leon, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and in England, there's Dirty Pretty Things, Arctic Monkeys, the Kooks . . .

Q Some of those bands owe you . . .

Q Didn't the Queen recently want to recognize you in some way? What was all that about?

A [Unintelligible.] She offered to make me a Commander of the British Empire -- whatever the [expletive] that is -- and I politely declined.

Q Why?