Laundered Money : A rocker and family man talks of cleaning up his act and releasing an album of acoustic songs.

“It was a great party. I was blind three days.”

--Fred Sanford

Eddie Money used to be the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll party animal. Unlike all those dead guys (many of whom still make records), Money has lived to tell about it. He moved away from the Bay Area, where he was apparently having too much fun, and relocated to Ventura County a few years ago. Now he’s married with children, but far happier than Al Bundy on his best day.

The singer’s party animal persona belies the fact that he once was a member of the New York Police Department. It makes you wonder why you’ve never met a cop half as much fun as Eddie Money, particularly those CHP officers who must’ve had their sense of humor surgically removed when hired.

Born Edward Joseph Mahoney just over 40 years ago in Brooklyn, and still with the accent and a love for the Dodgers to prove it, Money hit it big with his self-titled debut album in 1977. He’s got a wall-full of platinum albums since then, but his new one, “Unplug It In,” is different.

It’s an acoustic effort featuring Money doing seven new versions of his blue-collar rock favorites in his booming, rock-’n’-roll-perfect raspy voice. No caravan of buses on this tour, either--there’s a much smaller band, just one bus, and Money brings along his wife, Laurie, and the kids.

The kinder, gentler Eddie Money had this to say in a recent phone interview:

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What’s the story on these acoustic gigs?

I started doing this so I would be able to do all the old Eddie Money songs in concert. I do “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Trinidad” and even “You Really Got a Hold on Me” from the first album. This way, it’s all me, and it’s cool, you know? These shows aren’t big extravaganzas. It’s not a hair band and nobody wears spandex. Except for the holidays, the ticket prices are under 20 bucks. The economy is bad. I mean, it costs 65 bucks to see Eric Clapton.

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I understand you’re a local now despite an 818 area code.

My back yard’s in Ventura County and I’ve been in Westlake Village about three or four years now. I’ve got an 818 number because I’ve got an unlisted phone number.

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Haven’t lost your accent.

Hey, man, I’ve been in California since 1968. That pisses me off when people say that--I’m a Californian now.

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Anyway, you’ve lived in New York, the Bay Area and now Southern California; so who do you want to see in the World Series?

I like the Dodgers, man, always have. My father was an usher at Ebbets Field. Man, I saw Jackie Robinson play. And now I know the guy in charge of the visitor’s dugout at Dodger Stadium, so I get free tickets. It’s cool getting the red carpet treatment at games. It’s just like people’s view of what it’s like being a cop.

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What was it like being a police officer?

I was there when Mayor Lindsay was in there, and New York City was called “Fun City.” I ended up being an undercover typist. I got thrown out of shop class in school and ended up in an all-girl typing class, me and my guitarist. So at the police academy, they asked who could type and I raised my hand. I’d type from 8 until 4 so that way I could still keep my rock band. I finally quit the force because I couldn’t see myself with short hair for 20 years.

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You have short hair in the picture CBS sent out.

It’s long again. I cut my hair for the first time in a long time, but I’m too lazy to keep getting it cut.

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What is the rock ‘n’ roll attitude?

Don’t worry about it. If the music sounds good, don’t cater to fads.

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What’s the difference between the L. A. scene and the Bay Area scene?

We get around some in L. A. We don’t go to too many clubs, but if something big is happening like the MTV Music Awards, we’ll go to that. Sometimes we go to the Universal Amphitheatre. In the Bay Area, I was the man with no control.

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Now that you have kids, things have changed?

I’ve got four kids now, and how far can you stray with four kids? Maybe I better get the TV fixed.

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Do you see your old self in all your party dude fans?

Yeah, I do. I’ve learned one thing; youth never changes. It’s one big bumper-car ride with the sparks flying off the top.

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How did you get started in all this?

I started in junior high school doing a capella music. I was in a rock band before the Beatles. I was listening to Bob Dylan, then got into the Bohemian life style. I was into a lot of the San Francisco bands--Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, Quicksilver Messenger Service and also Paul Butterfield and Cream. When I listen to a lot of the old stuff--like Savoy Brown with Chris Youlden and Fleetwood Mac before they got the chicks-- it’s hard to get off on a lot of the new stuff. But I do kinda like Pearl Jam and Bryan Adams even though he’s a little too slick sometime, and I can appreciate INXS.

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How have you managed to stay on the same label for so long?

CBS is just a good label; they want me to make another record now. I’ve had the same management firm--Bill Graham-- for my entire career too. I want to retire with both of them; plus, I don’t like change. Right now, I feel lucky just to have a deal. Sales are down. Everybody’s broke.

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So what blows your mind the most about the music biz?

Every time you put out a single, it’s like studying for the SATs. You’re always worrying about what stations are going to add you. My reality is that bleeping Billboard Magazine. I love it when I’m not putting out anything; otherwise, every day is test day. It’s like parent-teacher day and you don’t have any “A” papers on the wall.

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What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

If you love your music, take it where it’s going to lead you because it has control over you, anyway.