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[breathe]

Alright dudes (and the occasional chick), I am BACK IN BLACK.  Fucking got my AA shit going on, off the sauce, ready to destroy this shit and makes some REAL fucking records.  This forum has taught me more than ANY other source of info other than perhaps my personal (and often very touching) e-mail correspondence with Fletcher.

I think the main question is, "is there a right way to make a record?".  Obviously, because of there being so many different styles of music, this cannot be the case.  But that being said, I think certain modes of thinking/logic can be agreed on as good.  I know most of the people on this forum understand how deceiving and false the philosophies are that are promoted by Guitar Center/Sweetwater.  And not even that.  There's an abundance of misinformation about "classic" gear.

I just want to make a brilliant record, and people like Fletcher (especially Fletcher) have lead this horse to water, without fail.  Everything I've bought because of advice from Fletcher has been awesome.

In other words, let's rock it.  And be sincere with each other while being sincere with ourselves.  I'll try to tone down my obsession with myself (it comes with being bipolar) if you let me ask questions.

Nicholas

[J.J. Blair]

We need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio film, and PSW.

[compasspnt]

Start with a brilliant song.

[breathe]

Why is "Back In Black" (the song) the best rock recording/performance I've ever heard?

Nicholas

[compasspnt]

breathe wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 02:22

Why is "Back In Black" (the song) the best rock recording/performance I've ever heard?

I take it all back.

In this case, the STUDIO must be the most important part...

[Tim Halligan]

breathe wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 15:22

Why is "Back In Black" (the song) the best rock recording/performance I've ever heard? Nicholas

Because you don't listen widely enough?



Cheers,
Tim

[meverylame]

J.J. Blair wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 01:55

We need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio film, and PSW.

Though in all seriousness congrats Nicholas thats a really brave move. Just take your time and be patient.

[jrmintz]

Four things make a great record:

1. the song

2. the song

3. the song

4. everything else

I'm not trying to be facetious - a mediocre recording of a great song can still be great record. Think of Springsteen's basement tapes. A great recording of a bad song is turd polishing, pure and simple. I'd say don't let yourself get distracted by gear until you're absolutely, totally, undeniably, 100% positive that your songs are as good as you can possibly make them. If you have the slightest doubt about a single word in the lyrics, fix it. You have to be brutally honest with yourself about that. There can't be any fat, any filler, any wasted time or space in the tune. Only then should you start thinking about how to record the songs. I don't know if anyone will agree with me, but I think doing great tracks is much, much easier than writing good songs.

Why is "Back In Black" (the song) the best rock recording/performance I've ever heard?

If the question isn't rhetorical, you should listen to it until you figure out the answer.

[compasspnt]

jrmintz wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 12:54

I don't know if anyone will agree with me, but I think doing great tracks is much, much easier than writing good songs.

I agree, except that perhaps you understate it.

[Spindrift]

Buying stuff is easy, sitting down and putting pencil-to-paper to write a shitty first draft of lyrics is a lot harder than clicking "Checkout".

I know this first hand  

For me, the songs are what it is about, and my engineering interests and gear lust are simply distractions that keep me from working on the hard stuff.

Sad, but in the quiet moments when I can sit and think, it's true.

PS-Engineering is also a strong point of mine. Of course, it feels good to be doing something you know.

[jrmintz]

compasspnt wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 13:28

jrmintz wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 12:54 I don't know if anyone will agree with me, but I think doing great tracks is much, much easier than writing good songs. I agree, except that perhaps you understate it.

If I had a nickel for every young artist I've told to forget about learning Pro Tools and learn to write songs...Unfortunately it's usually the kind of lesson learned while you're sitting across the desk from a record company guy who starts drumming his fingers and looking bored whenever you reach one of the things you knew you probably should have fixed. Only musicians don't seem to grasp the fact that everyone else in the world listens to the lyrics and couldn't give a flying monkey's butt about the track.

[jetbase]

2. A brilliant song needs a brilliant delivery.

[J.J. Blair]

Keep coming back ... in black.

[trock]

1) great songs - tweaked by a great producer

2) great band to play the hell out of them

3) great studio next to the beach!

4) great producer who knew how to get where everyone needed to go

5) great gear - used really well by the great producer and great engineer

6) great timing - just what the music world needed, when it needed it

= great album