My Ambition Was To Be A Record

The Modern Recording Studio, With Its Well-trained Engineers, 24-track Machines And Shiny New Recording Consoles, Encourages The Artist To Get Involved With Sound. And There Have Always Been Artists Who Could Make The Equipment Serve Their Needs In A Highly Personal Way - I Would Single Out The Beatles, Phil Spector, The Beach Boys And Thom Bell.

On First Listening, Joni Mitchell's 'court And Spark,' The First Truly Great Pop Album Of 1974, Sounds Surprisingly Light; By The Third Or Fourth Listening, It Reveals Its Underlying Tensions.

The Early Bob Dylan Was Compulsively Drawn To The Conflict Between Stability And The Search For Immortality.

Often, Equipment Can As Easily Function As A Security Blanket For Musicians Unwilling Or Unable To Risk Anything Personal In The Studio. Whether One Catches The Feeling On A Record Is A Subjective Matter. How Can You Be Sure? The Machinery Can Hold Out The Promise Of At Least Mechanical Perfection.

When The Beatles Cut Old Rock N' Roll, They Were Recording Music Still In Their Performing Repertoire, And Besides, They Never Thought Of The Music As Old.