Hats Off

I am a fan and student of records. The recording process has always fascinated me. When I was a kid, I used to read all of the liner notes when I would listen to an album. I wanted to know who the bass player was. I wanted to know who mixed it. I wanted to know geographically where it was recorded. I would listen to just the right speaker, then replay listening to the left side to hear how things were panned. I still like to spend time just listening, intensely to a great record.

You can take a great song and make a crappy record. Some great records were technically poorly recorded. Guitars can be out of tune, the drummer a little off, but still something grabs you, transcends.

The Beach Boys “Pet Sounds” is one that I have studied a lot. I think in a lot of ways it was a turning point for rock and roll. I think Brian Wilson was consciously and honestly trying to make art. I think he did. He was approaching his work with the attitude of a serious composer. Musically and lyrically “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is one of those things that is just on its own level. I can feel the air on that record. I have always heard that Brian Wilson was heavily influenced by records that Phil Spector was making at the time.

The rock legend is that The Beatles heard an advance copy and it changed there outlook.Their musical answer to “Pet Sounds” was “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band”. That’s another great record. These guys were thinking big, sound as cinema. George Martin could understand thinking big. He could thing big and had the wherewithal to act on it.

Both of these albums are like symphonies to me. Both used the studio like an instrument. By that I am not only talking about the ability to multi-track different parts. When you record things like strings and horns you use the actual room as an instrument. The type of mike used and where it is placed affects the mood of the entire recording. How you use the room is the ambiance of a record.

A few years ago, I co-produced the first Bill Dees c.d. “Saturday Night At The Movies”. It is a collection of songs that Bill wrote with and for Roy Orbison. My first task on the project was to immerse myself in this music. It was the first time I had really picked apart these Roy Orbison records. I was listening to “It’s Over” and something dawned on me. I had always heard the Phil Spector to “Pet Sounds” to “Sgt. Pepper” idea, I realized that “It’s Over” was the missing link in that chain. It is a remarkable record. I have randomly picked lyrical phrases out of a hat and every time said, “I wish I could have thought of that”. The chord structure is unlike any other song. The melody is superb. Roy Orbison tears his heart out in front of you. The strings paint pictures and add drama. Fred Foster is a guy that knows how to work a room. That’s using the studio as an instrument.

Later this year the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will be putting on a week long Master Series event in tribute to Roy Orbison. Fred Foster, Joe Melson and my good friend Bill Dees will be there. They will be doing An Evening with Bill Dees. It is nice to see all these guys being recognized for their contribution to this rich musical legacy. I heard a rumor that the most recorded bass player on earth, Bob Moore, may be there. Hats off from a life-long record geek guys.

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Tags: It's Over, Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper