Steve and the Wayback Machine

[indy mike]

Peabody here (Sherman, too) - So Steve, what if we slapped together a Wayback Machine and you could hop on and be the engineer on any sessions you'd like - what would you like to be at the controls for? I'd like to twiddle the knobs for Moby Grape's 1st lp - that thing sounds mighty weak in the mix department - cardboard drums, and I want L-O-U-D guitars - sheesh, there were some mighty talented Fender benders in that group.

[Steve Hoffman]

Basically, you are asking me what my favorite record is.

I'll just have to let you guess! ;)

[BradOlson]

It is most likely something by the Beatles, I'm guessing Revolver.

[indy mike]

Nah, I'm not gonna play pin the tail on your favorite lp - what are some lp's or songs that you would have liked to have called the shots on concerning the sonics (hmmm, the Sonics would be one of my picks!) - Fer instance, Jefferson Starship's Surrealistic Pillow gets brought up a lot, and it sure won't win any hi-fi prizes with it's buzzed off high end. Moby Grape is not my big fave group, but I sure wish the recording choices had been a little more on the pounding side of life - Terry Melcher kinda throb is what I'd rather have, compressed and everything... ;)

[Michael]

Steve's a Beatle Lover! Aren't we all?

[Steve Hoffman]

Binaural Mike,

NOW you're asking me what albums I think were recorded badly. Sigh. Well, we all know what they are.

I would love to have been a fly on the wall for any Beatles sessions though, or old Stones, Zep, Creedence, Elvis, Sinatra. Also Benny Goodman, King Oliver, Fritz Reiner, Johanna Martzy, heck the list is endless.

BUT, if I had to actually engineer any of those sessions, I wouldn't have had any fun. Too nervewracking. A Capitol engineer I once knew told me he would finish a Sinatra session dripping with sweat and shaking. Gulp. Better to be a fly on the wall....:rolleyes:

[indy mike]

Johanna Martzy??? :confused: OK, I'll bite - who the heck is this??? I thought I had the market cornered on non-tip o' the tongue singers (Joe Clay, Gene Maltais, Herbie Duncan...) Sinatra would be unnerving, and I suppose those Fabber Fave boys mighta been kinda hard with their experimental bent - what iffen I narrow it down to one session with an artist who hadn't hit their stride yet - boy, you make it tough to play this game! :D

[Patrick M]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
NOW you're asking me what albums I think were recorded badly. Sigh. Well, we all know what they are.

I would love to have been a fly on the wall for any Beatles sessions though, or old Stones, Zep, Creedence, Elvis, Sinatra. Also Benny Goodman, King Oliver, Fritz Reiner, Johanna Martzy, heck the list is endless.

Zep? Really? Why?

I thought Page was considered a wizard in the studio. What would you do differently? I'm intrigued.

[Holy Zoo]

Originally posted by Patrick M


Zep? Really? Why?

I thought Page was considered a wizard in the studio. What would you do differently? I'm intrigued.

Note that he said "fly on the wall" for Zep.

[Steve Hoffman]

Originally posted by Patrick M


Zep? Really? Why?

I thought Page was considered a wizard in the studio. What would you do differently? I'm intrigued.

Patrick,

I wouldn't do anything differently. I just said I wanted to be a fly on the wall watching music history being made. Ya see?

[Patrick M]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
I wouldn't do anything differently. I just said I wanted to be a fly on the wall watching music history being made. Ya see?

I see, but that's not how I read it. First para mentions albums "recorded badly," second lists bands, third says you wouldn't really want to engineer those sessions. Seemed to imply that the stuff in the middle was recorded badly.

Maybe this won't be nearly as thrilling for you, but you can go here to be a "fly on the wall" at the recording of the second Jelly Jam album. (Jelly Jam = Ty Tabor [King's X], Rod Morgenstein [Dixie Dregs, Winger], John Myung [Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment])

http://www.kingsxonline.com/ty/jellyjam2001.html

Upcoming (i.e., first) album samples here:

http://www.tytabor.net/discog.htm

Yes, this is a flagrant attempt to promote the band. :D