Friday, September 21, 2012
Geoff Emerick
As I
studied the revolver sessions more closely the name Geoff Emerick continued to
surface so, I decided to learn more about this awesome sound engineer and his
major contributions to The Beatles and their sound. George Martin is given much
deserved credit for the production of The Beatles however many of the actual
innovations were initiated by Geoff Emerick such as: the tape loops, backwards
recording, and micing techniques all used on the Revolver album. I feel that
his input may have been much more instrumental than I first believed.
Geoff
Emerick was given the job of assistant engineer at EMI at the early age of 15
and was on hand when the Beatles first recorded “Love Me Do”. At age 19, he was
promoted to head engineer and charged with recording The Beatles Revolver album. Though he was considered
inexperienced, that was not seen as a handicap but rather a strength as he did
not have many preconceived notions about how a record or recording should be
done and was therefore able to think outside the box and make the recordings
happen (Ankeny, J.). This album was filled with innovative recording techniques
and groundbreaking changes. When John Lennon told George Martin that he wanted
to sound like the Dali Lama on a mountain, it was Emerick that actually came up
with the idea of sending John’s vocal through a Leslie rotating speaker and
designing a way to make it happen (Geoff Emerick Biography). Another of his
innovations was the way the drums were miced. He used a sweater stuffed into
the bass drum, brought the mic in closer to the drum, and ran the sound through
a series of compressors and valve limiters, creating a unique drum sound and
became the first to compress the drums (Howard, D. 2004). Compression is still
used in todays drum mixes and is now a standard treatment for drum mixes.
As an industry professional, I believe that Geoff Emerick’s
willingness to experiment and seek out unorthodox answers and methods to
achieve the desired sound, make him a true role model for anyone desiring to
record or engineer sound. The fact that he achieved these things at such a
young age is impressive and shows that age should not be the primary gauge as
to your ability or talent. His innovations live on today with tape loops, compression
and micing techniques. As a listener, I can truly appreciate his sonic
creations with bands like The Beatles, Elvis Costello, and Robin Trower.
In my
career in music, I will incorporate the willingness to think outside the box in
my studio approach with both recording techniques and production in general. If
I can approach a project with an open mind and allow the ideas to dictate the
methods I will also achieve a greater recording. In the next five years, I hope
to record and produce my own music, to promote my song writing and even produce
other new bands and help them achieve their sound. I will try to follow in the
footsteps of engineers like Geoff Emerick and producers such as George Martin
and Brian Wilson. I hope that over the next five years, I will be able to
finish assembling my own studio and create the marketing to promote material
for both others and myself.
Peer Comment 3
Greetings Bobby Twilley,
I found your post
about Kraftwerk most interesting. I have not had much experience with
electronic music and found your use of arpeggiators and synths exciting. I am a
guitarist and had not used synths until I started classes here at Full Sail
University. I too find it useful to study the innovators in a particular style
to learn how that style works and therefore become more proficient in that
style. I truly enjoyed listening to Autobahn, as this class is the first time
that I have heard this album or group. I also found their use of drum machines
interesting and could easily hear their influence of other bands like DEVO or
The Cars. I look forward to hearing more of your work and listening to your use
of drum machines and synths.
All The Best
Andy
Peer Comment 2
Shannon,
Your blog on The
Beatles Revolver was well written and
insightful. I was so focused on George Martin that I missed some of the major contributions
that Geoff Emerick made to the recording. Your post inspired me to go back and
check some of the innovations attributed to Geoff Emerick and it was truly
astonishing. We take so much for granted in today's recording environment such
as the compression and digital delays that these engineers had to develop. It
has certainly been worthwhile taking a second or even a third look at these
important albums. I have always liked The Beatles as well, but also did not realize
some of the advancements and innovations until we began our studies here at
Full Sail. I look forward to hearing what your newfound insights yield in your
own recordings.
All The Best
Andy
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Brian Eno
Brian Eno
was an important innovator in electronic music. He developed ambient music
using nature sounds and is a self-described non-musician that uses a deck of
instructional, tarot-like cards called Oblique
Strategies to determine his creative pathways (AllMusic, 2012).
In 1975
Brian Eno had an accident, he slipped on a wet sidewalk and was struck by a
taxi breaking both his legs and striking his head on a car. While convalescing
he was listening to some harp music and the volume was too low. He was unable
to adjust the level and rain began. As he slipped in and out of sleep he
discovered the idea for ambient music using nature sounds. He recorded a ten
volume series of experimental works of ambient music on his own label Obscure.
His styles
include everything from Ambient to Avant-Garde to Experimental Electronic
Music. He has worked with many artists and composers such as John Cale, LaMonte
Young, Robert Fripp, and David Bowie to mention a few. While recording with
Robert Fripp, he developed a tape delay system dubbed “Frippertronics” for
Robert’s guitar, which eventually led to sampling for hip-hop and electronica.
He has impacted many bands with the most commercially successful of the 80’s
being U2 on albums such as Joshua Tree
and Achtung Baby.
He has
ventured into other realms of media with his vertical format video and an art
installation for a Shinto Shrine in Japan. He also published a diary and audio
screen savers for home computer software (2012, Brian Eno).
Brian Eno
is one of the most interesting composers that I have studied to date. His work
with ambient music inspired me and it has been interesting to learn of his
forays into other forms of art. His Oblique
Strategies ideas intrigue me and excite me in that they are another way to
get outside the box in you production or composing work.
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is a German band of four musicians though two are
the main composers and producers. Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider were the
driving force behind Kraftwerk and produced all the material. Kraftwerk’s music
was experimental and electronic in nature while their image was that of a Pre-World
War II socialist group drawing their looks and album covers from the art style
of that period from the lettering of the album covers to the short hair and
suits that they wore.
From 1974
through 1981, Kraftwerk recorded and released an album per year and their
albums were built around a concept such as driving on the autobahn or being
robots (2012, Kraftwerk and the Electronic Revolution). The entire album flowed
with songs driving the theme in a story order. They used many electronic
innovations like drum machines and synthesizers sparking other bands to follow
their lead, such as DEVO or The Cars. Most of their lyrical themes were
minimalistic and somewhat monotone, and performed in multiple languages such as
English and German in the same song.
As a listener, Kraftwerk intrigues me with the
concepts that they covered. I had never heard “Autobahn” before this class and
found it to be quite good. I could easily hear the influence that they had on
other bands like DEVO and The Cars, though their music may not have been as
commercial, it certainly was instrumental in later band’s sounds. As an
industry professional I completely enjoyed listening to their work. I am not
usually excited by most electronic music, however I found this to be enjoyable
and easy to listen to. The concepts behind the albums led to some very
interesting ideas musically and led to developments in electronic usage with
drum machines and synthesizers. Kling Klang studios were certainly large and
allowed them the space to expand on their ideas and inventions. As it stated in
the documentary, the rest of the electronic subculture and bands eventually
caught up with Kraftwerk though they were ahead of the curve for a good run (2012,
Kraftwerk).
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Peer Comment 1
Hello Jason, this is a wonderful post and I totally agree
that The Beach Boy’s Pet Sounds is an
awesome album. I believe that Brian Wilson’s sense of harmony and perfect pitch
gave the Beach Boys in general, an excellent and unique sound and Pet Sounds specifically a vibrant and
new feel. It has been said that the line between genius and madness is narrow
and I believe that this is true of Brian Wilson. Part of his manic recording
style and push for more innovative sound show his genius while his mental anxiety
and excessive drug use point toward madness. The brilliant arrangement of the
vocal harmonies and unusual instrumentation really sets this album as one of
the top albums ever. I look forward to reading more of your posts and hearing
more of your work as well.
Best Wishes
Andrew Wallace
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Marvin Gaye's What's Going On
Prior to Marvin Gay’s recording of What’s Going On, his image and sound were that of a sex symbol and
crooner for Motown Records. Marvin had a smooth voice and created a sexy image
on his previous hits.
Marvin
Gaye’s brother had been in the Viet Nam war and came home telling Marvin of the
horrors he had experienced (Edmonds, B., December 8, 2001). The political and
social unrest precipitated by the Viet Nam war and returning soldiers in the
United States, and those conversations, influenced the lyrics of What’s Going On. The album had many
protest songs and spoke out against the violence that was in the streets at the
time.
Marvin’s
quest to record What’s Going On met
with great resistance from Berry Gordy at Motown Records because it went
completely against the tried and true formula that Gordy used on all Motown
releases. When Berry Gordy heard the finished album, he said, “The worst thing
I’ve ever heard in my life” and refused to release the album (Edmonds). Marvin
said that he would not record anything else for Gordy until the album was
released so he shifted gears and spent his time training with the Detroit Lions
football team, while he waited on Gordy to release the album. Marvin finally
won, and the album was released selling over 100,000 copies in the first day
(Edmonds). Berry Gordy had a different opinion of the record after that.
Prior to this album, Motown records did not
have any protest songs. Most records were about love or relationships and did
not delve into social commentary. This album provided the first protest songs
at Motown. This album also used a Latin beat with congas and other Latin
percussion which went against the Motown sound of driving beats.
As a listener, I find Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On to be a very nice departure from the formula of
Motown. While I am not always interested in songs of social commentary, this
album, with its Latin percussion and smooth vocal, is easy on the ears while
providing a glimpse into the social situation of the time. As an industry
professional, I am impressed with the tenacity Marvin had to get this album
recorded and released and shows me that if I believe in a sound, regardless of
the current formula, I should pursue it. I am also impressed with the Latin
percussion and would love to work with that sound myself.
The Velvet Underground And Nico
The Velvet Underground was a group from the mid 1960’s,
dedicated to producing music that was designed to annoy people with atonal
sound and taboo lyrics. It was the precursor to Punk Rock that followed in the
1980’s. The image projected was a mixture of angst and uncaring, combined with
the drug culture and pop art of Andy Warhol. Their music was experimental and
sometimes atonal in nature with odd instrumentation, like a modified electric
viola.
The group
consisted of John Cale, Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, and Nico,
a German model and singer. Andy Warhol brought Nico into the band when he began
to produce and involve them in his Exploding
Plastic Inevitable multi-media happenings. The Velvet Underground did not
readily accept Nico and so the name of their album was The Velvet Underground and Nico to show that she was not truly an
accepted part of the group (Howard, 2004). Her vocals lend a doomy quality to
the songs of the group (Howard).
Lou Reed
wrote songs with intense lyrics, which covered taboo subjects like drug use and
abuse, transvestites, and anything that he thought would shock the audience. According
to USA Today (December 6, 1995), as a teenager, Lou Reed was subjected to
electroconvulsive theory in an attempt to cure his Homosexual tendency and
alarming mood swings. I am sure that this had a lasting impression on Reed and
may have contributed to his taste in taboo lyrics.
John Cale
was a virtuoso musician that studied classical music in England and came to the
United States to study modern music in Massachusetts on a Leonard Bernstein
Scholarship (Howard). This did not work out well so Cale moved to New York and
worked briefly with John Cage (Howard). After working with Cage, he then worked
with La Monte Young and began playing the electric viola. Many of the
compositions that they performed contained heavy drones and this influence
carried over into his association with Lou Reed.
The Velvet Underground and Nico album
had several characteristics that have caused it to gain a cult-like following,
though as with many experimental records did not achieve commercial success due
to the extreme nature of the lyrics and the harshness of the sound. The lyrics
cover a range of taboo subjects, which were intended to shock the listener, and
the production was done with minimalism in mind. The mix sounds raw and
un-polished and many times, even sounds out of tune. Several of the songs have
the electric viola droning in the background and at other times playing crazy solos
or orchestration over top. The songs that Nico sings are sparse and gloomy
sounding.
As an
industry professional, I understand the experimental nature of the album and
the sound of The Velvet Underground. Their expression of taboo subjects and
minimalistic approach certainly leads directly to the harsh punk rock and even
Goth metal sounds of today. However as a listener, I find the subject matter
questionable and the atonal nature of the sound objectionable. I experienced
this period of music first hand and, as a listener, was not much impressed.
This was not a style that I enjoyed or spent much time analyzing. As I have
grown in the music industry, I can appreciate the talent and the intent of the
artists but still do not necessarily enjoy this music.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
The Beatles Revolver
Prior to the recording of Revolver, The Beatles were considered a
good natured, mop-topped, rock and roll band that sang songs about love in one
form or another (Howard, 2004). Some of their early songs were remakes of folk
tunes that they played in the marathon gigs in Hamburg, Germany. They would
play sets for up to eight hours long and would do almost anything to keep the
audience’s attention (Brown & Gains, 1983). These long sets and constant
playing solidified the group into a very tight band.
The Beatles were already using pot
and began experimenting with LSD when they were writing the songs for Revolver, and this drug usage had a
great influence on the lyrics for many of the songs (Howard). They were
attempting to record songs that would capture the mind-expanding hallucinations
that they were experiencing.
In the studio, George Martin and
his team created innovative recording techniques from very vague ideas such as
“… sounding like the Dali Lama on a mountain” which resulted in recording
John’s vocal through a rotating Leslie speaker on “Tomorrow Never Knows”
(Howard). Other innovations included using compression on the drums and sound
effects from backward loops done by The Beatles on their home recording
machines (Howard). Many of the techniques pioneered on this album were the “… precursors
to forthcoming sound-enhancing devices such as phasers, flangers, and
harmonizers” (Howard).
As a
listener, the song lyrics and musicianship are ethereal and transport you to
another place. I feel that they did capture the mind expansion they were after.
The Beatles are another group that I have covered many of their songs including
songs from this album but I had never heard the album in a complete setting. I
have even covered their cover of “Twist and Shout”. The Beatles’ songs are
another favorite of oldies groups and car shows. As a professional, I feel that
we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the recording genius of George Martin and
his team at Abby Road for his use of orchestration and innovative recording techniques
that have led the way to today’s modern recordings.
The Beach Boys Pet Sounds
Prior to the recording of Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys had focused
on fun in the sun, surf, and car themed music. They had the surfer boys,
California, optimistic image that helped to perpetuate the Southern California
sound and so called “California Myth” that swept across America in the sixties
(Howard, 2004). Their music from the early to mid sixties is still heavily
requested at everything from car shows to oldies dances. It still provides a
fun, party atmosphere anytime it is performed.
Brian Wilson was main architect,
songwriter and producer for the Beach Boys. In the beginning he performed and
toured with the group but after he suffered a breakdown on a plane, he choose
to cease touring and stay in the studio writing, recording and producing the
Beach Boys music. His style was heavily influenced by the vocal harmonies of
the Four Freshmen and this influence is easily heard in the earlier Beach Boys
singing arrangements (Howard). After hearing the Beatles Rubber Soul, Brian (always a competitive guy) knew that the recording
bar had been raised and began work on the Beach Boys Pet Sounds. By the time Brian Wilson began work on Pet Sounds he had already been
introduced to pot and LSD and his own inner demons had begun to interfere in
his life (The Bob Edwards Show, 2009).
According to Howard’s Sonic Alchemy,
these distractions were noticeable in the more deliberate tempos and lush piano
and horn arrangements and more introspective lyrics of songs leading up to the Pet Sounds album.
Pet
Sounds was a departure from previous Beach Boys’ records in that they only provided
the vocals and made no other musical contributions (Howard). At first they were
unhappy with this arrangement, but once they began to hear what Brian was doing
they supported his decision to use session musicians. Pet Sounds was also a true song-cycle in that all the songs were
linked by a theme, the journey from adolescence to adulthood (Howard).
As a listener, this class marks the
first time that I have ever heard the Pet
Sounds album as a whole. I personally have heard and performed many Beach
Boys’ songs including some from Pet
Sounds but mostly the more commercial ones. I have always admired their
harmonies. As a professional, listening to the entire album I was struck by the
complex production and layering. Knowing a bit about tape splicing, I realize
how difficult the process was at the time and it only gives me a greater
appreciation for the talent and skill of Brian Wilson.
Welcome
Welcome everyone, my name is Andrew Wallace and I am the director of music and liturgy for St John Neumann Catholic Church. I am responsible for 4 Masses per weekend. I direct two contemporary choirs, sing tenor with a traditional choir, and play guitar or bass with both a praise band and a secular band. I am interested in all forms of music and have a focus on writing and arranging my own songs. I hope, after earning my BS in Music Production from Full Sail University, to write, record, and market my own songs. I have written a couple of jingles in the past and enjoyed it so I also hope to do more work of this nature.
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