Audiogeekzine.com inspired me to echo his post about Before The Music Dies, one of the greatest documentary reflections on the current state of the music industry. It reveals some of the dirt that goes on behind the scenes that the general public may not realize. The clip below illustrates how the industry can “create” a pop star from someone who has NO MUSICAL TALENT! The Eryikah Badu quotes are priceless, but not necessarily safe for work.
The other movie is a documentary tribute to one of the most amazing recording engineers ever to have walked the planet; Tom Dowd. Not only was he one of the atomic scientists that worked on the Manhattan Project, but he pioneered stereo recording and built one of the first eight-track recording consoles. The synoposis of Tom Dowd and the Language of music reads:
A long-time engineer and producer for Atlantic Record, Tom Dowd was responsible for some of the most important R&B, rock, and jazz records ever made. In his own words, Tom Dowd relates how he went from working on the Manhattan Project, while still high school age, to recording some of the greatest music ever made over the last half of the 20th Century.
This guy produced some of the greatest recordings of all time and I learned so much from just watching him interact with the musicians. His discography reads like the Who’s Who of 20th Century Popular Music. It reminds me just how important it is to get the right team behind the musicians. Tom was the best. He passed away on Oct. 27th, 2002. He was one of the most important pioneers of our industry and we owe a huge debt of gratitude for showing us how recording should be done.
Youtube clip follows the break…
Tom Dowd Documentary Trailer (sorry, I can’t get the movie to embed…)
http://www.thelanguageofmusic.com/flv/td_flv_pop.htm
5 Comments
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March 3rd, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I used to always read the liner notes. I had no idea what a producer or engineer did. Tom Dowd, I kept seeing that name. Aretha, Ray Charles,
Trane, Cream, Layla-Tom Dowd, I figured “this guy must know something,
he must have some special knowledge”.
You can learn technique, mic placement etc.etc….
You hit the nail on the head man; “I learned so much from just watching him interact with the musicians”.
That’s the special knowledge.
You can have the gear, the room-it doesn’t work without the human factor, does it?
Tom Dowd had the gift-he created the “atmosphere” in which the music happened.
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
You’re right; –Tom was more than a brilliant engineer, he had a special empathy for the performer and the coaching skills that brought out the very best in all his clients. I meet all these kids that graduate from music business programs and they’ve mastered all the plug-ins and hardware, but not the level of musicianship or people skills that it takes to be another Tom Dowd. I’d like to think there are still a few out there like him, though…
Thanks for the comment!
-j
March 4th, 2008 at 1:27 am
I have to agree with everything you say there, Dr. J.
It’s an interesting juxtaposition between the two movies you have cited. The things that I most identify with Dowd are, a true desire for and a relentless pursuit of quality. “Before The Music Dies” evidently (I have only seen the trailer) reveals that so much of what goes on is the exact opposite of that aesthetic.
The old man used to tell me; “Talent will out”. I tend to believe that when the dust settles that quality will out as well.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful words.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Thanks for pointing out the Tom Dowd doc. I’ll definitely be checking that one out.
B4MD I’m not so sure about. Doesn’t everyone already know that pop music is entirely manufactured already? What really got me riled up was the suggestion that it’s not ‘real music’ if the person singing the song didn’t write it. Does she really think Billie Holiday singing Strange Fruit isn’t ‘honest and believable’?
BTW, thanks for the post you did on GuitarFlame. Some really interesting tips.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Thanks for your comment;
I see your point; within the context of the whole film, I didn’t even notice that suggestion about performers vs. songwriters. It’s not the message I got from watching the whole movie, though. That single clip doesn’t do BFMD justice; it’s about all the threats to the health of the music industry (Clear Channel’s monopoly, the greed of the 4 major labels, etc) and the rise of the independent artist.
From the synopsis:
“Never have so few companies controlled so much of the music played on the radio and for sale at retail stores. At the same time, there are more bands and more ways to discover their music than ever. Music seems to have split in two - the homogenous corporate product that is spoonfed to consumers and the diverse independent music that finds devoted fans online and at clubs across the country.”
“BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES will renew your passion for great music, and inspire you to play an active part in its future.”
Again, thanks for your comment!
-J