Really enjoying this book by producer Johns. Interesting quote on being asked to produce the A.B.B. first album. " I went to see the Allman Brothers in rehearsal and felt that they were not ready to make an album yet. it was early days for them. they clearly had potential but were still a little rough around the edges. For some reason they had decided to use two drummers in the band. this is not an easy thing to pull off and they were still figuring out how to play with each other. this made the rhythm section quite stiff and unsettled which is why I passed"
That aside, a cracking read by a guy who's pretty much done it all.
I'll definitely pick this one up and read it.
Not to knock Glyn Johns ... or even George Martin - but I am reminded of the Tom Dowd documentary. Tom visited Abbey Road Studios during the Beatles days - found they were still recording in stereo - while he'd been recording in 16 - 48 (forget the exact number) tracks for some time. Maybe Johns just wasn't technically up to speed at the time to record a band as big as the ABB? (throw minced tarts and blood pudding at me 😉 )
But, yeah - Glyn Johns is one of the all-time industry greats! Worked with many (if not most) of the greats! I'm sure his book is an amazing read.
Couple months ago I sat front row for a Q/A at a bookstore in Brooklyn with Glyn and Band of Horses singer/main songwriter Ben Bridwell. Very cool stuff...Glyn and Ben have a very good relationship and Glyn was quite funny with lots one liners, one of them being "the eagles have never been a fucking rock and roll band". Few other choice lines from him did not hide the fact that he does not like the eagles, specifically Henley and Frey.
[Edited on 1/12/2015 by suk0]
I can see where a veteran soundman in 1969 might say that hearing a rehearsal.... the self titled first album came out fairly well, and no doubt to Duane's veteran studio sessionman experience..... I can hear the feeling out playing with each other in the early tapes..... sometimes they were spot on, others not near the caliber of by Fillmore time..... by Idlewild you can start to hear the meshing of players and the jelling of the whole. It is substantially the better of the two albums professionally, despite the first album spawning legendary show classic songs.... by Fillmore it was all cylinders firing perfectly...
Johns also tells an interesting tale about Dylan wanting to do a collaborative album with The Beatles and The Stones, Keith and George being up for it but McCartney and Jagger flat out refusing......I'll stop with the spoilers now.
It is among my stack of books to read. Guess it may be next.
The part about the ABB is likely bang on and explains why only one drummer plays on many of the songs from the first two albums. Studio and live are two different beasts.
This is definetly on my list along with another new one..Live at the Filmore East and West..Oh thanks Rusty for mentioning that GREAT documentary about Tom Dowd..those of you who haven"t seen it...go buy it right now..(from Hitting the Note of course!)..he had the most amazing life..I will leave it at that!
This is definetly on my list along with another new one..Live at the Filmore East and West..Oh thanks Rusty for mentioning that GREAT documentary about Tom Dowd..those of you who haven"t seen it...go buy it right now..(from Hitting the Note of course!)..he had the most amazing life..I will leave it at that!
So I recently got this out of the library and enjoyed it very much. One huge head-scratcher,
however - he says he saw a Delaney & Bonnie concert at Carnegie Hall in NYC with George
Harrison and Duane Allman sitting in. What?! That's the first I ever heard about that...........
