tom dowd & the language of music.
so, i just got done watching this incredible documentary about tom dowd, the awesomely talented & influential recording engineer and producer (he's worked with everyone from otis redding to aretha franklin to clapton to the allman brothers to coltrane to the coasters to ray charles and so on & he pretty much invented and perfected 8 track recording) and it has only strengthened my resolve to persue my whole "silly music pipedream".
this guy was a physics student at columbia that worked on the manhattan project and decided that music was what he loved and wanted to do for the rest of his life...i've been struggling with feeling like maybe i should be putting my brain to "better" use (not better in my opinion, but most others opinions i guess) and having to weigh the pros (doing what i love & what i'm actually good at) & cons (not being able to eat, pay my bills, or have an expendable income) of taking the leap and saying 'eff it' to a safe bet & steady income...but what it comes down to, and should matter, is that i'm happy, right? and music makes me happy.
anyway, the point of this post was not to pontificate on my current vocational situation and dilemma, but rather to recommend this awesome documentary. i don't want to give away too much, but there is one scene where mr. dowd is mixing "layla", 30 years after it was originally mixed, and he's isolating all the different parts and it is the freakin' awesomest thing i have ever heard - i mean, how often do you get to hear a song completely broken down & in it's simplest form? like, never. unless that's your job, i guess!
so yeah. i have to get back to my nervous breakdown now...don't mind me.
this guy was a physics student at columbia that worked on the manhattan project and decided that music was what he loved and wanted to do for the rest of his life...i've been struggling with feeling like maybe i should be putting my brain to "better" use (not better in my opinion, but most others opinions i guess) and having to weigh the pros (doing what i love & what i'm actually good at) & cons (not being able to eat, pay my bills, or have an expendable income) of taking the leap and saying 'eff it' to a safe bet & steady income...but what it comes down to, and should matter, is that i'm happy, right? and music makes me happy.
anyway, the point of this post was not to pontificate on my current vocational situation and dilemma, but rather to recommend this awesome documentary. i don't want to give away too much, but there is one scene where mr. dowd is mixing "layla", 30 years after it was originally mixed, and he's isolating all the different parts and it is the freakin' awesomest thing i have ever heard - i mean, how often do you get to hear a song completely broken down & in it's simplest form? like, never. unless that's your job, i guess!
so yeah. i have to get back to my nervous breakdown now...don't mind me.
posted by ali. at 11:26 PM
6 Comments:
why, why, why are you having a n.breakdown?? things are all good, dear! darius loves you.
That Tom Dowd documentary is terrific. It's amazing how frequently he can be spotted on my LP shelf -- Solomon Burke, the MJQ, Ornette Coleman.
Funny how the documentary doesn't mention Pablo Cruise at all, though. Or Black Oak Arkansas.
Nice blog, stranger... good luck with the music pipedream.
Who are these freakin' nay sayers?!
I think they belong on the bus!
10 points for use of the word: pontificate
what a great word! hah
p.s. we imprison ourselves. (not that i don't do this, too, i'm just sayin - don't forget it!)
ah! thanks for the 10 points. i like big words. they are fun. :)
and thanks for the sage advice...you rock.
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