BY MIKE METTLER — MARCH 28, 2016
“We were united for the best sound we could get, and that was it. That was what we were chasing.” Is Linda Ronstadt revealing her high-end hopes for Hasten Down the Wind? Actually, that’s her assessment of the main goal she had for the 15 songs that comprise […]
BY MIKE METTLER — FEBRUARY 3, 2016
The concept of being a true global artist didn’t really exist until the rise of Yanni, the visionary Greek keyboardist/composer who’s played his own unique brand of instrumental music for over 5 million concertgoers worldwide (and counting). Sometimes, you’ll find him and his top-tier “United Nations” orchestra playing for […]
BY MIKE METTLER — SEPTEMBER 25, 2015
Good things come to those who wait, as the saying goes. But when it comes to finally getting producer/engineer James Guthrie’s long-awaited 96kHz/24-bit mix of Roger Waters’ 1992 solo album Amused to Death in 5.1 on Blu-ray in hand, well… the word “good” isn’t quite good enough. “Great” is […]
BY MIKE METTLER — JUNE 25, 2015
Jac Holzman, the founder of Elektra Records, signed The Doors after seeing them play four consecutive nights as the Whisky a Go Go house band in Los Angeles in 1966. He went back on the second night out of deference to Arthur Lee of Love, a band that was already […]
BY MIKE METTLER — MARCH 25, 2015
To borrow a song title, things can only get better for Howard Jones. Known for such indelible synth-driven ’80s hits like “What Is Love?,” “No One Is to Blame,” “New Song,” and “Everlasting Love,” Jones has focused his efforts in recent years on his inherent talents as a […]
BY MIKE METTLER — MARCH 2, 2015
Al Kooper has been a mastermind behind the board of many a storied session over his half-century career (for artists such as Mike Bloomfield, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Tubes, to name but a few), but his prowess as a multichannel mixmaster has been largely […]
BY MIKE METTLER — JANUARY 14, 2015
“Once we had dipped our toe in the water, it set us on a course to have a much bigger, much more robust, and not-so-introspective sound.” Roland Orzabal is describing the veritable aural sea change he and his Tears for Fears creative partner and bandmate Curt Smith underwent […]
BY MIKE METTLER — NOVEMBER 26, 2014
“I personally like to be surrounded and ambushed by music. I want it to surprise me, and I want it to come from surprising places,” says Steve Hackett, echoing the sentiments of scores of audiophiles the world over. The progressive-minded guitarist has been enjoying accolades for the depth, compositional excellence, […]
BY MIKE METTLER — OCTOBER 22, 2014
“It’s a very common name. Back of $20 bills, that’s me.” Producer Andy Jackson is being typically self-effacing as he leans back in a chair across from me in front of the massive 48-track Neve 88R console that dominates the control room in the Astoria, the grand houseboat recording […]
BY MIKE METTLER — OCTOBER 10, 2014
“Souls, having touched, are forever entwined.” It’s a lyric penned by Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan in honor of his dear friend and late bandmate Jon Lord, the original keyboardist for Deep Purple who pioneered merging rock music with classical themes when he composed the material played jointly by […]
