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I'm not sure that I ever make a record that didn't start this way. I work a lot with songwriters/performers who are pretty sophisticated in the studio and am often in the position of melding new live tracks to programmed stuff. I'm working on a record right now that is probably three months from being done but four years of growing. Really.
It's a funny process, but it can yield a lot. Making a record more than once, in different settings, with different people, teaches you more about the song each time you go through it. Sometimes you really have to explore a song to get it all the way to where it needs to go, and production can be a great place to do that.
And what's funny is that you often end up with less rather than more. It can sound incredibly dense, but this comes from exploring parts and finding what really fills up the song. For a while you have nine thousand pounds of crap, but then it starts to shake out and the cream rises and you end up with really rich but elegant production.
Now, I know all the diy ethos says no, and that this can be overthinking, bitch, bitch, blah, blah. And for many records this is true. I don't think Back in Black would be served by such a process. But this is not true for all records. Listen to the U2 or Radiohead b-sides and you don't even recognize them. These are songs that have never lived the full life and exploration that the ones finally going to album have. FWIW, sometimes time actually is your friend. Learning to balance when to give time and when to take away the crayons is the art to foster.
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