just to balance out the negative energy.

We've been lucky to have many best projects. And I don't take it for granted.

All of the WBGO projects run smooth because the producers, engineers and associates are wonderful to work with. Even under advise conditions, team work prevails. Sh*t can hit the fan, but they never buckle under pressure. Now that's the sh*t and why WBGO gigs are some of the best projects for us.

Doing the Nightline/Stringsteen recording at his home was also one of the best... Another very smooth operation. Springsteen's people were wonderful. The producers and crew were first rate. The shoot at his home went flawlessly on many levels.

The WBCN River Raves prove to be very challenging recordings, working with an insane amount of bands on a nonstop revolving stage with 96 inputs via two 48 channel active splitter systems, plus we sometimes record the second (Pit) stage with another 40 inputs or so. But it's still another best for us... We really got that system down.

Everything doesn't have to go perfectly for it to be a great gig. Coming up with solutions to the various situations that pop up is what's key here. Everyone can walk away a winner, if you spend the time to work it out. Unfortunetly, sometimes people think it's easier to fix the Blame then the Problem.

Did a blues album in 1995 called " No More Blue Mondays" for an indie artist named Landon Spradlin. Best time of my carrerr by far I think. Great material, great band, great friendships, amazing food ( south of England). oddly enough, it sounds amazing ( brilliant engineer .. I was seconding) even though it was recorded in four days, and mixed in 4 hours on a soundtrax desk with a fostex 24 track 1" deck.. the only outboard was a reel-to-reel for Delay and the cutting room for reverb. I was all of 21 years old, and go tto see how " it used to be done" for the first time... never will forget that record.

Producing the punky Simon & Garfunkle "Mrs. Robinson" cover that US band The Lemonheads did netted me zero cash but the following fringe benefits:

Gold record USA
Gold Record UK
Props / Kudos with bands I approach to work with up the Ying Yang.
A mainstream radio 'evergreen' or 'classic' (here in the UK)

Over all it has been damn handy or "the best" (to date).



That was from a career perspective. From an artistic one, I would say 'The Poison Boyfriend' album by Momus - out on Creation records UK. I put a production around a guy with an acoustic and a few weird keyboard sounds. It received great critical acclaim. It still knocks me out despite it having a cheapo sound. I it's my production 'masterwork' to date.

SkidRow's first album in 1988 (10.5 million sold by now). We had a great time during that project, which we did at Royal Recorders in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was in the middle of summer break and there was plenty of things to do during off time. Great lake with boat and jetski rentals and plenty of girls on summer break. The studio was (it's gone now) located in a hotel which was part of the ex-Playboy Resort. They had a stretched Rolls Royce limo for us to drive around in. The hotel was the only big hotel in the area and every weekend bands would play at a place near by, called Alpine Valley, and they would stay at "our" hotel after the gig. We saw AC/DC, Judas Priest, White Lion, Bon Jovi, DefLeppard and lots more. That also meant that all the fans followed those bands to the hotel after the gig and the guys in Skid Row just had to go out into the parking lot on a Saturday night and pick and choose. Lot's of great rock stories from that time (maybe I should write a book after all) tut

Royal Recorders was a great studio with tons of wonderful microphones (7 original C12, 3 original ELAM 251, 47s 67s etc etc.) and they had a big window with a view over the golf course right in the recording room. It was also attached to a big convention center, with a monsterously big room. When we arrived, they had 120 cars in that room for an auction. The next day we set up the drums in that room for recording, it was a blast. Most of the reverb on the drums on that record was actually the "listen mic" on the SSL, a 57 placed about 50 feet away from the drums in the convention center. We had to have a roadie sleep right next to the kit, so nothing got stolen over night.

Weird enough, I also did my least fav project there (no names on that one) it was in the early 90s and the hotel had been closed down because they found asbestos in the walls during a remodeling stage. The studio and about 5 hotel rooms were the only things alive on the whole complex, it was very spooky, the empty halls, no restaurants open, no people anywhere. The cool drum room was full with old furniture and junk, no power, unusable. Also, this time we were there at the beginning of winter, and none of the magic of the previous time was left. Lots of rain, blackouts, the studio wasn't really up to snuff anymore, and a few of the bandmembers where a major PITA, all in all a major disappointment. The record was (luckily) never released in USA (Japan only) and didn't do well there either. Goes with my theory: The athmosphere and feeling you have during the making of the record, is the feeling that ends up on the record, and people will feel it when listening.

Odd, how you can have two completely different experiences in the same place, just a few years apart.

Great story, Michael! I wonder what that place is like now? ?

I think a drummer friend worked up there one winter- at least, he was telling me about a room where you could look out at the snow, and they had snowmobiles available. And since my friend is a hockey player, he would go out on the lake to get away from the noise...

If it's the same place, it's a shame that it's no longer there - he absolutely loved it.

Lake Geneva is a great town.. My In-laws live about 30 min form there and keep a boat on the lake... I had no idea there was a studio at the "mansion" ( now the grand geneva resort) I have been there and always thought it would be a cool room to record in.. odd.

I'm really not sure, I hope it's the next one.

You have any ideas AJ?

do i have any ideas? often, but they never work out. i have given up trying to think anymore.

Heh! My point is that I'm so burned by the end of a project that musically/sonically I can't tell. As far as party favors go Splitfinger take the cake.

The best projects for me are when the band comes in and can actually PLAY their asses off, finishing ahead of schedule. I usually find myself packing up after said sessions thinking "what the hell was that all about?"

I also have to say that working with Michael can make a total bumout session fun, at least 'till the talent shows up!

Thanx Darian, it's true: Talent can spoil the whole day heh

Stevie Wonder's first self-produced stuff. His recording contract had expired and he was determined to make an album that would inspire the best terms for resigning in history. He proceeded to get exactly the contract he wanted.

We had recently gotten the 16 track machines which really made doing one part at a time effortless for the first time. Stevie must have had 20 songs he was in the middle of writing and it seemed like we were working on all of them at once. It was pure creative madness with a room full of people rooting for him.

I wish someone would lock him in a sudio with some drums, a piano, clavinet, bass etc and let him do what he does best. It's a shame that his posse doesn't let him do anything anymore. It's a sad world and if Stevie came back it wouldn't be so sad anymore.

Thanks Bob...

Stevie doesn't have a posse - he's got a weenie! Unless y'all know something I don't - I don't really want to know him THAT well.

Real instruments, yes. Let's not forget that Stevie was one of the pioneers od synthesized music/sound. I do wish he was locked in a room with only real instruments however...

probably not as annoyingly phasy as the Innervisions CD i have [and can barely listen to]... the cymbals sound like dog****. washy and non-descript.

A band I am workign with right now "The Ashes". I've been working with the lead singer for about 6 years now. Some of them have been frustrating, because he is an incredibly talented guy, and has been able to get any kind of deal yet. He's the most talented songwriter I've ever met. But he lacks in business sense.

But now he's workign with soem guys that are keeping him on the right track. They have a major showcase in New York next week. I'm really hoping that he get's a deal, becasue he is a great songwriter.

But I've already told him it doesn't rerally matter. Becasue wether he gets a deal or not, I'm still going to do a record with him.