[(The Producer as Composer: Shaping the Sounds of Popular Music )] [Author: Virgil Moorefield] [Apr-2010]

by Virgil Moorefield

The evolution of the record producer from organizer to auteur, from Phil Spector and George Martin to the rise of hip-hop and remixing. In the 1960s, rock and pop music recording questioned the convention that recordings should recreate the illusion of a concert hall setting. The Wall of Sound that Phil Spector built behind various artists and the intricate eclecticism of George Martin's recordings of the Beatles did not resemble live performances—in the Albert Hall or elsewhere—but instead created a new sonic world. The role of the record producer, writes Virgil Moorefield in The Producer as Composer , was evolving from that of organizer to auteur; band members became actors in what Frank Zappa called a "movie for your ears." In rock and pop, in the absence of a notated score, the recorded version of a song—created by the producer in collaboration with the musicians—became the definitive version. Moorefield, a musician and producer himself, traces this evolution with detailed discussions of works by producers and producer-musicians including Spector and Martin, Brian Eno, Bill Laswell, Trent Reznor, Quincy Jones, and the Chemical Brothers. Underlying the transformation, Moorefield writes, is technological new techniques—tape editing, overdubbing, compression—and, in the last ten years, inexpensive digital recording equipment that allows artists to become their own producers. What began when rock and pop producers reinvented themselves in the 1960s has continued; Moorefield describes the importance of disco, hip-hop, remixing, and other forms of electronic music production in shaping the sound of contemporary pop. He discusses the making of Pet Sounds and the production of tracks by Public Enemy with equal discernment, drawing on his own years of studio experience. Much has been written about rock and pop in the last 35 years, but hardly any of it deals with what is actually heard in a given pop song. The Producer as Composer tries to unravel the mystery of good why does it sound the way it does?

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

Unknown Binding

First published December 1, 2005

Reviews

[112358 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first two thirds are fine. He punctuates the history with close listening analysis of significant tracks. I discovered details in recordings I've listened to all my life that I hadn't heard before. These early sections, though clearly a survey and not an in-depth history, are well considered and very interesting.

The last third of the book falls into a very dated and white perspective. The section on hip hop in the eighties only mentions Rick Rubin, Beastie Boys, and Run DMC's collaboration with Aerosmith, but no black artists. The following section on hip hop production grapples with the idea of making music from samples, but with none of the attention to detail that's in the earlier parts of the book (the close listening analysis offers no insights). This is followed by a lengthy section on electronica with a discussion of how these white English artists refined the use of samples.

The narrative of black artists discovering a technique that is limited by their access to technology and then white artists refining it into proper production needs to go away. This is repeated in the section on remixing, which begins with a paragraph about King Tubby and Lee Perry and the invention of Dub, but shifts to American, mostly white, producers to fully refine the remix practice.

Not only is this perspective racist, it misses an enormous part of the story he has set out to tell. The evolution of the studio producer into composer and artist and performer is broader and more nuanced than the tidy narrative presented here.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard of Virgil Moorefield through his music. He had a CD out called 'Distractions On The Way To The King's Party' back in the early 2000s. A while back, I saw a reference to this book and I decided to give it a read. I'm glad I did.

The thesis of the book is that as recording technology has progressed, producers have become artists in a very literal sense. He walks through the history of recording and makes note of some greats along the way: Berry Gordy, Brian Eno, Bill Laswell, Trent Reznor, Quincy Jones, and the Chemical Brothers etc. The anecdotes and analysis are on target.

This is an incredibly well researched and well written book. If I have any complaint at all it is that he repeats his points a bit too often, but that is a minor nit.

The analysis sections of various tracks are wonderful, by the way. I had no idea how much intricacy many of those tracks contained in terms of production. Moorefield's ear as a musician, experience and knowledge of theory make the entire thing a very enjoyable read.

I only wish his analysis included some of the current performer/producers who have surfaced as one-man bands since the book's publication in 2005. They seem to the the culmination of the trend.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short history of the evolution of the role of music producer in popular music. The author takes a look at successful music producers and their evolving techniques since the 50's, and especially how new technologies have driven a shift in the role of producer in the studio, culminating in the current state of the art where the job of studio engineer, composer, producer, and performer are sometimes rolled all into one person. There are interesting case studies presented here of some well known songs, where the author breaks down the song structure, arrangement, and production techniques to illustrate the ways that music production has evolved. This isn't a book to learn how to produce music (although there is something to be gained from it in that respect), but it gives context for the different ways to approach music production that have arisen over the years as new technologies became available.

[allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really informative look at exactly what a producer does in the studio. Takes a brief tour through the history of rock music (the usual suspects: Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, George Martin, Frank Zappa, even Trent Reznor) and takes apart a key, representative track for each. Recommended for the geeks!

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short essay on what modern listeners knew intuitively for years: that recorded music for the last half-century has always been an elaborate sonic construction, not just a musical composition or performance per se.

More to come at konichiwa witches, http://home.earthlink.net/~cumulo-nim...

[George Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but underdone. Has little actual analysis of compositional thinking.

[alexhhhh · Rating 2 out of 5]

yikes

[Barefoot Danger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish there was more of a philosophical investigation into what it means for the producer to be a composer, but as it is, this is still a very good monograph.