Are We Still Rolling?: Studios, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll - One Man's Journey Recording Classic Albums

by Phill Brown

With never-before-published photos and stories on legendary rock stars, Phill Brown describes the ups and downs of a professional recording studio. “In the form of a diary, he takes us through the crazy journey that is making music. His excellent recollections of the excesses of morons and geniuses involved in creating melodies and rhythms for us to enjoy are sheer entertainment.” – Musician Robert Palmer (from his foreword for the book).

From the author's first glimpse of a magical recording studio in the mid-1960s up through a busy career that continues to the present day, this rollicking story can only be told by those that were there. As the young tape operator on sessions for The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Joe Cocker at the famed Olympic Sound Studios in London, Phill learned the ropes from experienced engineers and producers such as Glyn Johns and Eddie Kramer. Phill soon worked his way up engineering sessions for Mott the Hoople, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley and many other lendary rockers. He eventually became a freelance engineer/producer and worked with Roxy Music, Go West, Talk Talk, and Robert Plant.

But more than a recollection of participating in some of the most treasured music of the past 40 years, this is a man's journey through life as Phill struggles to balance his home and family with a job where drug abuse, chaos, rampant egos, greed, lies and the increasingly invasive record business take their toll. It's also a cautionary tale, where long workdays and what once seemed like harmless indulgences become health risks, yet eventually offer a time to reflect back on.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

368 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2010

Reviews

[Oiseaux Invisibles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk Talk sections are amazing

[Ethan Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read for people who spend a lot of time in recording studios or want to find out a few anecdotes and tales from behind the closed-door sessions of some of the most legendary recordings of the last 55 years. Phil Brown worked with Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Robert Palmer, Bob Marley, Nilsson, John Martyn and the list goes on and on. "Are we still rolling?" mostly reads like a day planner with personal anecdotes to each entry and gives a general sense of the events, a taste of the experiences of the sessions in recalled snippets of conversation, vibe, vice, battles and triumphs in a conversational/ journal-like tone. Brown does get across the feeling that the studio experience for an engineer (especially as a lifelong career) is a dark and complex lifestyle filled with endless hours of high level focus and brain numbing concentration on endless repetition in which there is no acceptable margin of error. And that is before you bring in the egos, the artist in-fighting, the managers, the A&R, the drugs and the label bosses. He conveys the sense that very often for all those directly involved in making a great record the process can easily become an obsession instead of a construction and the process and completion of "good artistic work" can create black holes in the psyche of those involved. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the long chapters about the singular and beautiful Talk Talk albums "Spirit of Eden" and "Laughing Stock" which Phil engineered and produced. He spends more time in the book on these two sessions than any other work (and he also spent more time literally working on these albums than anything else in his career) and his pride and pain of these two great works rings the loudest and they are indeed great chapters. For Talk Talk fans that have always wondered in what simple and beautiful way those two albums must have come into the world these chapters are a dark revelation that make Steely Dan's legendary obsession with perfection and detail seem easy going and haphazard in comparison. “Are We Still Rolling?” is a great book for the studio coffee table, the dashboard of the van on tour or anyone with a tape op subscription.

[Mixter Mank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having worked with The Rolling Stones, Steve Winwood, Bob Marley, Robert Palmer, Roxy Music, Talk Talk, and Dido, this is Phill Brown's fascinating account of a life lived in the recording studio. Though there is a fair share of technical jargon (much of which I personally appreciated), Brown focuses on the emotional and the narrative, ultimately telling us the story of a changing music industry and the artists who struggle to work within its design. I was absolutely dismayed by the amount of drugs consumed, as well the strain that a career in the music industry placed on the domestic life of a sound engineer. I highly recommend this book to any serious music fan who wants a better understanding of studio culture.

[Matthew Lederman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best chapters were about when he was recording Talk Talk's last two records. Very insightful. Only recommended if you have an interest in the process of music recording.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For fans of Mark Hollis and Talk Talk's final albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, this book is like a sacred text.

[Paul R · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you aren't involved with the music/recording industry or are not an "audiophile" this will be grueling for you slog through. Mr. Brown is the real deal! He's been there and done all that including a boatload of drugs. His recollection and nuance is fabulous. As a "Yank" some of the situations are difficult to imagine but the ego's, personalities, jerks and divas transcend culture and geography.
I trained as a recording engineer in the 70's but never made a living at it, and after reading this I'm glad it didn't work out. The erratic lifestyle, drugs, booze, sleepless days/weeks, drugs, ass hole musicians, ass hole "producers", drugs.....did I mention drugs? I (or my liver) never would have lasted as long as he did.
Cheers, Phill....you made it/did it!

[Ryan T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many I bought this book for the Talk Talk sections. But I found it very interesting as I too worked as an engineer for some time, and at one point was convinced that it was my ideal career path.

I like following the various rabbit holes of bands, producers, and musicians name checked in this booked. Being born in '91, I only recognize a small handful.

This book goes light on the technical jargon (Neumann U87!) and heavy on the drugs (cocaine!)

If you, like me, love learning how albums are made, this book will be an interesting read. Even if you - also like me - only read the Talk Talk sections and wait 10 years to read the rest of the book.

[Howard Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Talk Talk fan I was attracted to this book as Phill was engineer on their last two albums. It’s presented as kind of a diary of 40 years in the studio.. famous acts and not. Each chapter is roughly a different act and I admit to skimming the lesser knowns. There’s a bit much description of studio set ups also.
Our rock stars are not always the best people, not particularly easy to work with. Brown takes us through all these relationships, and it seems amazing that he made it as long as he did. Even more amazing that his marriage survived..never home, lots of drugs, income never assured.
In the end he survived but it never seemed like much fun.

[Clive Ettritch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly interesting book. If you like the world of music stretching from the late 60s to more recent times this book is an excellent window to look through and see how it was. Phill is an accomplished engineer who has worked with a lot of the greats and tells it straight. Ive read few biographies of the famous that have given me the same sort of feeling, that I've read what really went on. Fabulous.

[James Doughty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit technical but if you're into that sort of thing

You'll enjoy this book. Phill Brown takes you inside the recording of several albums, some million sellers, some that didn't break even. But every story is interesting, and some are fascinating. The fact that the author is the younger brother of the producer who helmed several Rush albums is a mere footnote.... and rightfully so, because Phill's journey is a roller coaster in its own right.

[Rosanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great look into the shift of sound engineering and production from late 60s to early noughties. Not a book for people looking for rock n roll anecdotes but definitely worth a read for audiophiles or anyone interested in studio recording.

[Mark Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

[alan byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

A great read from start to finish, didn't want it to end, cos I'm greedy I guess. Thanks Phill, loved reading about some of my favourite musicians and bands.

[Alexander Hebbe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phil is a living legend and the way he tells his stories is well reflected in this book. A recommended read for anyone interested in the technical side of music history

[Steve Klemz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look the recording studio over the decades. Not too much tech stuff. Pretty honest.

[MR N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful memoir from probably the greatest musical engineer of all time.

[Nithin · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.7)

[Zach Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Talk Talk chapters are amazing - love the insight into the process.

[Andy N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depends on the artists in question if you liked them will, I feel will interest you

Loved the talk talk related music. Learnt a lot from that.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book does what it says on the tin - it relates an expert engineer/producer's journey through a seminal period of music-making history. Phill is a down to earth normal guy who worked his way up from the bottom in a very difficult career and kept his artistic and moral compass intact throughout.

if you're at all interested in the process of recording, from a doing-it or reading-about-it perspective, read this book. it's not an expose, it's not sensationalised, it doesn't really have a story, as such, but it's an invaluable document, and for that it should be treasured.

Phill, it would be a pleasure to meet you.

[Anna Hintsyak · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to learn more about recording sessions with Talk talk, Roxy music, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, The Rolling stones, and many more, read this book. Its a guide back to 60-70-80s to learn how some great albums were done, showing insight view of these sessions from the sound engineer Phill Brown. Its a lot of hard work, and its a lot of fun, and a lot of drugs of course. Definitely interesting reads.

[Michael D · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Rock n' Roll from behind the mixing desk. Brown's hugely impressive career has seen him work on some of the finest albums of the last 30 years and he is amazingly able to remember most of it and which microphones he used in the process. The best music related book I have read this year.

[Anton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good interesting mix of mic placement ideas, recording lore, creative process, drug tales, and gossip. Enough to make you never want to get signed. Great info on Talk Talk.

[Whitson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insight into recording studio life and the habits therein. Enough titivating tales of debauchery to satisfy. I'm surprised that so much got past the lawyers.