I mean, I am trying not to judge these young adults, for much of my life I have looked up to them as music-makers and charismatic personalities, but man, you would not want to have to work the way they worked on this particular project. So much wasted time. So pointless. So many hours not getting to the work at hand. Lots of laziness; a stoned and passive & aggressive manner. Yes, some of it was endearing, funny, and you wonder if anarchy and madness really was part of their creative process. But finally exhausting, disappointing, disillusioning.
I have spent much of life in rooms with creative folks, mainly actors and musicians, working on projects, both theatrical and musical. The results have always been a bit marginal and sketchy, but the process has usually been magnificent.
I have had some massive car-crash, dysfunctional situations and I have learned you want to weed out the assholes, those folks who come in with another agenda. Our method: leave your ego at the door, roll up your sleeves, listen, pay attention, be totally there and give it up to the group, and the work.
I am not comparing the work. The end result. The work has to speak for itself, it will find it's place in the world or not. But to me the creative process, the working process in the studio, the rehearsal room, the theater space is sort of SACRED! The process itself is the thing. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. I do believe in the good work, the creative process, it is everything.
As David Briggs, Neil Young's great record Producer and Collaborator would always tell Neil: "Be Great or Be Gone." Get in the studio and do the work.
So, yeah, this is all personal. I have always loved the Beatles, Lennon, and the Fab Four's magnificent catalog of music. I have to believe that earlier in the careers they were more focused, and more efficient, more dedicated to the work. No doubt they were all immensely talented. Finally you can't argue with the results. The finest Pop/Rock music imaginable.
Maybe there was a method to the madness, but this doc really makes it look like the madness pretty much ruled. The great George Martin just seemed to look on wistfully, hoping the boys would come to their senses. And of course, they did get back to work to record "Abbey Road" (1969) in a, one hopes and assumes, more disciplined fashion. George Martin was back producing and obviously he had a big hand steering that project in a more productive, less chaotic manner.
Yesterday I turned to another of my musical heroes. I listened to Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited," (1965) and "Blonde on Blonde" (1966). On headphones the high-fidelity SACD editions. I did it as an active, sonic antidote to my Beatles disillusioning. Dylan recorded "Highway 61 Revisited" in four days. He got in a studio in New York and created a fucking masterpiece record with a group of total professionals including Michael Bloomfield and Al Kooper. They just got down to the work. The bulk of "Blonde on Blonde" was recorded in Nashville with Al Kooper, Robby Robertson, and the cream of the Nashville studio cats in 7 days.
Now that's inspiring. I don't mean to lionize Dylan, he is just another flawed human being and of course, also a genius, and I'm sure he is a handful to work with, but, you know, he and Neil Young have proved over and again that the creative work can materialize in an instant. Really. Be great. Or Be Gone. Do the fucking work.
What about a bit of discipline, dropping the ego, being humble to the song, taking pride in the work, giving yourself up to the music, the moment. What about transcendence?
I must believe. Get Back Sessions be damned!
