Brendan O'Brien Interview: The Unsung Hero Of Rock Music 

You just cracked open a vault that interviewers have been working at for decades. Congrats Rick!

Dropped everything to watch this interview. Mr. O'Brien produced literally every record I loved in the '00s. Thank you Rick for highlighting an incredible creator!

I was the engineer at Southern Tracks and worked w Bud on those records from 1995-2001. Definitely a great experience and the best environment possible to learn how to make records. I can offer a few additional technical bits. Room mics when I started were Lawson 47 and we soon after got a pair of Coles 4038’s. Drops Of Jupiter piano was a C-24 into a Focusrite ISA pre followed by an 1178. I wired the Y cables for toms. The split side was wired pin 3 hot. The output of the 57 was a bit lower than the 421 which provided the right balance between the two. We used the stereo SSL channel comps for drum sub sometimes. Fatso was used a lot too.

30 years ago in 1994....in just one year Brendan O'Brien was either producer engineer and/or mixer for 4 landmark albums that year Soundgarden - Superunknown / Pearl Jam - Vitalogy / Stone Temple Pilots - Purple / King's X - Dogman ...what a legacy.. Thank you Rick for one of your finest interviews.

The fact that Mr O'Brien gave an interview this long just proves how respected Mr Beato is as a music individual. And of course, Great interview!

You have more than arrived getting Brendan. It's your clout with all that you've done on this channel that is DRAWING the greats to you Rick. Well done, sir!

44:04 - Red Hot Chilli Peppers 01:24:24 - Pearl Jam 02:10:00 - Rage Against the Machine 02:25:50 - Korn 02:39:00 - Soundgarden

Brendan O'Brien always seemed so enigmatic because of how little we heard or saw from him, but it turns he's the most down to earth guy in the world. Great interview

Didn't know that about the Black Crowes solo. That's always been one of my favorite solos. Just about perfect.

Wow, I had absolutely no idea he played the solo on Hard to Handle.

Dogman deserves so much more recognition. Thank you so much for not skipping it

In 2005/6ish, my band "The Sudden Rays" recorded at Southern Tracks with Karl Egsieker. After studying under Brendan for years, Karl was about to leave for CA to make his way as a producer. As a parting gift to Karl, Brendan and Mike Clark (former beloved owner of Southern Tracks) allowed Karl to record a band of his choosing which happened to be us. We were recording our record at the same time that Bruce and The E Street Band were recording Magic. We "snuck" in to STs between their sessions. And, as an extra bonus, Brendan even played keys on two of the tracks. Unassuming, professional, kind, and committed are the words that come to mind when I think of my very brief time with Brendan at Southern Tracks. Sadly, shortly after the session, the band disbanded as the guitar player/ lead vocalist left town for a "real" job. But, that time in my life was magic and meeting Brendan was a highlight of my musical life. As it would happen, I am now playing bass in a project that Darren Dodd, the drummer of Rick's band, "Billionaire", is recording drums with. And, Darren, as it turns out, and I both used to play drums in the band, Dropsonic. Small world. Though, sadly, I've never met Rick throughout my musical endeavors. When he is ready to do a video on obscure Atlanta musicians that no one has heard of, I am ready! ;-)

Brendan was the producer, engineer, mixer on many of the albums that became the soundtrack of my teen years. Thank you Rick for another amazing interview. Safeguarding music history with every new interview.

Cool! I saw a 12-year-old Brendan play a gig at a backyard party for a church youth group in Dekalb County in about 1974. Great to hear all this.

Behind every successful man, a lot of times is a woman that inspires him and understands the family goals. Sounds like Mrs. O’Brien deserves as much credit for the success. It’s awesome to hear about how supportive she is.

Brendan is an absolute legend! He also produced "Crack the Skye" from Mastodon. This album is a masterpiece!

Since age 12, I've read this guy's name on the back of CDs I bought. Pearl Jam, STP, Soundgarden, RATM... I never even had a face with the name. Brendan is so brilliant and prolific, yet so anonymous. Fantastic interview! Thank you for this, Rick - such a treat!

I remember when I came home and put Evil Empire of RATM on my dad's stereo for the first time. The moment the drums of 'people of the sun' kicked in, blew my mind. It sounded so natural like I was standing next to the band in the rehearsal room. No one has accomplished that feeling. Massive respect. I salute you, Brendan O' Brian 🫡

Rick - I wanted to drop you a line to say how much I appreciate the VERY IMPORTANT and VALUABLE contribution that you are making to our culture. I grew up loving music, studied recording engineering and was fortunate enough to find myself working in a major NYC recording studio in the 2000s. It felt like I got into that world right at the end of an era, but was so fortunate to experience working with great gear, tape machines, engineers, producers and artists. So much of the art and science of this stuff is passed down as an oral tradition, as you know. I felt almost despondent that it was being lost forever as most first class commercial recording studios were being wiped off the face of the earth, and music was getting worse and worse. I don’t think there’s anyone who is doing more to preserve all of this important knowledge than you. It is truly GOLD. I’m filled with gratitude for that. Please keep up the GREAT work. Zack

Thank you Mr. O’Brien for agreeing to sit for this conversation. As someone who grew up on the music he had a hand in creating, this was such a joy to watch. Having questions posed by someone as knowledgeable and experienced as Rick, clearly contributed to this. Thank you both!

For a guy that doesn't do any interviews, he's a super interesting person who talks well and has some amazing stories. It's actually criminal he doesn't share more tbh.

I have never seen a picture, let alone a video of O'Brien. He's one of those guys that you wonder if they exist or if they are just a legend. Im stoked for this

Good guys get the gig. Not one bad word about any person Brendan worked with or for. He maybe doesn't like interviews but he's a natural: engaging, honest, self-effacing and introspective.

Thank you Rick and Brendan for this. My 51 year old self absolutely loved it and my 20 year old self from 1993 sends his regards as he wakes up after passing out listening to conversations about some of his favorite records of all time were made!!

The more I think about it, the more it becomes clear that Brendan is one of the most important strangers in my life. Getting all those bands to make all those recordings sound the way they do - I’m incredibly grateful for his expertise and work.

I've said this before. That RU-vid plaque is not cutting it anymore, Rick deserves a Grammy or a spot in the Rock and Roll HoF. 🏆

Rick, three hours with this Hero aren't enough. Please make another one. Thank you so much. I'm 45 and this guy has made all my CD collection.❤

This guy is so cool, normal and expert. I will also add: super professional and no BS. He reminds me of Rick! These guys could be great friends and the interview shows it. Very warm and open. Thank you again, Rick. You’ve become the preeminent interviewer of musicians and producers in the world and we’re all richer for it. Thank you again!

Finally the Holy Grail of interviews! One of my favourite records Brendan worked on is Mirror Ball by Neil Young and Pearl Jam as backup band. Great pure rock.

I’m so glad you brought Dogman into the conversation. By doing so, you gave King’s X a little more of the credit and recognition that they deserve. But this whole interview made me realize that Brendan produced like 90-95% of the records that I loved in the 90’s. Which is amazing. So kudos to you Rick. You hit the jackpot with this interview. Congrats.

I remember noticing Brendan's name on the back of some of my favourite albums in the early 90s. I always loved the sound: crunchy, raw, guitars. Not over produced or a ton of reverb. Real timeless rock albums. After a while I ended up seeking out albums he produced, almost like a stamp of quality.

Much gratitude & Congratulations. Also, a huge thank you to Mr. O’Brien for doing the interview & for his openness. On my 2nd watch. I’m 56 and listening to my favs with a new ear/focus.

Finally!!! You're fucking crushing it with the interviews the last couple years Rick, keep it up!

This stuff is incredible, Rick. I've been following you for years now, but the level, the quality of the content you're creating is immeasurable. I knew Brendan clearly, as a sound engineer, being an audio journalist myself. But listening to the stories, the details, without delving too much into "technical" details, but with such relaxed tones, stories of studio studies, production choices behind mixes, reverbs, guitar racks, they're priceless capsules of music culture. I expect a series, a movie, a content put on support that will remain for future generations. You're doing quality work, which I, like most of us followers, believe is unfindable online. It comes naturally to you, and to me as a viewer, it feels like I'm in the room with you chatting. Thank you.

What Brendan & Eddie did to fix Better Man, and this story of how it happened (removing the drum/swell build at the very first chorus as how it was played live in 1994 before it was released), is a game changer. Same with how he minimized but still kept all of DaveA’s drumming on Daughter (by putting a small kit in the auxiliary room)…. those are masterclass examples and strokes of genius that made those songs and Vs and Vitalogy the band’s best-ever-studio-work. What an amazing interview… speaks to Rick’s expertise in music and as an interviewer.

Fantastic, Rick! I've been wanting to hear Brendan interviewed for 30 years. He's been a huge influence on my style of recording and mixing. It was so cool to see how humble and down to earth he is. And thank you, Brendan, for agreeing to this interview with Rick and for being so generous with your time and insights.

"Brendan O'Brien is undoubtedly the greatest rock producer of all time. He has managed to create perfect sounds on every record he's worked on, a true deity. In my childhood, I would see his name on every album whose sound I admired and would envy him. Now, with over 1000 credits in recording and mixing, I've learned many things just by listening to Brendan O'Brien's recordings, even though we've never met. Rick, you've conducted a perfect interview; I watched it breathlessly. Thank you for honoring such an important deity."

Wow! Andy Wallace next please!

I got to meet Brendan in Austin TX at SXSW. The bands on our little tour coming from Los Angeles were good bands. I was the sound guy on the tour. First time I ever did sound outside in a big space and It was great because there were no stupid resonance/feedback problems. Anything I wanted to do on the console, the program at the mix position would just react as expected... so, it was easy and fun. Brendan had The Band and myself at his table upstairs on the patio for the 57 Records party. Interesting experience to be at "The Table" where it seemed everyone was looking. Good party, good tour, good stories. Then back to Los Angeles to keep working in studios for me. My music life was cool and interesting and I had my time around some very good people including Mr O'Brien. (Briefly) Lovely Interview Rick. Thank You!!

One thing not totally conveyed in this amazing interview is just how unbelievably great a musician Brendan is. Ask any band or artist who had ever been in the room with him and they will tell you…he’s always the best musician in the room. Especially on guitar bass or keyboards but he also plays drums. He is just one of the musical dudes ever. His technical skills are huge but it’s his feel and tone and groove and ability to find the right part and melody that is truly extraordinary And he’s just the nicest dude which also explains so much of his success. Talent plus a great dude plus some good breaks and then his incredible work ethic. He’s just the greatest. Thanks so much for this talk, Rick. I know you appreciate his work so much and it shows in the questions.

*"Brendan O'Brien" produced* *some of the most influential* *& classic albums from the* *90's & beyond* 😎✌️👏 *Thank You* *"RICK BEATO"* *for this interview* 🙏❤

king's x is enough for me to mention. i love their sound.

Watching this interview has taken me weeks. Not because it isn’t completely fascinating but because of all the times I had to go listen to all the songs as they came. The work of this man is truly beyond. His dedication to perfect engineering without robbing the artist of their essence is something that is lost today. Today’s producers squeeze all the soul out. Brendan got that what he was working with was beautiful and he did all he could to make sure that beauty wasn’t lost in production. Just genius.

This is the greatest interview in the history of interviews. I'm 41 now and Brendan played an enormous role in helping to soundtrack my formative years. It's almost like finally seeing a mythical figure in human form. Thank you so much, Rick. This meant a lot.

King's X Dogman; Pete Droge and the Sinners; Dan Baird; Blackberry Smoke; the unsung heroes of Brendan's work. Just the best. Thanks Rick!

Man, I don't even know where to start. Brendan O'Brien is a hero for all of us who love 90s and 2000s rock, and Rick you are our hero for doing this! Also it needs to be said, you are great at interviews in the way that you let the other person speak. So many hosts constantly interrupt and it kind of spoils the interview. Much respect Rick, thank you for these videos, cheers!

Power Up is the best AC/DC album since Back in Black. It took Mr O'Brien three tries to get them there but he did it. I wish he would write about about his experiences with Angus, Brian and the team going into the studio to record Black Ice (their longest ever album), Rock Or Bust (their shortest ever album) and, of course, Power Up (one of their very best). Thanks for your hard work Brendan, we can only guess the technical, musical and instrumental skills as well as commercial instincts and conversational talents that this remarkable man is blessed with. Godspeed!

That was PHENOMENAL. He’s definitely my “recording hero”. Every single mix or album he ever did I loved. Music doesn’t sound like that anymore. Dry, punchy, unabashed drums, bass and guitars with stellar vox right out front. Everything these days is drowned in reverb. Not to mention mixed on a MacBook. Would love to sit and watch him work for a few hours in my life. This may be the closest I’ll ever get.

Upon Albini's passing I could not help but reflect upon "where is Brendan O'Brien" because he 'owned' me back in the day (every LP that moved me I checked the fine print and he was there). THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INTERVIEW !!!!!!

I worshipped this man in the 90's. If I flipped an album over and read his name I bought it!

Love how Mr. O'Brien always gives credit to the musicians for the tones and sounds.

The producer/engineer of the anthems of my teenage years... I really appreciate this interview Rick. I'm so glad Brendan agreed to talk with you.

Fantastic. The Midas touch in the studio. I’ve said it before Rick; it’s high time you brought in king’s X for an interview- you have the influence and pull to introduce them to a new generation- they deserve it

Thanks so much for getting King's X in there. Such an underrated band.

I couldn't even believe this when I opened RU-vid today. I've been waiting for you to have this absolute legend since the Sting interview. I have only known what Mr O'Brien has worked on from the myriad stories and interviews of others, but through his musical output I always felt like I knew a bit about what he would be like as a person. 3 hours of pure gold, and feeling like I was listening to an old friend, having never heard his voice before. A jewel in your crown Mr Beato!

Yes, please bring him back!

Industry folk know all these amazing “behind the scenes” guys and rightly admire them. What makes this channel amazing is giving these cats the wider admiration from average folk that they deserve! Bravo!!

Rick, this is unbelievable. You're a legend for bringing this to us. Thank you! (and thanks Brendan!)

Rick… thanks for the interview! Brendon… wow… also appreciate you participating in the interview. Seriously, this was amazing to hear the backstories and tech info. Keep rocking!!!

What a "normal" guy, and I mean that as a compliment. He remembers nearly everyone and gives them their dues for their part in his success. Fascinating insight into the practices, politics, technology and characters of a past time, which will never be seen again.

Watch in parts? Seriously? I can’t quit watching it. This guy is a LEGEND! Georgia boy too, makes us proud! Great job as always Mr Rick.

I'm early in, but this should be in a National Archive of some description. What Rick does for music hasn't, to my mind, ever been done. A musician's musician. Everyone sits and little tense and then you just see them melt when Rick immediately gets their 'obscure' references and evolves them. If you ever want to know what a teacher should do, this is it: see the magic, explore the magic, explain the music and share!!!!

Goodness what a conversation! I listened to this in shifts, because i didn't want to miss a second of detail. This is a pure gold mine of 90's music stories, production details, little tricks, and appreciation of pure passion of craft. This is one of the most informative music interviews/discussions i have ever heard. The albums/bands he has recorded are among my absolute lifelong favorites

I HATE LONG INTERVIEWS. I started listening to this fantastic interview, and 3 hours later, I was blown away. Time flew, and I got lost in the moment. It is a first for me. My brother, this is your best interview yet. I stand corrected. You have moved far past the interviewer stage. Although you have always been a great interviewer because you do your homework, really listen, ask great questions, and know your S#&%. Like a true musician/artist you know when to interject, and when to be silent. Because you are an awesome storyteller, you bring out the best in great storytellers like your guest. It didn't feel like an interview but a simple conversation over coffee. Thanks for letting me be a fly on the wall for a minute. I know you have probably been told this, but you are capturing history. Well done!

I watched this over two days. Yesterday about 45 minutes, and today the rest of it. I drive/I do deliveries for work, so this is a great way to listen to someone like Mr. O’Brien while I’m out working. Just a tremendous interview, the tidbits, the funny stories, the intricacies of his work.what a career!

I'm not a musician or an engineer or anything like that, but hearing all the anecdotes from the industry and the bits about the bands' and stars' personalities is awesome. Totally worth my 3 hours of time, which is not something I can say about most videos that long.

To complete this arc, you really need to get Nick Didia to explain the engineering side of these iconic songs

Thank you for this! Brendan O’Brien was the first non band member name I noticed on all the records I grew up loving in the 90’s. Seeing his name on so many great albums is what made me realize there was someone behind the boards doing something special. I’ve been pursuing that “special thing” for two and a half decades now.

Not many interviewers could have pulled this off. You know how to listen, because you're genuinely interested in what he has to say, rather than trying to steer the conversation towards gotchas for headlines. That's the difference between "media" interviews with musicians, conducted by journos, and the discussions between musicians that we get from your channel.

Brendan is my biggest inspiration in music. It's so rare I didnt even know what he looks like. This is legendary. Thank you Rick and Brendan. I'm from Rochester, grew up on the same street as brann in mastodon all these albums like verses, evil empire and so many more, this is full circle, Audio is my life. 🫶🏽 I hope I can meet both of you someday.

I'm 1hr and 12mins in, but like so many of your interview, the time flew past effortlessly. The rest tomorrow. I feel bad that I never knew the name of the person who helped to create, produce and engineer some of the most important music in my entire life. And like so many, it was music that shaped a lot of my world view through its influence on me over time. So thank you Rick for yet another amazing interview and thank you Mr O'Brien for, well, all the music.

I had a little stroke when RU-vid suggested this, cause there's almost no interviews out there of Brendan... my favorite producer by far. Such a huge inspiration as a producer myself. I'm grateful for this.

In the mid-80s, I played in a band in Atlanta. GA State University had a "music business" program for students who wanted to go into the music business. One year, they did a project where they selected local bands to provide songs for an LP. We were one of those bands. The album ("Off the Tracks") was engineered and produced by Brendan - he was just making the transition from local musician to respected producer, and it really sounds fantastic.

!This interview was so needed from a whole generation! How many people around the world read the name Brendan O'Brien in their CD booklets from all these amazing bands time and time again? This is definitely the interview of a heroe for all of us... From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU, RICK!!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Rick, thank you so much for this interview! Being an Atlanta native, hearing from Brendan, this was a walk through musical history. His footprint in music, especially through the 90’s can’t be denied. And I’m so happy you all talked about Korn. They are the reason I picked up guitar, and Issues is one of my favorite records. There’s so much more I would love to hear about the making of that Album from him. I’m glad you all touched on it though!

WOW!! I didn't know not only he produced/engineered/mixed all those artists, he also played many instruments on those albums!!

I loved this interview! Bravo! Such a blessing to witness Brendan O'Brian's easy going social manner, get an insight to his professionalism, hear his positive attitude toward everything & everyone; his general sincerity, plus his intelligent caution to detail... I feel he down plays his influence as a producer. It takes an experienced musical/instrumental- genius/virtuoso, to make the most of the great ideas & moments a band has, plus reorganising sections to create more effective song shapes. Also an emotionally-intelligent, assertive-wit to freely discuss ego-challenging changes; like culling the less mature, or daft ideas some artists cling to, while exploiting the good, and experimenting with sounds within reason. Like a QC filter of musical ideas, execution, experimentation and organisation. Sounded like he was an absolute master of the mixing console (among so many things), however his nonchalant 'Avoidance' of equipment details, channel paths, and his absolute mastery of the bottom-end was as frustrating as it was understandable. He dropped 1 morsel of a hint, a tiny clue as to how he always got such an incredibly fat kick sound. Thank You

Rick I can’t tell you how much I enjoy listening to you interview all the various people associated with the making of great music. It doesn’t even matter if I’ve never even heard of the person before. I find it all so interesting listening to all aspects of how the music is put together. I know by your expression that you also love to hear the what, when, and how these groups of people came together to bring such beauty to our ears. But you as interviewer have a knack for asking all the right kinds of questions that makes it all the more interesting. I just love it. And I can’t thank you enough.

This makes me like Brendan O'Brien so much more. I've seen his name on so many albums (especially Pearl Jam) but never knew what he was like. This was a pleasure to listen to. The story about how Pearl Jam's song "Better Man" was recorded was priceless.

For a person that doesn’t do many interviews, he’s an absolutely fabulous interview

Nobody wanted this interview to end. This music wasn't my thing, and I still learned a ton about recording. And working with people. And life.

Rick, a huge shoutout to you for making this interview happen - as well as the follow-up interview on Zoom! You've done a great service to rock music fans everywhere. It's just fun to listen to Brendan talk. And after all these years, it's impressive how well he remembers all the names and details. Loved every second of it. Thank you!

Wallace Reed sold me my first guitar! I still have it! He lived down the street from us when I was growing up. The store doesn’t exist but he’s still with us as far as I know. Rick should interview him.

Dude is the sound of the 90's!

This is one of the best interviews I've seen with any musician, producer or songwriter. Fascinating and shows the importance of the interviewer knowing the subject ahead of time. Two of the brightest and well-versed people in music discussing how magic happens.

I think it's your genuine, no nonssense, real appreciation and love for great music That can get someone like Brendon to say yes to being interviewed by you.... Your channel is a genuine boon to creativity music... Unto appreciating and understanding the history of modern Western music. Hats off to Rick! Thank you for everything you do!

It's great to finally get the man himself! His name always comes up in the credits of albums from bands I love.

Mind blowing!!! The Great Brendan O'Brien!! It is not an overstatement to say that this is the man responsible for the sound of the greatest records of the 90's. His taste , his preference shaped what we all collectively felt made a record sound awesome. Brilliant interview and one for the archives. This one is so important. Well done Rick.

This interview was absolutely stellar Rick! I can still remember when I was 14 yrs old back in 1994 and seeing Brendan’s name in the liner notes of so many of the albums I loved but never knowing who he actually was. Was great to see both of you talk about all these albums that Brendan has produced with such reverence. Bravo Rick and Brendan!

Thanks so much for this video/interview, Rick and Brendan. I've adored this man's work for decades now. So awesome to hear his stories. I know PJ was already massive when Brendan started working with them, but I still think Brendan was a big part of their long-term success. If every album sounded like Ten I think people would have got bored with the sound, no matter how great those songs were. Brendan captured the essences of the band so, as the band changed, the sound changed and Brendan made sure us fans got to hear the best these bands could do. I never get tired of listening to Brendan's PJ and STP albums, this guy found a way to catch lightning in a bottle, and he could do it every time.

Thank you for making us happy, Rick! Another quality video for sure. So excited to watch this ❤

I think he touched on why Kings X didn’t resonate with audiences….they were actually TOO good! I saw them live just this year and they were jawdroppingly incredible!

Brendan O'Brien has been my favourite producer of all time since well, forever. The man's work has inspired so many of my own productions and if there was ever a way I could express my gratitude to this person for it, I would do it in a heartbeat. He may not know it but, I owe him so much for his body of work. Thank you for this interview, Rick. Absolutely brilliant work!

Fantastic! Thanks Rick! Such history. Great guy. I had the pleasure of working with his engineer Nick Didia with Johnny Colt (Black Crowes) producing and experiencing some of the micing, mixing techniques that Brendan spoke of. Watching Nick put 4 mics on a large drum kit and have an instantly amazing sound was an eye opener! Also I recorded at Southern Tracks back in the day as well as on some of Brendan’s gear one time at a storage warehouse setup he had with another engineer Karl Egsieker. So great to hear some of that rich Atlanta musical history that I lived parallel to with these great artist that helped me navigate the 90’s musically. You the man Rick. Great interview.

So cool, Rick!! One of my favorite lesser-known works of his is “Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place” by Anberlin. Fantastic album from a fantastic band. He paired with their sound really well.

Congratulations Rick!! Your interviews/conversations are so appealing. Thanks for sharing this amazingly talented man with us. Rock on Rick!!

Oh wow man, that was an awesome interview, Rick! Could not imagine how Brendan feels reflecting on his career during the 90's. Listening to him talk about some of my most cherished favorites of the time Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden & Audioslave. I experienced goose bumps thinking abount and listening to those tracks and how they were engineered.

This is so amazing!!!! This is not long, most people like the 3 hr format!!! If they don’t, they might not be as interested. The few interviews you’ve don’t that go longer is such a delight. Dude you are the best thing running. That said, I really would have to think, more is merrier. I love what you have done for music,and RU-vid. We all need someone like you more than you know! You brighten up my day just as much as anyone I can remember. Gods honest truth. Thank you so much for all you do. Rick you are a national treasure. In times like these, we need people like you! I can’t remember being so exited for someone and what they bring to the table!

Awesome get! The wizard behind the sound of the 90s. While I'm thinking about it, last night I was RU-vid bingeing John Williams. You should try to catch him. He's 90something and won't be around forever..

Brendan seems very straight forward and practical in his recording approach. I don't think he thinks about things all too much, he goes by feel and uses his ear.