Chronicling record producer Rick Rubin's meteoric rise in the music industry, this authoritative book posits that he has taken greater risks than any other producer of the past 25 years. Tracing his career from Def Jam Records—founded with Russell Simmons in a New York University dorm room—to his recent years as a top independent record executive, the book also goes behind the scenes to show how Rubin created hit albums with such diverse legends as the Beastie Boys, the Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash, LL Cool J, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Rage Against the Machine—as well as the great rock and metal supergroups, Audioslave, Linkin Park, and Metallica.
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"With his great beard, Rick Rubin looks as if he could be the lost member of ZZ Top. In reality, he's a music exec of historic proportions—he founded Def Jam Records—and one of the top producers of our times. The artists he's worked with range from Run-DMC to Johnny Cash. Brown, a Nashville-based music biographer, didn't speak with Rubin, but he did get stories from some of the musicians he produced, bringing readers into the studio for some of the last 25 years' most influential and best-loved albums." —New York Post
"Brown's writing style here is likewise breezy and easy to follow, particularly given all the studio details. For students of the recording process, I can't imagine coming across a better read than this one." —Blogcritics.org
"It's all here in the only biography available. The author has done an admirable job of assessing Rubin's career without muddying it up with too much sideline rah-rahing." —Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
"Appealing to musicians old and new, Rick Rubin: In the Studio is not only a great read, but also a great textbook for anyone interested in a career in music." —Abort Magazine
"A smooth read with enough musical jargon to satisfy the musician's curiosity while not overwhelming the folks just looking for a good biography." —Synthesis
"The story of a true auteur of the recording studio control room . . . an inspirational read for everyone interested in all that goes into the production of great records." —Music Connection
"Pure insight into a genius mind . . . If you are someone who followed the Chili Peppers, Cash, Audioslave, Petty, Metallica, Danzig, Slayer, The Cult, Weezer, the Chicks, Linkin Park, System of a Down or even Neil Diamond, here's a great place to glean great insight into their studio approaches." —Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online
About the Author
Jake Brown is the owner of Versailles Records and the author of 16 books, including Dr. Dre: In the Studio, Heart: In the Studio, and Suge Knight: The Rise, Fall and Rise of Death Row Records. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hagiography constructed from existing interviews,
By hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rick Rubin: In the Studio (Paperback)
Author Jake Brown seems to have synthesized this book almost entirely from other people's interviews with Rubin, his mentors and partners, and the broad range of musicians with whom he's worked. The only new interview Brown lists in his extensive bibliography is with Rubin's early protégé George Drakoulias. The bulk of the book is a series of quotes artfully selected and stitched together from newspapers, music magazines and websites. Brown's research is extensive, and organized into coherently themed chapters the material paints a broad-brush portrait of Rubin. But with only one original interview, Brown adds few new insights to the record.
Brown neither interviewed Rubin, nor actually watched him work, nor - other than Drakoulias - appears to have spoken with anyone who worked with Rubin. The quotes are all presented at face value, with no dissenting or contrasting opinions, and by sampling from other people's interviews, Brown robs himself of the opportunity to interact with the sources and ask specific follow-up questions. He cleverly synthesizes conversational back-and-forth between principals (e.g., Rubin and Johnny Cash) by weaving together quotes from multiple sources, but in the end it's a simulation rather than real-life interplay, and though a nice writing trick, it's not satisfying. The existing materials that Brown could find, or his own personal interests, color the depth and breadth of the book's coverage. Individual chapters on Public Enemy, Mick Jagger and the Dixie Chicks are short and shallow, while multiple chapters on the Red Hot Chili Peppers wander away from Rubin into fetishistic, over-long explorations of guitarist John Frusciante's equipment. There are a few obvious typos, such as the use of "peak" in place of "pique," and at least one ill-chosen presumption: the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster is mentioned without explaining why it would have made Rubin nervous - those who've never seen the film are left in the dark. Readers are left to synthesize the larger themes from Brown's reporting. Rubin emerges from the quotes as a transformative figure that brought rap to the mainstream, revitalized rock production, resuscitated moribund and damaged musical careers, and pried mature artists from their ruts. The diligence of his pre-production, particularly his focus on selecting and preparing material, is shown to free musicians to be emotional performers in the studio rather than technical craftsmen. Rubin himself is only rarely glimpsed in the studio, a by-product of both his working method and Brown's method as a writer, but he's pictured as listening intently and nudging (or jolting) artists with his ideas. Drawing views from multiple sources might give readers a chance to triangulate on Rubin, but the vantage points are often too similar to create real dimension. The sampling of quotes doesn't bring the author, and thus the reader, close enough to really feel Rubin's character. The numerous in-line citations, laudable for their accuracy in accreditation, leave the reader feeling one step removed from the book's subject. The breadth of Brown's research shows a deep passion for Rubin's work (particularly with the Red Hot Chili Peppers) that would have paid greater dividends via first-person access to the producer. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not even finished and I love this book,
By
This review is from: Rick Rubin: In the Studio (Paperback)
I've never written a review on Amazon before, but this book has compelled me to do so. I had no idea Rubin produced so many records for so many different artists. I think we all know his hip-hop and metal roots, starting Def Jam, etc., so it was really cool to read about his production with Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, even the Dixie Chicks.
What turned me on to this book was the notion that I'd get an insider's look into how Rubin produces, what the vibe was like in the studio, and how he approached each artist. I got what I wanted. Great read, all around. As my title says, I'm not even finished with the book and I love it. Another reviewer remarked that the author strung together quotes from various magazines, newspapers, etc., and that's true. Rubin isn't interviewed, and while that would've been an amazing touch, I don't necessarily know if he needed to be interviewed. The book chronicles Rubin's history as a producer; sure it'd be great to hear from the man himself, but the bands, engineers, and everyone else who's quoted in the book do a pretty good job of describing Rubin's work ethic, and how he simply listens to a song and decides on the spot what it needs to be improved. If you're looking for a glimpse into Rick Rubin's work/career... this book should be right up your alley. I should note that I'm a 24 year old male (for demographic purposes, you know). And just a quick comment... it's probably true that I'm a fan of several artists Rubin's worked with, so that definitely helped with such a positive review of the book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it!,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Rick Rubin: In the Studio (Paperback)
Rick Rubin's approach to Producing is unique and natural and I'd recommend this to any musician to learn from one of the greatest producer's ever.
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