Customer Reviews

Temples of Sound: Inside the Great Recording Studios

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The book's stated theme, "inside the great recording studios," is a tantalizing one. Unfortunately the authors rarely deliver the reader inside the temples themselves. Instead, they spend an inordinate amount of text rehashing introductory material about artists, songs, labels, musical genres and scenes. It's not necessarily uninteresting, but it leaves readers in the lobby, rather than actually taking them into the studio.

Worse, the writing is hugely uneven. The chapter on Atlantic is just that, a chapter on the Atlantic label, with tidbits about the studios they used. The chapter on Columbia, on the other hand, does a nice job of communicating the label's producers' emotional attachment to their studios. The text itself ranges from well-written to hyperbolic ("It is indisputable: there is no one label that had as much impact on the development of rock from the 1950s to the 1970s as Chess.") and overly clever ("Everyone wanted in, and the [Chess] brothers, refashioned as record men, kept adding more pawns to the Chess set.").

What this book does accomplish is a grounding of hit songs at their physical points of creation. It untangles the juxtaposition of Top-40 radio and strips away the music industry's placelessness by re-contextualizing songs with the writers, producers, engineers and musicians who created them. Who knew that Eric Clapton's "Layla" was recorded in Florida, within the same studios that reverberated with Hank Ballard's "The Twist," The Eagles' "Hotel California," and The Bee Gees "How Deep is Your Love?"

The book's photos provide intimate views of studios in use (not to mention, under construction), it's a shame that the accompanying text isn't as fully detailed on the technical and artistic inner-workings of these "temples of sound."

While I have enjoyed reading the book, I would not
have purcased it had I known how little it actually
contains about the rooms. As someone interested in
audio engineering, I was hoping it would have a lot of
information about the rooms themselves, with dimensions,
acoutic treatments, unusual equipment used, etc. Instead,
the book tells the story of the studio mostly around
which artists recorded there. I don't really need to
see a list of who recorded for Sun Records, I want to

know what Sam Phillips did to make the room sound the way
it did. I want details of the famous Capitol echo chambers.
This book does not provide the sort of information
the title implies.

Ths book was a real pleasure to read. I'm not a musician or recording engineer....I'm just a finance geek who likes good music. Nevertheless, this book was written in such an understandable way that even us non-musical types can follow along with the recording processes. I knew about the book from a friend. As I started to read it I expected that I would enjoy learning about how music was made in various recording studios around the country. What I did not expect (and was very pleased to experience) were the concise and very diverse stories of the people. Stories of the owners, artists and engineers that made the recording studio and the corresponding musical output a reality coming out of the radio or CD player. As I read each studio chapter and looked at the corresponding pictures (FABULOUS!) images were painted of some of the dynamic processes, individuals and cultural influences that culminated in songs that became the soundtrack to our American lives. This book truly captured the sweat, soul and drive that went into producing our American soundtrack. A pleasure from the first page to the last. A must read for anyone who plays music, who is in the music industry or who (like many of my fellow corporate souls) simply enjoys good music. From the Stones to Dean Martin to Patsy Cline...it all comes alive. Buy the book.

I just can't muster the enthusiasm of other reviewers for this book. Perhaps most interesting and informative are the stories of how some of the best recordings of the golden days of analog were made on a shoe string, over garages on third hand equipment. There are some insights into what made some of the studios sound unique.

The early chapters dwell lovingly on some details of the lives of the produces, engineers and some of the artists. But by the end the facts are marshaled and rushed past, leaving the reader with the distinct impression that they were included so as not to offend some egos or just to drop some names. In some cases the fact that the producers were flat out ignorant of music, rather unlikable individuals and driven by the Wall-Street motives of fear and greed are all too clear, but left between the lines.

All in all the book it left me with more questions than answers about the recording process. A decent compendium of facts about who did what when and where with a smattering of favorite artists and a few pictures to keep pop audiences happy. The authors are weakest when the crass business of the music industry intrudes into their picture of the studio as a crucible of pop art. I'd rather have more detail (even if it hurts) about a few studios or a focus on just a few top engineers and specific recording sessions.

We'd like to sound off on "Temples of Sound." And that's a good thing, for this "Temple" is as much a travelogue as a holy tome that trips through tuneful timelines. Authors Jim
Cogan and William Clark remind us that the recording studios were as responsible for hit records (and, we assume, the flops) as the singers themselves. Here, they take us on a
fascinating tour of those hallowed halls, telling the stories behind the classic songs and albums. Each of the 15 chapters profiles a different studio, as well as the musicians,
producers and engineers who worked there. Stax, Sun, Motown, Sun, Chess, Atlantic ... they are all here, along with the tales. Brian Wilson earning a reputation likening him to
Mozart for the meticulous attention he paid to the groundbreaking arrangements for The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" ... guitarist Steve Cropper using a Zippo lighter as a metal slide
on "Soul Man" ... a bike chain whipped against a board giving "Dancing in the Streets" a pinch of percussive punch ... Ray Charles, learning that his beloved Mama has died, pours
his grief into "Sinner's Prayer." Everyone is here --- from Aretha (was she ever really that thin?) to Nat, from Little Richard to big Otis, from Muddy to Marvin. Perhaps even more
alluring than the informative text are the photographs --- mostly never-before-seen peeks into the sanctums of sound. Tune in!

"Temples of Sound" is an interesting and inspiring look at some popular American recording studios, mostly from the late 1950s and early 60s, but with a few nods to the later sixties and early 70s. (Sorry, no British studios. Abbey Road, Olympic, and Trident spring to mind - anyone want to write one?) Each chapter picks a particular studio (Sun, Chess, Motown, Western, Columbia, etc.) and gives a brief overview of its history (down to the present day; alas many of the studios no longer exist), its features, and the people who made it special, both artists and engineers. Indeed, the authors have interviewed a number of studio owners and engineers, which adds much to the text. The book certainly succeeds in being evocative - these were the days when echo chambers could be someone's bathroom, when everything was recorded on glorious analog tape, when most basic tracks were done live all in the same room with sonic leakage, and cigarette smoking in the studio was glamorous. Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, the Doors, and other greats make walk-on appearances, and there are good photographs of many of them at work. (Actually, I could have used even more photos.) The book also rescues from relative obscurity one Bill Putnam, who apparently designed many of the sweetest-sounding rooms in the country. Often there are anecdotes about the history of studio owners and their labels, which are interesting, though one might hope for even more anecdotes about the artists and recording sessions. I found myself wishing for a little bit more technical information too, about how each room was set up and what specific gear they had, though some of this is mentioned briefly. And, of course, they can't cram every studio in here - for instance, there is no chapter on Muscle Shoals. However, the book ends with a nice discography of tracks to hunt down and listen to, each associated with one of the studios, and all of which I want to listen to after reading about these places' heydays. I find this book fascinating for what it does tell us, and inspiring in its depiction of an era when artistic talent, engineering skill, and human warmth made sometimes low-tech rooms into hallowed cathedrals of sound. A good gift for anyone interested in recording, or in the 50s-60s period.

This book tells the behind the scenes stories of some of your favorite music from the 40s to the 70s. Whether your favorite music is rock, soul, pop, or jazz--it'a all here. There are also some amazing photographs of the studios and the legendary artist who performed the music. And what's really cool is the list of essential recordings from each of the studios featured in the book. After reading the book, you want to listen to all those tracks again armed with new insight about how they came to be. Great stuff.

With all the documentaries out there today, it's sometimes easy to forget the expression "The Joy of Music". Thankfully, Mr. Clark stays away from trying to overanalyze every note and decision, and at times delights in the instantaneous, spur of the moment happenings that create great hits. (ie.,How the song Hold On, I'm Coming by Sam & Dave was written in about 30 minutes by Isaac Hayes! Will never hear that song the same way again.)

Each chapter is devoted to one particular studio, and some of the giants who recorded there, what gave the studio that particular sound, but more often than not, what accidental happening's created the soundtrack to so many of our lives.

With each studio covered in only a chapter, there are probably thousand's of untold stories that go along with each studio, however once again Mr. Clark hits on the highlights, and does a good job of figuring out what the reader really wants to know.

After reading a chapter, found myself pulling out various cd's of the respective studio's and enjoying them all over again.

This ain't no temple, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around-it's just a rockin' good read, and one of the best books ever on the recording industry.

If possible, put on one of your favorite records when you read Temples of Sound. There are stories about the Beach Boys, Muddy Waters, The Doors, Frank Sinatra, Chubby Checker, lots of others. It's an amazing mix of music and eras, to use a term engineers might appreciate. Hearing the music while you read is a fresh way to hear the tunes. For me, knowing how some of my all-time favorite records were made, and finding out how the artists and engineers really worked behind-the-scenes is truly cool. And sort of spiritual. Not spiritual in the "get your behind in church" voice of your papa, but rather, more like spiritual in the way you snuck cigs out of the old man's pack, or in the way you closed the door to your room to listen to Sergeant Pepper and felt your own eyes seeing the world for the first time.

Maybe that's why this book is called Temples of Sound.

This book covers a lot of ground, a lot of sound, from the days of swing and early pop, Nat King Cole, Aretha, and Motown. The guys who wrote it-Jim Cogan and Bob Clark-talked to primary sources, the people who were really there, and got some great first hand stories. It covers lots of great studios, from Capitol to Stax. It is about and for people who love music. It is cool to hear Keith Richards say is appalled to see Muddy Waters working outside of music, painting a ceiling in the studio. This is a man he revered. It is cool to hear the engineer who did the best Doors records say he wouldn't want to remix any of their albums. They are what they are. It is cool to learn that the beat in Dancin' in the Street is accented by a tire chain being banged on the floor. I dig this stuff.

Great book, especially after recently seeing the movie, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown." A must-read for any musicologist, especially one who grew up with all of these tunes blasting from the car radio on WKNR, WXYZ and CKLW back in the 60's. And I was AMAZED by the Rudy Van Gelder story, being a fan of traditional jazz (Coltrane, et al.)

Even you fans who weren't yet born when some of these stars had already begun passing away will appreciate the "inside stories" behind much of the music you still hear today.