145 Sparks fly
Pushing the door open again, he looked at the mess in the corridor, as if he had traveled back to the 1960s, a time when hippies and anarchy were prevalent. Andy looked at the hot milk in his hand - a glass cup, fresh milk. , just heated from the microwave, even a little hot, he held it carefully in the palm of his hand... He felt that he suddenly fell back, feeling like a rookie nanny.
Only a fledgling agent can do this kind of work personally. After climbing to the top, all trivial tasks are handed over to assistants. Even if Renly doesn't have an assistant, he does. However, everything from yesterday to today happened unexpectedly. situation, he has not yet gone to the company. In an emergency, he can only do it himself..
Andy couldn't help but shook his head. He still had a lot of things to deal with. How could he stay with Renly all the time? Now send this cup of hot milk over, then go back to the company and send the assistant over..
Pushing open the door to the recording studio, Andy saw Herbert pressing the red button with his right hand and saying in a hoarse voice, "...the bass track here is still too loud. I'll turn it down a little and try again.".”
Before he could finish speaking, Renly, who was sitting in the recording room, answered, "Turn down the drum sound a little. I think it ruins the texture of the electric guitar, which is a bit annoying. For the verse part, I still want the guitar strings to sound. Mainly, otherwise it will destroy the artistic conception of the whole song.”
“However, if you want the arrangement to be richer and thicker, and to add layers of depth, then you must avoid having only the strings of the electric guitar..”
“No, no, that's not the case. After you turn down the sound of the drums and bass, and then add the layers of sound and melody when singing, the whole song will become richer and the three-dimensional effect will be stronger." See Herbert still wanted to argue, but Renly shook his head, "Let's try both methods, and we'll know what the effect is.？”
Herbert looked up to the sky and sighed. Just when Andy thought he was going to get angry, he nodded and replied in the affirmative, "Then give it a try..”
Andy was a little surprised. Herbert is a well-known top recording engineer in the industry. He has been working in Sound City since the late 1980s. He has participated in the album recording and production of Nirvana, Guns N' Roses and other big-name bands. He is not only rich in experience, And he is talented. Herbert is famous for his tough temper, stubborn temper and strong personality. During the recording process, it is common for him to directly scold the singers to tears..
But the brief confrontation between Renly and Herbert just now resulted in Herbert...compromising? This is really unexpected.
Andy couldn't help but become curious. He stood nearby and listened. The melody of "Cleopatra" was played three times, but Andy couldn't hear the difference at all. Isn't it the same track three times?？
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Andy sent the hot milk over and gestured to Renly. But Renly just nodded, said "thank you", and then urged Herbert to play the second track. . Andy feels that there should be nothing wrong with him here. He can retire and return to the office for the time being..
But before Andy could turn around and leave, there was a quarrel behind him, "This is a ballad, a ballad! What I need is simplicity and purity. The arrangement is too technical, and it destroys the original emotion."……”
“But if the arrangement is too thin, it will not be suitable for the emotional expression of the song. If you are like Bob Dylan and only rely on acoustic guitar to convey sad emotions, then there is no problem, one guitar is enough Yes. But the problem is……”
“The problem is that the emotion of this song needs to be savored by the audience slowly, rather than being moved by the melody. It is not a song that will bring tears to the eyes after listening to it. That special emotion is for every audience. Completely different, I don’t need to guide it artificially！”
“However, if the arrangement is not modern, the market will not accept it.！”
“Aha! Now it's your turn to tell me to be modern? Are you telling me to let the market accept it? Hello, do you realize where we are now? Mr Herbert Jones！”
Andy couldn't help but pause before leaving. He frowned slightly, strongly doubting whether this place would become a murder scene, and then Sound City would finally close down..
Turning around, Andy saw Herbert supporting the sound console with both hands. The anger on his face was clearly visible under the dim light. His terrifying eyes were flashing with stormy waves. If it weren't for the glass between them, I'm afraid he would have lost his temper. At this time, he had already rushed forward and tore Renly into countless pieces, and the air in the recording studio suddenly solidified..
But Renly didn't show any weakness. He opened his eyes wide and met Herbert's gaze with neither humility nor humility. He faced off head-on, wall to wall, tit-for-tat, and his tense body seemed to be ready to fight immediately. Even if he rolled up his sleeves and went straight to battle, he would not hesitate.
The air is filled with the smell of gunpowder smoke, and a little spark can turn the scene into a disaster..
“Snap! "Suddenly, Renly took a step forward and said excitedly, "In parts, we divide the melody into parts. The bass part is played by the electric guitar, the high part is played by the acoustic guitar, and then the sound of the acoustic guitar is used as the melody. In the main melody, the bridge connecting the verse and chorus, use drum beats and keyboards to enrich the movement. How about？”
Herbert's hands were still supporting him straight, and his brows were still tightly knitted. His nervous emotions were on the verge of breaking out. Suddenly, he slapped the countertop hard, and the ashtray flipped over and hit the carpet, making no sound. But cigarette ashes and cigarette butts were scattered all over the floor, "Let's try it."！”
What？
Andy felt that he couldn't keep up with his thoughts. One second he was tense, and the next second he was peaceful? The artist’s creative mode is really confusing.
After coming back to his senses, Andy felt that he was too surprised. He seemed to have returned to the way he was when he first entered the industry. His emotions were almost out of control. It was really uncomfortable. He looked at Lan who was playing the guitar again. Li, Andy had to admit that signing this agency contract was his boldest and most unconventional decision in the past five years. He had no idea where Renly, who was taking the wrong approach, would lead him. , which caused him to panic.
Maybe, this is a good thing.
Taking a deep breath, Andy quickly left the recording studio and the city of sound without hesitation, regaining his usual composure and calmness..
“Very good, very good." Herbert and Renly didn't notice Andy leaving at all - strictly speaking, they didn't even notice Andy's return. Renly's greeting just now was just a subconscious move, "Just like this Let's go, we're going to record the singing part now, are you ready?？”
Renly put the guitar aside, stood in front of the microphone, nodded to Herbert, and then heard Herbert's voice coming from the stereo, "This is your first time entering the recording studio, so let's try it first. , you look for the feeling of recording, and I listen to the characteristics of your singing. Relax, just treat it as a normal performance..”
Renly made an "OK" gesture and put on the earplugs. In an instant, the whole world fell silent. It was an extreme silence. It was as if he was surrounded by people. There was no sound at all, not even himself. I couldn't hear the sound. This feeling was really amazing, and then the clear and cheerful melody came from the earplugs, entering the brain directly from the ears without any hindrance, as if the melody was surrounded by the endless darkness. Generally speaking, people can't help but want to wander in the ocean of musical symbols..
Herbert sat down again, lit a cigarette, and let his tense thoughts relax a little, intending to listen to Renly's first performance as an audience rather than a sound engineer..
The recording studio in Sound City is an extremely cruel place. It can amplify every detail in the singer's voice, both advantages and disadvantages. It's like tearing off all the clothes wrapped around the body. The feeling of being naked often severely damages a singer's confidence, but it is also the basis for recording wonderful music. Therefore, Herbert needs to have a good understanding of Renly's voice so that he can be fully prepared for subsequent recordings..
“I was Cleopatra, I was a young actress, when you knelt before my bed and begged for my hand……”
Renly's voice came from the speaker, with a hint of unnoticeable hoarseness in its richness, just like the clouds of airplanes on the horizon, lazily dragged over, but dyed with a touch of soft gold, spreading in the melody. Come; but there is a hint of fragility in the fullness, especially in the treble part, the sound becomes light and thin, the hoarseness begins to be amplified, and there is a faint danger of broken sound, which seems a bit harsh, but the wonderful thing is, That little bit of vulnerability was magically integrated into the musical notes, easily hitting the softest part deep in my heart..
There is no excessive skill, just like a real bard, giving up all the bells and whistles, just relying on the heart to wander around the world, abandoning the true appearance after carving and stacking, but it is natural, flowing, and flowing. It was done in one go. He just stood there, with a light and a voice. It was so simple, so simple to the extreme, but it burst out with a melancholy warmth and a touch of sadness sandwiched in it, describing what belonged to him and what belonged to her. , a story belonging to someone.
“But it's too late, it's too late, I missed the love of my life. When I die, I won't miss it anymore.”
Suddenly, a thin layer of water mist floated in the eyes, and he was caught off guard; the surge in his chest blocked his throat, and the complicated emotions could not be expressed in words, and he could only float along with the melody. Deep, like a withered leaf in the long river of time, clear and translucent, deep and warm.
The cigarette on his finger was still burning, and the long ash finally failed to hold up and fell on the carpet. Herbert suddenly remembered Renly's insistence just now: What I need is simplicity and purity. Now, he finally understood.
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