I am enjoying the Youtube video on the making of Steely Dan’s classic album, Aja. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sdMV9TzMkc&list=PLbci4_Sos9YN8Yj8XIjgasVgBKwtJ-cSX&index=3 They had an idea of what the sound should be before the session musicians played their parts. I find that this is increasingly what my experience is – I have in my mind what the song should sound like before I go into to record it. It’s all about putting on tape what is in my head. Yes, some sauce and toppings come out, particularly in the higher, treble end, icing-on-the-cake touches, but the body of the song is envisaged in advance. As Sonic Youth once declared, once it leaves the head, it’s already compromised. Thankfully my work in the studio is helping me move forward in this respect.