As a recording engineer, Herbert undeniably had a distinctive style: swift, resolute, and utterly focused—a consummate professional. When he sat at the mixing console, the entire world fell silent, leaving only the company of music; everything revolved around the music.
The excellence of his technical skills was unquestionable. However, such a personality often unknowingly rubbed people the wrong way. While like-minded individuals naturally formed bonds, more often than not, he found himself making countless enemies, subtly pushed to the periphery.
One look at the decline of the Sound City and then at today, working alongside the long-retired George to record for a relatively unknown newcomer singer—Herbert's predicament became self-evident.
Yet, even so, Herbert continued his consistent style. He skipped the lengthy and tedious pleasantries and directly entered work mode. He candidly expressed his views, fixing his gaze on Renly with unwavering determination.
"Of course," George nodded, stating plainly. Despite his nonchalant words, determination shone through. "But before we officially dive into production, we need to discuss the musical arrangement style."
For a song, it could be divided simply into melody and lyrics, but in the realm of music composition, merely crafting the melody and lyrics didn't suffice.
Humming a melody, even completing both the main and chorus melodies, constituted songwriting. Creating a melody was the simplest, most fundamental step, one that anyone could undertake. Even someone tone-deaf could hum a tune based on their understanding, though it wouldn't be a full-fledged song.
After composing an original song, it required the arrangement of chords, selecting suitable instruments, designing the structure, harmonizing, arranging chords, and finally mixing the accompaniment. This step was known as musical arrangement and was also a crucial phase where a simple original song transformed.
The popular songs heard in everyday life had been through musical arrangement. Consequently, generally, one song had three creators: a composer, a lyricist, and an arranger.
Of course, it was common for the composer and arranger to be the same person.
The same original song, based on different instrument combinations, computer sound effects, and rhythmic changes, could transform from folk to jazz, rock to country, or even punk to rhythm and blues. However, not every style was suitable. The key to the success of a song lay in choosing the right arrangement style and appropriately utilizing it.
"Simple, rustic, and raw," Herbert evidently had put thought into this and spoke with almost no hesitation, "We need to strip away the cumbersome arrangement, restore the essence of the music as much as possible, enrich the melody with layers of instruments without overshadowing it, and focus on expressing emotions. Emotion is the core essence, rather than technical prowess."
George lightly lifted his jaw, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You mean Bob Dylan?"
Herbert nodded directly in affirmation. "In my view, Renly embodies the purest and most traditional folk-rock. You can see it in the songs "Cleopatra" and "Ophelia". In his creative process, Renly's lyrics are the driving force of the melody. Those poetic lyrics carry thoughts and souls, and they are conveyed through the melody. We need to preserve this uniqueness."
The folk-rock mentioned here does not refer to the fusion of musical styles that gradually gained popularity after the 1990s but rather the folk-rock movement driven by Bob Dylan in 1965.
Folk-rock drew from the simplicity and directness of folk music melodies and the powerful rhythms of rock music to express songs with philosophical themes in a relatively straightforward manner. Folk-rock singers placed a high demand on the aesthetic values of musical tradition and required a deep cultural understanding of literature, philosophy, and history. Bob Dylan, for instance, sang about current events and politics in a poetic language.
When they talk about simplicity, it doesn't mean simple musical arrangement, relying solely on a guitar to complete all compositions. In fact, within folk-rock, Bob Dylan would use both rock band instruments like electric guitars, drums, and bass, as well as traditional folk instruments like acoustic guitars, tambourines, accordions, saxophones, dulcimers, hand drums, and mandolins. Using an imaginative approach to arrangement, he infused thoughts into his music.
The simplicity and rawness in folk-rock imply that the melody is just a means to an end; lyrics are paramount. All aspects of arrangement, from instruments to melody, from harmony to rhythm, are in service to the lyrics, or more precisely, to the core theme. Using a song to convey deep thoughts, that's the essence.
However, with the evolution of the times, musical arrangements became increasingly complex, rhythms more intense, and rock began to dominate. Folk music gradually waned. Even Bob Dylan couldn't halt the march of time. This transformation affected not only him but also representative folk singers of the era like Joan Baez and Bobby Vinton, who gradually transitioned into rock musicians.
As time progressed, contemporary pop music creation had its own routine. Compose a melody with a string of notes, craft a catchy rhythm to attract the ears, complete the entire score, and then add suitable lyrics. In essence, lyrics no longer carried meaning, and what truly resonated with people was often not the melody but the rhythm.
While making such a generalized statement might be sweeping, it was indeed the case in mainstream music.
Yet, during the golden age of music, the creative process was reversed: lyrics were written first, and then the melody was composed. Lyrics formed the soul of the entire piece of music, reflecting the creator's thoughts and understanding. Rock, punk, folk, country, blues, soul, jazz, and more all followed this pattern.
Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 precisely because of his literary prowess in lyric writing. Simultaneously, he channeled his reflections on society, politics, and life, showcasing the power of an entire era.
In Renly, Herbert once again witnessed the folk-rock style of 1965—a style of performance that stirred emotions and conveyed thoughts through melody, a musical creation that imbued meaning into lyrics and conveyed the soul through song. This reminded him of the glory of the golden age.
Faced with Herbert's praise, George not only wasn't surprised but also expressed agreement.
When conceptualizing this album, the first thing that came to George's mind was Bob Dylan's folk-rock. Comparing the 21-year-old Renly to one of the greatest musicians in American music history was indeed wild. However, after listening to Renly's list of 27 potential songs, George became steadfast in his belief.
As a producer, George's mind had already begun working when he first heard "Los Angeles" and "Charlie Boy". He had set Bob Dylan as the target for this album, an incredible but traceable choice. What intrigued George even more was that Herbert seemed to share a similar perspective, which was quite rare.
"Could it be my imagination?" George said with enthusiasm. "Why do I always feel like you have a profound understanding of Renly's music, even more so than I do?"
Herbert hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Don't you know? I've recorded and produced the only two singles Renly has released so far."
George was utterly astonished.
This time, Renly was also surprised. "I thought you knew in advance, which is why you specifically contacted Herbert."
George waved his hand repeatedly. "No, of course not." Unable to conceal his surprise, he explained simply, "I approached Herbert because he is one of the top recording engineers in the industry, and I had wanted to collaborate with him for a long time. Recently, with the closure of Sound City, the whole industry was in mourning. It just so happened that you were recording an album, and Herbert happened to be idle at home, so..."
It was actually a coincidence. That two like-minded partners could meet was already quite rare, but three? This was indeed a miracle.
The foundation of the album's style was initially expected to be the most difficult part, potentially leading to heated debates between the producer and the artist, even confrontations that could ultimately lead to a breakup. It was unexpected that the three of them would reach a decision in less than three minutes. Such work left them all in a jubilant mood.
"Now, what about the theme?" George posed another challenging question, essentially the criteria for song selection.
For an outstanding top-tier album, song selection was crucial. It involved weaving a single emotion or thought throughout the album, creating a coherent whole from the first song to the last, effectively conveying the artist's ideas.
Beyoncé's album "Lemonade", released in April 2016, swept the music world with unanimous acclaim, hailed as one of the most outstanding albums of the 21st century. Critics from Rolling Stone and others lauded its audacious use of uncommon musical styles and melodies, reaching unprecedented heights of technical skill. Moreover, the album's twelve tracks were divided into two acts—an accusation of her husband's infidelity in the first half and a choice of forgiveness in the second. The twelve songs flowed seamlessly, achieving a harmonious and perfect emotional and reflective narrative.
From composition to thought, from arrangement to core, "Lemonade" was truly unique in the world of pop music.
Among Renly's list of twenty-seven songs, George could sense the creative threads woven by Renly. However, personal experience always trumped perception, so he turned to Renly, seeking the artist's opinion. Then, based on Renly's ideas, they would select and arrange the tracks.
Renly could feel the burning gazes of George and Herbert, their heavy looks brimming with expectation. It ignited the blood running through his veins, awakening the passion deep within his soul. In that moment, he deeply felt the allure of music creation, akin to acting—an ever-advancing journey of artistic exploration, delving ever deeper.
"Don Quixote," Renly almost didn't hesitate, and the first word that came to his mind spilled out. "A dream chaser who's never succeeded but has never given up, a madman."