Rick Rubin Featured in New York Times
September 02, 2007
Rick Rubin, one of music's most influential people, is featured and interviewed in this weekend's New York Times Magazine.
Rubin was the original founder of Def Jam Records, and he has produced career-defining records for The Beastie Boys, Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash, Linkin Park, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Diamond, Metallica and many others.
Recently, Rubin became co-head of Columbia Records and was tasked with reviving the ailing record company.
The in-depth New York Times article provides readers with an insightful view on the inner workings of the oh-so fickle recording industry. It gives some important clues of how Rubin works with bands and how he is planning to make important changes at Columbia Records.
It will take unusual measures and guts for big recording companies to stay relevant in years to come. And Rubin's unique style and perspective might give them some ideas on how to salvage their dire situation.
Rubin also talks candidly about he works with artists in the studio. "I try to get the artist to feel like they are writing songs for the ages rather than songs for an album. As they write, they come over and play the songs for me. For some reason, most people will write 10 songs and think, That's enough for a record, I'm done. When they play the songs for me, invariably the last two songs they've written are the best. I'll then say, 'You have two songs, go back and write eight more,'" he tells Lynn Hirschberg in the NYT article.
The article makes special mention of The Gossip and Beth Ditto in particular who is groomed by Rubin as one of rock and roll's biggest stars in the not so distant feature.
Read the entire story here.