Unless you think heating frozen dinners makes you Gordon Ramsay, prompting music doesn't make you Rubin (but it's great to celebrate him for other reasons)
The next time somebody sends me the video clip where Rick Rubin says "I have no technical ability. I know what I like and what I don't like. I am paid for my confidence in my taste and my ability to express what I feel..." and says "This is literally me!!!!" I'm going to send them this article with the caption "STFU already".
I think you're wrong and we actually need more Rick Rubens right now. Most people these days don't have a combination of taste and clout to help manifest the next quality big things in our culture, which is why we don't have a lot of quality big things happening
Yeah that's fair, and look there's still plenty of niche tastemakers! Just not at the macro cultural scale any more, for a # of reasons (people's taste has become blanded and demoralized, they don't know how to listen to anything other than pop slop).
There are plenty of Rick Rubens, they’re all 22 year old Twitter users with 30,000 followers who talk extemporaneously about whatever they’re interested in without an ounce of technical knowledge. People follow them and repeat their opinions because they have taste, not because they know what they’re talking about. There’s just too many of them. They’re not coming on MTV to tell everyone in America who likes music about the cool new album they’re working on. They’re a voice in a hallway of a million voices that you may or may not hear. Nobody’s paying for music opinions anymore cuz you can log onto something like Substack and see 1000 people giving their music opinion away for free. If I’m paying you to work on my album you’d better be doing something more than sitting there going “hmm, I don’t like that” because we have iPhones now and I can get anyone’s opinion on what I’m creating in a matter of seconds.
I don't know much about Rubin. Usually when he came up around my ears it had something to do with the loudness wars and people complained about him making everything louder. I get that. Then I read some of the Hip Hop Family Tree graphic novels by Ed Piskor (excellent!) and learned more about the superhero named Rick Rubin's origin story as a kid with money who happened to go to the Bronx at just the right time to experience rap and punk. He was able to spend his parents money on furthering those cultures, helping them spread. That was a good use of his parents money! My dad was a welder and my mom a nurse, so I'm not sure what the rich kids are spending their money on these days. It doesn't seem like they are using it to help develop scenes and culture. They are instead culture vultures...
I work at a library and flipped through Rubin's book a few times. It had some interesting tidbits, and it was nice of him to collect his ideas for others in one place.
This line at the end is the clinker to this piece though "because we live in a Debord-esque society of spectacle, and craft is mostly an anachronism."
When the music was in those scenes and less online, and their were people participating with zines and making their own stuff, it withstood the efforts of corporate recuperation for a lot longer.
Now it is in those niches, and seems to stay in those niches.
This is hilarious --and true! Of course, it's Zappa, so its bound to be hilarious. Comic, philosopher, guitar player. A true iconoclast!
That's really interesting, the second part about Back in Control, a "troubled teen" type place that deprograms punk and metal kids. I knew several people who went to similar places in the late 80s, early 90s... Kids Helping Kids was the one close to us here in the Midwest.
The idea that Rubin has no technical skills is silly. He has been producing music (layering samples, recording guitars and drums) for years. You simply could not be in the position he’s been in without picking those skills up. And before anyone says “No there was always a sound engineer there!” I say, you really don’t think after all this time he knows how to place a mic? He’s had help, sure. But the man is not without skills. That’s a weird anti-flex on his part.
“Rick Ruben”™️ isn’t about Rick Ruben. It’s about poking talented people to get out of an unproductive headspace. Some of his early interviews on the Broken Record podcast were interesting because he was clearly asking questions of these successful musicians about their process that they hadn’t considered before. (It went downhill and his new podcast is unlistenable) For the Substack writers who are creative talented people but are in a rut, his book/prompts can disrupt patterns so they can get out of their own way. If you’re a wisher/poser the prompts won’t help you.
Seems like an unrelated question to this topic? I'm not a mass culture tastemaker and don't consider myself one (in fact, that sounds awful here, we live in strange times in this regard).
Good read. Navigating in a world of abundance requires markedly different skills and mindset than doing that in a world of scarcity, which Rubin was a part of.
first, great title. almost spit out my coffee. maybe did. just a little.
second, reminds me of Jordan Peterson when an audience member said something like "well what about Jesus?" and he replies "Jesus is Jesus, and you're... youuuu" (emphasis his)
I had no idea that Rick Rubin had become a "patron saint" of genAI lovers! Oh well, I can see how now, kinda, possibly.
Two things.
From what I know of him, besides all said here, Rubin was/is at his core creative soul who looks at the act of creation in a spiritual manner. This respect for creativity and creating was coupled with the other practical aspects- taste, access etc. Respect is in short supply in the genAI world.
Secondly, your point about music being easy to make, interesting timing given the CEO of Suno recently spoke of how the actual *making of music* is not something anyone enjoys! Go figure.
Nice write-up. I agree with this. Curating is great and any enthusiast does it to a certain degree. Trying to curate for the masses, though, feels like misplaced energy. And I think prompting AI and calling it creation is a stretch. Yeah, get the production software and a learn an instrument. Hell, a lot has been done with a few bar chords (e.g. "Three chords and the truth, the DIY/Punk ethos). I want AI to do the dishes and diagnose cancer early. I want it to stay the hell away from "art". There are plenty of tools that democratize creation (as you point out!). Tools are rad. Use them. Do something fun and share it.
The next time somebody sends me the video clip where Rick Rubin says "I have no technical ability. I know what I like and what I don't like. I am paid for my confidence in my taste and my ability to express what I feel..." and says "This is literally me!!!!" I'm going to send them this article with the caption "STFU already".
I think you're wrong and we actually need more Rick Rubens right now. Most people these days don't have a combination of taste and clout to help manifest the next quality big things in our culture, which is why we don't have a lot of quality big things happening
Yeah that's fair, and look there's still plenty of niche tastemakers! Just not at the macro cultural scale any more, for a # of reasons (people's taste has become blanded and demoralized, they don't know how to listen to anything other than pop slop).
There are plenty of Rick Rubens, they’re all 22 year old Twitter users with 30,000 followers who talk extemporaneously about whatever they’re interested in without an ounce of technical knowledge. People follow them and repeat their opinions because they have taste, not because they know what they’re talking about. There’s just too many of them. They’re not coming on MTV to tell everyone in America who likes music about the cool new album they’re working on. They’re a voice in a hallway of a million voices that you may or may not hear. Nobody’s paying for music opinions anymore cuz you can log onto something like Substack and see 1000 people giving their music opinion away for free. If I’m paying you to work on my album you’d better be doing something more than sitting there going “hmm, I don’t like that” because we have iPhones now and I can get anyone’s opinion on what I’m creating in a matter of seconds.
I share your opinion
I don't know much about Rubin. Usually when he came up around my ears it had something to do with the loudness wars and people complained about him making everything louder. I get that. Then I read some of the Hip Hop Family Tree graphic novels by Ed Piskor (excellent!) and learned more about the superhero named Rick Rubin's origin story as a kid with money who happened to go to the Bronx at just the right time to experience rap and punk. He was able to spend his parents money on furthering those cultures, helping them spread. That was a good use of his parents money! My dad was a welder and my mom a nurse, so I'm not sure what the rich kids are spending their money on these days. It doesn't seem like they are using it to help develop scenes and culture. They are instead culture vultures...
I work at a library and flipped through Rubin's book a few times. It had some interesting tidbits, and it was nice of him to collect his ideas for others in one place.
This line at the end is the clinker to this piece though "because we live in a Debord-esque society of spectacle, and craft is mostly an anachronism."
When the music was in those scenes and less online, and their were people participating with zines and making their own stuff, it withstood the efforts of corporate recuperation for a lot longer.
Now it is in those niches, and seems to stay in those niches.
Great comment, also re: the corporatization part Zappa warned us about this too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZazEM8cgt0
This is hilarious --and true! Of course, it's Zappa, so its bound to be hilarious. Comic, philosopher, guitar player. A true iconoclast!
That's really interesting, the second part about Back in Control, a "troubled teen" type place that deprograms punk and metal kids. I knew several people who went to similar places in the late 80s, early 90s... Kids Helping Kids was the one close to us here in the Midwest.
Counterpoint: I have read his book, so maybe I am?
Double counterpoint: Maybe we’re all Rick Rubin?
lol is that all it takes
I thought his thoughts so that seals the deal
Rick Rubin has his own deficiencies.
https://discordiareview.substack.com/p/johnny-cashs-hurt-is-a-bad-song-maybe
hah incredible post
The idea that Rubin has no technical skills is silly. He has been producing music (layering samples, recording guitars and drums) for years. You simply could not be in the position he’s been in without picking those skills up. And before anyone says “No there was always a sound engineer there!” I say, you really don’t think after all this time he knows how to place a mic? He’s had help, sure. But the man is not without skills. That’s a weird anti-flex on his part.
Yeah everyone is just quoting him from that TV segment: https://youtu.be/h5EV-JCqAZc?si=1Ss-6ecLmu1l5SLe&t=30
“Rick Ruben”™️ isn’t about Rick Ruben. It’s about poking talented people to get out of an unproductive headspace. Some of his early interviews on the Broken Record podcast were interesting because he was clearly asking questions of these successful musicians about their process that they hadn’t considered before. (It went downhill and his new podcast is unlistenable) For the Substack writers who are creative talented people but are in a rut, his book/prompts can disrupt patterns so they can get out of their own way. If you’re a wisher/poser the prompts won’t help you.
I take offense to this Statement.
I am actually the Rick Rubin of STEM Careers.
I will die on this Hill.
I’m not Rick Rubin, although I’m fucking old and have a decent beard. I don’t curate, and I don’t ever want to tour again.
Here’s a song about evil. The devil is a metaphor. Evil, however, is apparently real.
https://on.soundcloud.com/rRupbthsqpaZfa5b7
Love it thanks for sharing with us Biff
thanks. someone had to say it
I’m curious Adam, would you consider yourself leading a creative life?
Seems like an unrelated question to this topic? I'm not a mass culture tastemaker and don't consider myself one (in fact, that sounds awful here, we live in strange times in this regard).
Good read. Navigating in a world of abundance requires markedly different skills and mindset than doing that in a world of scarcity, which Rubin was a part of.
first, great title. almost spit out my coffee. maybe did. just a little.
second, reminds me of Jordan Peterson when an audience member said something like "well what about Jesus?" and he replies "Jesus is Jesus, and you're... youuuu" (emphasis his)
Good read @Adam Singer.
I had no idea that Rick Rubin had become a "patron saint" of genAI lovers! Oh well, I can see how now, kinda, possibly.
Two things.
From what I know of him, besides all said here, Rubin was/is at his core creative soul who looks at the act of creation in a spiritual manner. This respect for creativity and creating was coupled with the other practical aspects- taste, access etc. Respect is in short supply in the genAI world.
Secondly, your point about music being easy to make, interesting timing given the CEO of Suno recently spoke of how the actual *making of music* is not something anyone enjoys! Go figure.
(more here https://abhishakey.substack.com/i/155592589/if-music-be-the-food-of-love)
Title got me. Adding to saved.
Nice write-up. I agree with this. Curating is great and any enthusiast does it to a certain degree. Trying to curate for the masses, though, feels like misplaced energy. And I think prompting AI and calling it creation is a stretch. Yeah, get the production software and a learn an instrument. Hell, a lot has been done with a few bar chords (e.g. "Three chords and the truth, the DIY/Punk ethos). I want AI to do the dishes and diagnose cancer early. I want it to stay the hell away from "art". There are plenty of tools that democratize creation (as you point out!). Tools are rad. Use them. Do something fun and share it.
*barrre