The "Big Sound" is dead.
Neil Young's long time sound mixer Bob Sterne has passed away.
From official Neil Young Facebook post:
Last night, in LeedsCarry on Mark Humphreys and Mr. Tim Mulligan. Keep that "Big Sound" alive for David Briggs and all the other "Survivors".
we learned that Bob Sterne,
our beloved sound guru for the ages,
soundscape architect of Rust and Ragged Glory,
had passed away.
Mark Humphreys, our monitor mixer,
cranked the volume on my guitar and gave me the big sound.
I felt like I died and went to heaven.
He did it just like he was told to do by "SterneBob"
Mark Humphreys, Mr. Mulligan, Mr. Briggs,
and all of us have lost a beacon of light.
Rest in Peace Bob Sterne.
Long live the "Big Sound". Crank it.
(Posted elsewhere, most relevant here):
ReplyDeleteRe: Neil's comment about "cranking his guitar": does that ring any bells with what I've been banging on about for the last two months? See the guitar solo from When You Dance at Leeds for yet more evidence.
Keep that guitar cranked, Neil.
I seem to remember Bob Sterne popping up more than a few times in Jimmy McDonough's Shakey. Like Briggs, he was one of those guys who for many years slipped under the radar; we don't hear about them until they are gone. Then we realise what an important role they had. Because we notice how different it is without them.
The more of these old guys who pass away, the more of the magic passes away with them. They are an essential part of this music, their blood is in the music, as well as vice versa. It's truly amazing there is as much left of the music as there is, that so much of its power has been kept intact. Neil Young is great, but the soul of his music relies on a lot of other great people, too. People with decades of experience that there simply isn't time to adequately replace when they are gone. So they leave a gaping wound in the side of the sound and the soul.
Shakey is worth a read and multiple re-reads. Finally you get to "meet" all these characters around Young, the important people who make things happen. The people who put Neil into that spotlight and set the stage for magic to occur. It's a delight to experience.
And for the most part, McDonough's observations are razor-sharp. Yes, he tells a story, he introduces his own opinions. But he tells it well. And that is what matters.
Scotsman.
Bob was a gentle man. I miss him so.
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