Unit 5: Phil Spector

Harvey Phillip Spector was an American record producer, songwriter, and convicted murderer. Spector also developed something called the "Wall of Sound" which is characterised by the for its diffusion of tone colours and dense orchestral sound, which he described as a "wagnerian" approach to rock and roll. He is considered on of the most influential individuals to the pop music scene. 

In this blog post i will discuss the technological context in which Spector was working, how he achieved the wall of sound, whether there are any lessons we can take from Spector and bring into the modern era, and at what degree we can separate the art from the artist. Spector had an ensemble of session musicians and was all recorded live in studio, Spector created the "Wall of Sound" with an intricate aural collage of mixed and overlayed pianos, pulsing drums, blaring trombone, a full string orchestra, chattering castanets and maracas, all played by a near endless parade of session musicians. 

The lessons we can take from him are his meticulous studio work and demanding perfection from musicians, sometimes recording dozens of take to get the right sound. he taught us to use reverb and delay strategically to create and atmosphere, but avoid overdoing it so the mix doesn't get muddy. Try to avoid Overproduction and toxic work environments as Spector was infamous for his controlling and sometimes abusive behaviour in the studio collaboration should be about respect and creativity, not intimidation.

At what point can we separate the art from the artist? Well art takes on a life of its own and once a piece of art is created, it belongs to the audience as much as the creator, for example: people still admire Caravaggios painting despite his violent past. I believe that Personal interpretation matters. a listener, a reader, or viewer can take inspiration from a work regardless of the artist's personal beliefs or actions, for example: a song may hold deep meaning to someone, even if the artist later does something deplorable.


Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Spector

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