I watched a biography on Black Sabbath a few weeks ago.    Their self titled debut album was recorded and mixed in TWO days.  Done-finished-ready for pressing in two days.  Of course, after the biograph, I pulled the album out of moth balls and took a listen - pretty amazing. 
 
Now, as I sit in front of my computer for hours, trying to find that perfect reverb for track 27, I'm even more amazed.

skills, baby.

You're right.  One of the differences between me and Sabbath is talent

First Led Zeppelin - recorded and mixed in 36 hours. And that thing wasn't just recorded properly but featured some of the most amazing drums sound ever recorded at that point, and little novelties like backwards echo (which Jimmy Page claims he invented).

Hi,

Too many people, in my book, have an issue with their music flowing and flying. That album has a lot of good things, that many people would not do today ... and would consider bad ... but emotionally, and experience-wise, that album is very nice and enjoyable to listen to ... and above all ... so simple! So simple!

It tells you that the amount of time on the studio, or at your DAW is not what it is all about ... it's about the music ... work it and make it better and let the players play and show up.

All too often, we waste time trying to perfect something ... that does not require perfectability, but we think it has to be better than what it is ... and when this perspective is missing, most music does not sound that good, or has any human qualities that we can associate with so much ... that we remember the darn album 42 years later!

Rain


First Led Zeppelin - recorded and mixed in 36 hours. And that thing wasn't just recorded properly but featured some of the most amazing drums sound ever recorded at that point, and little novelties like backwards echo (which Jimmy Page claims he invented).

Agreed!
 
Not sure about the echo thing ... you ought to look up Tangerine Dream's Edgar Froese talking about using the tape loops as early as 1968 ... he also talks about talking to "those folks" about getting the tape loops "right" so the music could be done right!

Moshkiae, I think you nailed it - its so simple.  When I listen, I don't picture a guy at a computer - I picture 4 guys rocking out.

Rain


.......................... and little novelties like backwards echo (which Jimmy Page claims he invented).

Thats just silly.




Common knowledge is that Al Gore invented backwards echo. 


Jimmy Page invented the internet.

roskovod


I watched a biography on Black Sabbath a few weeks ago.    Their self titled debut album was recorded and mixed in TWO days.  Done-finished-ready for pressing in two days.  Of course, after the biograph, I pulled the album out of moth balls and took a listen - pretty amazing. 
 
Now, as I sit in front of my computer for hours, trying to find that perfect reverb for track 27, I'm even more amazed.

I am guessing the songs were written and performed often all ready at this point for this particular first album. and that's cool!


The Beatles recorded their first album in 12 hours. 


Not comparing the two bands -- just saying .. a well rehearsed band and a good enginner can do this. 

Moshkiae

Agreed!
 
Not sure about the echo thing ... you ought to look up Tangerine Dream's Edgar Froese talking about using the tape loops as early as 1968 ... he also talks about talking to "those folks" about getting the tape loops "right" so the music could be done right!

Well, TBH, people had started experimenting w/ tape loops before 68 - the avant garde scene of the mid sixties for example. Also, Page specifies reversed echo - which goes one step further: reversing the tape, adding echo to that and then re-reversing it. 

Here's the excerpt from an interview w/ Guitar World, dated 1993.

"During one session [with The Yardbirds],  we were recording "Ten Little Indians",  which was an extremely silly song that featured a truly awful brass arrangement. In fact,  the whole track sounded terrible. In a desperate attempt to salvage it,  I hit upon an idea. I said,  "Look, turn the tape over and employ the echo for the brass on a spare track. Then turn it back over and we'll get the echo preceding the signal." The result was very interesting -- it made the track sound like it was going backwards.

Later,  when we recorded "You Shook Me",  I told the engineer,  Glyn Johns,  that I wanted to use backwards echo on the end. He said,  "Jimmy, it can't be done". I said "Yes, it can. I've already done it." Then he began arguing,  so I said,  "Look, I'm the producer. I'm going to tell you what to do, and just do it." So he grudgingly did everything I told him to,  and when we were finished he started refusing to push the fader up so I could hear the result. Finally,  I had to scream,  "Push the bloody fader up!" And lo and behold,  the effect worked perfectly.


He just couldn't accept that someone knew something that he didn't know - especially a musician!  The pompous git!   The funny thing is,  Glyn did the next Stones album and what was on it? Backwards echo!  And I'm sure he took full credit for the effect."