🎵 FIELD GUIDE 40: In which Jeff gets overexcited about Rick Rubin
Welcome to FURTHER AFIELD, our monthly foray outside FFOREST for stories and ideas we think you’ll love.
Last week, CBS released some clips of Anderson Cooper interviewing legendary music producer Rick Rubin. They grabbed me. I’ve been thinking a lot about those few minutes. Yesterday, I watched the full interview. It’s a whole thing. Please take 15 minutes and put this interview into your life.
(You know how sometimes you know a thing is a thing? Another time this happened was when I first heard Elizabeth Gilbert talking about the concepts that would become Big Magic. She flipped my entire understanding of creativity.)
Maybe this is such a big deal to me because it’s about making music. Music keeps me alive (barely an overstatement). To get insight into the thinking of a man so committed to and skilled at allowing great music to happen— It’s better than someone throwing buckets of free money at you.
Here’s the measure of how excited I am about learning from Rick Rubin: I bought the hardcover book that is the reason why he’s doing interviews. I think I last did that was when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out. I’m a library and used book kind of guy.
Rick Rubin bonuses:
Here’s an hourlong – you can spend an hour FOR FREE with Rick Rubin! – podcast in which you can learn from Slayer’s ‘Reign of Blood’ about seeing things for what they are and why we don’t (and so much more): Spotify, Youtube or search ‘Ways to Change the World’ wherever you get your podcasts. (I use Overcast.)
Here’s Rick Rubin talking about taking communion with Johnny Cash:
Last Saturday, Christine put Dire Straits’ ‘On The Night’ in the Honda’s CD player. She had picked it up at the charity shop that morning (10 for £2!). OMG, the opening track! The way the drums and pedal steel drive the music is my favourite sound of 2023 so far. Headphones on. (Spotify)
I hope you have a marvellous weekend. I’ll be reading my new Rick Rubin book.
Grow slowly
Jeff