Rick Rubin

The first thing that comes to mind would be Johnny Cash because he had gone, you know, 25 years of not having success and he had been dropped from two labels. And when I signed him, he didn't, he didn't even know why I was interested. That really was a conversation. It's like, what, why, what do you think, why do you think working with you is going to be any different than working with anyone else?

The first thing that comes to mind would be Johnny Cash because he had gone, you know, 25 years of not having success and he had been dropped from two labels. And when I signed him, he didn't, he didn't even know why I was interested. That really was a conversation. It's like, what, why, what do you think, why do you think working with you is going to be any different than working with anyone else?

Like he had given up. Um, And for him to get into it, we recorded in my living room. And he would just play me songs on an acoustic guitar. And there was an honesty in what was happening there. We didn't know that we were making a record. At that time, we were just looking for songs. So he was playing me songs. It was almost like a way for us to musically meet each other.

Like he had given up. Um, And for him to get into it, we recorded in my living room. And he would just play me songs on an acoustic guitar. And there was an honesty in what was happening there. We didn't know that we were making a record. At that time, we were just looking for songs. So he was playing me songs. It was almost like a way for us to musically meet each other.

He would play me the songs he loved, either from childhood or songs that he thinks he'd like to sing, or a song he wrote. And it was just a very honest experience. And then we went into the studio. We picked some of those songs. We went through hundreds of songs.

He would play me the songs he loved, either from childhood or songs that he thinks he'd like to sing, or a song he wrote. And it was just a very honest experience. And then we went into the studio. We picked some of those songs. We went through hundreds of songs.

and then picked a handful to try to record and we went when we went into the studio with the band it didn't sound it didn't have what the living room recordings had there was some intimate honesty and we'd never heard johnny cash that way before Um, so that led to the first album, which was a solo acoustic album.

and then picked a handful to try to record and we went when we went into the studio with the band it didn't sound it didn't have what the living room recordings had there was some intimate honesty and we'd never heard johnny cash that way before Um, so that led to the first album, which was a solo acoustic album.

Again, we didn't set out to make a solo acoustic album, but it revealed itself as that's the most interesting thing to do. And that ended up being very successful and very successful with young people, which he had not experienced since the 1950s. Um, so that was a.

Again, we didn't set out to make a solo acoustic album, but it revealed itself as that's the most interesting thing to do. And that ended up being very successful and very successful with young people, which he had not experienced since the 1950s. Um, so that was a.

And after that, after the success of that album, we made five more albums together and he had confidence based on the experience of the first one, which he'd expected nobody to care about really, uh, took to cold with people. And then on, I think it was on our fourth or fifth album, um, he did a cover of hurt the nine inch nail song.

And after that, after the success of that album, we made five more albums together and he had confidence based on the experience of the first one, which he'd expected nobody to care about really, uh, took to cold with people. And then on, I think it was on our fourth or fifth album, um, he did a cover of hurt the nine inch nail song.

And that ended up being probably the biggest, you know, maybe the biggest hit of his life, certainly of his later life. Wow. And, um, and that was a real revelation.

And that ended up being probably the biggest, you know, maybe the biggest hit of his life, certainly of his later life. Wow. And, um, and that was a real revelation.

I'll say it's not as simple as that because there's a vulnerability required for the artist. that if you're confident to the point that it disguises your vulnerability, that doesn't work. So it's like a dance between being wildly open and vulnerable and commitment to do whatever it takes to get your work through. That combination, which is a difficult combination.

I'll say it's not as simple as that because there's a vulnerability required for the artist. that if you're confident to the point that it disguises your vulnerability, that doesn't work. So it's like a dance between being wildly open and vulnerable and commitment to do whatever it takes to get your work through. That combination, which is a difficult combination.

That's true. There's, I'll say though, to get up in front of people and sing.

That's true. There's, I'll say though, to get up in front of people and sing.

Yes. And it's not about perfection. That's the thing. It's like, humanity breathes in the mistakes you know in the it's what it's what's not ordinary if it was if it was machine like perfect it's not so interesting it's cookie cutter all right it's all the same so it's the it's the edges it's the frayed edges that make it interesting

Yes. And it's not about perfection. That's the thing. It's like, humanity breathes in the mistakes you know in the it's what it's what's not ordinary if it was if it was machine like perfect it's not so interesting it's cookie cutter all right it's all the same so it's the it's the edges it's the frayed edges that make it interesting