Mike Mettler

The S&V Interview
Tom Bailey, Synth-Pop Songcrafter
Mike Mettler  |  Aug 08, 2018  |  0 comments
Photo by James Cumpsty

Tom Bailey, the chief architect of the super-successful ’80s synth-pop masters Thompson Twins (“Hold Me Now,” “Love on Your Side”) is back with a cosmically named solo album, Science Fiction. We called him during a tour stop in Houston to discuss the sonic structure of the album, how he once built his own P.A. speakers, and reconnecting with listening to music on vinyl.

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The S&V Interview
Elliot Scheiner, Surround Sound Mixmaster
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 25, 2018  |  0 comments
Legendary producer/engineer Elliot Scheiner at LA's iconic Capitol Studios.

“I make these records, so I know what the artists want to hear,” notes legendary producer/engineer Elliot Scheiner (a.k.a. ELS) while perched behind the main mixing board in Capitol Records Studio A in Los Angeles. I sat down exclusively in the control room with Scheiner and the members of acclaimed indie/folk-rockers Dawes to discuss their mutual and individual goals for surround sound recording and mixing, and how well it all comes across in the ELS Studio 3D premium audio system in the 2019 Acura RDX.

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The S&V Interview
Steve Cropper, Soul Man of the Stax Sound
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 11, 2018  |  0 comments
Steve Cropper is the king of the song intro and one of the chief architects of the legendary Stax Records sound. To get the scoop on his recorded history, I called the once and forever Booker T. & The MG’s guitarist/producer to discuss the process of going from mono to stereo in the studio, the true origin of Sam Moore’s indelible “Play it, Steve!” exclamation on “Soul Man,” and the compositional sizzle behind the Booker T. instrumental masterpiece, “Green Onions.”
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The S&V Interview
Bluesmaster Buddy Guy Is 'Alive and Well'
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 20, 2018  |  1 comments
There are legends, and then there’s Buddy Guy. The Chicago-based octogenarian blues guitarist originally from Lettsworth, Louisiana just keeps going and going. And if his new album, The Blues Is Alive and Well (Silvertone/RCA) is any indication, the Guy train won’t be making its final stop anytime soon.
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The S&V Interview
Return of The Hunter: Jennifer Warnes Takes Us to Another Time, Another Place
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 06, 2018  |  0 comments
Photos: Herclayheart

Some vocalists turn everything they sing into pure audio gold. One such vocalist is Jennifer Warnes, who brings originality, style, and grace to everything her voice touches, as her new album Another Time, Another Place readily attests. Warnes got on the line to discuss the meticulous process she goes through in making her song choices, her special relationship with Leonard Cohen, and why she feels her voice continues to resonate with her listeners.

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Music Disc Reviews
INXS: Kick - 30th Anniversary Edition
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 01, 2018  |  2 comments
Performance
Sound
INXS were riding high as the calendar got deeper and deeper into 1987. The alt-rocking Australian sextet had truly come into their own following the wider international penetration of 1985’s Listen Like Thieves. They were also burgeoning MTV darlings, mainly thanks to the magnetic presence of poster-boy frontman Michael Hutchence. That said, the band had enough musical acumen to override their video-centric image, best exemplified by the churning, layered groove of Thieves’ big hit, “What You Need,” itself born of the interlocked songwriting axis of lyricist/vocalist Hutchence and keyboardist/guitarist Andrew Farriss.

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The S&V Interview
Also Sprach Rocktopia: Backstage With Broadway’s Inspiring Hybrid Rock/Classical Musical
Mike Mettler  |  May 17, 2018  |  0 comments
Photos: Matthew Murphy

You say you want a musical (r)evolution? Well, you know, look no further than what’s being done with Rocktopia, the quite inspiring, electrifying hybrid rock-meets-classical musical that recently completed a triumphant six-week run on Broadway, with a tour currently in the midst of being planned for the fall. I sat down backstage with Rocktopia co-creators Rob Evan and Tony Bruno to discuss the clever ways they fuse the worlds of classical and rock music together, and where the show may be headed next.

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The S&V Interview
Keyboard Maestro Tony Banks Writes His Next Chapter
Mike Mettler  |  May 02, 2018  |  0 comments
Post-Genesis, keyboard maestro Tony Banks has focused on his writing skills via a trilogy of classical-oriented releases, including his latest, 2018 effort, 5. We got on the line with Banks to discuss the evolution of his orchestral compositions, his ongoing appreciation for the surround sound mixes of the entire Genesis catalog and his solo material, and what he might (or might not) tackle next.
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Music Disc Reviews
The Alan Parsons Project: Eye In the Sky 35th Anniversary Collector's Edition
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 19, 2018  |  0 comments
Performance
Sound
It’s quite fitting that when Alan Parsons—the well-respected English producer and engineer whose enviable behind-the-board C.V. includes the likes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Hollies, Al Stewart, Pilot, and Ambrosia—finally ventured out on his own as a titular recording artist in the mid-’70s, his collective work was dubbed The Alan Parsons Project.

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Reference TracksThe S&V Interview
Jim Kerr Sustains Simple Minds with a ‘Walk Between Worlds’
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 18, 2018  |  0 comments
When the time comes to record new music, veteran bands often run the risk of being trapped trying to replicate their past successes to a sonic T by playing it safe and serving up a relatively pale companion to the recognizable sound they’ve established over their careers.

It’s something that was clearly permeating the brainwaves of Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr and his songwriting foil, guitarist/keyboardist Charlie Burchill, as the pair began to construct the tracks that would comprise their new studio album, the aptly named Walk Between Worlds (BMG)...

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