The recording techniques of producers and engineers to get certain sounds is sometimes really fascinating. I was thinking this because I was on the Foals myspace (quite liking their song 'Mathletics' which, despite the title, is only in 8/8 time - nothing math-y at all) and saw this picture of them in the studio:


And like the geek that I am, I was interested to see how the snare's been softened by a shirt and there's a great big blanket over the front of the kick. You can totally hear the effect on the kick, but I'm not so sure about the snare . . .

I love the producer's role in recording. There's a DVD with the version of London Calling I have, and there's so many hilarious shots of Guy Stevens crawling under the piano and clinging onto Mick Jones' leg etc. It's a hard won thing, the right sound . . .