The Rick Rubin song described as “crazy person’s music”

(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)

Sun 22 December 2024 18:52, UK

Those who have worked with Rick Rubin will likely say his approach doesn’t work for everybody. Never one to feel pressured by musical theory or pragmatic techniques, Rubin’s guidance in the studio centres around the more basic principles of intuition, with emotion and viscera leading the way. In his view, music thrives in its purest form and becomes “watered down” when overthinking begins to feed in.

For this reason, Rubin is one of the most controversial producers who ever lived, not because of anything regarding his personal views but because of how divisive he remains among musicians from all over. While many praise his demeanour in the studio, others claim he isn’t hands-on enough or doesn’t possess enough know-how to transition his instincts into real productivity.

For others, however, this is absolutely ideal. While his lack of knowledge and experience in some areas is a big deal for some, for others, it’s the fundamental basis for his authentic input and enables him to embrace and enhance a project as an outsider. This is helpful, especially for musicians who grow too close to their material to be able to form fresh perspectives, which is where Rubin comes in.

Rubin knows this about himself, too. Describing his specific way of thinking in his book The Creative Act, he said creating music never needs to be complicated, as “All that matters is that you are making something you love, to the best of your ability, here and now”. As a result of this ethos, his approach has always centred around feeling and enjoyment rather than commercialism, which often immediately puts musicians at ease, knowing that what they’re doing needn’t feel stressful or overwhelming.

This approach defined Rubin’s work with many, including System of a Down, particularly during moments when Serj Tankian needed the sort of off-kilter guidance Rubin has made himself known for. On ‘Chop Suey’, for instance, Tankian struggled to put lyrics to the bridge. Rubin, in his signature nonchalance, urged Tankian not to panic and encouraged him to take a random book from the library’s wall surrounding them.

Tankian found the lyrics that would inspire the bridge, the abstract nature of them becoming entirely fitting for a song defined by not making all that much sense at all. As Rubin noted: “It’s an unusual song because the verse is so frantic. The style is so broken up and unusual. It’s both difficult to sing and arguably difficult to listen to.”

Elsewhere, he recalled playing the track for Tom Morello, who described it as “crazy person’s music,” which they established from the outset and ensured they remained true to.

However, working with System of a Down also saw Rubin realise one of the most important lessons in musical creativity: prioritising authenticity, no matter what. The band’s music was met with significant resistance in the early stages, with many stations refusing to play it, but major successes down the road proved that music could still resonate even if it went heavily against the grain. “I never consider, ‘Where does this fit?’” Rubin said.

Concluding: “If you start making decisions based on what you think [people will] like, you’re going to water it down. The best version of it is the real version. Some people will love it, some people will hate it. And it’s okay”.

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