Very often, the artist is the very last person or people who get to decide “as it was intended.”
When I read that, I can only wonder if those saying that have spent any time recording in a studio or in the business in any capacity.
I know someone — a name many of you would recognize who broke down and cried when he heard the final mix.
The producer, A&R staff, management, etc., etc. all have input. Rare is when someone is ushered into a studio and told to just have at it.
Arguments erupt, compromises made, artists made to knuckle under or else.
And is every band always in perfect harmonious agreement themselves?
And what about when the studio musicians are brought in over the band members? Tracks can be and are often replaced entirely. Whose artistic intent are we to consider?
Ever do any recording? Producer tell you not to play something but do this instead, twiddle the knobs on your amp and make it sound like crap and then use a solo you didn’t like at all?
And you listen back and think, dang, why does it sound like that?
This is a business and again, “as the artist intended” is often the very last consideration.
So why worry about something that doesn’t always exist anyway?
