The Great British Recording Studios

If you are at all interested in where so many fantastic records were made. Do not hesitate to get this book.

I take my hat off to Howard Massey for producing such a thoroughly researched, comprehensive, definitive work cataloguing all the noteworthy British recording studios – from the opening of Abbey Road in 1931 up to the twenty-first century. It’s a heavyweight book in every sense of the word – packed with technical details and tales of experimentation, innovation and continual improvement.Unfortunately it isn’t exactly the book I was hoping for. If you ever worked in the recording industry, or you’re a complete audio geek, you’ll love it. However for the average music fan/record collector (OK, I’ve got 4000 albums so I’m not average) it’s got far too many lists of exactly which models of microphones, compressors, equalizers, limiters and monitors each studio had, and not enough human stories about what the artists and engineers actually got up to in the studio.I did find much to enjoy in the book, particularly the chapter on Joe Meek’s home studio and the recurring feature of “Stories from the Studio”, but I found myself skipping over large chunks of technical inventory. Nevertheless, after reading it I’m lost in admiration for all the producers and engineers who created such great records for us all to enjoy back in the days of analogue tape recording.

This book thoroughly deserves 5 stars or more. If you have any interest in the golden era of recording, and as the title reveals, this book focuses on the British studios of the era, there is a wealth of information and insider tips and stories from the engineering greats. The period from the mid 1950's to the mid / late 70's was one of rapid technological innovation and growth of recording skills, in the UK and elsewhere, and this book tracks that growth expertly, with many contributions from the people who were there, doing it. In those days, engineers meant just that - these people were not only aural experts, but knew their way around a repair shop with a soldering iron ! Don't expect reams of tittle tattle on drug taking or depraved rock stars - there isn't any. The book rightly features the big 3 record label studios first, and then the first big independent studios. My own personal favourite is Olympic Studios in Barnes - now given a new lease of life as a wonderful bistro on the ground floor, and a cinema on the first floor in what was Studio One ..... go and visit if you're in the area, I have and it is a great vibe. Olympic was a second home to the Stones for a period, the Who, Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie and lots of seminal rock bands of the late 60's and early 70's recorded there. I can heartily recommend this book, and if you are a recording enthusiast, or working engineer, there is a wealth of useful information on how the greats did it. A lost era sadly, now replaced by computers, Pro Tools and home studios.

This is a beautifully produced and substantial book.A fascinating tour of some of the most important and productive British recording studios.But inexplicably it misses out Rockfield Studios!One of the longest established residential UK studios where so many important and influential albums were recorded!I think Howard needs to get his pen out and write a book on that wonderful studio!

Bought as a gift for my brother in law who is a music producer and very keen on the history of music production. He didn’t have a book like it and loved it and thought it was an interesting read. A great addition to his library.The order came quickly and in good condition, and looked just as it is described.

a fasinating read

A must read for anyone interested in this subject!

This is a very comprehensive and factual description of recording in the mid and later 20th century.I keep dipping into it....or for those with plenty of time and curiosity just read it right through.It is interesting to compare facilities then ,with today's digital world,ot ,for luddites like myself just wallow in the past.