Music nerds don’t need me to tell them about Rick Beato – he’s a YouTube-guy-talking-about-music. I would like to call your attention to two interviews he did with legendary music producers, though.

The first was the interview with Butch Vig, who produced albums for the Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. It’s delightful to hear someone at the top of their craft talking about the work with such enthusiasm. Vig is a drummer himself. Watching him air-drum along with Nirvana shows how he has these songs burned deeply into his mind.

The second was the interview with Daniel Lanois, who produced classic albums with Brian Eno, U2, and Peter Gabriel. Lanois was in the room, sometimes contributing directly, when songs like One by U2, or In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel were formed. I also enjoyed hearing Lanois explain how “Cajun” came from “Acadian.”

My favourite Lanois album is Shine. You can really hear the sound of U2’s Achtung Baby on a song like I Love You.