Welcome to issue 23 of Tape Op! I just worked a 12 hour day and it's 1 AM and I'm pretty tired. I'm writing this from Seattle as I'm nearing the end of a tracking session for the new Walkabouts album at Studio Litho (where Tchad Blake did the last Pearl Jam record!). I'm working with a band I've been friends with for years and really enjoy musically. I'm also using some amazing gear for the first time, like an API console and a Studer 24-track. Things are sounding pretty damn good, and I'm getting a lot of input into the feel of the tracks. The hardest part is getting Tape Op done in time (sorry John!) and managing Jackpot! Recording from another town. Plus I miss my girlfriend terribly, and I wonder how easy it will be to take jobs away from home in the future, though I'm sure I will choose to. Sometimes I think this is crazy, but I really don't want to go back to waiting on tables. Like I said in the letters section, this isn't a job that you choose, it chooses you instead. I'm gonna go to bed now — I'll see you next issue.
-Larry Crane
PS: Thanks to the Walkabouts for hiring me, Floyd for helping, Jason and Emily for housing me, and Jane for waiting for me...