Well said, Nigel. I'm not doubting the efficacy of a good production man as outlined in Mick's original post, but I would say that the tone of the post implies that there is a distinctive gap between the 'professionals' and the 'amateurs' which can't be bridged. It's as though, being amateurs, we can't hope to compete - but the world of the 'amateur' in many artistic and scientific fields, is filled with an amazing range of talents and abilities from poor to brilliant.

I have several of Bill Leader's recordings and they're a joy to listen to. Furthermore, one of my all-time favourite albums is of a young Snooks Eaglin, recorded on the back porch of the house of a New Orleans doctor, on a simple reel-to-reel recorder - birds tweeting in the background - wonderful stuff! And another favourite is "Billy Pigg, the Border Minstrel" - which consists entirely of amateur and very simple live recordings in various venues at various times. I appreciate that, if these were to be recorded today, the sound would probably be far superior, but they're still marvels.

Anyway, as Phil Spector's lapel badge once said - "Back to mono!" (I jest, of course).