just a brief note in defense of recording engineers, click tracks, drum machines, etc. the ability to play with a click and still have a sense of freedom and placement of the beat is a skill that can be learned, much like playing a musical instrument. the click track and drum programs are tools. if you can't play with them and have your music come out as you think it should be, it isn't necessarily the click tracks fault. and as far as engineers go, while there are many engineers who don't know what they're doing and think that just because they bought some gear they must be engineers now, there are at least an equal number of inexperienced,dogmatic, poorly prepared,lazy folkies who walk into a studio with no idea of what it takes to make a good recording. i personally know several engineers who, when faced with these types actually try to help them make a recording that sounds halfway decent. and these people don't always have the skills required to play something live and get a good take before they've screwed up enough times to drain their performance of any good energy they may have had to start with. the keys to good recording are very similar to the keys to good musicianship.