Ry Cooder is very serious about the sound of his guitars and amps (and creates incredible tone), so when he heard about this new-fangled recording system---digital, he was eager to try it. Bop 'Til You Drop was the first digitally recorded Pop (non-Classical) album, and Ry was extremely disappointed with the sound of the album---he hated it.
Ry returned to analog recording, but it wasn't until he heard a Water Lily recording that he was again interested enough to pursue a new recording system. His comment upon hearing that WL album was "Why don't my albums sound this good?". He contacted Water Lily's genius recording engineer Kavi Alexander, who records with tube mics and an analog recorder with tube electronics by Tim de Paravicini, designer and builder of the great EAR-Yoshino consumer electronics. Ry and Kavi have done a couple of records together, including the Grammy-winning (for audio engineering) A Meeting By The River.
Too bad about the sound of Bop 'Til You Drop---the music is great. Ry is one of the best guitarists in the world---just ask any pro!
