The Neil Young song Rick Rubin couldn’t live without
In the opening of his book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin says: “Creativity is not a rare ability. It is not difficult to access. Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It’s our birthright. And it’s for all of us.” Rubin is the embodiment of practising what you preach, as he is someone with no musical ability whatsoever but is widely considered one of the most creative minds in the musical world.
In his book, Rick Rubin unpacks the secret to creativity, essentially giving the reader a glimpse into how he can apply his thoughts and feelings to the music he contributes to. There are several different avenues he goes down when discussing his inkling towards different music, but it all essentially comes down to having a strong belief in the work that you’re contributing towards and trusting your instinct.
Rick Rubin was always open to listening to new music when he was younger, something which is widely reflected in the disparity on show for his appearance on Desert Island Discs. He references classical music, punk, and folk music in the form of Bach, Ramones, and Simon and Garfunkel.
This affinity to variation is also present throughout Rubin’s producing career, as he has worked with a sporadic list of artists who make rap, rock, folk and just about every genre you can think of. His lack of technical ability is a massive help, as any specific playing styles don’t restrict him; he knows what he likes and is willing to put his creative ideas forward. There is only one thing that he looks for in an artist and in the music he listens to, and that is best represented in the Neil Young track that he includes on his Desert Island Discs playlist.
‘I Believe In You’ was written by Neil Young in the ‘70s and is one of the more popular songs featured on his After the Gold Rush record. Since its release, it has been covered by artists who love it, including Rita Coolidge, Robin Zander and Linda Ronstadt. Rick Rubin is also on the list of adoring fans of the song.
“The song had such an overwhelming effect on me that I had to pull off the road,” he said, “It felt like my heart stopped. It felt like I was just in this other experience. There was some feeling of death related to it, too, but it didn’t feel scary or bad; it just felt beautiful and connected and expansive. It was fantastic. Those are the moments I’m looking for.”
This perfectly reflects what Rick Rubin looks for in a song and why he can make such universal music. He wants to be able to feel something in the music he listens to, and if he doesn’t, he knows that something is wrong.
Music can often be complicated and becomes too abstract to understand. What it does a lot of the time is create a fictional world slightly ajar from our real one, where our internal feelings are acknowledged and voiced beautifully. Rubin knows how to connect with an audience and occupy this world; that’s something he has done throughout his career, and it’s what songs like ‘I Believe In You’ taught him.
