A great engineer and a great guy, Larry Boden, his journey from MCA Studios to Taco Bell & beyond

My cheeks hurt from that big, 8 minute smile I just had while watching.

 

So it looks like Larry Boden may be moving to Kansas? Great mastering engineer, hope he gets back to disc cutting. I remember seeing his deadwax etchings on a Johnny Burnette Trio comp from about 1978 on Solid Smoke records... his first and last name were etched in cursive on both sides, along with some other messages.... The liner notes on the back go on about how the original monaural tapes and the utmost care was used in mastering.... he even left in some false starts. Obviously he put a lot of care into his work.

 

wow!

 

What a great guy. I wish more people were like him. Thanks for sharing this.

 

Great video! Sounds like an awesome guy. What's going on with Larry now?

 

Last autumn I read that Larry Boden was working as chief mastering engineer for the new Mastering Lab that Acoustic Sounds set up. See here:
The Mastering Lab To Re-Open As part Of Acoustic Sounds - Room 9028 & MARKETPLACE - Rocky Mountain Audio Fest

 

Are you saying that Bill Schwartau had hard time in his later years? I know nothing that happened to him after 1964 (untill his death in 1985).
Could you tell me the story?

 

I am happy to see Larry Boden (LB) back mastering records in the studio. When I saw those two initials in deadwax, I knew that record would sound great before I played the first note.

 

That’s a terrific, touching and inspiring story that I’m glad to have seen. I used it as a teaching opportunity with my 10 year old son.

Thanks for sharing Steve.

 

Out of curiosity, have been looking at later reissues of albums and who may have worked on them after initial releases, and I was wondering if this 1979 MCA reissue release with a 'LB' not etched but stamped at the end of the matrix # would indicate the work of Larry Boden? Anybody know, guess?

Via Discogs...

• Matrix / Runout (Runout A): MCA 850 WIO LB
• Matrix / Runout (Runout B): MCA 851 WIO LB
• Matrix / Runout (Cat# Label A): MCA 850
• Matrix / Runout (Cat# Label B): MCA 851
• Matrix / Runout (Variant Side 1 Etched): MCA 850-W3
• Matrix / Runout (Variant Side 2 Etched): MCA 851-W4
• Label Code (Variant Label Side 1): (MCA850)
• Label Code (Variant Label Side 2): (MCA851)
• Matrix / Runout (Variant 2 Side 1 Etched): MCA 850-W4
• Matrix / Runout (Variant 2 Side 1 Stamped): TML-S [diamond-P-diamond] 1
• Matrix / Runout (Variant 2 Side 1 Etched): MCA 851-W3
• Matrix / Runout (Variant 2 Side 2 Stamped): TML-M [diamond-P-diamond] 1111

 

I recently bought a near mint used LP of Joni Mitchell's Court And Spark album.

We played it just yesterday and were in awe of the sound quality and mastering. At the end of Side Two I checked the deadwax and saw the initials "LB".

Thank you Larry and the best of everything to you and yours.

 

Incredible perspective...........thank you Uncle Larry.

 

What a decent human being, a heartwarming story.

 

That w

That was great. Just what I needed to see today. Thanks

 

I think Stevie's angling for an episode of Mastering Engineers In Cars Getting Coffee...

 

I wonder when The Mastering Lab will be back in action, it's a couple of years since Chad Kassem moved it to Salina.

JG

 

Anybody? To the above message, I'm not a total idiot reading matrix etc. but am far from being any expert. The LB above at the end of the matrix refer to something else or Larry Boden - perhaps it's a LB etch and not part of the machine stamp. Thanks for any help in the right direction. I recently specifically bought a few etched LB 45s made in 1978. This 33 would be from 1979. Thanks for any helpful info.

 

I can answer my own question from above post. For any Who fans who didn't know, like me, LB did do the 1979 WBN MCA Coral reissue. LB initialed both sides. Upon my listening fwiw, vocals and therfore lyrics sounded real clear and distinct to me and with a tonality that I found especially appealing and effective. Seemed little to no 'interfering' frequencies with them either and if so perhaps the often wide stereo spread also aided their central presence. Electric and acoustic guitar detail at times seemed like they especially had a resonant and harmonic ambience to them. Enjoyable to hear. It was a fun and satisfying listening experience for me overall. Seemed like a well-balanced sound relative to anything else I listen to from the ATLP60 and older pair of Sennheisers I often use. Bass sound seemed more modest to me, more a close listen, so if one might look for The Ox to really thump and rumble and Moon to really crash and thrash around, I heard more restraint and subtlety from the sound of them, and enjoyed it. Guess I should try to clean the VG/+ copy I just got in case y'all don't have that LB from '79 already lol and decide you want it. I, fwiw, enjoyed listening to it. Found nothing harsh or shrill about it, energy still there, but perhaps a mellower and easier on my ears and heart (less 'thumping') listen.

 

Funny, I played the American Graffiti soundtrack over the weekend. Truly awful sound. Fake stereo on the monos, x or y generation tapes on the stereo, or z... Truly bad.

But fun for a "sound of the times" play.

Then, not having enough of hte 60's sound, I put on "More American Graffiti". A 1979 compilation from MCA. Was like night and day. This one was clear, distinct, mono was real mono, sounded like it was using 1:1 well done transfers for everything. Double album. I looked on the back: Engineer: Terry Brown. Mastered by Larry Boden.

So I googled him and ended up here.

 

Any more news on how he's doing?

 

Thanks Steve for posting and bumping! Never seen this before.
Your original post video speaks volumes of what an amazing human being someone can be.
The man has a heart so big that he takes it out of his chest and hands it to you on a platter.
His sensitivity is so dynamic, no wonder he has affected the lives of so many.
A real sweetheart.
Wonderful stuff.

 

This made me cry. Great video. Thanks for sharing.