Episode 357 - Why Imperfection Makes Art (and Life) Beautiful

Episode 357 - Why Imperfection Makes Art (and Life) Beautiful
When I was a young kid, I was really into music, a passion I’ve talked about before. I had thousands of records and was especially fascinated as I started playing the guitar. Listening to these recordings of bands, I marveled at what sounded like perfect execution.
The first time I took my band into a studio, we were about 14 years old. I remember listening to those recordings afterwards, hearing all the flaws and mistakes—the timing wasn’t right, the drum didn’t hit quite right. I wondered how these groups achieved what I perceived as perfection.
One particular moment stands out. I was a huge Judas Priest fan, and I remember listening to “You Got Another Thing Comin’” from their album Screaming for Vengeance. This song became one of their biggest hits. One day, while listening to it on headphones, I noticed something at about the two-minute mark in one of the choruses. One of the guitarists, Glenn or K.K., hit an open string ever so slightly by accident. It was so subtle and quiet that it could easily be overlooked, but with headphones on, you could catch it.
Over time, as I listened to more music and got more involved, I recognized how much imperfection there is in recorded music. These imperfections often go unnoticed because we’re not looking for them, or they become part of the recording, adding personality and life.
Musicians often take advantage of these imperfections. For example, they double track an instrument because it’s impossible to play it exactly the same twice. A guitarist will play a part all the way through, which is then mixed to the left ear. They’ll then play the exact same part again, and this recording is mixed to the right ear. The imperfections, when played against each other, create a huge, stereo effect.
This technique can also be applied to vocals. A singer will sing the same part twice, and these recordings are hard-panned—one to the left and one to the right. This hard panning emphasizes the imperfections and creates a feeling of bigness and rich stereo imagery.
The secret lies in the inability to be exact and perfect. Passionate playing and these slight imperfections are what give music its unique character and depth.