As soon as I could start playing music under phone I did. WoodEye? in all of its incarnation practiced under phones. Now I must admit there is nothing like have the kick drum and bass thump you in the chest when everyone finally gets in the pocket, but as a singer/songwriter I had never had the chance to compete with the rhythm section until I was really able to hear myself. It is almost the key to developing your style. Not to mention the endless repetition of drummers as you rehearse. With all due respect to drummers.
I noticed that many folks began to really start the audiophile era when headphones began to enter the market in the mid-seventies. There were many European models that were heavy duty, and tight fitting to your head so you could sustain the amount of movement that musicians often have when they play. You gotta move to the music, and when you start creating your own style the range of motion increases.
I believe it so influenced many players that it created its own genre. There were many bands that sounded so good in the phones. Producers were quick to add more processing, and quirks to the recording that, in my opinion, allowed people to hear new things in the recordings for a long time. I have had people tell me they had just heard some of our background vocals after listening for a year. I have experienced that same phenomena. That is what makes producing an album fun.
Hayden Hughes WoodEye?
American Audiophile 1978
