Don't know why, but I've got this song stuck in my head:Bruce Springsteen - "Nebraska"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qd4RGTQxf4

I saw her standin' on her front lawn
Just twirlin' her baton
Me and her went for a ride sir
And ten innocent people died

From the town of Lincoln Nebraska
Aith a sawed-off .410 on my lap
Through to the badlands of Wyoming
I killed everything in my path

I can't say that I'm sorry
For the things that we done
At least for a little while sir
Me and her we had us some fun

The jury brought in a guilty verdict
And the judge he sentenced me to death
Midnight in prision storeroom
With leather straps across my chest

Sheriff when the man pulls
That switch sir and snaps my poor neck back
You make sure my pretty baby
Is sittin' right there on my lap

They declared me unfit to live
Said into that great void my soul'd be hurled
They wanted to know why I did what I did
Well sir I guess there's just a meanness in this world

Bruce, a guitar and a harmonica. One of my favorite albums.

:shrug:

Relatively primitive.

In basic terms please?

That has four separate inputs, so you can record 4 tracks (4 different instruments) at the same time (or at different times), but have them separate, so you can manipulate the volume and effects on each "track" in isolation from the other tracks. For example, Bruce would have one track for his voice, one track for the guitar and one for the harmonica (you don't necessarily have to use all 4 tracks). That way, when he was done w/ the recording, he could raise the volume (for example) on his voice only if he wanted. The device also allows you to record different parts at different times. So first he could record the guitar part. Then on another track he could record the vocals while listening to the guitar part he previously recorded. Then finally he could record the harmonica while listening to the other two tracks. The volumes/effects for each track can be manipulated (mixed) separately (IOW, volume and effects settings for vocals could be adjusted w/out effecting the volume/effects of the other tracks).

the one that he used retailed for about $200 at the time. He also used 2 low cost Shure SM57 microphones ($100)
AND...
he dubbed the master mix from the cassette 4 track onto a jambox cassette player which had previously been fished out of the lake behind his house.

Nebraska is a great record. Not only his best record, but also one of the best records ever made by anyone.

I have his Radio Nowhere (not sure if that's the exact title) stuck in my head.

on the list of top 50 places to raise children-- the same reason I've had it as an earworm the last few days. Thought of posting it to that thread, but somehow it didn't seem appropriate.