Pete Townshend, a renowned rock icon, is known for his candid remarks. And in a recent appearance on the Rockonteurs podcast, the legendary Who guitarist didn’t hold back when it came to his thoughts on renowned producer Rick Rubin and the advice he gives about the creative process.
Townshend expressed frustration over what he sees as Rubin’s contradictory messages about how artists should approach their craft. “You see a lot of stuff on YouTube and Instagram—people nagging you about the way that you have to be creative,” Townshend began. “Somebody needs to occasionally slap Rick Rubin, because one minute he’s telling us that we need to do whatever we like, and then, on the other hand, he’s telling us that we mustn’t do this, and we mustn’t do that.”
Townshend went on to explain that he’s experimented with a wide range of creative methods over the course of his storied career, from lugging “complete big recording studios” on the road to using “little cassette machines” in the studio. When the mood strikes him, he also records with full orchestras.
“But what’s most intriguing is the paper. Townshend underscored the significance of the paper, the photograph, and the writing. He believes the act of creation itself is “not just about rock stars, pop stars, singers, musicians, artists, or whatever. It’s about everybody.”
Townshend isn’t the first rocker to take issue with Rubin’s approach. Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath once described the producer’s tactics as “ridiculous,” while former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer said Rubin was “way more a hindrance than a help” in the studio.
However, Townshend did concede that Rubin makes a fair point about one crucial aspect of creativity. Townshend acknowledged that, as Rick Rubin and many other pundits rightly point out, creativity must be enjoyable. “It has to be enjoyable. It must be something you love to do and something you enjoy doing. However, this does not necessarily imply that others will find it enjoyable.
Townshend was speaking alongside his wife, writer Rachel Fuller, to promote their new musical project, The Seeker. The work is a “reinterpretation” of Hermann Hesse’s classic novel Siddhartha, which Townshend says shares its name with a classic Who track.
While Townshend may have strong opinions about the mixed messaging from “creativity pundits” like Rubin, he clearly remains passionate about the creative process itself. He revealed that he has “hundreds and hundreds” of unreleased musical ideas and journal entries that he hopes to one day compile into a grand, career-spanning project.
“It has to be fun,” Townshend reiterated. “It has to be enjoyable. It must be something you love to do and something you enjoy doing. However, this does not necessarily imply that others will find it enjoyable.
Townshend’s open criticism of Rubin’s advice serves as a reminder that even the most esteemed figures in the music industry may not always agree on the complex subject of creativity. As artists continue to navigate this ever-evolving landscape, they’ll no doubt continue to seek out guidance—even if that means occasionally slapping the hand that’s offering it.