In music production, I generally believe in capturing truth. Perhaps not the gritty, naked, shameful kind, but truth nonetheless. If it’s a band, I want the listener to be able to envision the band playing… and I often shun production choices that pull me out of that illusion.
My housemate recently loaned me the eponymous debut album from the band Hawkwind. Hawkwind, if you’re not familiar, were a British psychedelic (weren’t they all back then) rock band from the 70’s. The infamous Lemmy played bass and sang backup vocals during their early years before being fired for his excesses and moving on to melt faces with Motorhead.
The last song on Side B is called “Mirror of Illusion.” Right away, the song opens with a shaker vs. guitar panning dance. I have to laugh at the vision in my head created by this: guitarist and shakerist (what are you supposed to call a shakerer, anyway?) running back and forth slowly across the stage in what I can only imagine is an LSD-inspired glee. Perhaps it’s not a truthful vision of a rock band on stage, but the surreality works for this production and I’m loving it.
Sometimes it’s good to let go of your preconceived notions and philosophical constraints. Music is art, after all, and the truth is always subjective.
Scott Weiser 
The sign of a good musician to convey the exact image in their head intact into the minds of the listener.