Have you ever wanted to understand what really makes a great song? What it takes to put everything together just right to get that incredible sound? I’ve wanted a number of this guy’s videos and Rick Beato is the real deal!  Here’s more from his Facebook page biography:

Rick Beato is a musician, teacher, and father of three. Rick has worked as a writer/producer with various bands in the rock and country genres. In 2004, he received a Platinum Record for producing Shinedown’s 1.7-million-selling album, “Leave a Whisper.” Two albums that he produced for NeedtoBreathe – “The Outsiders” (2009) and “The Reckoning” (2012) – won Dove Awards in the Best Rock/Contemporary category. He co-wrote “Carolina” with Parmalee in 2013, which climbed to number 1 on the Billboard’s Country Music Chart.  He is certified to teach grades K-12 and holds a bachelor’s in music from Ithaca College and a master’s in jazz studies from the New England Conservatory of Music.

All that really means for you and me is that he knows a LOT about music from a recording and production standpoint, and can reverse-engineer a song to determine exactly how all the elements come together to form that great finished product.  In this case, he takes Van Halen’s “Running With The Devil” off their self-titled first album from 1978 and really breaks it down. Have a listen and see what you think!

You can follow Rick Beato on his Facebook page, or visit his website here.