The one band Rick Rubin needed to stop working with: “Cold feet”

Rick Rubin has spoken about the one collaboration he felt he had to walk away from: a 2012 recording project with Crosby, Stills & Nash. Rubin, known for stripping artists back to raw, honest performances, said the trio grew uneasy hearing their voices presented so plainly, and ultimately got cold feet before the sessions were completed.

Rubin compared their reaction to that of Johnny Cash, another artist wary of exposing his voice so nakedly on record, though Cash's sessions with Rubin went on to become celebrated late-career triumphs. He said David Crosby in particular seemed uncomfortable with the stripped-down approach, and the material was never finished, something Rubin said he regrets, as he felt what was recorded was worthwhile. Despite the setback, Rubin said he does not view any artist as impossible to work with, acknowledging simply that not everyone suits his hands-off, song-focused method.