Cheshire Cat (Blink-182 Album) - Recording and Production

Recording and Production

The deal was completed and Blink immediately set off to record their debut at the famous Westbeach Recorders in Los Angeles. DeLonge and Hoppus were excited, as the "hallowed ground" had hosted influences Bad Religion, NOFX, Face to Face, and Ten Foot Pole. Raynor recalled the sessions: "Westbeach was where all the Epitaph bands had been recording at this time. I spent the whole time thinking,'Greg Graffin probably sat in this chair', 'Brett Gurewitz probably stood in this doorway,' etc." Fueled by "some great, terrible Chinese food," the band were forced to record and mix the sixteen tracks in three days, once again recording under serious time constraints. Despite the fact that the band were now in possession of a contract with the biggest indie label in San Diego, Cargo were still not in a position to offer more than a few days' worth of finances to record the trio's first efforts for their new home.

Unfamiliar with the area, the trio got lost on their first day of recording, arriving at the studio three hours late. Blink got to work immediately, setting up Raynor's drums and beginning to lay down tracks. "We were working ten- to twelve-hours straight, hardly even breaking for food or anything," recalled Hoppus in 2001. The band made reservations at local hotel not far from the studio for a room with two double beds. Despite the request, the band were stuck with one king-size bed, with the three musicians sleeping three-across in one bed. DeLonge recorded through Bad Religion guitarist Mr. Brett's amp, and also accidentally broke his microphones. Ten Foot Pole member Steve Kravac was the engineer for the album, and the trio made an immediate impression on him with their humor and eagerness. Kravac set the trio up and recorded most of Cheshire Cat live, and there were few retakes, which would lead to the record's raw appeal.

Kravac pleaded with a frustrated DeLonge and Hoppus (who was "try to make the best of it") to book more time for overdubs. According to Jeff Forrest, the band eventually decamped to more familiar surroundings of Doubletime Studios in Santee, California, where they recorded Buddha. The trio booked the studio for one week to allow time for additional recording. Still, recording progressed quickly at Doubletime according to Forrest, and the record was mixed as they went along. Forrest suggested a line for "Wasting Time" while Hoppus was recording his vocals for the track. Despite the lost time and the pressure of limited resources, the recording went well. When completed, the quality of the recording was "near perfect" to the young band. As it was, Raynor moved to Reno and was replaced briefly with school friend Mike Krull. Hoppus and DeLonge wanted Raynor back, and Raynor moved back to San Diego to live with Hoppus and his family.