that you watched Muscle Shoals... and it would have been fine with me had you said it was 'garbage'... I am very aware it wouldn't appeal to all. it was that little 'extra' for me because I was SO in the Rhythm and Blues in those days. (Still am).
I just can't find my way into 'listening' to audio books.. and I don't know why. ALTHOUGH, and I have said it on this board before... one of the greatest experiences of my life was driving from dusk to dawn through the Arizona desert listening to Stephen King's "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut". I think I listened to it 4 consecutive times that night... and since... hundreds.
In the 60's my band was trying to get a recording contract... and we used studios a lot, and many of them - hell, ALL of them, just like you describe. It took a full morning to set up my drums... and the drums had to record in a separate room.. listening to the music thru headphones. I wasn't used to that at all.
I can remember after our first recording we all leaped with glee hearing ourselves for the first time on a professional recording.. and thinking how 'great' we were... and it led to.. nowhere.
We weren't all that good, really.