chris Wrote:tth_fan Wrote:I don't think the Hip have to think big for a producer... maybe they have to think out of the box!
Why not bring in Dallas Green to produce? IMO, a musical genius, he's produced for himself in the past and he has a connection from Sleeping Sickness.
I think Dallas Green "gets" music, and could probably bring a special sound to the Hip.
Or self produce it...
Ya! I was thinking that too, and why not??
Paul has had some producing experience outside of the Hip, and Baker co-produced the Strippers Union album.
And we all know Downie has a plethora of experience. I think that will generate the best results.
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The Tragically Hip have always been blissfully out of step with the trends of the music industry.
So when Bob Rock signed on to guide the Tragically Hip's 2006 album, World Container, fans fretted that the pop-minded producer would smooth away the subtle, literate side of the band in favour of arena-friendly fare.
That worrying was needless, as it turned out - the band's Hip-ness endured for another compelling collection of tunes.
Rock returns for the Hip's latest, We Are the Same, a sombre, grounded set that showcases a band that seems even less interested in scoring a radio hit.
The album's title would seem to refer to the everyman focus of frontman Gord Downie's lyrics. The Depression Suite is a three-part examination of characters plugging away in menial jobs, while Coffee Girl tells the story of a "beautiful and disaffected" employee at a java shop.
But if the record's title is a reference to the all-for-one nature of Downie's lyrics, it also seems a bit ironic given the record's disjointed flow.
The first half is composed of country-inflected tunes while the tempo nudges up on the flip side with distorted rockers.
Now the Struggle Has a Name and The Depression Suite, which clock in together at well over 15 minutes, comprise the album's turning point but also its saggy, momentum-killing midsection.
The album suffers when it finds the Hip straying too far from their comfort zone. Strings are uncharacteristically prominent here. Such broad strokes have never really suited the Tragically Hip, and it's the album's smaller moments that truly resonate.
daylight Wrote:Discography, Producer
* 2008 - D.O.A - Northern Avenger
Bob Rock produced a D.O.A. record? Now there's something I never thought I'd see.
WATS definitely has that Bob Rock sheen to it, but for once the songs actually benefit from the added instrumentation. People here seem really bothered by the strings. I wasn't sure about them either on my first couple of listens. But after giving this record probably 15 or 20 spins over the past week, I've actually grown to appreciate the extra layers. I don't think Bob's production takes anything away from the material. From a songwriting standpoint I would argue that these are some of the best songs they've written since Phantom Power, and I'd say the album as a whole is one of the bravest things they've ever done. They obviously took some big risks production-wise, and in the process they've alienated a big portion of their audience. I don't think they purposely set out to piss off the hard-rock fans by writing a bunch of mellow country-tinged songs with strings, keyboards, trumpets and mandolins, but at the same time they probably said to themselves, "fuck it. Let's step out of our comfort zone and try something totally different this time." Downie himself mentioned during the "Live at the Bathouse" special that he felt the band really put themselves out there with this album. He wasn't kidding. That's what's so brilliant about these guys. Each new album is so unique and different from the one before it, and you never know what kind of curveballs they're gonna throw at you. WATS just happens to be the biggest cureball they've ever thrown and it's really divided the fans in a way that no other Hip album has before. That's the curse of longevity. And that's why they're so goddamn great.
That being said, I do hope that they change producers for the next album. If only just to keep things fresh. I absolutely LOVE what they've done on the last two records, and I give Bob Rock credit for breathing some new life into the band. But I think it's time to move on to someone else for the next one. Personally I'd love to see them work with somebody like Ian Blurton (Weakerthans, Lowest of the Low) and put out an album full of short 3 minute garage-rock tunes. They've done the big, polished, layered epic with Bob. It would be cool to see them go in a completely opposite direction on their next one and put out something totally lo-fi and in your face. Rick Rubin would be another interesting producer to record with.
direwolf74 Wrote:WATS definitely has that Bob Rock sheen to it, but for once the songs actually benefit from the added instrumentation. People here seem really bothered by the strings. I wasn't sure about them either on my first couple of listens. But after giving this record probably 15 or 20 spins over the past week, I've actually grown to appreciate the extra layers. I don't think Bob's production takes anything away from the material. From a songwriting standpoint I would argue that these are some of the best songs they've written since Phantom Power, and I'd say the album as a whole is one of the bravest things they've ever done. They obviously took some big risks production-wise, and in the process they've alienated a big portion of their audience. I don't think they purposely set out to piss off the hard-rock fans by writing a bunch of mellow country-tinged songs with strings, keyboards, trumpets and mandolins, but at the same time they probably said to themselves, "f**k it. Let's step out of our comfort zone and try something totally different this time." Downie himself mentioned during the "Live at the Bathouse" special that he felt the band really put themselves out there with this album. He wasn't kidding. That's what's so brilliant about these guys. Each new album is so unique and different from the one before it, and you never know what kind of curveballs they're gonna throw at you. WATS just happens to be the biggest cureball they've ever thrown and it's really divided the fans in a way that no other Hip album has before. That's the curse of longevity. And that's why they're so goddamn great.
That being said, I do hope that they change producers for the next album. If only just to keep things fresh. I absolutely LOVE what they've done on the last two records, and I give Bob Rock credit for breathing some new life into the band. But I think it's time to move on to someone else for the next one. Personally I'd love to see them work with somebody like Ian Blurton (Weakerthans, Lowest of the Low) and put out an album full of short 3 minute garage-rock tunes. They've done the big, polished, layered epic with Bob. It would be cool to see them go in a completely opposite direction on their next one and put out something totally lo-fi and in your face. Rick Rubin would be another interesting producer to record with.
Good post, agree with alot of that.
They should do whatever it takes to get T-Bone Burnett to produce a record for them. Can you imagine how sick that would be?
The Horrible Esthete Wrote:Good post, agree with alot of that.
They should do whatever it takes to get T-Bone Burnett to produce a record for them. Can you imagine how sick that would be?
If you can pull him away from Daryl's house: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/">http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/</a><!-- m -->
The Horrible Esthete Wrote:They should do whatever it takes to get T-Bone Burnett to produce a record for them. Can you imagine how sick that would be?
I have the feeling we'll be seeing Bob Rock records for the rest of their career. They seem to have a good working and personal relationship with each other. Definitely not my #1 choice (or even top 10), but I'm not strongly opposed to him like a lot of hipbasers.
I have no problem with Bob Rock either. I think these last two albums are sonic candy.
I would imagine that any influece or input Rock has on the the composition of the material itself, or the arrangement come recording time, is not only welcomed by the band but specifically sought. So I guess what I'm saying is that if anyone doesn't care for the band's 'vision' on these records -- in terms of the orchestration / arrangement of the material, or even the creative 'direction' of band in general -- Rock shouldn't be the one who gets saddled with the blame.
I still don't understand the constant harping on the "production" by many. While some of these big, dramatic, glossy effects aren't really my 'cup o' tea' so to speak, it doesn't change the fact that these records SOUND fantastic in a technical sense. They are rich and full of texture, and have a tremendous amount of depth.
I have also found that the overall "aural character" of WATS can be drastically altered and customized by manually tweaking the band equalizer on whatever device or application is being used. I have created a setting specifically for WATS on my computer that suits my fancy which softens the effect of the strings and drops them a little further into the background, and brings the guitars / madolins to the forefront. Sounds incredible.
:music
tragicallysteve Wrote:I have the feeling we'll be seeing Bob Rock records for the rest of their career.
Not necessarily. By all accounts they had a great working relationship with Steve Berlin (Phantom Power, Music@Work), but then they switched things up for IVL and hired Hugh Padgham. They also had nothing but great things to say about Adam Kasper's work on IBE, but then changed it up again and went with Bob Rock on WC. And this was after an interview during the '04 tour where Gord said he'd love to work with Kasper again on their next album after IBE. During the recent "Live at the Bathouse" special, George asked Robby flat out if they would continue to work with Bob Rock after WATS, and all Robby said was that they don't have any concrete plans for the future, and that they like to leave things as wide open as possible.
Here's hoping they don't self-produce another album. TATH may be their worst album sonically (other than the EP). I LOVE how IBE sounds - very raw and powerful - and I think they should work with Adam Kasper again. Or Daniel Lanois. That would be awesome...
Escape@Hand Wrote:Here's hoping they don't self-produce another album. TATH may be their worst album sonically (other than the EP). I LOVE how IBE sounds - very raw and powerful - and I think they should work with Adam Kasper again. Or Daniel Lanois. That would be awesome...
The "sound" of an album, in my opinion, has more to do with the Recording Engineer and the Mixer than the Producer.
chris Wrote:Escape@Hand Wrote:Here's hoping they don't self-produce another album. TATH may be their worst album sonically (other than the EP). I LOVE how IBE sounds - very raw and powerful - and I think they should work with Adam Kasper again. Or Daniel Lanois. That would be awesome...
The "sound" of an album, in my opinion, has more to do with the Recording Engineer and the Mixer than the Producer.
Um...no offense, but do have any idea what a producer does??